Karaoke Review: Cheers w/ Doctor Spin

Review: 2007-05-24

When I was looking for a suitable venue for the East York Karaoek Group one of the members suggested "Cheers". I wasn't sure I wanted everybody to know my name, after all karaoke venues sometimes change a bit when they know someone is observing.

The Good: There is a lot of space and a stage nearly as large as The Hollywood on The Queensway. Service for drinks was quite friendly and prompt and there are two pool tables for those who enjoy pool. Besides that I can't say a lot goes into this section which is generally not encouraging.

The Mixed: While its a large bar its also very dark. Basically a low budget decor reminding one of a typical American style bar. When I tried to order food there was none available as the restaurant that apparently provided food was closed. The equipment is fair: The sound was decent but levels were not always well balanced (more attention to the sound levels would be ideal). The monitor is poorly placed on the floor and one has to squint to see the lyrics. Selection isn't bad but not great. Only 6194 songs which is passable but just barely. The MC once he gets into "driving" gear isn't bad but it takes awhile before that becomes apparent and is not always focused on either the sound levels or even changing the songs as he was sometimes slow to change his CDGs. (Old CDG system, no centralized laptop solution).

The Bad: The really bad thing here that I could see was the price of food (when available). It is quite high especially considering the decor and condition of the place.

Summary: Well, Cheers isn't the worst place I've seen. It has lots of space, a real stage and if you are in the East York area its a place to go on a Thursday or Sunday. On the other than that I can't say the place has anything that stands out in a good way. The Karaoke selection is average, the equipment overall is a bit below, and the MC is fairly good IF he is paying attention. I felt as if the atmosphere was affecting his approach to being a karaoke MC, but given the less than inspired decor of the place, I wasn't surprised. Its quite funny, 2 places in East York, each is almost completely complements the others: one has excellent decor, excellent food, great food prices and a first class MC, but with limited space. The other huge space, good stage, lessor MC, no food , high drink prices. Both have less than ideal selection and equipment which ome of these karaoke MC's should make an effort to improve.


Final Grade: C-

Facilities: 6.5 (Bonus for size and real stage although its decor is not the cheeriest)
Equipment: 6.8 (decent mikes (but worn), low monitor one has trouble reading)
Song Selection: 7.1 (all the basics just over 6k and good mix of modern and oldies)
Food Service: 8.0 (Very attentive, just wish there was food to serve)
Food Selection: NA
Food Quality: NA
Food Prices: 6.3 (expensive drinks and food from outside restaurant)
Location: 7.6 (Coxwell Subway and 2 blocks East)
Host: 6.9 (not always attentive but is good when he is "on the ball")


Venue Information:
Cheers W/ Doctor Spin
Thursday and Sunday Evenings, 10pm - 2am
1795 Danforth Ave.
Toronto, ON
M4C 1J2
(416) 698-9191

Karaoke Review: The Grasshopper

Reviewed: 2007-04-19

After leaving one karaoke venue somewhat early I decided I should try to do one more. I had passed the Grasshopper from time to time and knew that hey karaoke there so decided to bite the bullet and give it a try. With all the grass blades of karaoke venues a hop to one more couldn't hurt and could prove an interesting place to "chirp".

The Good: The song selection was actually fair considering that it was a MIDI based system. This one was called DVOK. Its MIDI so obviously the quality of the music isn't the best and is meant for a low budget add-on activity for a bar. But it had a better selection than most. Books available. In addition to the 8068 songs in English there were songs in Vietnamese, Hindi, Spanish and Filipino. There was a real stage which is actually impressive for a place this small in size. Service was quick and quite friendly which is actually fairly common in family run businesses so its something I look for these days. There is no food as this is a bar but the prices for drink were decent. Rotation times were as fair as they could be but this place is a pure FIFO rotation. (First In First Out). so being a new person won't score you points but its fast enough you won't care. The size of the place has something to do with this.

The Mixed: While the MIDI selection was good obviously MIDI isn't ideal (MPEG would be much better). Its a basic DVD system with Mikes. Speakers were weak for singer and levels needed work but not horrible. The Monitor placement wasn't horrible (I've seen much worse) but 7 feet above the floor is awkward to read. Selection in drinks is not great. Mixes only but they can most likely make you the equivalent of most premixed bottled drinks you may be accustomed to. There is no host here which isn't really bad but if you are a traditionalist you'll notice. Its like taking home karaoke into a bar and that is what this entire setup is meant to me.

The Bad: The place is really small. Can hold only 30-40 people tops. It keeps the rotation times down but the number of people you can bring is small. Don't bring more than 4 people with you if you expect to site anywhere.

Summary: The Grasshopper is a bar with karaoke added for fun. Its not a place for true karaoke lovers but if you are in the neighborhood and feel the urge to sing its worth going to. Of course there are better places. But there are worse as well and nothing better in this section of Toronto that I've come across. Its also VERY easy to get to: Just take the streetcar on College/Carlton East bound and there is a stop almost right next to it a block south of Parliament and Carlton. For a economic setup this is certainly one of the better ones with 8k songs in English to choose from and the people who come hear enjoy it so if you want to get noticed by a crowd this is not a bad spot to check out.

Final Grade: C

Facilities: 6.8 (Its a bar that is too small to hold many people, but has a real karaoke stage setup. Decorations do little to reduced the seedy bar look of the place however)
Equipment: 6.8 (Equipment works but speakers aren't the best and monitor placement is a bit of a neck strain)
Song Selection 8.0 (Surprisingly good consider this is an "all-in-one" MIDI System)
Food Service: 7.8 (its a bar, you get drink only, but at least the service is attentive and friendly)
Food Selection: NA (no food so don't come before dinner)
Food Quality: NA
Food Prices: 7.5 (Prices for drink aren't bad, you won't break the bank here.)
Location: 8.4 (easy to get to on the College/Carlton Streetcar. Free parking is available in various side streets)
Host: 6.7 (The Bartender calls your name, not a true karaoke bar setup)
Wait times: 9.0 (this place only holds 40 people tops so wait times are generally quick)


Note: I was noticed writing notes here and was asked several time what I was writing about. FYI, I'm not going to tell you. So if you see someone writing, if they are writing a review they'll look badly on you poking into their material. If they are must someone who likes to write, you are being irritating. So if you want to make a good impression, don't be noisy. If the person is an inspector, you'll increase you chances of a formal inspection. So, leave the people taking notes alone if you are truly concern because asking, especially more than once, will not win you any favors. Most likely the opposite.

Venue Information:
The Grasshopper
460 Parliament Street
Toronto, ON M5A3A2
(416) 323-1210
Thursdays & Sundays
9 PM - 1 AM

Karaoke Review: Butterfly Lounge w/ June Linderfield

Reviews: 2007-04-19

Karaoke Review: Butterfly Lounge with June Lindenfield

Now here is an interesting twist: Karaoke run by an expert...in the Hair Salon industry. Karaoke lovers come from everything and the fact that someone loves it enough to start their own business is fantastic. With a lounge next door to one's business, I guess I'd be tempted as well. Passions for the "sport" is wonderful but can they hold their own against the pros already out there. I was eager to find out.

The Good: The place has really nice decor outside and in. It is a lounge (basically a place for people to hang out, pickup and get picked up I imagine. There is a dance club below which I'll get to shortly. Several open cubicle like sitting areas hold 4-6 people each is a nice touch and for a karaoke setup has potential. The stage area was quite open and truly center stage so for those that like the "performing" feel this place is a good setup for that. The MC, June, knows how to hold a crowd and keep them involved. She's not quite Jeff Zedic (but then who is) but she can hold her own.

The Mixed: For starters the place is a lounge so there is no food. Drinks are typical for a lounge which is to say they are on the high side. Still its nicer than most bars that have karaoke. While the speaker quality sounded good there were somewhat frequent mike overloads which for many people including me is extraordinarily painful. If that can be kept under proper control you'll sound decent.

The Bad: I hate to kick a new venue in the groin but in this case I have no choice: When I counted the songs there 600. Yes you read the zeros correctly (2) 600! While June claims this was the top 600 that is open to debate. Songs common to most venues I visit weren't there at all. Mostly country, some Alternative, and lot of older songs. While I like older songs most of the basics from there weren't in her book either. I commented on this to June who said Rome wasn't built in a day. Okay, but at 600 songs in a business where new karaoke MC's start at 5-6k, to quote Samwise from The Lord Of The Rings, in terms of selection, "If this is shelter than 1 wall and no roof makes a house". You can't be taken seriously in the Karaoke business if you have less than 5k songs. Sorry but that's a fact. If you have less than that, wait until you do before starting out. I felt like I was in someone's home rather than a karaoke loung/bar. I know that its not cheap to get the songs but a professional must be prepared to spend $5000 for the Music alone to get started. Its the nature of the business. A couple I know paid $30k to buy a business from someone else. You get the idea.

