Karaoke

Karaoke snippets Some noteworthy moments in history. Inoue Daisuke never bothered to patent his karaoke machine design, missing out on more than $150 million, according to some estimates. Filipino inventor Roberto del Rosario developed a separate system called the Minus-One and patented it in the 1980s. The North Korean security ministry shut down karaoke bars in 2007 after declaring them to be a source of "enemy scheming" that would "threaten the maintenance of the socialist system."

Karaoke Culture Dubravka Ugresic Open Letter: 324 pp., $15.95 paper Dubravka Ugresic does not like karaoke. That doesn't stop her from trying it, just as her resistance to celebrity doesn't stop her from putting her head through a cutout on a Hollywood studio tour so that she can be photographed with Clark Gable. Ugresic, a game and inquisitive critic, looks at culture from all angles, which sometimes means picking up the mic . Karaoke recycles rather than creates, she argues in "Karaoke Culture," the 100-page essay that lends its name to the title of her new collection.

In its heyday, booking a room at the Parao Karaoke Club in Koreatown was tougher than, well, hitting the right note for "My Way." But these days fewer people are coming to bellow their way through Frank Sinatra standards and Spice Girls tunes. On the weekends, the most popular time for karaoke, room rentals have dropped by a third, owner Randy Chang said. "People don't have money to celebrate anymore," Chang said. "A lot of parties are being canceled. Even advertising doesn't work anymore."

A few weeks ago during his concert at the El Rey Theatre, young R&B singer Frank Ocean stood alone in front of a mike onstage while a big image of a solar eclipse shone behind him. He was in the middle of his "American Wedding," which isn't really his song per se but him crooning new lyrics over the music of the Eagles' classic L.A. snapshot "Hotel California. " He moved through his updated verses, a wonderful yarn about marriage and divorce, as the moon passed across the sun behind him and the song made its way toward that epic Don Felder and Joe Walsh tag-team guitar solo.

Nothing quite captures the night life here more vividly than the sake-soaked image of drunken "salarymen" crooning "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" in a Roppongi karaoke bar for the fourth and still not final time. But lately, between a nagging recession and emerging discount media technologies, Japan's multibillion-dollar karaoke industry is singing a somber tune.

A 23-room karaoke recording studio, believed to be the first of its size in Orange County, is coming to Stanton. Individuals or groups will be able to record their own voices over recorded songs, according to a proposal approved unanimously Wednesday by the Planning Commission. The studio is designed to have separate rooms for hourly rental. The rooms will range from 80 square feet to 300 square feet.

The City Council has imposed a limit on how late into the night aspiring singers can carry on at a karaoke studio. Yeon Sook Seo had requested permission to stay open until 2 a.m. at a studio that she wants to develop in a commercial building at 9738 Garden Grove Blvd. A karaoke studio operates until 2 a.m. in neighboring Stanton, and she needs to stay open that late to remain competitive, she said.

I loved Heidi Siegmund Cuda's piece on Gossip ["It's Glam A Go-Go," June 3], but I am amazed she has never covered the most successful club show in West Hollywood: my "Karaoke With Kenny," in its 14th year. Monday nights, Revolver has been the place to go because of the success of my show. Kenny Morse Los Angeles

Whitney Houston recently helped to teach an English class for immigrants at Evans Community Adult School, a cube-shaped building at Figueroa Street and Sunset Boulevard. Well, her music helped, that is. With the aid of a karaoke machine, Asian and Latino students sang along to Houston's ballad "I Will Always Love You" during their morning English class.

1. If you're nervous, just look at the screen, not at the crowd. No one will care if you don't make eye contact with them, and if the screen's up on a wall, you'll just look as if you're singing to some people in the back of the room anyway. 2. Pick a song you've sung along to at home or in the car or shower a few times so you at least have a vague idea of how it goes. 3. If you start singing and suddenly realize it's the chipmunk version when you were hoping for a Barry White baritone, don't be afraid to ask the karaoke host to change keys or change the speed.

Vodvil, a new bar and restaurant in L.A. devoted to modern-day parlor games, feels like a mix between a fancy bingo hall and the set of a 1970s-era game show. On a recent Tuesday night, a packed house that could easily have been assembled by central casting played a spirited game called Face the Music, which required them to write down the lyrics from a catchy pop song of yore after the DJ played a sound bite. One of the song clues was from "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins. "Until you get it up as…," was the lyric played over the speakers, the players then looked at their game sheets where six blank spaces were left to complete the lyric.

