A Karaoke Jockey Explains Why You Must Pay Extra To Sing Journey's 'Don't Stop Believing'

By Ian S. Port Tue., Dec. 14 2010 at 2:43 PM

Comments (7) 

Categories: Q&A

Share

0digg

​As we reported last week, San Francisco karaoke jockey Roger Niner has taken the drastic step of charging an extra fee for customers to sing "Don't Stop Believing." (We know.) Niner, a seasoned pro with many years of full-time experience in the drunken fraying of larynxs, kindly explained to us last week what this move was all about. He even speculated on what makes this particular song -- birthed by San Francisco's own Journey, and taken up by the S.F. Giants as the official anthemfor the team's World Series-winning 2010 season -- so insanely popular.

So one day you decided to charge people more to sing "Don't Stop Believing," right?
Yes, that is exactly correct.

Why the hell did you do that?
If you go to karaoke bars, "Don't Stop Believing" is the No. 1 most-requested song. When I first started going to karaoke, I was caught up in the wave as well: "Oh, 'Don't stop Believing,' cool! Everyone has a good time! Yay!" But as I have been doing this for as long as I have, I hear it every night. When I was starting my business, I actually didn't put the song in my songbook. I purposely left it out, thinking people might not see it and then not think about it, but that didn't work.

So one night somebody signed up to sing it.  And then I had two other people that were unrelated to each other come up and request the song through the course of the four-hour show. And I just snapped. I'm not going to delete it, because that's just going to be a disaster. So I said, "Alright, I'm going to make some money from this." So the policy is, $5 to sing, that $5 goes into a fund that I use to purchase new songs for the book. And if you look at the sheet that I have in my book, it straight says, I have 11,000-plus other songs to sing for free. You can find one. [Laughs.] I just had to do it.

The thing is, it's not as much of a deterrent as I hoped it would be. It has definitely whittled down the requests. I do have people that say "Hey, I want to sing it," and I say, "I'm sorry, I'm charging $5." And I always am very polite about that, just to let them understand I'm not targeting them or isolating them, but they will say "Oh," and wander off. I had some people the other night leave because they were mad.

​
It would seem like there's an implied frustration or anger at people who want to sing it. Is that the case?
The people that I have come to my shows, a lot of them are regulars. Most people were applauding the decision -- they thought it was awesome, because they all hate it, too. Karoke regulars cannot stand that song. There are still some people that are diehard true DSB fans. Most of the people at my shows were like "Yes, good, you did something, just delete it." But I still have people -- one guy comes into my shows, and ... it doesn't stop him. I have people who are my regulars saying alright, you need to charge $5 per person, because sometimes [there's] a group of 10 people. Or they're saying you need to raise the rate because it's not stopping people. They are not stopping believing.

Can you explain the amazing allure of this particular song?
I have been trying to figure out the philosophical ramifications of it for years. I still haven't really come across it. It's a song in a major key. And It's a very soaring song. And the whole point of it -- "Don't Stop Believing" -- I guess it could apply to karaoke itself, the idea that I may be an amateur singer, or I may not be able to carry a tune, but that's not going to stop me, I'm going to keep going. But the funny thing about it is the song is impossible to sing! It's out of everyone's range. You actually have to be either [Journey singer] Steve Perry or the guy that they found to fill in. It's so hard to sing, it's so out of everyone's range -- doesn't stop 'em. Because they're not going to stop believing. I can't figure it out.

A sidenote: when the Giants obviously won, I did waive the fee. That would have been suicide on my part, had I been, "No, I don't care." Because I'm not a sports fan. I was happy, the city was happy, I got caught in the mood, but yeah, when people were like, "Oh, we need to sing it for the Giants," I was like, "okay."

How many times did you hear it for the Giants?
During that whole week. But then it kind of went back to normal. People have gone back to the "Okay, he's charging, I don't want to sing it." I had a friend call me up who was at one of the games and he said, "Guess what? Steve Perry is here. They're going to do 'Don't Stop Believing.'" And he's like, "This is your personal hell, isn't it?"

I don't hate the song, and I definitely don't hate Journey. I like Journey a lot; I like a lot of their songs. But that song, I just -- I can't do it anymore. It just drove me to the point of insanity.

----

What songs would you pay extra to sing at karaoke? Tell us on Twitter, or leave a video of yourself singing them on our Facebook page.

Tags:

Don't Stop Believing, Journey, Karaoke, Roger Niner

How to get my job: Karaoke host

By Thorin Klosowski Thu., Sep. 23 2010 at 9:00 AM

Comments (1) 

Categories: How to get my job

Share

0digg

​There are many jobs in this world. Some are so bizarre you probably don't know they exist; some you might have had no idea people actually make a living at. In an effort to highlight some of these jobs, we've started a new series detailing the origins of people actually working in the field. This week, we've tapped Keith Houston (aka Roger Niner), a karaoke host who got his start in Denver before moving off to California a few years ago.