It gets worse, yes...I need another paragraph for this one. At 10 PM the "real" business of Butterly kicks off and you have to compete with the DJ of the nightclub in the lower level. At 10 PM sharp your karaoke vocals will interact with a very loud beat in conflict with the music you are singing. And it gets louder the longer you stay as their music (not just the intense bass). Any of you who visit nightclubs know how loud the DJ plays his music and how much bass he pumps out. This makes karaoke participation almost impossible for you to enjoy solo, and impossible for anyone else to enjoy if you are any good. This venue just bites for karaoke with the conflicting business below.

Summary: While I liked the idea of karaoke in a lounge and have seen it done successfully before (see review on Neutral) Butterfly is clearly an effort by a passionate karaoke lover new to the business. Butterfly is next door to June's hair salon business which is probably why she choose this venue but its a terrible venue and impossible to have karaoke activities there after 10 PM. Her own hair salon would be better given the nightclub activities of Butterfly. I suppose I could recommend it to people who need to be home by 11 PM but outside of those hours you are much better off else where and will have much better selection if you plan to do Karaoke on Thursday after 10 PM. Its really too bad. To anybody have ambitions of being a karaoke professional a few ground rules: Do your homework.

My reviews can help not only the participants but can be a good benchmark for people starting out. Key changers are a MUST. Some places try to get cheap but I've had complaints about Karaoke MC's and even karaoke boxes who got cheap on this. It doesn't go well especially as the customers most likely to be regulars KNOW Karaoke. Most of us serious karaoke lovers have some education on the subject so bear that in mind. Make sure you know what the minimum song selection you need to start out with is. Again, the minimum any SUCCESSFUL professional is 5000. While this is a bit low given the new numbers coming out (8k, 12k, 30k, 35k) its a minimum if you are short on financing. An engaging MC is of course crucial. While you may get a few die hards like me who are willing to help get energy levels up, you can't count on that. Waiting for a minimum number of people to come in makes an MC look unprofessional and is a waste of people's time who do come in to participate. Karaoke MC's who wait for minimum numbers before starting need to reevaluate their ability as an MC. So those are my comments for all you professional karaoke starting out. Hope it helps.

Final Grade: D

Facilities: 5 (8 from 8 PM to 10 PM)
Equipment: 6.8 (Equipment okay but too many mike overloads, not the greatest equipment)
Song Selection: 3.5 (600 songs, we have a new low. Many get a better selection on their Ipod)
Food Service: 7.0 (you'll get your drinks but nothing to "sing" about)
Food Selection: NA (no food so don't come before dinner)
Food Quality: NA
Prices: 6.5 (Its a lounge)
Location: 8.2 (easy to get to on the Spadina Street Car, parking around all paid)
Host: 8.0 (Probably the best part of this venue)
Wait times: 9.0 (Not a lot of people for karaoke so wait times were fast, but with the selection, you'll get through a lot of the material very quickly)

Venue Information:
Butterfly Lounge with June Linderfield, Karaoke MC
422 Adelaide Street West
Toronto, ON
(416) 366-7399
Thursdays, 8 PM - 1 PM (suggest leaving before 10)

Karaoke Review: Tequila Sunrise w/ Jason Rolland

2007-02-27

Many of you may remember when I reviewed Jason Rolland. Various comments came out and it made for some interesting discussions. It was the first review I had written that had gotten a sizable number of people talking. I received a e-mail from Mr. Rolland telling me now had the biggest selection in town. I've had MANY people make that claim so I look at this the same ways as people giving their "credentials" when they try to pick up someone in bar: with skepticism. But hey, you never know so I went. The issue with a few of the "Banned" songs still left an impression, but times can change so I went trying to keep an open mind.

The Good: To start with, Jason wasn't kidding. He indicated 30k songs in his e-mail which was "More songs than God" according to the cover on his song books. Mr. Rolland was in the 29k range but indicated he had another 2k coming in a couple weeks. In any event the margin was not really an issue. When you are talking 10s of thousands of songs, 1k give or take is not significant in my book. The selection was close enough I have to say Jason Rolland has by far the best ACTUAL song selection of any Karaoke MC in Toronto. I was told that Celine Dion will still be "banned" but the he had removed "Banned" stickers from most of the other selection. Since Jason appears to have lightened up on the banning I try to lighten up on the scoring. Not that I really have to to give him a high mark: This more than double the 2nd highest count I've confirmed with other karaoke hosts. Oh, apparent if you REALLY feel the need Jason can be persuaded to do ONE Dion song, but apparently she gets overplayed. (We had a chat about differences of karaoke philosophy but from what Jason indicated people have been "booed" in the past for singing Dion. Audiences, this is truly BAD form in Karaoke, okay? Not Cool!) Jason still has some of the best equipment I've seen anywhere (as I indicated in the last review) and this one good thing that hasn't changed. Sound is first rate. Mr. Rolland isn't quite a Jeff Zedic but he engages the audience well. The karaoke stage is very well placed (although your audience will be limited). The theme is of course Mexican and the decor suits the theme. The table clothes add to the motive and the restaurant is exceptionally clean and service was decent.

The Mixed: The prices are fair for the food but not amazing although the alcohol is cheap on Tuesdays. Seating at the Tequila Sunrise is limited and it can't hold more than 50 people from what I saw.

The Bad: Great selection, great karaoke equipment, excellent MC, really bad food however. I know something about Mexican food and I enjoy it immensely. Unfortunately the quality of the food just wasn't there. The portions were not only small, my salad (what little there was) used visibly old lettuce and the chicken I had was dried out. Even the refried beans were average at best. The chef (who came out to sing) looked quite young and perhaps experience was part of the problem. Whatever the reason, the prices seemed less fair after you actually ate the food. Especially with a good chance of being hungry later in the evening. On the up side, the Fried Ice Cream was alright. Perhaps its better to have dessert and drinks here rather than dinner.

Summary: Well Jason, you've blown away the scoring for song selection. I know it was not a small investment and the effort deserves to be acknowledged. Jason apparently doesn't have a Monday or Wednesday event which I encourage a venue to remedy because its truly a shame not to put this HUGE collection to good use. I tried to find weakness in the song selection: Zero, nada. And I'm picky. He even has a good collection of Gilbert & Sullivan. The significantly reduced restrictions add to the songs you can enjoy (except perhaps for Dion) If you CAN find any well known songs (or even not well known songs) you know that are not in this book (Musicologists PLEASE be reasonable) I'd love to hear about it. I'm almost tempted to offer a prize to the person who can find the most weakness in a 30k+ collection in the next 3 months. In short, the selection is great. The only real weakness at the Tequila Sunrise is the food. But its a big one. Maybe that will improve with time but Restaurant owners, if I ever see salad greens that old again I'll send it back and take notes for later. Come for the karaoke, come for the cheap drinks and come for desserts. I'll stop there. For karaoke lovers its a great place to good as the crowds are not huge and the wait times will be quite short.

Final Grade: B/B+

Facilities: 7.9 (The restaurant is a bit small. Excellent decor. Karaoke stage quite good, especially given the size of the venue )
Equipment: 9.0 (Great sound, balance, wireless mikes, 'nuff said.)
Song Selection: 9.3 (30k songs, minus Celine Dion, "prohibited" songs reduced, 'nuff said)
Food Selection:7.7 (Fair food selection for Mexican restaurant)
Food Quality: 6.4 (Dinner wasn't good here: Dried out chicken (sauce was okay), salad was old and in my view shouldn't have been served, small portions. Desserts were okay.)
Food Prices: 7.3 (Its in the 7 range for the lost cost drinks)
Location: 8.2 (Adelaide a one way street. All parking is paid. Small walk from John/Queen or King off the Street car)
Host: 8.7 (Quite engaging with the audience. Gets to know his audience)
Wait times: 9.0 (Small capacity and moderate crowds means you'll get plenty of chances to try out a few of the 30k collection)
Food Service: 8.6 (staff is fairly quick with order taking and servicing)

Venue Information:
Jason Rolland, Tuesdays, Thursdays
Tequila Sunrise
212 Adelaide West
Toronto Ontario
416-593-6164
http://www.jasonrolland.com

Karaoke Review: Bar + Karaoke Lounge

December 12th, 2006

This place was set up by the owner of one of Toronto's first premium karaoke boxes, XO. I was told by a senior manager that this new place was set up to attract “westerners”. (As opposed to the Korean population at Bloor & Christie. Someone told me there is some Korean gang activity in Koreatown so perhaps this was also motivation). Although I had loved XO for 10 years the fact that much of the original furniture was badly broken and ventilation systems were mostly non-functional (especially in the summer) left me longing either for a major repair at XO or a new venue of the same selection and equipment. When I was told about the “plasma” screens I was drooling as my mind envisioned the ultimate karaoke box in the center of downtown Toronto. Imaginations can run away with you very quickly when you are looking for the ultimate karaoke box. With a 30 minute free trial this was going to be the a easy review for my wallet.

