My Karaoke Story

A very amusing thing happened when Ben and I went out with some friends for karaoke last weekend, so I thought I'd share. The story really starts long before last weekend though...

Okay. So. Last year, the night before I left for RT, we went out for karaoke for my friend Donna's birthday. It was Ben's and my first time going to karaoke and we were super nervous. So, we decided to see what it was all about before we signed up for our songs.

One of the first people to sing was this dude who sang the song Levon by Elton John. Ho. Lee. Shit. That dude could SING. He never looked at the monitors that had the lyrics, and he was freaking *rocking* out. He was walking around the bar, working the room, getting all into it. And he sounded just like Elton. It was a great performance. I pretty much just wanted to listen to him sing Levon over and over all night.

In any case, Ben and I were like, forget it. There's no way we can do *that*. But then other, regular, people got up and we realized that the Levon guy was not "normal" karaoke. So, we got up and sang and it was fun. Later on, another dude got up who sounded JUST LIKE Meatloaf if you closed your eyes. It was uncanny.

So, skip ahead to a year later (last weekend). We're back at the same karaoke bar for Donna's birthday again. This year, we all meet for dinner at the adjoining restaurant ahead of time. In the intervening year, I've talked about the Levon guy several times, probably anytime karaoke has been mentioned. There are a bunch of people with us this year who weren't there last time, so I tell the Levon story again. We head in and start the karaoke portion of the evening. Good times.

Late in the night, who walks in? Levon Guy. I FREAK OUT. I'm shrieking to all my friends, "ZOMG! It's the Levon guy! OMG! OMG! I want to go ask him to sing Levon! OMG! But that's so creepy and stalkeresque! OMG!" We're all hysterical. Me, primarily because his performance has grown to rock-god levels in my mind over the past year; my girlfriends, primarily because they are in various stages of silly drunkenness and because I'm shrieking.

In the meantime, Levon Guy is making his way through the bar. He is clearly a regular and has many middle-aged female groupies. They all fluff their hair before he comes over, and touch him when they talk to him, and watch him after he walks away.They are all dressed up.

Ben, being the outrageously fun Ben that he is, loses patience with all of our girly shrieking and goes up and talks to Levon Guy. Girly shrieking reaches epic levels. Levon Guy walks towards us. He's older, maybe late 40's, wearing a suit jacket and a button down shirt, and bathed in cologne. He has big hair. It's utterly fantastic.

Levon Guy: So I understand you want me to sing for you.
Me: (omg!) Yeah, we were here a year ago and heard you sing Levon. It left quite an impression on me--
Levon Guy: In a good way, I hope. *winning smile*
Me: (omg!) Yeah, in a good way. Tee hee hee! So, I was hoping you would sing it again tonight.
Levon Guy: Well, I was going to sing Journey...
Me: *desperately plays trump card* It's my friend's birthday! *points to Donna*
Donna: *waves and bats eyelashes*
Levon Guy: ...but I guess I could sing Levon. *even bigger winning smile*

Time passes. Increasingly drunk people give increasingly worse performances. Levon Guy checks on us once, to make sure we're still there to witness his Levon Awesomeness.

The DJ calls Levon Guy (whose name is apparently "Jonathan") to the front of the bar. OMG! Middle-aged groupies assemble. Levon Guy knows where it's at, though. He starts the song in the usual way, playing to the whole crowd. But then? Then he comes and sits at my table. He sings it to me, in my jeans and sweatshirt. Middle-aged groupies are not amused. I grin like fucking Elton John himself is sitting across from me. I am pelted on all sides by dagger looks from the middle-aged groupies. They are repelled by the light that is Levon Guy's rock aura.

Levon Guy can stay seated no longer. He is too into the song. He jumps up and roves around the room, back into his stage persona. Middle-aged groupies are appeased. The song ends. Levon Guy and I thank each other from across the room. I'd envisioned a hug or something that would incite the middle-aged groupies into a riot, but I convince myself that Levon Guy is worried for my safety. My night is complete. :)