SONG LISTS SHOWS ABOUT STORE F.A.Q. CONTACT


What is "live band karaoke?" How does this work?
Live band karaoke is a relatively new concept in the world of karaoke. It is what one would expect from a normal karaoke set up (an assorted selection of songs, provided lyrics, microphone and amplification, etc.) except that the music you are hearing - and singing along to - is being rendered in real time by you and the real life musicians standing next to you. Other than playing with live musicians, the two biggest technical differences from traditional karaoke to live band karaoke would be that 1) the lyrics do not automatically light up and scroll along by themselves and that 2) the catalog of songs to choose from is a bit more limited. Training humans to learn songs is a little more involved than dragging a computer file onto a karaoke mic, but we're constantly working on expanding our list of songs.

Can the same song be sung more than once?
Yes. The band totally doesn't mind playing the same song multiple times in a night. There is no need to be so self-conscious. Our current record for "the single most repeated song" is 4 times in one night. If it's your jam, who cares if it's a repeated song, it's only 3 minutes or so. Just sing!

Do I have to pay to sign up for a song?
No, you do not. The event/venue has already covered this fee. Your payment is your courage, so sign up, and sing.

Is there a limit to how many songs a single person can sing?
No, although we may modify the que if one single person is signing up far more than others (hogging). We'll ensure that everyone gets firsts before seconds, but if there isn't anyone else signing up at a given time, we will be eager to have you as many times as you'd like. Sing away! You let us worry about these specifics.

How do I sign up to sing a song?
Depending on the event, we will either have a physical pen-and-paper sign up sheet or an online google form accessible with your smart device. For those who are not interested in using their smart phone to sign up, a communal public device will be available on site to use in order to sign up to sing. If you can't be bothered with any of these methods, our off-stage assistant will be happy to assist you, all you have to do is ask them to sign you up for whatever song you're interested in singing. We're also pretty sure some younger or more tech-friendly relatives/friends will help with sign ups as well.

I don't want to sing alone. Can I sing a song with friends?
Yes, absolutely. In fact, some of our songs are perfect selections for that, but regardless if the song is a group song or not, if you want to sing as a team, do it! The more the merrier!

Do I have to sing a song? Can I just watch?
Singing is not a requirement. For some, part of the fun is just watching everyone do there thing, and if that's you, you are very welcome to just spectate. Additionally, if you're on the fence about singing with a live band, checking things out may be a great way to get an idea of what it's all about out before committing to a sign up. The aim of the game is to have fun, not to invite a massive amount of dread/anxiety.

How do I know when to start to sing?
This is a great question. Either the host/hostess will help you start or one of the musicians will cue you in. The customized lyric sheets will have indicators on when to wait and start/resume when applicable, but this can be tricky. When all else fails, the band will help you.

What happens if I can't sing the whole song? What happens if I forget how a part goes or if I get lost somewhere in the middle?
Although it is not ideal to have an "incomplete" performance, everyone will live and life will go on. It may be a little embarrassing for a brief moment, just be sure to smile and be rest assured that our team of musicians will help you through any troublesome/forgotten sections. This is the main reason for our host/hostess and musicians to be well-trained with songs, so that if there's any potential hazards, we can step in to help out. One secret about show business is that often times these little mistakes go by unnoticed by an audience, especially if you don't make a big deal about it / bring attention to it. Just keep smiling, and we'll survive. We're here to make you look good!

Are lyrics available? Do I have to look up the lyrics on my phone?
Yes, lyrics are available. No, you do not need to use your phone to look up lyrics (although that may be a good idea to reference beforehand). We supply a 10" tablet with hand-crafted lyric sheets, cross-checked with our musicians to ensure that they are accurate and efficient. Although they are not self-scrolling like you may be used to with karaoke clubs/rooms/mics, they do include waiting periods and clues as to when to start/stop.

There's a song I'd like to sing but it's not available. How do I sing a song that is not offered?
In order to get a song on the list that is not currently there, you can simply request for the band to learn it at any time via email - karaokestarshawaii@gmail.com or by filling out a physical "song request form" available wherever/whenever the band is performing. Do keep in mind that this is a time-consuming and skilled process however (time/skill to learn, transcribe, create lyric sheets, update the song lists, etc.), so we give highest priority to Patreon subscribers followed by monetary donations by regular supporters/singers. We do want to offer songs that people want to sing so please give us requests! If the unavailable song is wanted at the time of the event, unfortunately we will not be able to perform such a song. So, become a patreon, give us some time, and your wish may be granted!

The song I want to sing is too high/low. Can I sing a song in a different key?
Unfortunately, no, this is not something we offer. Although in the perfect world it would be nice to be able to offer key changes as an option, it is just not feasible given the restraints of having real life musicians.

Can I book the band for an event/private party?
Of course. In fact, this is why Karaoke Stars was put together! We offer entertainment for events of all shapes and sizes from as short as one hour to as long as three hours (for the die hard singing group). To book, you may contact us at karaokestarshawaii@gmail.com.

Can I play an instrument on stage?
Yes... sort of. If you just want to participate on an instrument we offer egg shakers and tambourines so you can be included with the performance other than being a singer. Alternatively, if you are a [legit] musician interested in playing with the band at a given event - either as a fixture for the entire night or just for one song - this can be arranged but needs to be sorted out beforehand.

I have a question that wasn't answered here, how do I get my question answered?
Email us over at karaokestarshawaii@gmail.com with your question and we will [eventually] populate our F.A.Q. with your question if it's a popular question.

I'm interested in joining the band. How would someone be able to join?
First we will have to determine what position you are interested in applying for (either primary or fill-in Drums, Bass, Keys, Guitar, Host/Hostess, Sound Engineer, Assistant), then we can set up an audition. This is a very straightforward commitment, we play the songs that we offer and have a good time doing it.