the good and bad of the fair

The best thing at the fair this year was seeing the two guys with the Mayberry car. The worse thing was karaoke, they didn't follow the rotation and said the fair people said they only wanted different singers so they took us off the rotation. When I asked about this, the people in the office said they did not tell the dj to take people off the rotation so we and others just left just left. I guess it was just a show of the few! But we are singing wednesday afternoon. I just hated paying 8 dollars to sing karaoke and they didn't follow a rotation and started dropping people. If they wanted to have only a few people sing over and over again then they should have said that right up front. This was my first and last time going to the fair for karaoke.

worst day of the fair, the first day

best day.........when its over and gone.......

I live by the fairgrounds and can not wait for it to be over. I love my house and neighborhood but only 55 weeks of the year. This sucks...people are so rude...Trash....noise...did I say rude people? Friday can not come fast enough.

55 weeks?

First of all you did fail to mention that when we started and there were not many singers and you had several chances to sing. Second, you failed to mention that at one point you left the pavillon without telling me if you were coming back and that is why I dropped you from the list. Third, you failed to mention that when you came up I told you I was instructed by the people who had contracted me that I should rotate people who had not had a chance to sing into the rotation. The Fair Board had nothing to do with my contract or actions.

Now let's get to the fact that it was a fund raising event and in order to raise funds you need a crowd. I don't care what anybody sings but if I am instructed to try and hold a crowd I must make decisions that some people may not agree with. "Show tunes" are not going to hold a general crowd at a place like the fair, in the right atmosphere you may "pack the house" but the fair is not the venue. I also had many coupons from the different sponsors and was told to try and disperse them to a large group of people instead of a few people taking them all home. In order to accomplish this I again must have more singers.

The people you are complaining about as singing too much did not receive any of the coupons as I had asked them to come and help draw in the crowd as they are some of the better singers I have met in doing shows at various locations. I am sorry you feel the way you do but it is just Karaoke and neither you or I need to worry that we missed our chance for American Idol, neither of us are that good!

easyrider wrote:

55 weeks?

55---I have not a clue where that came from?????? But you knew what I meant.

Trainwreck-way to clarify

grooveykindoflove wrote:

55---I have not a clue where that came from?????? But you knew what I meant.

Trainwreck-way to clarify

yes, just having lil fun is all..........

I always wondered how people who live in the area ,,John st.,Denman,Kenilworth,S.7th..got through the week..The noise,traffic, and congestion,,rudeness,,and trash...Maybe that idea of a new fairgrounds doesn't sound all that bad..

I love the truck pulls it is my favorite. I can sit on my back porch and not hear anything coming out of the mouth of whomever is sitting across from me. It is that loud. The trash, the rudness, the noise, it all makes for a very long week. I really wish it would move out of town. The fact that I can not park in front of my own house because it is a public street pisses me off. I should be allowed to put up a sign that says--the person whom lives and pays property tax on this property would like to park here. But no the sheriffs office comes and moves anything you put up and people do it too. So I must park in my yard one week of every year so everyone can go to the fair and be rude and throw trash all over my yard and streets....ONE MORE DAY....And no I do not go

Thanks Train for clarifying the “rest of the story”. So my eight dollars was the ante for a place at the Texas Karaoke Hold’em event . We sang a couple of songs and decided to take a break to give new singers a chance to sing. Upon our return I was told the plan was to start bumping people. Now realizing that a plan had already been hatched to not let us sing again. So, myself and husband, and others holding a bad hand were sent packing. The rational given to me was to give new singers a place at the table, but in reality the same few sang over and over. One of your three requirements was , “ we want everyone to have fun ”. When in actuality you were there to raise money in various ways for the EMS. You even had your own American Idol singers to sweeten the pot, a good strategy! So I hope you made $1,000's after we left.
A couple of suggestions. We attended a fund raising karaoke event where each singer made a donation each time they sang (in rotation). It worked very well. The singers felt they were part of the event, not just dropped into a waste land. We were there to raise money and had a good time. It was a win-win situation. Another way to fund raise at Karaoke is to have people summon singers at the Mic. by giving a donation. People who never would come up to the Mic., usually will if it’s to help to raise money.
Or maybe next time, to over fill your jar, you could sell tickets to keep us off the mic! Tar and feather us. Perhaps shackle us to a mic stand and sell tickets to stone us! Yea that’s the ticket. Stone the hell out of us old “ show tune” singers!

