Yes. Not that it's bad necessarily. People want to hear what they know/like. If original music from us locals isn't cutting it, people still gotta be entertained!!

To scale I am sure it's the same as everywhere else.

Gabe can you elaborate on why you feel it hasn't changed?

what band Jeff?

I don't have problem with Karaoke or cover bands, I have just noticed a lot more of both in the past few years.

I think it has always been there, now it is just more within our realm of experience.

The covers thing I think there are simply more people that we happen to know doing it. I can always remember there being tons of cover bands. It does seem like more now that I know more people doing it.

Karaoke I think it's a couple things. One is the same as the cover bands. Ralph's, The Dog, Tammany, even Vincent's tried it for a very short period of time right? So there is way more karaoke within your radar screen.

Also there are simply more bars. Due to there being more bars I think that the bars are looking for more ways to bring people in. More ways to compete. "Everyone likes karaoke" they think to themselves.

So I guess after more thought, no, I don't think there are more cover bands. I think there is more live music, simply because there are more venues for that music, be it actual bands, or dudes in the corner with guitars, or dudes in the corner with guitars and small drum kits.

Same with karaoke, not more karaoke, just more bars trying to compete and figure out a way to do something that they think will bring people through the door.

Karaoke has been in Worcester for years, I remember in college we went a bunch of times. That place that used to be on Highland had it, was it Bravo? Club Car always had it. I know there were a bunch of places that did it 7 or 8 years ago because one of my friends was a Karaoke junkie, of course since I never liked it I tried to avoid going. I think now it's just invading places that I actually go to.

When I said taking over, I meant that places that didn't normally have Karaoke or book cover band regularly, were doing it more often. That's what I mean by taking over. So in addition to the places that always had karaoke, there are now places that have it that never did.

If the Dog, Tammany and Ralph's put in ice cream machines I might suggest that ice cream machines are taking over the music venues. That isn't to say that ice cream machines didn't already exist, just that they were taking over.

I bet ice cream would bring in more people to karaoke, so feel free to run with this idea club owners.

Taking over Worcester or taking over your realm of existence in Worcester? Linnea's point is more the one I was trying to make. It's always been here, now it's just coming into the places where most people you know who go out in Worcester spend most of their time. I think cover bands and karaoke took over a long long time ago. I think they possibly always had control.

Right and I agree, yes, taking over our little corner of Worcester, but they have ruled greater Worcester for quite some time.

IMO on the karaoke thing the club/bar owners are just trying to bring more patrons throught the door. I'm not a big fan of getting up and doing karaoke but it can be mighty entertaining to watch.

Jeff

It's all in the wording Duncan.

The title of the thread is "Are karaoke nights and cover bands taking over Worcester?"

My stance is that no they are not taking over, they have always ruled and been the music majority along with DJ's. Even more so than DJ's.

Yes they are taking over our realm of nightlife in the city.

Yes there are more of them.

I have been there Gabe, seemed like a good time but I didn't stay long.

and to your point Jeff, I am sure they are just trying to bring in some people and karaoke is certainly entertaining.

I am totally not opposed to either cover bands or karaoke, I did after all start a live band karaoke show.

www.thesongshow.com

Which needs to happen again, and soon. And with more schmaltzy 70's soft rock.

Its pretty successful (for me at least), At mcguires I hosted it on thursdays and it was always packed and I now host it at the Dog on mondays and it does better then any other thing we tried to do on monday night.

I will also say when I started bartending at the dog in 2005, We had cover bands come through about once a month, We have a few a week now.

Most bands lately are slacking off in the promotions department.
I remember a few years back, I Knew what was going on at every club every night of the week. Now bands will post one bulletin on myspace and a hour later be ordering a drink from me asking why its so dead. Because you're a lazy ass, thats why!! When did become soul responsibility of the club to promote your show?

I don't think it has to do with cover band or karaoke either.

I think seeing original music in Worcester is a chore, you have to deal with douchebag door people, shitty sound and then you get bands that maybe aren't that good.

There is a reason why you might just stop in Ryles in Boston or The Blue Note in NYC, they have a reputation for great quality. There is no reputation for anything resembling quality here. There is tons of quality though! The reputation is what is lacking, so you basically have a constantly withering group of people who are replaced just a little less often than they drop off.

Original bands should be figuring out how they can tap into successful nights like the Flock night to get noticed. I'll have to ask Erick if he has had luck with opening acts on Thursday turning into headlining acts on Friday and Saturday. It is a tremendous opportunity for him to grow some real great live shows on other nights.

"Taking over" definatly implies that Worcester is on its way to being the Karaoke/Cover Capital of the state (or World depending on how ambitious your mind is). I think it might be more of a trend, or busness strategy. As a business, you have to do what the guy across the street is doing to keep your head above water. The key to this strategy is tweaking it to make it a little different and better than the guy acoss the street....but thats a bit of a digression

A bigger digression: and I don't want to hijack this thread, but Punky's last comment got me fired up, I think bands and clubs need to share responsability in promotion, and think that over the past 10 years both parties have gotten lazy. And Myspace isnt helping.

Ducan,

I really hope you can get the song show going again. I had a blast at the last one.

And I really really hope Erick reads the post about Ice cream machines.... great idea!

Kate