Karaoke: It ain't over till it's over
Fad of the ‘80s a staple of the ‘90s club scene

Morro Bay
By Neil Farrell
Sun Bulletin August 26, 1998

   On any given night you might hear songs by Tom Jones, Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison, Bon Jovi, or the Eagles. If you’re lucky (or not so lucky), Elvis may make an appearance as well.
   It’s karaoke and it’s survived long past the time most fads have faded.
   Doc and Nancy Thompson, owners of California Karaoke are fast approaching their ninth year in the sing-a-long business and they’re nowhere near the end of their duet.
   Tonight (Wednesday), the 18th edition of California Karaoke’s “Best Singer on the Central Coast” contest happens at Rose’s Landing in Morro Bay. Show time is 7 p.m. and the contest will feature singers who’ve already won weekly competitions.
   Formerly of Cayucos, the Thompsons own five karaoke set-ups and put on shows six nights a week. Each system, including multiple CD changer, TV monitors and lights, costs about $25,000, said Nancy Thompson.
   They’ve had an amazing run of good fortune, equipment-wise. In nearly nine years, they’ve never canceled a show because of an equipment breakdown, she said.
   They now do shows at Wilson’s Lounge in Paso Robles, Bill’s Place in Arroyo Grande, Harry’s in Pismo Beach, and the two places in Morro Bay.
  They lease another system to a man in Clovis who puts on five shows a week at the Old Town Saloon there.
   Thompson believes the Tuesday night show at Otter Rock is, at nearly five years, the longest continuously running karaoke show in the state.
   She and her husband researched the subject on the Internet and haven’t found any show with a longer run.
   Karaoke at the Otter Rock started shortly after the cafe opened in late 1993, and it’s stronger than ever. There’s no doubt it’s good for business.
   “We’ve been doing it since we opened,” said Otter Rock owner Joanne Kann. The shows give people something to do on a night when there isn’t much going on.
   “Especially in the winter,” said Kann. “We’ve got people coming here for karaoke from all over the county. They really have a following, and there are some really talented people.”
   Otter Rock bartender Barbara Steele agrees. “I make great money and everyone has -a great time,” she said. “Sometimes ‘Tom Jones’ (a singer who sounds amazingly like the Welsh crooner) comes to visit. Sometimes we get Elvis.”

   Most Tuesdays the crowd at the Otter Rock is standing room only. That’s no surprise to Nancy Thompson.
   “It’s so popular because it just doesn’t get old,” she said. “If three people sang the same song, it would still be different for each one.”
   Once a cause for laughter more than applause, the karaoke talent pool is getting better.
   “A lot of these singers could be doing professional shows,” said Thompson, who is counted among the better singers and usually performs once or twice a night.
   The crowds go in cycles, with the same faces showing up time and again, at different venues in the county, for seven or eight months before they are replaced by new singers. And not everyone sings.
   “A lot of people come every week and never sing,” said Thompson. They will follow the shows from tavern to tavern, town to town, just to listen and enjoy themselves. “It’s just so entertaining.”
   Of course, not everyone can or should be singing in public, but that’s part of the fun too. No one gets put down for trying.
  “We specifically don’t make it a competition,” said Thompson. “We work at being very nice to people and try to make them feel comfortable.”
   They use cordless microphones so people can sing at their seats and not have to face -an audience. Occasionally, someone freezes. Thompson or another regular singer is always there to help out.
   “If they sound awful, they won’t do it again. They’ll be devastated,” said Thompson. “It’s scary; especially if you’re not sure of the song.”
   To lighten the terror of performing, Doc and Nancy hand out coveted “dead chicken awards,” a key ring with a small rubber chicken on it, to first-time singers. They’ve handed out thousands of the dead chickens over the years.
   At Bill’s Place in Arroyo Grande, the locals get four doses of karaoke a week. On Friday and Saturday, “It’s jammed to the rafters,” said Nancy Thompson.
   Country music is big at Bill’s Place and the dance floor is packed on Friday and Saturdays with swing dancers and two-steppers. 

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