A rock star for a moment

By Dave Clark

Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2008 | 5:33 p.m.

For the uninitiated, the symptoms are the same. Palms perspire, throats constrict and the stomach twists itself into more knots than a pretzel.

The prospect of bounding up on stage and singing your heart out to a roomful of strangers can be terrifying. The karaoke bar does not offer the comforting anonymity of a home shower. Gazes shift from drinks to stage, conversations are halted and barflies comment amongst themselves on the quality of singing and performance.

But with the audience comes a measure of self-satisfaction and accomplishment not present when crooning into a bar of soap.

“You’re fulfilling a fantasy to be a rock star for a second, then you continue with life and reality,” said 27-year-old Abraham Romero, a karaoke regular at JJ’s in downtown Henderson.

JJ’s is among a number of Henderson-area establishments that offer people the chance to become stars for the moment during regular karaoke nights.

The Half Shell Seafood and Gaming on Horizon Ridge Parkway has hosted karaoke every Saturday from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. for the past two years.

The popularity is “definitely increasing. The numbers are going up,” said Fred Ostertag, restaurant manager. Karaoke has been such a hit, he said, that the restaurant is considering adding one more night of singing.

Karaoke is also a hit at The Downstairs Bar on Eastern Avenue, where people line up every Thursday and Friday night for a chance to grab the microphone, said Charlie Roberts, the general manager. “It’s pretty popular. Friends bring friends,” he said.

Romero said he started singing karaoke four years ago, after some prodding from his friends. Apprehensive at first, he now brandishes an expansive song repertoire, including The Doors, Temptations, Information Society and Neil Diamond.

“You’re singing a song you think is a masterpiece,” he said.

Nineteen years ago, Yolie Hardy-Ross’s friends signed her up to sing as a ruse. The results: she won the night’s contest.

“I’ve been addicted ever since,” said Hardy-Ross, who now performs three to four times a week, often at JJ’s.

On July 17 at JJ’s, Hardy-Ross belted out a pitch-perfect rendition of Pat Benatar’s “Love is a Battlefield.” Her resonant voice sliced through the idle bar chatter, and she shimmied during the instrumental interludes, mimicking the movements in the famed 1980s music video.

Hardy-Ross said she has encountered some fellow singers who believed winning contests could vault them to a record deal. And the friendly atmosphere she finds at JJ’s is not universal, as some singers can become overly competitive, she said.

“One time a chick threw a mic in my face,” Hardy-Ross said. “I was like, ‘Are you serious?’”

As for herself, she said, she has turned down an offer to impersonate Aretha Franklin at a Strip piano bar. She prefers the non-judgmental atmosphere of local bars.

JJ’s began serving up tunes to go along with the drinks and food about a year ago. Every Friday, DJ Kenny Angell hosts karaoke from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Bartender Monika Yergeau attributed the addition of karaoke to popular demand.

“In Henderson, there’s not a lot of places to do karaoke,” she said. “We had a lot of requests from customers. Everyone wants to show the talent they do or do not have.”

As for Romero and Hardy-Ross, they cannot imagine the days when they hid theirs. “I tear it up,” Hardy-Ross said with a self-assured smile.

Dave Clark is a reporter for the Home News. He can be reached at 702-990-2677 or [email protected].