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Live Band Karaoke hits high notes at BU Central

By Mary Vitale

Published: Friday, November 4, 2005

Media Credit: Matt Lasek

CAS senior Alex Billig sings along to the song "Roxanne" at the first Live Band Karaoke night held at BU Central Thursday.

Strains of "Roxanne," "I'm Just a Girl" and "That Girl is Poison" attracted a modest group of karaoke performers to BU Central Thursday night for the first Live Band Karaoke event.

Although karaoke has been an event at BU Central before, this was the first time that a group of live performers played instruments to back up the singers, instead of traditionally recorded music.

"This is very different because our students are our performers for this event," BU Central administrator Bethany Vosburgh said.

Nickel and Dime has been playing karaoke for over a year and a half, but they also write and play their own music, band member Ricky McLean said.

McLean said performing for karaoke was equally as exciting as playing their original songs.

"What's exciting about music is when the people are having fun," he said. "When they're singing karaoke, they usually are."

Nickel and Dime said they have found ways to keep their music coordinated with the singers when they are off key or tempo.

"You have to give a good amount of intro," band member, Tom Appleman said. "Sometimes you just keep repeating the intro until they come in and if they ever get lost you sing along with them a little bit until they're back on track."

The band makes up the list of all the songs performers can choose from, but said their favorites to play include "Heartbreaker," "Beat It" and "Say It Ain't So."

"The band's great," third year School of Law student Nick Semanko said.
About 20 students performed, but Vosburgh said it is not the number of students that counts.

"As long as the students here have fun," he said, "that's the most important thing."

Students belted out the words to classics including "Killing Me Softly" and "Son of a Preacher Man" as audience members clapped along with the beat and cheered them on.

"I think it's awesome," College of Arts and Sciences junior Marisa Gudrais said. "I'd come see it again if it stays this good."

Even performers who lost their place in the music or missed lyrics danced along with Nickel and Dime.

"I've never done karaoke before, but I like singing along to live music," CAS freshman Regina Romero said after she finished her performance of "I'm Just a Girl."

School of Law third-year student Courtney Schou said the experience of performing with a live band is different than to a recording.

"It's a lot more fun and energetic," she said. "You feel like a rock star."

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