The Good: Well the plasma screens were there, brand new of course although I quickly recognized them as low end. (plasma is less expensive than LCD which has clearer images) The look of the place felt like karaoke box meets night club feel to it. The looks of the interior was actually very nicely thought out. The selection was identical to XO which is to say it was decent.

The Mixed: I wish I could say that the spirit that created XO was preserved but unfortunately all the effort appeared to go into initial looks. The mikes were cheap and easily overloaded and I was picking up residual noise noise from the receiver. It turned out to be a radio signal coming in over the speaker. I quickly pointed this out the staff who told me the receivers were lower quality from Korea and they would be replaced eventually. The other thing that caught my attention was that there were no key changers in ANY of the rooms. What I was hoping to be an awesome experience was turning into a bad dream: The owner got extremely cheap on the equipment: all you had to do was scratch the surface of that pretty exterior for the poor quality beneath to show. XO was the top karaoke box in its day and for the owner to get cheap on equipment was a real let down. I told the staff what I had observed and even told them how to get key changers for <$200 each. 13 rooms for a total of ~$2600. For a small business this is not a big investment. For 6 weeks I kept checking in to see if key changers were going to be added. Every time I check out the place it was fairly empty. I asked about food availability. They said there was food available at a nearby restaurant but no menu was available. This looked like a minimal beginning as well as a cheap one. The rates are slightly less than XO which I'd like to say was good but given the quality of the equipment that was there (no key changers) I felt the customers could do better for the money.

The Bad: The service when I was there was pretty poor as well: People often weren't at the desk when I was checking out the place as late of 9 PM. Kind of scary. Other times people seemed more occupied with playing video games on a computer than attending the desk. Very unprofessional work ethic ½ the time. The crowds may not be there yet but they should at least look like they cared. I've already said my peace about the receivers there which were outright bad as well as the mikes.

Summary: The owner of this place perhaps should consider a career in interior decorating (or refer the person he hired) because he seems to think “westerns” have no knowledge of what karaoke is all about or what quality equipment is. Let's start with basics: People have different song ranges, so key changers are ESSENTIAL. Yes, ESSENTIAL so that everyone can participate comfortably. Not having simple key changers that will work on any analog audio system is, frankly, very discouraging considering the great work on initially done with XO. Not only that but cheap Korean equipment and radio signal feedback on the audio (when there was no radio component on these receivers or perhaps I should say preamp) also suggests that the owner was doing everything to get this operation up on the cheap using excellent decorating to hide the fact. After six weeks of telling them they should have key changers and even telling them where to get them with no results show lack of attention the customers. Every time I went to the place (generally Fridays) I didn't see much of a crowd. Perhaps its just as well given the lack of respect for Karaoke lovers. Perhaps this is why he has let XO become so run down it is now dangerous to go to in the summer due to lack of proper ventilation and working air conditioners which had not been repaired properly for at least 2 years. I had to stop bringing the Toronto Karaoke Meetup Group as a result. There may be a general trend of business and Karaoke Box owners trying to avoid initial business costs with the invent of computer based Karaoke song changers, but just because a computer can do the rotations doesn't mean you don't provide the basics if you are going to be in the karaoke business at all. Anyone looking to start a karaoke box be aware there are those of us who have been to Asia, know what standard karaoke is supposed to provide and we will let people know who respects their customers, and just as importantly, who does not.


Summary Scores:

Facilities: 9.0 (Nice rooms, really clean, furniture in amazing shape)

Equipment: 6.5 (Cheap receivers(radio noise), mikes and no key changers. People do notice when karaoke boxes cheapen the experience. At least the computer song changer worked well. The 0.5 bonus for plasma screens but they are no substitute for proper karaoke equipment)

Location: 8.0 (Block north of Dundas Subway. Parking will cost you a pretty penny at Yonge/Dundas however)

Food Prices: NA (Prices on drinks are average, but only snack food)

Service: NA (staff seemed to be killing time a lot so perhaps its for the best they only serve drinks)
Selection: 7.0 (~7000 English songs, lots of Korean, Chinese, some Japanese, same as XO).

Wait Times: 9.0 (Its a computer AVI/MPG server. So this is expected)

Room Prices: 7.0

1-5 people: $25/Hour

6-10 people: $40/Hour

50 Large Room: $50/Hour


Final Grade: C (Given the equipment quality and lack of basics this is a gift)

New Info: Since my original visit I've been informed that there is a Korea Midi system with limited key change capability but still no real key changers. (2007-02-21)

PS: Some actually asked about this place and when I told them my findings they asked if I could carry around a key changer for the Toronto Karaoke Meetup Group. People notice, people care, and people have to carry basic karaoke equipment with them, better off going elsewhere. Why would a karaoke box customer pay to bring proper equipment?



Venue Information:
Bar + Karaoke Lounge
360 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON M5B 1S5
(416) 340-7154

Improvements in relation to previously posted Karaoke Info

I got a notice from Jason Rolland informing of a few things which I should pass on. Tequella Sunrise for one thing is on again with different days. I had visied the palce with a friend awhile back and was informed by the staff that karaoke was no longer a regular event but I've been assured that is no longer the case. (I pass Adelaide on my way to a client so I'll have plently of opportunity to stop in the afternoon and make sure there are no crossed signals) I've also been informed that Mr.Rolland has substantially increased his music collection from when I last checked him out. He indicates 30k songs but I won't consider that official until I review his books (someone once told me they had 20k but the books said otherwise). Remember MC's, if the songs are not in the book, I don't count it. Having songs at "at home" or elsewhere else means '0' to me and to anyone else attending.

I had made some non-karaoke related remarks (as an IT consultant) about Mr. Rolland's site being set up for IE only. I've reviewed the site again and a long last I don't get any messages about my not using the insecure, infamous and inhospitable Microsoft Internet Explorer if I use my Apple Powerbook. Unfortuantely on the Windows OS there is STILL this annoying redirect which has no technical reason for being there. Here's the proof:http://www.jasonrolland.com/index2.html.
The redirect is a very simple and pardon my saying, poorly written javascript snippet. Easy to hack, and according to web professionals other than myself (although I'm one of them) very unreliable. Everyone who keeps up with IT security news doesn't use IE 6 (unless you love spyware being placed on your computer without your knowledge via the magic of ActiveX scripting), and IE 7 has a number of compatibility problems with older sites. Consequently a HUGE increase of Firefox users has been recorded in the last year which of course reduces IE users. So Jason, get up with the program (if you don't want to turn off/away customers) and play nice with the rest of the Internet world (W3C standards). To recoin a phrase "IE is soon to no longer be Number 1 for a reason". Jason appears to still have a little work to do on his web site.

There is a new venue that has also opened up by a Karaoke MC company called Flashback Entertainment/Kanary Karaoke:
Applejacks
3757 Keele Street (South of Finch)
Tuesday Nights
Time: 10 PM? (no time given)

Now I will get to reviewing this venue as it's within Toronto Borders (just) but I'm told by an employee that this company has
"just under 3000 songs however our song selections are extremely popular amongst our Karaoke participants".

Karaoke MCs: I'm all for promoting Karaoke and as such I'm posting this info where I can, but if you want me give a good impression you need to get at LEAST 6k songs to get a decent review. With everyone "upping the ante" with 8k, 9k, 11k and even (unofficial) 30k song lists, 3k just isn't competitive in this business and I'd be doing karaoke MC's and participants a great disservice if I said otherwise. Even if they are "extremely popular". The larger lists I've verified have even more "extremely popular" songs so you can't really make up for such a small selection as there are just too many people in Toronto with diverse musical tastes. I'm not trying to be mean but in my 2 years of visiting and writing reviews on this topic I think this karaoke company needs to "get it up" in the selection criteria if they want to avoid disappointing fans. This is especially crucial if they want to keep the younger crowd. (Peter Rockwell and Jason Rolland are particularly popular with these audiences)

More to come soon.

