Spring 2012 • - College of Humanities and Social Sciences - Indiana ...

Karaoke History
Before karaoke became an international phenomenon
it was a local Japanese trend. Karaoke in its
modern incarnation began with the invention of the
karaoke machine. In 1971, Daisuke Inoue invented what is
considered the first karaoke machine. Inoue’s invention
was revolutionary because for the first time bar patrons
could read the lyrics of their favorite songs as they sang
along. Prior to this evolutionary leap in bar entertainment
technology people sang along to live bands or prerecorded
music without any type of lyrical guide. The word “karaoke”
originated because of the instrumental bands and
recordings bar patrons used to accompany their vocals.
Karaoke roughly translates to “empty orchestra” referring
to the lyrical void into which karaoke singers project
their voices. The first karaoke machines were not installed
exclusively in bars, but were housed in restaurants
and hotel rooms. These early karaoke machines differed
from the contemporary American setup in that they were
coin operated and not operated by a DJ.
Where to Sing
The karaoke in Indiana is not coin operated and
bares only a superficial resemblance to its Japanese
ancestor. Karaoke is free in Indiana bars, provided
you do not buy any drinks. Karaoke night is not much
different than being entertained by the standard bar DJ
except there is an option to sing along with lyrics. When
done right karaoke can be fun, when done wrong it is
strong motivation to end the night early or relocated to a
different bar.
Grub’s
When flirting with karaoke’s
siren song it is important to
find the right venue. Philadelphia
St., home to most of Indiana’s
bars is a natural place to find karaoke
nights. Grub’s sports bar 560 Philadelphia
St. kicks off the week with
Monday night karaoke starting at
10. The kitchen closes at 10 p.m. so
smoking is in. Captain and Cokes
only cost one dollar on Monday night,
so karaoke fuel is cheap. On the flip
side having a DJ and karaoke is not
enough to hide that Monday night
often dead at Grub’s. This is not bad
if you are looking for cheap drinks
and a place to play pool or even sing
karaoke without a crowd watching.
The overall Grub’s karaoke experience
consisted of waiting for something
to happen. None of the people
sitting at the bar sang. Karaoke does
happen at Grub’s sometimes, according
to Jordan Curcija, an IUP sophomore
who works at Grub’s. “Karaoke
night isn’t always dead. It can, actually,
be a lot of fun. Sometimes after I
get done working I’ll get a few drinks
and sing karaoke with friends from
work,” Curcija said.
“Sometimes after I
get done
working I’ll get
a few drinks and
sing karaoke with
friends from work”
8 Lights! Campus! Action! Spring 2012