FIRST PERSON FEST REVIEW: Karaoke Obsessed

POSTED: Monday, November 9, 2009, 6:15 PM

Filed Under: Arts | Events First Person Fest

Photo | Josh Middleton

Brian Rafferty on the wonders of an off-key obsession.

On Friday night I went to see Brian Rafferty's 'Karaoke Obsessed,' part of the eighth annual First Person Festival at the Painted Bride. Now, before you see the word "karaoke," roll your eyes and decide to scroll to the next post, you may want to give it a second thought. As Rafferty explained in his hourlong discussion, karaoke may be more than the country's cheesiest pastime, but a hobby that could alter your life for the better.

Rafferty's presentation began with an explanation about his childhood as a starry-eyed tot who dreamed of becoming a famous singer. It wasn't until he was in his early 20s in a dingy karaoke bar in the Village that he finally found his voice and therefore an obsession that would change the tune of his life forever. He immediately dropped some extra weight, developed a swagger on the streets and became an instant hit in K-Boxes (individual karaoke rooms) around Manhattan. Next he explained how his fascination with karaoke eventually led him on a worldwide excursion to document its history and influence around the world. (As much as I enjoyed his talk, I have to admit the history section grew a little stale.) It was interesting to learn the meaning of the word karaoke, which is 'empty orchestra' in Japanese, but I was entertained most when he shared his personal experiences, which were enhanced by a couple of embarrassing videos and snapshots from his early days on the karaoke circuit.

Photo | Josh Middleton

Vashti sings Tina Turner's "Private Dancer."

When he finished he passed the mic to Sara Sherr, who you may recognize as the KJ (Karaoke DJ) from the Khyber's Monday night singfest, Karaoke that Doesn't Suck. She gave a quick, charming talk about her stint as a KJ, which began in 2006. She also rattled off two tips for aspiring karaoke singers: 1. Pick songs you are comfortable with and 2. Have a few drinks. The drinking part was easily taken care of courtesy of an open bar serving free gin and tonics from Pennsylvania gin distiller Tub Gin.

The highlight of the evening, though, was when the stage was opened to the audience. In true First Person Arts fashion, each singer was asked to tell their karaoke stories before breaking into their well-chosen ditties. For nearly an hour people performed a line-up of show-stopping numbers that ranged from Ellen's rowdy, head-banging take on the Dead Milkmen's 'Punk Rock Girl' to a sultry, microphone humping performance of Tina Turner's 'Private Dancer' by Vashti. To end the evening, Rafferty climbed back onto the stage to perform a rousing rendition of 'And We Danced' by the Philly band The Hooters. The best part about the night was the audience's enthusiastic support of all the performers. This helped cultivate a comfortable evening of singing, sharing and storytelling that I believe would bend the strongest of karaoke skeptics. Go ahead, grab a mic. You just may walk away a better person.

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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