Tuesday Tunes: Can You Rock? (Redux)

So I made my debut at the weekly live-band karaoke competition called "Can You Rock?" last week. It was an eye-opening experience, to say the least. For starters, I didn't expect the crowd and the lineup of contestants to be so huge. Secondly, I didn't expect 8 out of every 10 contestants to be so talented and well practiced. Thirdly, I did not expect that every other contestant would perform an upbeat, actual rock song. Lastly, I didn't expect that the ultimate outcome of each preliminary week would be determined by "applause vote," essentially guaranteeing advancement to the 2 singers who bring the biggest (and loudest) groups of friends to the competition.

I was impressed with the turnout for this competition, especially given that it was held on a Wednesday night in a not-at-all-central location. A full half (purposefully separated from the rest of the establishment) of a large sports bar/restaurant was crammed full of people waiting to sing, waiting to cheer, or just gawking at the spectacle. I would estimate that at least 20 people took the stage as true "contestants," often bookended by professional artists or the emcee. Twenty people may not sound like a lot, but considering that most mid-week karaoke nights yield maybe 5 or 6 singers, I was surprised by the number.

Of these 20 contestants, I was shocked to find that the majority of them were decidedly well-seasoned singers and performers, and many I suspect should (or maybe are) already be making money via their vocal talents. Again, the "karaoke" part of the "live-band karaoke" description misled me into thinking there would be a bunch of folks just out for a good time, few with actual singing background or talent. I was mistaken, and admittedly, I was impressed with the caliber of performers.

Since I heard of this competition many weeks ago, I had been working on one of my favorite songs from the approved list of tunes that the house band can perform: Martina McBride's "Broken Wing." The song fits my voice well, and as my teacher reminded me, it is a difficult song with a wide range, so it should impress anyone judging a singing competition. I figured it would be a strong choice for a debut attempt at the contest. Wrong again. Of all the performances, mine was by far the slowest and most somber (due to the song's nature), and it was obviously out of place among the up-tempo renditions of AC/DC's "Back In Black," Carrie Underwood's "Last Name," and Janis Joplin's "Me And Bobby McGee." I now know that people take the "rock" part of the competition's name seriously, so any future attempts I make should probably incorporate a bit more edge.

While I had fun performing (despite my still-uncontrollable nerves) and was entertained by some very charismatic local talent, I was somewhat disappointed to learn that the final voting is done by audience appreciation. There are actually two rounds during each night of the competition - one for all singers, and one for the night's 4 finalists. The all-contestant field is narrowed initially by a judging panel (actually, more like random judges sitting in the crowd who never do identify themselves), and the night's 4 best performers sing a second time to determine the 2 winners who move on to the overall Finals. The second "judging" takes place directly after the last of the 4 finalists sings, and the 2 winners are determined by the loudest applause. This strategy would be fine if all competitors were singing to a random audience, but if one competitor has brought 45 of his or her closest friends along, he or she wins by default because that fan group makes the most noise. For such a well-organized and well-conceived event, I thought the "judging" was a bit of a letdown.

Overall, I was glad to have participated, and I may give it another shot during a subsequent week of the competition. Next time I will simply need to bring some material that is a bit more rock-and-roll.

Fight Song Friday: USC Week

No amount of analysis or speculation will calm my nerves for the showdown with USC this week, so rather than providing my own evaluation of the team's chances, I will simply fuel the fire of excitement with these gems:

Notre Dame Victory March

Rally sons of Notre Dame,
Sing her glory, and sound her fame
Raise her Gold and Blue,
And cheer with voices true,
Rah! Rah! For Notre Dame.

We will fight in every game
Strong of heart and true to her name.
We will ne'er forget her
And we'll cheer her ever,
Loyal to Notre Dame.

Cheer, cheer for Old Notre Dame
Wake up the echoes cheering her name,
Send the volley cheer on high,
Shake down the thunder from the sky,
What though the odds be great or small
Old Notre Dame will win over all,
While her loyal sons are marching
Onward to Victory.

Fortune's Pep Talk in Rudy

"You're 5 foot nothin', 100 and nothin', and you have barely a speck of athletic ability. And you hung in there with the best college football players in the land for 2 years. And you're gonna walk outta here with a degree from the University of Notre Dame. In this life, you don't have to prove nothin' to nobody but yourself. And after what you've gone through, if you haven't done that by now, it ain't gonna never happen."

Notre Dame, Our Mother

Notre Dame, our Mother
Tender, strong and true
Proudly in the heavens,
Gleams thy gold and blue.
Glory's mantle cloaks thee
Golden is thy fame,
And our hearts forever,
Praise thee, Notre Dame.
And our hearts forever,
Love thee, Notre Dame.

GO IRISH.

Tuesday Tunes: Journey

This week's tune is directly related to this week's Notre Dame football matchup. "Don't Stop Believin'" is arguably Journey's biggest hit, and it was excessively popular on campus while I was a student at Notre Dame. I figured it was appropriate this week as the Irish face annual rival USC. The message is clear: Keep the faith, and all things are possible. We'll see how that works out come Saturday. Until then, enjoy this 80's classic.

Fight Song Friday: Bye Week

The Irish are enjoying a much-needed bye this week, so I, too, am taking a break from my football posts. Enjoy the weekend, and get ready for a classic ND-USC showdown next week. Go Irish. Beat Trojans!

Tuesday Tunes: Etta James

This week I've had wedding plans on the brain (who knew that planning a wedding required making so many decisions?!), which has inspired today's Tuesday Tune. For some time now (long before I even had a boyfriend, much less a fiance), I have been sure of one detail (and, apparently, only one detail, as I'm quickly discovering now that I have to plan all the rest of the details) for my future wedding ceremony: At some point during the reception, my new husband and I will dance to Etta James's "At Last." If you're not familiar with her rendition of this classic song, get familiar. This singular song exemplifies everything that true love and faithful commitment are about, and for a girl who spent much of her adolescence and young adulthood pining for someone to love (and I do mean PINING), it is also profoundly appropriate.

I love the way that James delivers this song, in such a way that even if she were singing nonsense words, you would understand the intended meaning. The lyrics speak of the joy of found love, and the music shouts the sentiment with piercing strings and a willowy, flowing, ethereal sound. I can feel this song from beginning to end. I eagerly await the day I can share a newlywed moment with my true love as we're completely immersed in this song and embraced by each other. At last.