Karaoke, Birthday's, and Open Mic

There's been so many Birthday's lately and even with my hectic work schedule I've been able to catch up with friends and celebrate at some point! 

A couple weeks ago Jamie had her Birthday at Gabe's on a Sunday night and I ran Karaoke for her so she could have a Karaoke Birthday Party with her friends.  The Gabe's regulars weren't used to Sunday Karaoke but it ended up being a fun little party and Judy even baked a cake and cupcakes for Jamie.  The girls got together, we got to catch up, sing some songs, and drink some yummy drinks!

The Ladies celebrating Jamie's Karaoke Birthday

Surprise!

Speaking of Karaoke, last week I had a wonderful surprise awaiting me at Gabe's as soon as I arrived.  Jonathan was visiting from Washington for a Job Interview that might bring him back to LA.  YAY!  So we had a pretty busy Karaoke night that was filled with tons of Duets and lots of Musical/Showtunes.  I opened with 'Dreams' by Fleetwood Mac, and then Julian asked me to do a duet with him, so we sang 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' which was also my new song of the night!  Next up, I did another duet with McCracken's friend, singing 'A Dangerous Game' which was a lot of fun.  There was no way Jonathan was going to leave without us singing together so we sang 'I Got You, Babe.'  Foxy was feeling the duet vibe so he asked me to sing 'A Whole New World' with him, and then I sang 'I'm The Only One' by Melissa Etheridge.  There's just something really fun about that song and I was definitely having a good time with it.  McCracken and I closed out the night with 'Light My Candle' from "Rent" and it seemed like everyone had a blast at Karaoke!

Emily and I had off last Tuesday so we actually got to check out our co-worker's, Laura's, Open Mic night at O'Brien's on Main Street in Santa Monica.  There were a few singers on the roster and most of the songs performed were covers but it really got the crowd involved and I like hearing someone put a new spin on a classic song.  Laura did amazing, and although I wasn't familiar with her songs, she was confident, played the guitar as well, and was super talented.  Hooray for roommate night and supporting our friend!

I've certainly been getting my Music Fix in lately and hope to keep it up :)

Open Mic Night in Sherman Oaks

Four jobs keeps you busy, trust me, I know, so it's nice when I have some free time to go out and do something fun like checking out my friend, Mark Alan's Open Mic Night at The Cork Lounge in Sherman Oaks.  He does Music Showcases at The Parlor on Saturday's but since I'm always working I haven't been able to go, so this Thursday Open Mic gave me a chance to check out him along with some of his friends!

Kristina and I decided this was perfect for a little Girl's Night and made our way to Sherman Oaks after we both got done with work.  The Cork Lounge was inside a Diner, which scared me at first, but ended up being perfectly charming and awesome!  There were a few singer/songwriters and then comedians before the Main Acts took the stage.  Of course, LA is so small that one of the singers in the duo looked so familiar I couldn't figure it out until yesterday when I checked out their Facebook page to listen to more music and realized he belonged to a band and was the lead singer, and we had met at Saint's & Sinner's back in the day!  Another one of the singers had been on 'The Voice' and could have recorded her album right there on the Cork Lounge stage with how amazing her vocals were.  My friend, Mark, was incredible; great lyrics, connected with the songs and everyone in the room, and impressed Kristina and I to boot!

At The Cork Lounge in Sherman Oaks for Open Mic Night!

After the show there was a little sing-along before everyone made their way to Mad Bull to cap off the night.  Personally, I've liked Mad Bull every time I've gone in; the drinks and food are great but the service is pretty hit or miss.  As I walked into Mad Bull on a Thursday night I was transported to Brothers in Winona Minnesota circa 2004.  It's been a long time since I've felt like I was in a college environment and while it was slightly nostalgic, I'll take my dimly-lit dive bar any day of the week, unless my Winona Crew are the ones filling up the bar stools and dance floor!  Overall, Kristina and I had a blast and can't wait to check out Mark's Show again and see some new talent!

Since this is a Music Post, I'll catch up with the past 2 weeks of Karaoke!  Two weeks ago I opened with 'You Were Meant For Me' by Jewel and kept it slow with 'Listen To Your Heart' by Roxette.  Then, it was time for some classic songs including Bon Jovi's 'You Give Love A Bad Name' and 'I Just Called to Say I Love You.'  My new song of the night was Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' since it was my brother, Bobby's, Birthday, and Nirvana is one of his favorite bands.  The song actually went alright, surprisingly!  I closed out the night with Phil Collin's version of 'Against All Odds.'  Last weeks selections since it was a really quiet night and I was feeling some emotional music included 'The Shoop Shoop Song' by Cher, 'Think Twice' by Celine Dion, and 'Insensitive' by Jann Arden.  My new song of the night was 'I Will Love You' by Fisher which I've loved for years, and want to sing again soon.  I finished up the night with 'Here Without You' by 3 Doors Down and Jewel's 'Don't' which is also one of my favorites!  Even though Karaoke has been slow the past 2 weeks in a row, it was musical success :)