I know a half-dozen KJs in my part of the nation, none of which would even consider, or have the musical capability, to record backing tracks - THEY BUY THEM! C'mon Donny, this is just karaoke and nothing more. I agree with Fran (write that date down on your calendar, Fran).

Some of the KJs around here are pretty good singers, and thankfully, that is the case, because the other folks that want their 5 minutes in the spotlight, by and large, can't sing worth a damned. Now, this guy is really a good singer, but on the first video, no one at all was paying the least bit of attention to him. He could have been singing in his family room and got the same audience response, which was absolutely none. The second video, no way to tell. On the third one, when he was performing with a sax player, the folks sitting at their tables seemed to me swaying with the music, but that was about it. It that's the future of entertainment in this world, I, for one, am damned glad I retired while I was still on top as an OMB entertainer. For me, KJ just don't cut it.

Gary

Yes, it's k*****e, but some is better than others ...
As far as people paying attention to the performer in the first video, this is apparently a 'street fair' of some kind, and to be honest, while people may not be sitting there in rapt attention, there are some people who are dancing to his music so he is not being ignored ...

Agree with every word. And those that don't aren't judging MUSIC, they're judging 'entertainment', which could be anything from going to a dog show to watching a XXX-rated movie. I guess if that meets your criteria for 'getting the job done', then (musically) you've set a very low bar for yourself. Yep, it's karaoke alright (AND the difference between that and playing with self-made arranger tracks is, at best, a grey area). JMO.

chas

PS: I LUV being able to agree with Fran; it happens so seldom .

That's not true....many are professional musicians first that mix it up and can do so using their talents & other things using many means to do so recording tracks the benefit vs karaoke is you record WHAT YOU WANT in a song ARRANGEMENT not what a commercial company K company gives you...this way you make it your own I know I do adding parts, editing the original track, etc, etc, if you sing well and know how to play, record and edit...forget the old way of thinking,...there are so many ways to make music today open your mind and enjoy it,.....it's not going anywhere soon..

I don't understand the frictional negativity by others when singing to custom made by you backing tracks is concerned, smf or mp3, or anything thats NOT arranger Styles??.. etc, arranger keyboard playing isn't the holy grail never will be either....after all playing an arrange is only controlling Midi files/styles over and over again anyways...no body cares they just want to enjoy themselves when they hear good music and that can be accomplished in so many ways today.....why always the negative friction ?.....once us old timer players, wooden organ playing, accordionistics era dinosaurs are gone this friction and lack of musical creation support will disappear for sure...I am glad I dabbled in it all thru out my life so far with an open mind to it all...who the hell are we to judge anyone?

have a nice day..

agreed larry exactly,...arrangers, BIAB, multitracking etc, they all do a great job if you have the talent to do so,..then you can sing or play on top also.

The easiest way to make a living singing in the hotels in sunny(!) Blackpool is as a solo act playing the cabaret slot at two or three hotels a night with your banking tracks / lyrics on a iPad, small mixer with fx, your own radio mic. All in a small briefcase, one powerblock, one output to the house p.a. 10 minute setup, posh shirt / dress under the overcoat and off you go.

My friend and I (keys / drums / vocals) are usually the band stood at the bar!

Some of the acts really are worth the money, can read and work an audience and react to the environment well. Others really are no better than well rehearsed karaoke.

It's the nature of the game. Some of the smaller hotels cannot afford anything else these days.

I've had the opposite reaction from the crowd. When playing midi accordion with a ketron sd3 (no midifiles/mp3s), I had a request for an ethnic song I didn't know. The requestor said "c'mon Im sure you have it in your computer there"..I was insulted they assumed I was playing along with fully recorded tracks. Another musician told me my best friend used cd's to play with . I know for a fact he never did nor did he use mp3s or midifiles. He was just good with his arranger.

I get the same thing sometimes. It irks me to think my many years of work were wasted thanks to the automated music today. I suppose you can't blame people when they see it everyday with wannabe's.

I get that all the time. People think I have everything recorded and I'm just playing tracks, not live. they say do you have my song in there?. I have learned to take it as a complement that they think I'm good enough to sound like the original artist. It
no longer bothers me. I feel proud to point to my head and say no it's all up here.

MEL