Karaoke Review: Mayday Malone's w/ Jeremy Siklosi

Review Date: 2007-02-09

After an admittedly long absence due to my day job as well as well as a few other distractions I'm finally able to get back to reviewing karaoke venues. A few things have changed from last year. For starter's Jeff Zedic has left to explore the world and has passed on his business to the Jeremy Siklosi who carries the torch and at the Groundhog and Mayday Malone's. Jeremy has some big shoes to fill as Jeff was in my view the best Karaoke MC in Toronto since I started this blog. I also had to hold off this review because of a technical mishap that occurred literally the day before the torch was officially passed on. I felt it was ncessary to wait a short period in order to give a fair review. Now that the collection is restored I can move forward with a clear conscience as see how well the new shoes fits our new Karaoke Host.

The Good: Mayday Malone's as a venue has really low prices on food. If you are looking for a karaoke bar on a budget this is one place you should definitely check out. Especially if you like Nachos which are half price on Thursday nights. The equipment is mostly unchanged and Jeremy takes the same care and attention to sound quality as Jeff always did so unless you yell into the mike you'll sound anywhere from good to amazing. The song selection mostly the same as Jeff had. There are around 10k+ songs in the book as a few are still being restored but it should not be too long before the original 13k+ songs are back in the system. The wait times are quite good for the most part but there is a regular group that goes in around 11 PM so your best best to get in 3-4 songs in the evening is to get there around 10 PM. Jeremy keeps up the tempo both in the rotation and energy although he needs a little more variety in his commentary. The food services is quite prompt.

The Mixed: The layout isn't bad and its as good as the restaurant will allow given its configuration. You may be forced to site near the front door due to space. Mayday Malone's is not really ideal for large groups because seating near the karaoke action is limited, especially if groups come to play darts which requires 2-3 tables to be removed so they can play. Seating in the 1st half of the restaurant isn't bad, but it can be awkward to reach when your name is called. The food quality is palletable, but I've had better at places like the Groundhog Pub, but then again prices are higher. I'd say its the best food you can get for modest pries they charge, and that being said, the food is fairly decent.

The Bad: While you get good food and portions for the price the selection is severely lacking, not only in food selection (very basic sandwiches, pizzas, Mexicana food, a few appetizers, and no desserts), but in drinks as well. No coolers available. They can do mixes for your and they have all the basic beers and lagers. Be warned that if you are a fan of coolers or premixed drinks, you won't find any here.

Summary: Mayday Malone's is probably the best place I've seen in downtown core (roughly) for someone looking to do karaoke on a tight budget. With a very wide selection of songs to choose from, good quality food (especially for the price) and great equipment you'll be happy with this place. The space is more limited than other venues out there and the food selection is extremely limited so bear in mind that low budgets have their price. Jeremy Siklosi takes good care of his participants and tries very hard to please. Fans of Jeff Zedic, be aware that Jeremy is not the comedian that Jeff was. (Jeff actually did professional shows at Yuk Yuk's every so often and that is a rare find in a Karaoke MC). I do miss the well timed jokes and the trivia that Jeff used to give in his shows. If I had any immediate tips for Jeremy in his new role I'd say work up the Karaoke Music Trivia between songs and add a few comic observations. This is one way Jeff Zedic really pleased the crowd and Jeremy is capable of it. All he needs is more practice. Given the way things got started off when he took over the business, Jeremy has been a professional by follow the old motto, “The show must go on”. He's probably still reeling from the mishap of late December when Mr. Zedic accidentally scrambled the music collection the day before Jeremy took over which took some quick action get mostly restored. I strongly suspect we'll see Jeremy shine as an MC now that he is able to focus on personality aspect. I'll check up on him and alter the selection and MC scores as Jeremy gets settled in. All in all this is still a quality karaoke venue to visit.

Final Grade: B

Facilities: 7.0 (Seating may be limited and you may be forced to sit on the opposite side of the from bar from the karaoke host & equipment)
Equipment: 8.8 (minor glitches if MC has to use a disk rather than the computer hard drive)
Selection 8.8 (a few songs from the original collection missing but will be restored shortly)
Food Selection: 6.8 (food & drink selection are really limited here)
Prices: 8.8 (some of the best prices I've seen for the food in downtown Toronto)
Location: 7.8 (Bathurst Subway, and walk north about 15 minutes, scattered side street parking)
Host: 8.5 (Very attentive to sound levels of his singers,but commentary occasionally gets repetitive. There have been some exceptional circumstances to take in to account so this score should improve shortly)
Wait times: 8.5
Service: 8.5

Venue Information:
Jeremy Siklosi, Siklosi Karaoke
Mayday Malone's
1078 Bathurst St.
Toronto, ON
M5R 3G9
(416) 531-8064


Thursdays: 10 PM - 2 AM

Karaoke Review:One Eleven Yorkville with Peter Rockwell of Pete Rock Radio Karaoke

11-12-2006

After reading my first review of Peter's Performance at the Fox and Fiddle he invited me to check out his new venue at Yorkville. Having already given him an exceptional review I had no worries about Peter's performance as a karaoke host. So the only thing to really take into consideration is the venue itself.

The Good: The venue is different from any I have been to because it wasn't typical pub but a Russian Restaurant/Bar. I was greeted by a very friendly waitress at the door. I'll say this for them, the staff appeared to know how to make you feel welcome. The furniture didn't hurt either: Soft Couches, soft padded chairs and small tables and low but visible lighting made One Eleven a very easy place to relax before facing a new work week. The menu had a nice selection of Russian dishes and desserts. Its a very intimate place. Although the place is smaller than a typical pub for Sunday nights this is actually ideal as you don't generally get a large crowd on that day. The stage set Pete arranges near the piano fits in well and creates an effective stage area. Peter gives his usual comic additions between and during songs with his usual knack for timing and witty charm. The wait times are better than average, which is what one would expect given the limited capacity of the restaurant

The Mixed: The only thing I would call mixed here is the food pricing and possibly the space. Again, for Sunday a smaller place is ideal in my experience as you don't get the empty feeling I'm all too familiar with when I check out a place on Sunday evening. The food pricing is on the high side but the selection and preparation is par to fine dining so although the food prices are a bit expensive, its quality Russian food which is rather exotic, at least for me.

The Bad. I could find nothing that was bad here at all. (Isn't it nice when this section is short and sweet?)

Conclusion: This is a quality venue with one of Toronto's better MC's. There are few enjoyable places you can do to with a quality MC on Sunday. This is definitely one of them. Well worth checking out if you can sleep in on Monday morning. ;-) If your budget is limited you may not want to come for dinner but the desserts and drinks are within reason.

Final Grade: B+

Summary Scores:

Facilities: 8.8 (Excellent atmosphere, great furniture, seating space may be a little limited unless you share a table or couch.)
Equipment: 9.4 (The video setup isn't as good as the Fox and Fiddle but its still very well done with the sounds and the lyric monitors work well)
Food Selection: 8.2 (Its a fair selection of Russian Meals and a great selection of desserts)
Prices: 7.0 (The prices are bit high. This is no place to go for a cheap meal but the food is excellent)
Location: 8.7 (Yorkville is an easy place to access through Bay Subway station. Plenty of paid parking in the area but free parking is not available anywhere nearby)
Song Selection: 7.5 (added points for good selection in modern songs which is rare for MCs with selection in the 6k range)
Wait Time: 8.5 (Well above average, some improvement in change times from when I last saw Peter in action)
Host: 8.8. Good taste and timing for jokes and sound effects as well. As I indicated in my last review of http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifPeter Rockwell, you won't be disappointed.
Service: 8.7 (Fairly fast and exceptionally friendly service here. Yes, the Russians know how to make you feel at home)

Venue Information:

Peter Rockwell, Pete Rock Radio Karaoke
One Eleven, 111 Yorkville Avenue
Toronto, ON
(416) 850-9471
Sundays 10 PM - 2 AM
Pete Rock Radio Karaoke
Site: http://www.peterockradio.com and
http://www.karaokeisstupid.com

Karaoke Review:The Rivoli with Carson Foster from Kickass Karaoke

10-29-2006

MC: Carson T. Foster Kickass Karaoke, Sunday Nights (Every 2nd & 4th Sunday of the Month)

Another place recommended by a Toronto Karaoke member and here we are again, checking out a new place. Rather than the traditional pub or bar we have a pool hall with restaurant below and a small bar. Lots of pool tables available. Hopefully the karaoke is equally impressive.