What is it about too many cocktails that make even the most shy want to belt out a glass-shattering rendition of "The Greatest Love of All?" Karaoke is an indelible part of night life, a lowest common denominator and bonding exercise for businessmen, college students and even, say, Sean Penn at a beachside bar. Which is precisely what's going on at Rande Gerber's Malibu spot, Café Habana. Situated in the Malibu Lumber Yard, the eatery is well appointed with wood accents and some palm shrubbery for privacy.

A former San Bernardino County supervisor and a Rancho Cucamonga developer were among four people indicted Tuesday on public corruption charges stemming from a land dispute that allegedly involved $100,000 bribes, scandalous political attack mailers and "the services of a karaoke hostess" in China, authorities said Tuesday. Former Supervisor Paul Antoine Biane, who was apprehended Tuesday evening, and Jeffrey Burum, a managing partner at Colonies Partners of Rancho Cucamonga, were named in the 29-count indictment that includes charges of bribery, extortion and misappropriation of public funds, authorities said.

Derek Ma was feeling pretty good after successfully co-hosting a banquet for China's National Day with more than 600 guests, a 10-course dinner, a parade of entertainers and more than $10,000 in prizes. Then he got a call from the top local representative of Taiwan, who put a damper on his mood. "He basically said, 'We are supposed to be old friends. Why did you guys do such a nice job helping the other side? It makes us look bad,'" said Ma, a restaurateur who used to be president of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Assn.

It was just before midnight and hundreds of students in the Caltech cafeteria were digging into plates piled high with eggs, bacon, doughnuts, French toast and fruit. Nearby, several top administrators, including President Jean-Lou Chameau, whipped up omelets for the noisy crowd of future physicists and engineers. The idea was to make it easier to swallow the next item on the menu for these students: final exams. Caltech junior Jessica Davis, who was about to launch into a four-hour take-home exam in quantum mechanics, said she appreciated the social interlude and free food at the "midnight munchies" party last week.

Nearly two decades have passed since tough-as-nails trail boss Curly Washburn hurled insults at the three "City Slickers" who invaded his turf, a Colorado cattle ranch, in search of a Wild West adventure. The 1991 movie, which earned Jack Palance a supporting actor Oscar for his portrayal of Curly, the crusty cattleman, spurred an increase in dude ranch vacations as urban and suburban cowboys tried their hands at riding, roping and herding cattle. I thought I might like riding the range too. But my interest waned when I realized I'd have to sleep in the dirt — and pay for the privilege.

It is 10:30 p.m. at the Central City Community Outreach Center on skid row and Ronnie Shepherd, a.k.a. Mr. Sidewalk Slim, is whipping the crowd into a frenzy with his rendition of "My Girl." In a silver-gray suit, a black shirt and matching handkerchief, Shepherd looks like David Ruffin of the Temptations, moves like a Temptation and sings like a Temptation. "What is your favorite music, Mr. Shepherd?" "Well, R & B, like David Ruffin." "Uhh, how would you describe your voice?"

Police say a woman singing karaoke was attacked by six other women who didn't like her performance. The attack happened Sept. 23 during karaoke night at Bobby Valentine's Sports Gallery Cafe in Stamford, Conn., police say. The six women, all under the legal drinking age of 21, allegedly knocked the singer to the floor, punched her and pulled her hair. She suffered bruises and a chipped tooth. The victim, 25, said she was singing "A Dios le Pido" by Colombian singer Juanes.

Karaoke snippets Some noteworthy moments in history. Inoue Daisuke never bothered to patent his karaoke machine design, missing out on more than $150 million, according to some estimates. Filipino inventor Roberto del Rosario developed a separate system called the Minus-One and patented it in the 1980s. The North Korean security ministry shut down karaoke bars in 2007 after declaring them to be a source of "enemy scheming" that would "threaten the maintenance of the socialist system."

In its heyday, booking a room at the Parao Karaoke Club in Koreatown was tougher than, well, hitting the right note for "My Way." But these days fewer people are coming to bellow their way through Frank Sinatra standards and Spice Girls tunes. On the weekends, the most popular time for karaoke, room rentals have dropped by a third, owner Randy Chang said. "People don't have money to celebrate anymore," Chang said. "A lot of parties are being canceled. Even advertising doesn't work anymore."