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Dreamin' on
Rory Lake wants to make karaoke dreams come true.
With genre-mashing DJs showing no shame in taking us back to the ickiest regions of Top 40 land when the party calls for it, it was only a matter of time before karaoke and DJ nights came together. For Sunday 7’s “Karaoke Dance Off,” at the Empty Bottle, Philly transplant Major Taylor heads up the DJ roster with Damon Locks of the Eternals joining in. But the unlikely hero of the event is Rory Lake, whose Karaoke Dreams show (normally a monthly at the American Legion Hall, which he emcees) is the centerpiece of the proceedings. We decided to instant-message with Lake (“40, and currently livin’ with a friend near Western Ave and 290”) to find out how he’s taken on his role as local king of karaoke.
What was your first karaoke experience?
Oh shit. Man, that was so long ago. I gotta turn my mental crank here, hold on. It was at a Holiday Inn outside of Tulsa somewhere. They had it in the lounge; I was roamin’ the country at the time.
What’s the plan for the event at the Bottle?
Well, I plan on doin’ my Karaoke Dreams show. And rockin’ in the stage. That’s always a good plan—you know, get everyone pumped to have a good time.
Do you have some regulars?
Yeah, usually I have my “Dreamers” that come out.
How would you describe the Dreamers?
Anyone that dares to grab the mike dares to dream. There really ain’t one way to describe them. Anyone that is unafraid of how they look while they are singing or how they sound, or how they dance—I’d say that’s Dreamer material.
What are your top five Karaoke Dreams personal faves?
(1) “Holy Diver” by Mr. Ronnie James Dio
(2) “You Got Me Dangling on a String” by Chairmen of the Board
(3) “Goin Back to Cali” by LL Cool J
(4) “Strutter” by Kiss
(5) “Let the Music Play” by Shannon
I love that last one, actually. I just thought of it late. [Laughs] Heckuva dance number, that one.
Do people sing better when drunk?
Well, they may come out of their shells a bit…But you don’t see folks like Beyoncé strapped to a bottle of Beam when she sings. I really don’t know why I just referenced her.
How long has Karaoke Dreams been going?
Well, I first started doin’ it at Prodigal Son bar about four years ago. It burned down. I used to do it every Monday, which was kinda rough, but ya gotta start somewhere, I guess. And it was during the winter [Laughs].
That place was pretty bleak, too.
Tell me about it. But they did have a rockin’ stage, kickass lights and killer sound system. So that’s what really made the Dreams happen. It’s kinda about building people up so they are larger than life.
Do people wear costumes?
I wish they did more often. I think that once, [this girl] Norah had a space helmet when she sang “Space Oddity.” And [Dreams regular] Andy Ortmann used to bring weird electronic devices to change his voice. He’d wear weird clothes, too, but maybe that’s just the way he dresses. I like it when people get creative.
Do you ever give prizes out?
Well, I used to do that a lot more in the past. At Prodigal Son, the Dreamers there were pretty into that kinda stuff. We used to have, like, two people do like a Benatar sing-off. Like, who can win the crowd over the most, and they would get prizes from local record-label sponsors. Stuff like that. It was all in fun, though. Not like serious, for money, or anything like that. I’ve given away Cooler by the Lake shirts as prizes. That’s my band.
Isn’t that called cross-promoting?
[Laughs] There’s no foolin’ you. Promotin’ is my game.
Rory Lake’s Karaoke Dreams takes place as a part of “A Karaoke Dance Off” on Sunday 7 at Empty Bottle.