The Good: The ambiance of this place is rather pleasant. Pretty easy to relax here. The restaurant specializes in Asian Fusion. I grabbed some Pai Thai which was actually quite impressive. Not only was the quality of the food exceptional but the quantity was enough I almost didn't finish it. (almost...). Service was very reasonable . The selection was fairly good with mixes of Thai, Indian, Japanese and Vietnamese dishes. Large variety of salads with a few sandwiches available (including burgers).

The Mixed: The quality of the food was the best part of this venue. The karaoke unfortunately wasn't as exemplary. The setup for karaoke wasn't bad but given the narrow walkway to the stage and the distance of the farthest table, you could be walking a stretch to reach the mike. Which brings me to the next part: There was only one mike (most people have two). The MC started over 30 minutes late and waited for the group before doing ANYTHING! This MC has a bit of an attitude as well: He has his policies on this request forms which is all well and god, but some of them I have never seen anywhere else and the unique policies were for his convenience at the expense of the participants. His rules are as follows:

1. I take requests from a given person in the queue at one time when the person sings then they can give me their next request. Its fairer and I ignore this rule at the top of the night.
2. When someone gives me a bunch of requests put one into rotation an d the rest on the side until they sing. Then filter them as they sing. Sometimes I misplace a request. Sometimes I may change the request order if I feel a certain song is more appropriate at a given point in the evening. Better for the singer to hang on to them. I have limited space and fewer brain cells. (No other MC I've ever seen has difficulty in keeping requests in order, even when "bunches" are submitted.
3. I do try to get people who haven't sung in a given evening a chance to come up and participate. After that they're back in the rotation like everyone else. (this is fairly standard)
4. If a staff member of the bar or presenter puts in a request I do give them preference. After all it's their party. (Hmmm...does that mean the owner/presenter will "party on" if the customers come and don't buy anything? Someone should remind him that we, the customers, are the ones who foot the bill in the end).

Oh, to topt off rules 1, 2 and 4 which I don't totally agree with, this MC will only start when there are 3 requests. Now I've said this many times but I guess I can't say it enough: a good MC will know how to work a crowd even if its a slow night. This fellow didn't seem to want to even try to warm up the audience. I guess he is accustomed to karaoke die-hards like myself. Even if the room is filled with karaoke fans, sometimes they need the MC to "stir things up".

In addition to the one mike I mentioned earlier (instead of the customary two) the lyric monitor is horribly placed. Not only was it too far to see without stepping off the stage to the left, but when people passed their requests they had to step in FRONT of the monitor to reach the MC. This is really distracting. Its almost impossible to feel comfortable on this stage unless you have the words memorized. The monitor and outer casing have definitely seen better days. Fortunately the speakers were decent and levels well adjusted which is the only reason equipment is in the "mixed" section instead of the "bad" (although I was tempted with the monitor placement which was a new low for this karaoke reviewer). The stage (save for the monitor) was well placed although it was fairly small. About average for most karaoke pub/bars. There is not dance area however. The music selection was a bit on the low side (5966 songs) but just enough to be considered an average selection. Note: disk in the "900" range have "various issues" such as non-synchonized text (which usually isn't accurate anyway), or background noise. On the plus side there is a good balance of modern and oldies music. The book format and construction is one of the best I've seen. Too bad the contents are not as impressive. As an MC Mr. Foster isn't bad. He keeps the crowd going fairly well, once its already going. Again, my view, part of an MCs job is to get the crowd going, even if they are slow to start. He rotates the new people in and the wait times are fairly reasonable.

The Bad: There was nothing really bad here, save the monitor placement which I feel I must put here as it was an all time low in terms of readability.

Conclusion: I don't know its a coincidence but everytime a karaoke hosting company has some "cool" name there is some let down. Jason Rolland (whose business slogan was "the only karaoke that doesn't suck" but I think he's toned it down a notch), and now Kickass Karaoke. The food was the best part of my experience by far. The karaoke wasn't bad, but the selection was barely average, the equipment was less than average, and the MC I feel has a bit of an attitude with his regulations. A few parts of them were good but most of them I felt were excuses for less than average attention to the participants and leave a bad taste in one's mouth. I wasn't alone: I talked to a few karaoke hard-core fans and they agreed that Carson has a bit of an attitude. Its a good place to go on Queen Street West if you want a big quality meal, but in terms of overall karaoke experience, I've been to better, even on Sundays. (See the review of One Eleven in Yorkville). I know this will upset some of the Kickass Karaoke Fans who come here, but sorry, gotta call them as I see them.

Final Grade: C+

Summary Scores:

Facilities: 7.8 (place is quite nice but stage walk is potentially awkward)
Equipment: 7.0 (Worst monitor placement witnessed to date, one mike, very worn monitor case)
Selection 7.4 (Bonus for good design/layout)
Food Selection: 8.3 (Lots of Asian fusion, with a few western platters for those of us who are less adventurous)
Prices: 7.8 (a little on the high side, but the quality and quantity is excellent, drink prices very reasonable)
Location: 8.0 (Queen/Spadina, easy to get to via streetcars, paid side parking available)
MC: 7.0 (Had good points but policies on requests are less friendly than any other MC I've seen to date which was a significant downer on the overall experience)
Wait times: 8.5
Service: 8.3 (quality service with the quality food)

Venue Information:

Carson T. Foster, Kickass Karaoke
The Rivoli, 334 Queen Street
Upper Level (Pool Hall)
Toronto, ON
(416)596-1908
http://homepage.mac.com/kickasskaraoke/Menu21.html

Karaoke Review: Neutral Nightclub w/ Steve-O and Margaret from Songsmith Karaoke (aka Karaoke Cult)

October 17, 2006

Recently I'm getting referred to more places by the Toronto Karaoke Meetup Group (Thanks Mo) and I take their recommendations seriously. This next venue takes me in one of the soho areas of Toronto known as Kensington Market. I generaly try to come early to karaoke venues when doing a review. I was told 10 PM but the place doesn't open until the stroke of 10 and the actually show generally starts between 10:30-11 PM so I'd come around that time. Although the formal address is "College Street" you have to find the entrance on Augusta on the west side next to a camera store and sushi shop. You'll see a hand-made wooden with "Neutral" with a cross as the "t". The entrance gave me a few doubts but since a karaoke fan recommended it I was hopeful that there was more to judging this book than its cover.

The Good: The facilities are larger than you'd think at the door. The decor is a bit on the dark side and I discovered the reason was many customers who come to this place are into the goth motive. The place was appropriately decorated to match. The stage was well set with an excellent view of almost the entire area. (some couches in the back corner were the only exception where people probably wanted privacy anyway). Possibly the best stage I've seen since Hollywood on the Queensway (see review) stoped their karaoke shows. Watching Steve and Margaret do sound checks was encouraging. The selection will grab your attention. Lots of modern and alternative music to choose from (again fits in with goth moods), plus many old favorites. I counted about 11290 and the largest collection (the only collection I've seen so far) of songs from the musical, Spamalot. On talking to Steve he said they had 20000 songs but I need to confirm that as it wasn't in the books. Either way an impressive selection and probably the best alternative music collection I've seen to date. If I can confirm the 20k songs I can reassign Jeff's best karaoke bar song selection award. This is a nightclub so there is no food but the drinks are reasonably priced (like most things in the Kensington Market area)

The Mixed: While the equipment was large, impressive and in good shape there were issues with 1 or 2 sound overloads when one mike faced the other even though they were two feet apart or more. Probably because of the mike sensitivity levels as well as the volume being pumped out of the impressive looking speakers. The idea is karaoke meets nightclub and the volumes are set appropriately which has possibilities but I thin its a delicate balance to do well. Even though singer/music balance was very good (they did extensive checks before they began) when I first went up I could barely hear myself. The 2nd round of singers was better when the volumes were taken down a notch presumably because after hearing the levels in the room it was decided it need adjustment. The MCs performance left me with mixed feelings as well. The performers were announced well enough but that was about it. MCs having great voices or even great equipment is good, but in my view its not quite enough. You need to engage you're audience and I know Steve has personality as I've seem him entertain very effectively at another Karaoke Venue when he was a participant. There was little to no interaction this evening with Steve's audience as an MC. Perhaps this is because its a nightclub and Steve may have been holding back to be consistant with the nightclub ambiance. I still think there was room for more personality. Hopefully if Steve reads this he and Margaret wil give my comments some thought because there is great equipment, excellent selection a LOT of potential if the right balance with all the elements including the MC's personality can be achieved. Wait times were quite good and there were no delays in song queues or rotations (save when a monitor had to be replaced but I'm certain that was a freak occurence). One final note here: While the books were available by Title and by Author, the "Title" book still had a mix of Author organization which was a little disorienting for me so I stuck to the books by Author which was more straightforward.

