KWP: The Week Ahead (including another contest announcement!)

What’s up, peeps?

 We’re just about set to kick off another week of karaoke fun at the Cadillac Ranch with what I’m hoping are going to be some kick-ass shows. After a couple of days off behind me, I’m ready to get back to it… and I hope that you are, too!

Let’s start with the bad news. I’ve been unable to corral management into approving our big August contest idea. That means, unfortunately, that the semi-formal night will have to wait a little while. I still plan on doing one before the holidays, but I think that it’s going to take some coordination to try and get a decent group of people together who want to dress up and really participate in the spirit of the event. The big problem we had last year when running it was that only a handful of people came dressed up and it felt quite unorganized. So… I really need your input as far as prospective dates to hold the event, rounding up a group of people to actively take part in it, and really hype it up. If you really want to see the event happen as much as I do, then please let me know what your thoughts are– let’s work together to pull off what can be a very magical night of singing and fun. Feel free to leave comments here, drop me a line at my e-mail address (nerdykj@hotmail.com), or submit ideas via the KWP Facebook Group.

The good news is that I am holding a special KWP Spot Contest on Sunday night, August 16th. The I Love the ’80s contest is exactly what you think it is: an ’80s-themed contest where you’ll have to pick a song from that decade and perform it to the best of your ability. Costumes, props, and any other theme-related extras are certainly encouraged! If there’s a song that you wish to claim early– and therefore confirm that you’ll be participating– please e-mail or text me ASAP with your song choice. Songs are on a first-come, first-served basis and no repeats will be allowed. This theme, more than most others, is pretty wide open as far as song selections with no real gender advantage. How creative and daring are you willing to be? The prize pool will be at least $50, and maybe more, depending on how many participants that we have. (That means that, if we get a decent number of people, the payouts will increase!) If there’s only one show that you can make it to this week, I’d ask that you strongly consider Sunday night’s event. If we can generate bigger crowds for these contests, I’m hoping that management will sponsor more of them! Look for full details on the contest on Thursday… but the details will only be available online; as with the last contest, I will not be mentioning it during shows this week.

Some of you have received KWP Medals of Honor recently… I’m hoping to find more of them at Target in the coming days and try to keep them on hand. What are the medals for? Well, aside from recognizing contest winners, these medals are given to singers for a variety of reasons… ranging from overcoming fear and trying to sing for the first time to singing a difficult song to pulling off other impressive karaoke feats. They’re my way of saying “Thank you” to singers who really add to the quality and value of each show by sharing their awesome talents with us. I hope that those of you who have received them so far like them; and don’t worry… you can win multiple medals!

That’s about it for this installment. Don’t forget that shows start around 8pm, and that early birds get more opportunities to shine! If you let me know that you’re coming early, or submit songs in advance via e-mail or text, I can really start shows strong! That’s where I’m hoping that the KWP Text Group will come in, which I’m looking to start up on September 2nd. We’ve got three people on the list so far… but there’s still plenty of time to submit your information and jump on board.

Some benefits of the KWP Text Group:

• Running late? You can submit a song request to me so that I can slide you into the rotation within one song of your arrival!
• When are you up? If you’re in the KWP Text Group, I can text you when you’re next in line so that you are ready to sing!
• Don’t want to fill out a slip? You can submit song requests to me and I’ll do the work for you!
• Is the weather frightful outside? Be the first to know about show status, including possible cancellations due to snow or ice.
• Want to submit show ideas, suggestions, or song additions? Text messaging is the fastest way to do it!
• Looking for feedback on your performances? I’m always happy to give gentle, but unbiased, feedback to you privately.

There are a lot of advantages to being part of the KWP Text Group, so I hope that you’ll consider sharing your information soon.

In the meantime, I’m off to get some rest to be in tip-top shape for tonight! I hope to see you at some point this week… stay cool and keep on singing!