What's the difference between a karaoke showtune singer and a terrorist?
You can negotiate with a terrorist.

You want the straight and narrow here it is. You drive people out of shows. I have tried to make it as open as possible for you at shows I run, but when I am overuled by whomever I have the contract with I must do what I am instructed to do or I may not get paid or could lose the job (I have had both happen). Did you not take home some of the same coupons that other singers took home? Did you not get to sing the songs you asked to sing until the time came to try and rotate more people in? At least one of the places I host shows at I have tried to go out of my way to make you welcome and this is the thanks I get! As I said before the event was to raise funds and if people are leaving the building they are not going to contribute or purchase raffle tickets. My fee for the entire show was a donation so I have taken nothing home but the grief and public ridicule you are tossing about here. I did two different shows at Ridgewood Junior High last year and one to help raise funds for the Riverview High School weight room free of charge. I received thanks and referalls from those events, not to mention some of the staffs of those schools have since attended my shows at various establishments and enjoyed them.

In a perfect world there would be enough people that sign up to limit everyone to just a few songs and thus give us the diversity that even the "show tunes" could mix in and not drive the crowd out. unfortunately those crowds do not exist right now, could be the economy, could be lack of interest or it could be they don't like singers, hosts or establishments that are doing Karaoke. I don't know and I don't care. I am the person running the show and until you can obtain the equipment and contract(s) I will do what I do or I am instructed to do.

Yes, I tell people we are there to have fun, but when a group or genre of music is sending people out the door is their fun not as important as yours? As both a host and a participant I have learned that you need to read the crowd and sometimes change your style for the night or maybe take a night off as the crowd just would not be into "your music". I have several people that will ask me if certain songs will go over with certain crowds or establishments and we may then search for a happy medium. I am sorry your choice in music is not a majority vote but neither is mine as you in the past have openly criticised many things I have and still do sing.

The difference between us is that I know I am not going to "be discovered" and swept away to fame and fortune while singing Karaoke in Coshocton, Ohio. I hope someday you will also come to that realization! I must however thank you for the idea of "Texas Holdem' Karaoke" I think that may be one heck of a gimmick to try!

MC---What do you like to sing? I like show tunes, I hate karaoke but occasionally I will listen and find that people that do not sing the same old crap (and they can hold a note) are the ones I will listen to. Occasionally (only if I look good and it’s really drunk out) I will sing but that has only happened twice. I do not think you singing show tunes would run anyone off. I DJ’d for many a year back in the day and if someone wanted to hear something I knew wasn’t going to go over real well I would make sure I had something great before and after. That is me and not TW, I believe that he should have explained his thoughts with you a little better and maybe told you not to sing show tunes. Are you that hard headed as to not listen? I am just trying to put my mind around the fact that he would not allow you to sing anymore. It seems you two know each other so why the problem communicating?

Picking up the trash that is left by the fair goers today!!! Yea the fair is over…..

Let’s see, I can count the times I have sang karaoke in Coshocton in the last year on one hand. I don’t engage in the 4th of July contest, when asked, because there are so many better singers than I, and I know this. My husband and I sing because it’s something we do together. Of course you welcome us, we are your costumers, and always spend money buying a meal, giving the Sportszone business. I don’t think the Sportszone would like you dropping singers, but you won’t have to worry about doing that, I’ll save you the trouble and stop coming. Save the people of Coshocton for having to sit though any more showtunes. This has nothing to do with the songs we sing. We have even been accused of running people off at places we have never even be at! I know who and what is behind all this BS. You can take your 30 pieces of silver coupon offerings and keep them. Trying to accuse us of running people off and looking for fame and fortune is like accusing Obama of being terrorist, makes good media propaganda and McCain ads. If you think your shows are threaten by two old out of tune showtune singers, who show up about once every 4 or 5 months, you give us waaaaaaaaaaaaay to much credit! Like I said, just sell tickets to have us tar and feathered, or stone the hell out of us, would be a lot less painful!