The Bad: Nothing struck me as "bad" here. Just more audience interaction would help, especially if the place is not full yet.

Summary: We have another unique setup: Karaoke meets nightclub. It has great possibilities now that I've seen it done and it could be a great combination with minor improvements. The selection is either a new record or a close second. Hosts are very attentive to sound levels and the stage configuration is supurb. You'll feel like a real entertainer here IF you can hear yourself as I felt initial volumes were a little too high (was rectified later). While we karaoke lovers enjoy entertaining we also like the MC to entertain as well. This place is unique not only for its nightclub setting, but with a scenery and atmosphere highly suitable for the goth crowd who are sure to be pleased with this venue. If you are a karaoke fan who is dying to do lots of alternative or modern songs, this is probably the best place to go.

Final Grade: B

Facilities: 8.6
Equipment: 8.0
Selection 8.6 ("By Title" books somewhat confusing)
Food Selection: NA
Prices( Drinks): 8.0
Location: 7.7 (little hard to find the first time, off College Streetcar stop at College & Augusta, free and paid side parking available)
MC: 7.4 (Steve and Margaret are attentive MCs but they should put more of their personalities into it even if it is a nightclub. Steve is quite capable as I've seen him entertain effectively singing at another MC's venue. I'll be back in hopes of seeing that ability applied at future Neutral shows)
Wait times: 8.5
Service: NA

Venue Info:
MC: Songsmith Karaoke with Steve-O and Margaret
Neutral Nightclub
349a College Street
(at Augusta) Kensington Market
Toronto, Ontario M5T 2V8
416-926-1212

Every other Tuesday Evening
Next show from date of publication: November 14th, 2006
UPDATE: Starting November 14th, 2006 Songsmith Karaoke (aka Karaoke Cult) will be at Neutral EVERY Tuesday night

MC Info:
Songsmith Karaoke
Stephen Chadderton - MC
(416) 565-1659
MySpace Account Link

Karaoke Review: BMB Karaoke Box

November 1st, 2006

In my contining quest for the best karaoke party box in Toronto I continued on the same night to a place I had passed numerous times but had only been to once in all my years in Toronto. So, it was time to check it out and see if they could help. The sign was nice enough...

The Good: The rooms at this box clean although a few shoe scuffs were somewhat visible on the inner doors and walls but no damage as far as I could see. Mikes were as in great shapes as were the speakers (about the same as Twister). The doors gave a little bit more privacy than Twister as I could see more than outlines from the inside. Rates were better than average.

The Bad: No food at all. Just drinks.

The Mixed: The selection was fairly limited. 4600 English songs is a little weak in my view for a Karaoke box these days. Mind you they have a LOT more Korean. I'm a learning quite a bit about the majority of Korean Karaoke boxes though: They often use a system I am becoming familiar with: Taijin. Yes, Taijin, with its 100% MIDI music and Title only song books. At least it saved me having to look to see how many songs they had as I had already counted from Twister's Taijin system. On the plus side at least the remote had English labeled buttons this time. (helps a lot actually, especially if you've never used it before) so I felt free to try out all the "neat" features like tempo control, music and microphone volumes. Apparently there is a Video game option?!? Hmm... Anyway, it wasn't bad but as I say, 4600 songs is a little weak for an MC, let alone a dedicated Karaoke Box. The saddest thing is they had older Modulation Boxes connected to the system so if they had the 10k song system that Twister had, they could REALLY bump their rankings for this review. Frustrating! One has the selection, the other has modulation boxes that are no longer in use. A partnership would be kind of cool, or at least sell Twister their modulation boxes so they can mop up the competition. :D Oh, the Taijin system has a small selection of Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and Tagalog songs so ESL students would probably appreciate that. Obviously this place is tailored to the Korean-Canadian population but at least they had the curtsey to get English labeled Controllers for their Taijin system which is appreciated. That's about all I have to say on that.


Summary: BMB Karaoke is a lower end Karaoke Box in terms of selection for English Speaking Karaoke lovers. Basically the song selection is ideal Korean speaking people. On the plus side they had an English labeled Taijin controller which Twister didn't have. If a place only has MIDI (especially Taijin system) its pretty much a budget facility. At least the rooms and equipment were in great shape. If you want a place near Bloor and Bathurst this place will pass if you are in the neighborhood. Just bear in mind you have only 4600 English songs (more Korean) that are all MIDI music but you can transpose them using the Taijin controller, or the modulation box if you want to get cute like I did. The rooms are comfortable and you can get snacks and drinks. The rates were posted here which were better than average.

1-5 people: $20/Hour
6-7 people: $25/Hour
8-10 people: $30/Hour
10+ people: $40/Hour
Large Room: $50/Hour
Party Room: $60/Hour

Summary Scores:
Facilities: 8.0 (Nice rooms, really clean, furniture in amazing shape)
Equipment: 7.5 (MIDI Only but I'm giving points for Good Mikes and Speakers)
Location: 7.8 (Block off Bathurst. Parking to be found on side streets)
Food Prices: 7.0 (Prices on food/drinks are average, but only snack food)
Service: 8.0 (they do their job, which given the Taijin systems make it easier I'm sure until cleanup time comes around)
Selection: 6.5 (4600 English songs, books only by title. Its....Taijin)
Wait Times: 9.0 (Given the limited selection the index makes it easy I suspect)
Room Prices: 7.7 (a little better than average)

Final Grade: C

Venue Information:
593 Bloor Street West
Toronto, ON
M6G 1K5
(416) 533-8736

Karaoke Review: Twister Karaoke Box

November 1st, 2006

Recently I had a reader recommend a karaoke box for a birthday party. Being eager to inform my readers I set out to expand my thin karaoke box reviews section. This place I had been to before years ago and had stuck to the downtown core for reasons of convenience. That time has passed and I'm now covering a wider territory. This place had been good years ago but many karaoke boxes have changed their technology and in many cases it has not been for the better. Read on to see how things fared here.

The Good: The rooms at this box were very clean. Probably the cleanest I've been to so far. Not only were all the walls, doors and equipment nearly spotless but the mikes and speakers were in pristine condition and the sound was no exception. There was a bit of a catch with the sound which I'll get to in a bit. Selection is very wide and includes the widest mix of languages I've seen yet: English (of course), Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, Korean (TONS of those as the place is Korean owned as are many places in this neighborhood). Once could argue that the selection (with no other considerations) was the best of any karaoke box out there.

The Bad: There is no real food here, just chicken wings at $10 and instant noodles at $3 plus of course drinks (no outside drinks allowed).Aside from lack of food the only other bad thing was the fact that the rates were not posted anywhere I could see. That represents a somewhat unprofessional attitude. I asked them to tell me the rates verbally which I'll list here. I don't think they will increase them on any unsuspecting customers. More likely didn't get around to posting them (which I'd strongly recommend) but just in case here they are:

1-5 people $25/hour
10-14 people $50/hour
14-20 people $60/hour
They have only one large party room for which I didn't get the rate.

