USC’s amazing Daily Trojan newspaper served up a true gem this week by providing karaokers with a quality viewers guide for the two hottest television shows currently on air: Don’t Forget the Lyrics (FOX) and The Singing Bee (NBC).

NBC and FOX first aired their “reverse karaoke” shows this summer. NBC’s “The Singing Bee” premiered July 10, beating FOX’s “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!,” which premiered July 11 , by one day. The summer release date of “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” prompted NBC to move the premiere of “The Singing Bee” from fall 2007 to early July.

“Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” is broadcast Wednesdays and Thursdays, and “The Singing Bee” is set to return Tuesday, September 4. For those who don’t want to spend half their week learning popular songs’ obscure lyrics, a choice must be made - FOX or NBC.

Quality journalism should not go unnoticed. Karaoke for life.

They aren’t the first to do it, and they won’t be the last.

But St. Bonaventure University will be hosting a FREE (no cover) Live Band Karaoke night. Karaoke with a LIVE BAND (real humans). Live the dream, kids. Because when you get older… all you got is those stupid television monitors and you can pray for stereo sound… but depending on where you are in the country, they’re still operating on old 8track mono karaoke. Karaoke with a band? Get out of here.

9pm - 1am on both September 6th and 7th at Campus Rathskeller. Yee haw.

Karaoke Kenny, the DJ who runs the karaoke nights at Fiesta Cantina and East West in West Hollywood has released his latest song books on the web. Dig in yodelers! This is your chance to pick out your karaoke songs ahead of time, practice, practice, practice, and then head on down to the LA westside’s very own American Idol-like karaoke competition. Karaoke with Kenny is serious stuff, so don’t get too many delusions of grandeur… you’ll get ripped apart up there by Aretha Franklin wanna-be’s and better-than-Tom-Jones Tom Jones wanna-be’s.

Check out the song book HERE. And if his site is down, you can find the karaoke songs here. Love that.

According to Inquirer.net (which may or may not be notoriously awesome), Malaysia’s information minister compared Internet bloggers to off-key karaoke singers.

Ladies and gentleman, for the sake of full disclosure: I am a karaoker first, and a blogger second. That being said, you don’t come into my house (the Internet, in this case), and kick my dogs (bloggers everywhere, in this case). The so-called “minister” doesn’t sound like he is was being very pious or holy when he made those comments. Do some people who sing karaoke suck? Unquestionably yes, they do. But do the overwhelming majority of professional karaokers rock your socks off? You bet your horse! So, even if the “minister” meant what he said about bloggers, I’d have to say, “Well then, Mr. Holier-than-thou Minister, they must be pretty good!”

It is amazing that in 2007 we still have this level of ignorance about karaoke that it is better left to the drunks and the barmaids. Once that “minister” gets off his high horse and puts a mic up to his mouth with the instrument-only track of The Fray’s “How To Save a Life,” then he will know what it is like to karaoke fo’ real.

And maybe when he gets home, he’ll blog about his experience. Too much?

BREAKING: Bobby Karaoke has caught wind of A 15 year old Finnish student who was fined Friday for doing his teacher a favor - publicizing the teacher’s karaoke work by posting it on YouTube. Call me old fashioned, but last time I checked, helping to advance someone’s music career wasn’t grounds for a fine from the government.

Nevertheless, in BIG GOVERNMENT Finland, that’s how they roll. Toni Vesikko posted the secret karaoke video on Youtube and was found guilty of “intentional defamation” (meaning: laughing unduly at a pathetic karaoke performance). Smacked with a couple thousand dollar fine, I bet his parents won’t be letting him anywhere near the family computer for awhile. And that’s a shame, because Youtube needs more karaoke vids.

God bless,
Bobby K

Idaho State University (ISU to locals) masquerades as a fine state-sponsored institution of higher learning. But Bobby K has gotten the inside scoop from a distant relative working at the school paper that the “university” is really a front for karaoke lifers!!! Hellz yeah.

The school’s Daily Vidette newspaper (dumb name) leaked this article on the ‘net. Turns out ISU’s “First Weekend” is back for its fourth year on campus and it will give students many karaoke-related events to participate in this weekend as they hit campus.

Normally, we wouldn’t leak such unsubstantiated rumors peddled by a small time newspaper, but since this came from a distant relative, I couldn’t resist. Now, where I stand on this is complicated. I like big government out of my karaoke. But, it seems the politicos in Boise have funneled a sizable chunk of the state’s budget to advance karaoke culture in their state. Love that. These kids are getting more than just a degree at ISU. They’re learning singing skills that may help land them their first job once they get out here to LA.

Way to go Idaho!

Love,
Bobby Karaoke

BK was planning a review trip to Bowling Green, Kentucky when he caught wind that the deathly humidity there and the heavy drinking has prevented the sport of karaoke from ever fully developing in this part of the world.