I mostly sing Lynn songs, my husband and I did "The Lady Loves Me" from a Elvis movie and the people in the crowd let me know they liked it, even if other people would l like you to think they were running for the hills. Thanks for your post, it made me feel alittle better!

It remains me of the Joan Crawford movie, Bring Me The Axe!, after she was told she was box office posion. I guess I can say me and Joan are alot alike, she was box office poison and I am "karaoke poison"!


I was denied membership in an Coshocton karaoke country club because I was a off key showtune singer, I replied "Hell, I don't sing showtunes, and I've been ran off by enough DJ's to know!"

Groovy,

Unfortunately DJing and KJing are very different animals as I offer both. Like you said in the DJ side of it you can "surround" a less popular request with songs that will hold your audience. With the KJ side of it people expect to sing in the order they sign up and if two or three people sign up for less popular choices you now have 10-15 minutes that you can begin to lose your audience. As you have read from Madcow bumping or changing of the sign up order is apparently not allowed by the "Karaoke gods".

As I have said earlier, I personally do not care what people sing, but professionally I have to keep people coming to shows or I will lose those jobs. I have told other people at other shows I would not run certain songs based on content and we were at a show billed as family night. Maybe I should just run a disclaimer at all my shows similar to the one all liquor serving establishments have about right to refuse service. It may read something like: I reserve the right to bump, move or remove you from the order or rotation because I said so"! Would that make everyone happy?

I must personally thank the cow for taking the last thing I had that gave me a little pleasure and relaxation in life and making it just another headache! I have enough BS going on in life I do not need it in the one thing that I use to relax and unwind. I am seriously thinking of calling the places I do shows at and telling them they need to begin looking for other hosts as the little bit of money it brings in is just not worth putting up with people who think they are being singled out. If they would open their eyes they would see the younger crowd walking out the door as they sing. Unfortunately the younger crowd is who is in the bars and such and therefore the group I must try to retain. Welcome to free enterprise! At anytime they are welcome to contract me for a time and location in which they can write the rules and exclude whomever they want.

In closing Obama is a terrorist, we never walked on the moon, Twinkies are filled with radioactive tracking dyes, the location of our cars is known by three government agencies at all times, aliens do exist, and I will be voting for McCain and Palin because she is freakin' HOT!

Two men are approaching each other on a sidewalk. One man was covering his ears with his hands and the other was dragging his right foot as they walked.
As they meet, one man looks at the other knowingly, points to his foot and says, Vietnam, 1969."

The other points his thumb behind him and says, SHowtune singer, 20 feet back."

And I would like to thank you for making one of the pleasures I have a nightmare! Again you give me waaaaaaaaaaaay to much credit. Like I said you won't have this "cow" to kick around anymore. I promise I will never show up to one of your shows again, or any karaoke places in Coshocton, so stop the pity party. You have proven me right with my first post, I was removed from the rotation after paying to sing karaoke at the fair, and that was my only complaint. And it was a ‘fair’ one, and you yourself said I was basically karaoke poison that needed silenced.

By calling me a "cow' shows how unprofessional you are, and I as a customer I could have gone that route also. If you don't agree with the wonderful Train wreak you are called a 'Cow"! And it’s “madcow” ! If you are going to run a business I would think you would have better judgement. Does stoning the hell out of me personally, is representation of your sponsors? I don't think so, if you treat me like this, who only has been to very few of your shows, how are you going to treat others who come to every show and who might sing a showtune. or just might disagree with you. Not very friendly I Must Say! But keep it up, I have nothing to lose here, while you have sponsors and customers! I’m sure you are delighted that you won’t have to hear anymore of my showtunes, but just how many more singers are you willing to run off? And by your posts may just scare more of them off ?

First I am the reason people leave your shows, now you are using me as a excuse to stop doing your shows. Using me like this is a cop out! One complaint and your out? Come on now, why would you care what a old cow like me has to say! Really Train, I’m the least of your worries don’t you think? I don’t think karaoke poison like me hold much ground, do you? Wait till I gain great fame and make the top ten list, than worry?

