
Kinky Karaoke
Thanks to a headsup from a friend active in the FetLife community, I was invited to attend a game of "Kinky Karaoke." As a first foray into the world of alternative karaoke games, this was well beyond my expectations. For clarification, BDSM is short for Bondage and Discipline, Dominance and Submission, Sadism and Masochism (thanks wikipedia!). It is both a way of sexual practice and can be an all-encompassing way of life. Individuals within this community self-identify throu


Karaoke LARP: Live Band Karaoke
Okay, look, I don't agree with Rob Drew's assessment that karaoke is primarily practiced with some larger goal of becoming a famous singer, as if it were a stepping stone along the way to a record deal, but, damn if live band karaoke didn't have me questioning that position. This week, I returned to last weeks locations to get a second look at each, wondering if what I had seen was the norm. By and large, it certainly seemed to be. Small differences here and there, but the ga

Establishing a baseline
Up until this point, karaoke had been but a weekend pastime. Usually, I would go to Durty Nelly's in Costa Mesa on Fridays and then hit Pineapple Hill in Tustin on Saturdays. That's just how much I loved to play the game. But I have to know, is my KJ-DM perspective off base? How many other KJs do what Kevin does? The KJ at Pineapple Hill, Jonah, certainly does a great job, with his impeccable announcer voice and willingness to grease the crowd with a few songs of his own. Is

And then suddenly I'm a play researcher...
"This is a career making idea." "I'm jealous I didn't think of it first!" Done and done. I'm latching on and holding tight. More on this later, but right now, I have some reading to do.


The KJ is a DM?
Okay, so, I think maybe there's more to this than a couple "huh, isn't this cool?!" mentions in a blog. In the pictures above, you have Kevin Karaoke, otherwise known as Kevin Cable, the KJ at Durty Nelly's, the karaoke bar I most often frequent at this point. The first time I attended, he immediately piqued my interest. Wearing a leopard print suit coat, looking all Weird Al with his long curly hair, and just being generally super, super congenial. Who was this weirdo and wh