This is unfortunate, because I know a few of our readers hail from that part of the woods. Hang in there guys; maybe someday karaoke will be available at the following places and nights:

• Southern Lanes Friday, Saturday
• City Limits Lounge Wednesday, Friday
• Ricky Beavers karaoke Friday
• Grumpy’s feat. Rick Dunn Friday
• Miss Kitty’s, 3315 Louisville Road, Wednesday
• Betty’s Bar Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
• Dumplin’s Diner in Adairville Karaoke contest every Saturday

Until that time comes, we will keep on praying to the karaoke gods for you folks down in Bowling Green Kentucky suffering from lack of karaoke culture. Time will tell.

Bobby Karaoke’s brother, Charles Henry (he took his wife’s last name), made a surprise stop-over in Akroh, Ohio last week for some karaoke action with his college roommate. I don’t want to get too much into the details (he’s still married), but let’s just say the ladies were all over Charles for his Tom Jones karaoke beats. Without further ado, here is the long & short of what Charles reported back to bobbykaraoke.com:

• B.G. Bree’s - Sister Lori emcees karaoke at 9pm Mondays at this eggs-ellent haunt located at 451 N. Main St., Akron.
• Bocassio’s Sports Pub - Not feelin’ Lori’s Monday night Akron karaoke? No sweat. Head over to 958 Canton Road to get your dose of teenage heart throb Johnny D’s karaoke on Fridays, Saturdays, and Tuesdays.
• The Captain’s Cove - If you’re more into the sounds of Jimmy Buffet karaoke, slide on down to this joint on Wednesdays. Hint: We hear that even though Wednesday is the only publicized night for karaoke at the Captain’s, if you can get the bartender drunk enough, he’ll open up the karaoke chassis any day of the week!
• Cocktails Karaoke at 9 Monday at 1009 S. Main St. …… Pretentious crowd.
• Fiesta Room - Karaoke ALL WEEKEND long Akron-style with DJ Tracy
• Frank’s Place on Market - Mary Lou finishes the weekend off with karaoke Sunday… she’ll take you on a tour de force Delilah style - tell that special someone you love them. 549 W. Market Street, Akron, 44303.

Tip from the Locals: Akron isn’t big on morning or even afternoon karaoke. But once the sun sets… the Akron nightlife and karaoke scene is absolutely, positively on fire, folks.

I once was the victim of a drive by in south central (minnesota). Do you think that stopped me from enjoying the vibrant karaoke scene there? Hell no it didn’t. I pealed my ass off the curb and dragged myself into the local Mankato American Legion post where I got my karaoke on, singing some Oasis. Other places for karaoke wonderment in southern Minnesota include Chevy’s (sucks), Rumor’s Lounge, Bandana Brewery, and Wine Cafe.

So what you waiting for? Disconnect that 14k baud modem and get your sing on at one of dem fine karaoke establishments.

-Bobby Karaoke

When you say “Wichita Falls”, I used to think of dusty cowboy country. Now when you say “Wichita Falls,” I say DROP IT LIKE IT’S HOT! Because Wichita Falls, TX is that CrAzEE.

For quality Friday night karaoke, head to Cafe Giovanni down on Missile Road. It’s next to the old church - you can’t miss it. If Gladys is singing, you pretty much just scored $90 concert tix for free because that is how awesome she is. Tell her Bobby says “Hi.”

Looney Toones karaoke has a lock on Wichita Falls, which is fine by me. On Sunday and Wednesday, they’re up at Double Deuce slinging dope rhymes, and then they turn it down a notch for the old folks at Beer Thirty on Thursdays (Sinatra wanna-be’s in full effect). If you go there, drink a few of their first class whiskey sours and belt out a little Bon Jovi for Uncle Bobby.

If you know anything at all about Wichita Falls, I need not remind you that Bad Girl Karaoke at Haystack is awesome PG-13 rated fun. Across the street from Beer Thirty, you’ll find all the karaoke one man needs.

And lastly, while I was in town, I was able to squeeze in one more bar. J.R.’S PLACE on Texas Highway 240 - let’s just say that’s about as much fun as watching someone drown in lead-based paint, thanks in part to the fact that they haven’t updated their karaoke catalog since 1944. Update: They have new management so this may be better now.

In short, just because I had a sucky time at J.R.’s Place, doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time in Wichita Falls, or “The WF” as other North Texans call it. I did in fact find more than a few karaoke lifers there, and I appreciated the intellectual spirit that seemed to permeate throughout… much like a foul stench in a small closet.

If you make this trip, heed the advice of the pretty bartender who works down at the karaoke bar, Koolerz, on East Scott Street… when she was referring to everyday life in Wichita Falls:
“Karaoke in the blood, whiskey on the breath.”