Everybody’s a rock star
BY KAYLA WRIGHT
The Police, The Who, Pearl Jam, Metallica and Journey are only some of the bands heard during Live Band Rock Star Karaoke when students rocked the stage in The Observatory on March 1, 2012.
The event allowed students to sing karaoke on stage with a live band backing them up and a screen from which to read the lyrics was placed on stage in front of them. It was like any other karaoke night, only twice as energetic, with multi-colour concert lights, back-up vocals and live, upbeat tempos.
Jackie Skinner, lead singer of the band, Rock Star Live, and host for the night, opened the show shortly after 9 p.m. with strong vocals of her own before encouraging others to get up and perform. It gives everyone who participates a chance to be a rock star and to perform covers of some of their favourite songs.
She said they usually do this at Algonquin on every last Wednesday of every month.
The show includes three sets of performers.
To kick off the first set, Mike Taronno, second semester script writing student, performed the 1983 hit Every Breath You Take by The Police. “It [was] my first time,” he said, adding that he’d like to do it again.
Brandon Armstrong, a first-year recreation and leisure services student braved the stage next. He performed The Who’s, 1971 hit, and theme song for the U.S. show CSI , Baba O’Riley.
“I’ve been to every karaoke event here,” he said. He said that Algonquin is the only place he’s ever taken part in karaoke.
Nick Novak and Andrew Jonasson, both media communications students performed the 1994 track Better Man by Pearl Jam. Both Novak and Jonasson have backgrounds in the music industry already, with Jonasson playing in a local indie/rock band called Donna Litas, and Novak promoting other bands.
The last performer of the first set was Phil Hoftyzer, a level three carpenter, who rocked the crowd with the 1991 song Enter Sandman by Metallica.
There was a 15 minute break between each set, which allowed people to rest, regroup and sign up for later performances.
Opening the second set of karaoke singers was Santhosh Christudas, an interactive multimedia student, with Coldplay’s second 2000 single, Yellow. He said it was his first time doing karaoke and admitted he wouldn’t mind doing it again.
Other performances included original songs like: When I Come Around by Green Day, Don’t Stop Believing by Journey, Rockstar by Nickelback, Santeria by Sublime, Rolling in the Deep by Adele, Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People, and Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi.
Near the end of the night, Skinner got back on stage to announce that the last two songs would be group performances, by anyone who wanted to get on stage and rock out.
The second last song was Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks, which had everyone on stage, as well as on the floor, dancing and singing along to the 1989 hit country song.
The last song was AC/DC’s 1980 single You Shook Me All Night Long.
Participants, as well as crowd members, left The Observatory after spending the night with good company and great tunes, in high spirits.
The next Live Band Rock Star Karaoke will be held on March 21 in The Observatory at 9 p.m.