The Mixed: The rates as you can see are average. Remember I said earlier that the selection COULD be one of the best for any Karaoke box but....(you knew there was one coming) there are a variety of problems. First is the equipment. The speakers and mikes were in great shape but this place has TWO karaoke systems in each room. (Yes, you heard me right, two). I'll explain exactly what they are. Apparently these systems were purchased from Korea. One made by Taijin comes with books (By title only) and computer box and a remote controller. The sound tracks are all MIDI (its good midi but still midi) and selection is limited to English (4600 songs) and Korea (didn't get count). The upside of this is you can change the pitch, the tempo, mix male/female voices and get a cute (although not accurate) score on your "performance". (strictly timing with music). I know that an English controller for the Taijin system is available but this place didn't have any. Only the Korean controllers. If, like me, you don't read Korean its a REAL pain to use. Its okay once you figure it out. The second system has a LOT more songs, converted to MPEG format from original LDs so the the sound is much better. They try to indicate which have original footage from the artists (one didn't work) which is a nice touch. All the languages I mentioned above are available but at a price: No books. This make is REALLY awkward. Karaoke Box owners, I WILL take points off for no books, okay? There is just no good reason for it except to be cheap. Computer system selectors are not that good yet. Also the computer navigation system here is awkward because if you select song by title (your best option) you can't skip pages. So if your song is at the end of the "c" list for example you have go page by page.(mind you it may be possible to go backwards but the middle you are still in for a long scroll. Song by author has a serious flaw: Not all the groups are listed. For example, saw a good selection of the Bee Gees, but the closest they had to a "Bee Gees" group was "Barry Gibb" which had only one song. Radiohead wasn't even there but I saw several Radiohead selections by title. You get the idea. Oh, and last but not least: there is NO TRANSPOSITION on the 6k (English, 14k others I estimate as owner guesstimated 20k songs) selection list. This is a major let down because while you have an impressive selection of songs, you are limited by your vocal range. Or you have to use the MIDI Taijin system and limit your songs available. To switch between the two systems have issues as well. Its easy to do but.. you could lose your sound output because Twister uses cheap 3 way video/audio switches in many of their rooms with circuits that cut in and out. They actually moved me from room #2 to room #1 because of this problem. While I saw another one of these cheap 3 way plastic switches it appeared to have been bypassed to a quality toggle switch which worked properly. Hopefully they will replace those cheap switches to quality ones by the time you've read this. But if you see a triangular plastic switch near a monitor, tell them what you read here. It would only be an extra $10 to get a better 3 way switch. A quality 3 way video switch is between ($30-$40).

Summary: Twister has a good deal going for it: Rooms and furniture in near perfect condition, wide selection of languages (perhaps the largest in the GTA) and great mikes/speakers. Unfortunately, attempts to be cheap in certain areas detract from the experience there. The great equipment is plagued by cheap connection boxes and a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Consequently I had to be moved to a room with a better junction switch. While the selection is potentially great, the lack and books for the system with the larger selection and its awkwardly and incomplete configuration hampers one's ability to find songs easily. Lack of transposition is a serious let down which is easily corrected by getting the modulation boxes often used in karaoke boxes. I actually encountered one at a second karaoke box that was still connected to a Taijin system (because they hadn't bothered to move it) and it transposed the pitch so I know this works on ANY sound input running through it. Its an investment, but very worthwhile and essential to the Karaoke experience. In Japan I didn't find ANY karaoke boxes without this ability as its essential for the great number of people to participate and enjoy the experience. This simple investment would make this one of the best karaoke boxes in the GTA. But as it stands I can only say its has the widest selection of languages. If you are willing to put up with MIDI sound, learn the Taijin system controller and/or learn Korean and settle for only 4600 English songs rather than ~6k, you can the transposition need for all voice ranges to have fun. One thing about XO for which I will stand by it is when it comes to selection and the ability to participate, they have it all. (if only they could replace some of the mikes, funiture and almost dead air conditioners). Oh posting the rates in plain sight would also be a good idea. They do explain how their system and they try to please. But if they really want to be a TOP karaoke box, they need to get modulation boxes and replace the cheap plastic junction boxes. Then they wouldn't need the Taijin system at all. On that note, an English remote, PLEASE. If you want to host people with a wide taste in languages (prefect for an ESL class) this place would get my top recommendation with the understanding you'll have navigation and transposition limitation. Its still a reasonable place to have a fairly enjoyable karaoke event. Wit an investment in books and modulation boxes, it would be more than just fairly enjoyable: It would be fantastic.

Summary Scores:
Facilities: 8.5 (Nice rooms, really clean, furniture in amazing shape)
Equipment: 7.0 (Great Speakers, Mikes but plagued by poor junctions boxes and transposition on limited number of songs which are in MIDI. For this system reading Korean is advised)
Location: 8.5 (plenty of parking, 5 minutes from Finch subway station)
Food Prices: 7.0 (Prices on food/drinks are average, but VERY limited food)
Food Quality: 7.0 (Average, what little there is)
Service: 8.5 (they are very attentive and try to please)
Selection:7.2 (Better than XO, but worse at the same time. Come on guys, Books, modulation boxes. This is all you need to truly have the best selection in the GTA and be one of the best Karaoke boxes all in town)
Wait Times: 8.5 (Have to adjust because for transposition you have to switch between 2 systems)
Room Prices: 7.0 (average)

Final Grade: C+/B-

Venue Information:
Twister Karaoke
5586 Yonge Street (Finch Subway)
North York, ON
M2N 5S2
(416) 225-2465

Karaoke Review: Echo Karaoke Box

October 13th, 2006

After realizing my karaoke box section was sorely lacking I decided to try out a place that I often passed on my way to see clients. The Echo karaoke box is located on the 2nd floor of the mall at Spadina and Bloor on the Southwest corner. You can't miss the flashy sign that says "ECHO". I invited a Chinese speaking to come along with me just in case as many places in this area have questionable English and my Chinese is almost non-existent. You never know, right?

The Good: The pricing was unusual for me at least in North America. This place is membership based. The price per hour is by far the best thing going for this place as well as location. The pricing is as follows:

Monday - Thursday 3 PM - 8:45 PM $7 per person
Friday 3 PM - 8:45 PM $9 per person

9 PM - 3 AM Weekdays: Small room (1-5) people : $35 - $50
Medium room (5-8) people: $60 - $100
Large Room(10-15) people: $120
Party Room(20+) people : $120 - $180

9 PM - 3 AM Weekends: Small room (1-5) people : $55 - $90
Medium room (5-8) people: $120 - $180
Large Room(10-15) people: $200
Party Room(20+) people : $240 - $320

These are flat rates for the entire evening you are there between the times
posted. It has the potential to be very cheap per hour. Best time is probably Friday
nights before 9 PM. After that I calculate the pricing to be average. There are a few
thing you need to know about the pricing they don't tell you but I'll come to that in the next section

The Bad: Now we come to the fun part. While I indicated the pricing is good for Weekdays and average on Weekends there are a few hidden details. First, its subscription based. Its $20 per year for 1 year membership. If on one in your group has one its an additional $5 per person. (Why is it that people from outside Canada see fit to leave out these details in writing?) They have food there but the quality was mediocre at best and the prices on this food were almost double what I would pay at XO. Beef Chow Mein was $12 for a serving fit for one person while at XO I get 2-3 times the amount and better quality food for $10. Oh they also charged a $3 service fee as well which XO doesn't do. I guess this is why a Chinese bunch leaving at the same time I arrived and went for dinner elsewhere. The equipment doesn't get any better. The system is pure cheap midi controlled by a computer (not even MPEG). There were no books, which made selection awkward and the selection of English songs was barely passable at 3200. My Chinese friend told me they had a decent amount of Chinese songs but I didn't get a count. Around double the English songs (which is still pretty small) The speakers were of very low grade, the microphones even lower (have to work to sound decent) and there is no transposition at all. Small rooms are VERY cramped. As for as communication with the staff my fears were justified. The staff there including the manager there could barely speak English. They didn't even understand the word "pitch" when I asked about whether I could transpose the music or not (my Chinese friend eventually translated to Mandarin for me) and there are no written instructions anywhere (not even in Chinese) except the screens and they were minimal at best. Watch out if you decide to get membership here because they ask you for ID and may "offer" to hold on to it while you are in the room. My first thought of course was "potential identity theft" so I made to process the membership card in my presence and took my idea when done. They could have easily asked me to fill out a from. I could be wrong but something felt shady about the whole thing as no one should require Government ID unless its part of government regulation, let alone keep for a few hours at any karaoke place. This was the most unprofessional and suspect karaoke box I have ever been to and I felt I'd better watch my credit card and bank activity for the next few months.

The mixed: The rooms were clean in and in good order but rooms looked small compared to other boxes I've been to.

Summary: If you are looking for a place near Chinatown and you want to sing cheap come here on a Friday but be warned. If you don't have a friend who has membership (which I do now) and you want to come more than once, insist that you give them membership information on paper or on a form and DO NOT give them ANY ID with private information like Social Insurance, Driver's License or Bank information. If they refuse to accept this, go somewhere else. Identity Theft is on the rise and these people should know better, especially for what amounts to a low grade karaoke box. Keeping one's government ID for long period is simply unacceptable. Period. If you can get past all I've said and want cheap fees on weekdays with limited selection and no transposition and cheap equipment the location is convenient enough and the price is right. Otherwise there are MANY other places out there which I will be reviewing shortly.