You know train, you where not the one I was mad at in the first place, if you would have came up to me, and said , I’m sorry but so and so said to take you off the rotation. Than I could have went to the right person to make my rant to. Instead you covered for the person and now you are getting the blunt of it. Sorry it turned out that way. When this Bs started back a few years ago at Clarks, I spoke with a few of my other kj’s friends. They said that has happen to them, but they held their guns and said they were not doing to turn down singers for anyone. And one even told me that they were asked to bump a singer and he gathered up his stuff and left right in the middle of his show. This whole thing about us running off people is BS, people who go to karaoke are there to sing, no matter who else is there and most of the other people are family or friends of a singer. People who don’t sing, do not go out of their way to hear karaoke. It just something someone got started, and we both know who! These same people claimed I was the reason why the Depot stopped having karaoke and I hadn’t been there for over a year. Another kj who came up to me with a hug, said Todd was being told to take me off rotation, so just start coming to my shows. Todd, bless his heart did not take me off, and never told me about this, to keep my heart out of harms way. But when I found out I just stopped going so Todd was not in the middle of this BS.

And sadly the Kj that always greeted me with a hug, is no longer with us. And I sure miss his hugs and smiles!

The next thing, will be I’m the reason for the economical crisis we are in!

After reading all this back-and-forth about the karaoke at the fair all I can think of is this subject is a waste of time. I was there and heard the KJ call your name several times before moving on to the next singer(you had wandered off somewhere, MC) and he went on to the next singer. So, other than that and the fact that he had enough singers signed up to go to the end of the program(I didn't get to sing because of this also) aren't you making this out to be worse than it actually is?
Also, MC, didn't you sing at the fair on Wednesday also? I heard you did, but I wasn't there.

"The next thing, will be I’m the reason for the economical crisis we are in!"-Madcow
So you were the one who took out all those mortgages and didn't pay them back....

grooveykindoflove wrote:

I love the truck pulls it is my favorite. I can sit on my back porch and not hear anything coming out of the mouth of whomever is sitting across from me. It is that loud. The trash, the rudness, the noise, it all makes for a very long week. I really wish it would move out of town. The fact that I can not park in front of my own house because it is a public street pisses me off. I should be allowed to put up a sign that says--the person whom lives and pays property tax on this property would like to park here. But no the sheriffs office comes and moves anything you put up and people do it too. So I must park in my yard one week of every year so everyone can go to the fair and be rude and throw trash all over my yard and streets....ONE MORE DAY....And no I do not go

By the time I get off work and If my wife decides she wants to go to the fair, there is nowhere left to park on the grounds(according to the workers anyway(who btw are wrong). I never park in front of anyone's house and definitely do not throw any trash down anywhere.I can totally understand your fustrations( even tho I do not live in town).I see how you could be pissed off, it would piss me off too.

I too like the truck/tractor pulls, but did not make it this year, however we did go see the ruff trucks or tough trucks whatever they call them. it was a good show, but I hope those two fellows are ok ,that got hurt.

papa wrote:

By the time I get off work and If my wife decides she wants to go to the fair, there is nowhere left to park on the grounds(according to the workers anyway(who btw are wrong). I never park in front of anyone's house and definitely do not throw any trash down anywhere.I can totally understand your fustrations( even tho I do not live in town).I see how you could be pissed off, it would piss me off too.

I too like the truck/tractor pulls, but did not make it this year, however we did go see the ruff trucks or tough trucks whatever they call them. it was a good show, but I hope those two fellows are ok ,that got hurt.

You misunderstood my sarcasm, I sit on the patio and drink beer and have a friend or six over and we judge them from what we hear. We kinda make fun, but I can not hear anything inside the house so this is like a sport to get through the night. When the really loud trucks pull and do good, it shakes the windows and you could not hear yourself fart. Yes, it is that loud. So I have made a game of it.
Thank you for not parking in front of peoples houses. I had an old be otch park in front this year and moved my chairs. When I came out and said something (nicely) all she said was the sheriff moved them yesterday. She was lucky that she left before it got dark. Something not nice but completely fixable would have happened to her car.

It is over and I can be at piece in my yard again. Thank you to all who know where trash is to go or you hold on to it until you get home.