An Amazing Night at The Paradise Lounge with
The Amazing Embarasonics
Trying to watch all the bands that play at the Paradise Lounge is an
effort in futility. You'll find yourself running up a flight of stairs to
see who's on the upstairs stage, but wait! The band playing the lounge
downstairs just started! I'll go down, catch some of their set, than hustle
back upstairs to see the rest of that band, but then you know what? The
next band on the main stage downstairs tears into their set as soon as the
band in the lounge finishes! But I want to see a little more upstairs
before I head back down. It's all pretty crazy, but on a night like
Saturday, July 17th, with a line up as good as Mover, Deathray, Capsule, and
the Amazing Embarasonics, an effort in futility becomes downright
frustration in trying to catch a set by any one of these great bands.
Frustration soon turns to acceptance, and my only answer was to find a single
spot and stay there. Besides, it's damn difficult bookin' up and down
multiple flights of stairs while trying to ingest copious amounts of Red
Hook.
I decided to spend most of my evening upstairs with the Amazing
Embarasonics. For those who don't know, The Amazing Embarasonics are a
three piece live karaoke band with a repertoire of a couple hundred songs.
Now, this may not sound like something you would think is cool, but man,
sometimes I feel these guys are the best show in town. I've never been to a
traditional karaoke bar, but I know it's nothing like this. People sign up
on a chalk board, much like waiting to play pool, and when it's their turn,
they get up on stage and either shine or more likely, crash and burn. All
the while the band is backing them up and egging them on.
The night started out a little slow, people not being drunk enough to make
asses of themselves yet. The band noodled around onstage, being kind of
jazzy, the bartender got up and did a Carpenters song, quite well too.
As more people filed in and more alcohol was consumed a shy looking guy
got onstage, his buddies practically pushing him. He whispered to
Embarasonic member Greg Foote the song he wanted to sing, then sheepishly
stood in front of his mike. The band did a four count and broke into
AC/DC's "Shook Me All Night Long". Now the singer started singing quietly,
Brian Johnson he wasn't, but he got a little louder when the part about "the
walls were shaking and the Earth was quaking" came up, by the time the band
hit those huge power chords in the chorus, this guy had the microphone in
his hand and was hunched over like a bonafide rock star and screaming, I
mean screaming "She shook me all night long!!!" The audience was on their
feet yelling back, high fiving the complete strangers next to them. It was a
truly exciting moment. This is what The Amazing Embarasonics are all about.
Maybe it's because you hear all the songs you've listened to all your life,
or the fact that people who never would be onstage with a group are singing
with a band in front of a crowd, it's more fun than most bands playing all
their own material. Even when later in the night a guy got up and sang a
half-assed version of Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive", people cheered
because at least he was doing it, he was on stage and he was rocking to the
best of his ability.
But for every lame attempt, there are some pretty decent efforts. Like
when two girls got up and did a duet of Neil Diamonds "Sweet Caroline". If
I had a lighter, I would have held it up.
The only time I've heard extensive booing at an Amazing Embarasonics show
wasn't even at this particular one. It was another Paradise show a few
months ago. Some poor sap got up to sing John Cougar Melencamp's "Pink
Houses" and totally choked. He couldn't keep track of the lyrics on the
provided sheet, his singing was horrible, he had too much to drink. He
was justifiably booed. I would have booed to but, you see, I was the one
onstage. Ouch!
Being karaoke, the Embarasonics have no CD out there. You'll just have to
see them. I insist you see them. There is always a show on the horizon,
and the more of you there getting on stage and singing, the less chance I'll
forget my last experience on stage and attempt to do it again.
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