Summary Scores:
Facilities: 7.0 (Small rooms are really small but rooms are in good order)
Equipment: 6.0 (cheap speakers, poor initial levels, cheap mikes and no transposition)
Location: 8.0 (parking may be a little out of the way but easy access by streetcar)
Food Prices: 5.0 (Prices on food here are highway robbery, better off eating elsewhere)
Service: 5.0 (Poor English, inadequate instructions and questionable ID collection practices)
Selection:6.0 (Barely passable with 3200 English song, Chinese I'm told selection is better)
Wait Times: 8.0 (For a computer system this system was somewhat slow)
Room Prices: 8.0 (see matrix above, best to come weekday evenings or prices are average)

Final Grade: C- (These guys got me to bump up XO original C- grade to a C but they have also have been fixing up furniture) For a new business these guys have a lot of work to do. I feel like their motto was "how cheap can you go?" along with "how much can we get for food". There was just an unprofessional feel to the staff and membership practices they current have there. I would advise against joining their membership list unless they change the way they collect your information for your own protection.

Venue Information:
Echo Karaoke Box
280 Spadina Avenue
Toronto, ON
Phone: (416) 596-6800

Karaoke Review: Jimmy's Pub w/ Neil Harris & "The Nightowl"

October 10th, 2006

At long last I'm starting to get outside of the downtown core and headed out west. This place was recommended to me by a Toronto Karaoke Meetup member and I was looking for more "fresh blood". With new territory often comes new styles and approaches to karaoke and Neil was no exception. He is what I call one of the "crooner"s of karaoke MC world. If anyone is interested in cool kats in Karaoke, read on.

The Good: The selection is one of the most extensive I've had in a pub. Very wide. Many traditional British pub dishes, sandwiches, Mexican entrees, Steaks, Ribs, Chicken dishes, salads, pizzas and appetizers. (even escargot). Pastas, Greek food and Stir Fries are also available with less variety and an All day breakfast. Nothing like a Bacon & Eggs for dinner, eh? Prices for food are very reasonable. On another topic, the wings I had were exceptional so Tuesday night are a great time go where they are half price. Service was the best I've ever had in any restaurant. Very fast, very attentive and actually quite friendly. (They even gave me an ETA on the food). Neil as an MC makes you feel right at home. His style reminds of a bit of Frank Sinatra: Voice and performance as smooth as silk, very relaxed and mellow. He's not an MC that gives snappy comic remarks that many MCs downtown often use. but his commentary between songs is pleasant and he adds a few funny lines here and there. Neil could add a few more but not much as it could break something that works well. Like other MCs he wants people to participate but he eases you into it gradually. I could almost picture myself at the Cafe from the well know movie "Casablanca". He adds a little incentive with small prizes given out to random participants but people will be drawn more to the relaxed commentary and no pressure invitations. Its different approach than any other MC I've seen to date and it takes a really cool customer to pull it off. Neil is the PERFECT MC for groups with people new to karaoke who may be a little shy about trying it out or for people more mellow and laid back. His selection is significantly above average: Around 8800 songs and he's adding on regularly and takes requests for future venues from his participants. There is a good mix of new hits and old with minor gaps on both ends. No Supertramp but large selection of others and one of the new MCs who actually has A-Ha. Whatever your preference you won't feel left out with what's available. Neil is also a real stickler on sound quality for his shows and does his own audio editing for each song. Its a labor of love for him and it shows. His Equipment is in top shape and I saw what appeared to be new mikes. Although the music levels initially slightly overpowered the singer this only happened when he was singing himself so I can only assume this was just an initial sound check because afterwards the levels were excellent. The quality of the sound on his music tracks is significantly above the norm. In an age where more and more people are settling for cheap MIDI sound its nice to find someone who understands that poor quality music track really does detract from the experience. Wait times were very reasonable. Neil does something unusual in his rotations: He has people do 2 songs each turn. This is technique could work well in crowded room but could also backfire if someone selects a particularly long song and could slow wait times. I may be inclined to go back later to see what the results of this are in a packed room.

The bad: The only thing that could qualify as "bad" is the orientation of the stage: it faces the entrance so the singer cannot see the audience at all. Only people going in and out. The audience can only see you from the side view. Even though I sat fairly close, I didn't have a clear side view. As a stage it was wide enough and you could dance on it if you so desired but the orientation is a distraction to what could be a really great experience.

The mixed: The main course I had was quite good but the salad was average. The biggest mix in this bag was the atmosphere: The lighting nice which adds to Neil's charm but because of the stage I've put the atmosphere in the mixed category. I can't say its a bad stage setup but facing the entrance while singing is extremely awkward especially if you are new to singing on stage. Jimmy's is not ideally setup for a Karaoke show but from what I could see it was difficult to do much better with the pub's configuration.

Summary: Neil Harris is an MC in a class all his own. His calm smooth approach could relax the most nervous participant and he makes an effort to warm up to people which his audience appreciates. His attention to the quality of his music tracks stands out and the extra effort to do his own mixes really adds to the experience. While Neil is not a comic, he is a true entertainer in the karaoke business and pays careful attention to his participants he and he listens to feedback which perhaps is the most important thing a karaoke MC can do. Jimmy's is an exceptional pub with great select, good food and amazing service but its configuration is not ideal for karaoke stages. Even with the uneasy stage orientation you will have fun at with Jimmy's with Neil's unique easy going style combined with exceptional music tracks, excellent equipment & selection plus a smoothness unmatched anywhere. Its not for the party animals, but if you want a place you can relax and feel right at home with karaoke (as opposed to a more aggressive approach) Neil's a great choice. One thing that did stick out at me was the song books are not in exact order because of his additions. Consequently you have regular selections, new additions and more new additions (literally) in order by artist or song title. Makes it harder to find things within the 3 sections so if they could be consolidated that would be a BIG help.

Summary Scores:
Facilities: 7.3 (Nice ambiance which is at one with Neil's style. The Stage is the only negative aspect. Unfortunately facing the entrance rather than the audience is a significant distraction)

Equipment: 8.5 (normally I'd give an 8 but the music tracks are part of it and Neil's are exceptionally good in terms of sound quality. You'll feel like your in a recording studio with most of his tracks. Good balance and new mikes also add to this as well.

Location: 7.5 (Not quite on a subway but if you go to Wilson subway station and take a westbound bus its a 5-10 minute bus ride from the station. Enough free parking for people if you go by car)

Song Selection: 8.3 (Its exceptionally extensive with almost 9k songs and he adds to them regularly. I had to take 0.2 points off because finding songs is a little time consuming due to the fact he has song divided in 3 sections: regular, new additions, and more new additions. Regardless, its an exceptional list so everyone should find something they like)

Wait Time: 8.5 (wait times are quick. The fact that Neil has people do 2 songs at a time is interesting. I'll have to go back and see how this works on an exceptionally crowded night).

Host: 8.2 (Not a lot of comic remarks but enough to keep one smiling. Neil's commentary between songs in general makes you feel relaxed and right at home. He's perfect for nervous newbies or people who want relaxed karaoke. Neil has a Frank Sinatra twist to his style that I've seen nowhere else. Its unique and it works surprisingly well)

Food Prices: 8.2 (prices were very good. You won't go broke here)

Food Selection 9.0: of all the pubs/clubs/ restaurants I've been too this place had the best food selection I've see so far. Bravo!)

Food Quality 7.5:( Great wings, exceptional main entrees, Salads need some work)

Service: 9.3 (Best service I've ever had. Even better than upscale restaurants I've been to). Fast, courteous, attentive and even with a smile. I almost felt I was being served too well)

Final Grade: B+
There were so many good things here I really wanted to give this play an 'A-'. The one really bad item sticks out enough to lower the grade though. If the configuration could be changed in a few small ways (face an audience rather than the door please!) it would be a unique and amazing experience. In many ways it already is. I've know I've said this many times but I'm just so surprised how well Neil makes a laid back approach work and his selections and quality of sound tracks are exceptional. He's worth checking out for these aspects alone. If he can get his books in proper order this excellent song selection can get a few more point percentages. The prizes he gives out to random or new participants add some fun as well. His 2 songs per turn approach will appeal to many people who are worried about wait times. In a crowded it could add time but perhaps he'll adjust when the need arises. I'll certainly be back to find out.

Venue Information:

Jimmy's Pub
1805 Wilson Avenue
North York, ON M9M 1A2
416-740-7404

Tuesdays: 10 PM - Closing

MC/KJ Information:
Neil Harris
Neils Karaoke with "The Nightowl"
416-653-2041
nightowl123@sympatico.ca