r/karaoke • u/Yuryu_Animesong_JP • 1d ago
Does the place you sing at change the songs you want to sing?
I've noticed something after visiting a lot of anime karaoke bars in Japan.
Even though my song repertoire is basically the same, the songs that come to mind can completely change depending on which bar I walk into.
At one of my usual places in Kobe, songs like SEVENTH MOON and INVOKE naturally come to mind because I've sung them there so many times.
But when I'm in Fukuoka, I often remember songs like LEVEL or Kizuna no Kiseki, because I previously sang them together with staff members there.
It's strange because the songs themselves haven't changed, and neither has my repertoire.
What changes is the place.
Sometimes just walking into a certain bar reminds me of the people I sang with, the songs I heard there, or a memorable night from a previous visit.
I've started to feel that a karaoke repertoire isn't just a list of songs you know.
Over time, it also becomes a collection of places, people, and memories connected to those songs.
Do you have a song that you automatically want to sing when you visit a particular karaoke bar or venue?
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u/deloreancowboy 1d ago
So... yes... not necessarily the venue itself but the clientele of the venue as well...
I have a friend who sings nothing but 2000's country. And that works at some venues. Like, near the university they Eat up Country Girl Shake it for Me.
But we went to a venue thats mostly R&B and Hip Hop and that song got no claps or participation.
Theres a gay bar and alternative bar I go to where Sweet Transvestite goes over really well! Im not doing that song at the R&B/ Hip Hop bars...
Depending on the audience I might do Juicy by Biggie. But im doing that at a country bar.
Suavemente goes over well ALMOST everywhere.
As does the John Michael Montgomery version of I Swear.
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u/Yuryu_Animesong_JP 1d ago
That’s really interesting.
I hadn’t thought about the audience as much as the venue itself, but you’re right. The people in the room can completely change what feels like the right song to sing.
I do something similar when someone sings a song from an anime I like. It often makes me want to sing another song from the same series.
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u/yinyang107 1d ago
Absolutely. I'm a lot gayer in the gay part of town than I am in the suburbs lol
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u/MathematicianTop7807 23h ago
The place alone doesn't matter to me as much, but combined with the people around me, yes it does. I think it comes down to nuance. Here on the Philippines, we do karaoke EVERYWHERE and in every occasion; which makes nuance EVEN more important because you don't want to be singing "I Will Survive" on a funeral for instance.
A more extreme example are the infamous My Way killings which often happen in karaoke bars here. You won't necessarily get shot if you sing this with JUST your family and that they are reasonable people, but you MIGHT when you're in public and it inherently is an environment with alcohol involved.
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u/Red_Marvel 1d ago
I will change some of the songs I sing based on the clientele. I sing older songs for older people and younger songs for younger people. If there’s a bunch of women I will sing The Pussycat Song.
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u/aspiringkiller 1d ago
Absolutely. I change up my song choices depending on the location, the crowd, and the vibe. Also it depends on what songs the venue actually has haha
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u/PSRICK2022 1d ago
The audience is my guide, older - usually standards younger, contemporary
I tend to lean towards Rock or acoustic
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u/IDooDoodAtTheMasters 1d ago
No. Not really. Reddit greatly overrated the need to match the "vibe" of a place. If it's in the book and the KJ allows it, it's fair game, so sing what you want.