Westword: Tell us a little about your history in karaoke.

Keith Houston:My most prominent introduction to karaoke was getting hooked on drinking and singing at some chain restaurant attached to the mall I was working at in Colorado Springs. We would go after work and booze it up. It was there I learned there are some good songs made for karaoke, so we would always sing the stuff no one knew. I was hooked. After a crappy day working for The Man, nothing felt better than belting out my favorite song to a crowd of welcoming strangers.

WW: Why did you decide to start working as a host, and when did you know it was what you wanted to do?

KH: I became a total karaoke junkie when I moved to Denver, hopping from karaoke night to karaoke night. There was a full week if you wanted to do it. I was either starved for attention or well on my way to becoming an alcoholic -- or both. After witnessing my all-out stage shenanigans and ability to work the crowd into a frenzy, some of the people running the shows asked me to start working for them. Things really took off when Quicksand Karaoke set me up for my very first karaoke playground at Bender's Tavern. They would set up, I would run the show, and we would split the profits. That show took off in its first month. I was getting paid to sing, act like an idiot and drink. Way more fulfilling than the theater program I just dropped out of. I've hosted shows at the 404, Charlie Brown's, Sobo 151, Lucky 13s and even a VFW bar down on South Broadway. After doing one-off gigs for various people for a couple of years, I moved to the Bay Area. I came into some money after my mother passed away, and used that to buy my own karaoke rig. Thus Roger Niner's Karaoke Extravaganza was born.

WW: How would you recommend someone get him or herself started in the field?

KH: Having a background in public speaking helps. A lot of great KJs I know were radio people, some with a theater background. Having some working knowledge of how to properly run a sound board is a must. A welcoming personality and sense of humor is key as well.

Running these shows is like inviting people into my house for a party. I want to make sure everyone is having a great time and people are feeling included. I also enjoy trying to get the wallflowers to come out of their shell a bit. Also, you need lots of patience -- you are going to be constantly bombarded with drunken renditions of very horrible songs. You'll also be treated by grown ups behaving like spoiled five year olds in some cases. Be firm but fair and remember they're drunk. You are there to ensure people leave the bar feeling good with stories to tell. Hopefully they come back to your shows week after week and hire you for a private event. Be prepared to spend some cash. You don't need top of the line gear, but a good sound makes all the difference. Karaoke songs are also a bit pricey, so have a set song budget in mind.

​

WW: Can you describe an average day?

I normally don't get home from a gig and in bed until three in the morning, so I try to sleep in until about noon. I spend some time on various karaoke websites, seeing what new songs are available. Maybe I'll learn a couple of songs for the week. This is key; it keeps your shows from feeling stale. I also like to research songs, trying to think of themes that I can ask my crowd to participate in. I disinfect the microphones and wipe down the karaoke songbooks so they don't smell like beer. Every six months or so, I print out new songbooks. Around 8:00 I pack up the car with my rig and head out to the bar. At last call, I start to wrap everything up, sit down for a bit to ease my aching bones (I jump around a lot during my shows), pack up the car and head home. I have about four regular shows a week, with an occasional wedding or party thrown in.

WW: What's the best part about your job?

KH: Getting paid to run around and sing is pretty awesome, but the best part for me is knowing I am providing a space for people to get lost in, to give them an opportunity to relax or spaz out or sit back and laugh at all of it. A good friend of mine lost his home in the housing market meltdown and he told me karaoke was the one thing keeping him sane because he could just let it all out, meet some new people and make some new friends. Karaoke can be very therapeutic. I like giving people the ability to feel like a hero, if just for one day.

WW: How about the biggest misconception?

KH: To me, karaoke, proper karaoke is not a talent show. You are not there to audition, so don't act like a diva and don't be shy. Make people laugh. Sing that song no one knows. You are there to sing in front of friends and strangers, and in some cases, strangers who have become good friends. You are not there to sound good; you are there to rock out. Even if you feel like you can't sing a note, don't be afraid to make a show of how bad you are. You will awe people just for that. And the people in the back, heckling you? Cowards. I don't see them brave enough to stand up and sing to a room full of strangers, do you? Go epic or go home.

WW: Anything you're particularly proud or embarrassed of?

KH: It's hard to be embarrassed at my job, especially when I do things like flop around like a dying fish on the bar while someone finishes singing "Epic" by Faith No More. I love the people who are terrified their first time singing, then sign up for three songs the next time the come by.

Opening for Slim Cessna's Auto Club with our karaoke performance group, The Hot Licks, was amazing. Getting invited to SXSW this year to host a panel on karaoke and social media was an honor, plus winning an iPad in a karaoke contest while there wasn't too shabby. But I am most proud of the long and lasting friendships I have made while doing what I do. Your patrons make your show. You are the host, but they are the talent.

Tags:

Karaoke host, Keith Houston, Roger Niner, Thorin Klosowski