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Monday, September 19, 2005 

Set list

[Edit: We forgot the Kinks, "Waterloo Sunset"]

Four hours of kareoke. 9 Stylus writers (Alfred has a list, bless him). The names in brackets are who picked the songs, but most of these (especially in the second half) were group performances. Beer was involved (Heinekin, Corona and Pabst). The most fun I've ever had? Well, up there. The ones in bold were the ones we seemed totally unanimous about, and they paint a disturbing picture...

By the way, I didn't pick many songs, nor sing solo very often, for one simple reason: I am tone deaf when singing.

Elton John - "Bennie and the Jets" (Mike Powell)
Murray Head - "One Night in Bangkok" (Andrew Unterberger)
The Coasters - "Charlie Brown" (Mike Powell)
Phil Collins - "Against All Odds" (Ian Mathers)
The Killers - "Mr. Brightside" (John Cunningham)
Depeche Mode - "Personal Jesus" (Andrew Unterberger)
Sugar Ray - "Fly" (Anthony Miccio)
Maxwell - "This Woman's Work" (Anthony Miccio) (this one really was all Anthony, and possibly the single greatest performance of the night)
The Verve Pipe - "The Freshmen" (Andrew Unterberger)
The Smiths - "How Soon is Now?" (John Cunningham) (I know, so stereotypical - also tons of fun)
Kylie Minogue - "Love at First Sight" (John Cunningham)
Ying Yang Twinz - "Wait (The Whisper Song)" (Anthony Miccio) (if I recall, Miccio and Burns destroyed this one)
Akon - "Lonely" (Anthony Miccio)
Lil' Jon & the East Side Boyz f/ the Ying Yang Twinz - "Get Low" (Anthony Miccio)
Hall & Oates - "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" (Andrew Unterberger)
David Bowie - "Golden Years' (Alfred Soto) (WOP WOP WOP!)
Stevie Nicks - "Stand Back" (Alfred Soto) (Class. Alfred probably ties with Burns for best voice, although Cunningham was right up there)
Elvis Costello - "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love & Understanding" (Ian Mathers) (I was laughing too hard to sing half of the verses)
N Sync - "Bye Bye Bye" (Alfred Soto)
Weezer - "Undone - The Sweater Song" (Anthony Miccio)
Guns n Roses - "November Rain" (Anthony Miccio) (fucking interminable)
R. Kelly - "Ignition" (John Cunningham)
Billy Joel - "Pressure" (Andrew Unterberger) (never even heard of it before, and I loathe Joel, but any excuse to scream out "PRESSURE!" at the top of one's lungs...)
Len - "Steal My Sunshine" (Anthony Miccio)
Limp Bizkit - "Nookie" (Anthony Miccio) (surprisingly enjoyable)
Ted Nugent - "Cat Scratch Fever" (Anthony Miccio)
Queen & David Bowie - "Under Pressure" (Ian Mathers) (possibly Stylus' theme song, based on our collective performance)

(At this point I went with Powell on a beer run, missing...)

Sean Paul - "Get Busy" (John Cunningham)
Green Day - "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" (Anthony Miccio)
Avril Lavigne - "Complicated" (?)
Human League - "Human" (Andrew Unterberger)
Gwen Stefani - "Hollaback Girl" (John Cunningham)

(returning for)

My Chemical Romance - "Helena" (Mike Powell) (YES)
Bell Biv Devoe - "Poison" (John Cunningham)
Prince - "Darling Nikki" (Alfred Soto)
The Cranberries - "Zombie" (Todd Burns)
Jimmy Eat World - "The Middle" (Andrew Unterberger)
Roxy Music - "Love is the Drug" (Alfred Soto)
Tommy James & the Shondells - "Crimson and Clover" (Mike Powell) (fucking a, Mike)
Baha Men - "Who Let the Dogs Out" (Anthony Miccio)
Garth Brooks - "Friends in Low Places" (Mike Powell)
The Ataris - "The Boys of Summer" (John Cunningham)
James - "Laid" (John Cunningham)

Liz Phair - "Extraordinary" (Todd Burns)
The Platters - "My Prayer" (Mike Powell) (featuring Mike Powell as Michelle Feiffer circa The Fabulous Baker Boys, and dedicated to the rest of us. Class)
Natalie Imbruglia - "Wrong Impression" (Todd Burns)
Johnny Cash - "Hurt" (Anthony Miccio) (in the dark, all concerned singing their lungs out - a perfect finish)

Man was that trip fun. Completely worth it. Mike, Alfred, Andrew and I did a Stycast that will go up in a week or something which - I have no idea how it will turn out, but was loads of fun to do. It was great meeting everyone (and great seeing Todd Burns again, as he's basically one of my favourite human beings who doesn't live in Guelph), special thanks to Alfred and Andrew for putting up with me near-constantly, especially Andrew who gave us a place to stay. And Mike for letting us invade his apartment when he had a hangover. And Nate de Young for letting me babble about Gene Wolfe. And William S Fields for taking it gracefully when I drunkenly apologized for an old review. And John Cunningham for giving me the last promo copy of his band's album. And of course Todd for putting the site together and keeping it together, because otherwise this wouldn't have happened...

Same time next year, guys?

So jealous. Tempted to forego SXSW for CMJ next year just based on Stylus karaoke.

Btw, I can't sing so well either, but I belt a mean "The Real Me." And I'll teach you how to twirl a mic (you usually get a warning before being kicked out). :)

"The Real Me"? Who does that (originally)?

The place we were at we were in a room with remarkably little oversight. You could probably get away with twirling.

"The Real Me" is the Who, off Quadrophenia. It's got lots of opportunity for screaming, and little necessity for pitch control.

I was told someone else was bringing a camera (which turned out to be a filthy lie). Where do you live again, Brad? I'll be busy for actual Thanksgiving, but since you people have it on a different day, I won't rule it out...

oh.my.God.

best.karaoke.setlist.ever.

had i been there my dulcet tones would've wrapped around:

Prince - "Kiss"
New Order - "Regret"
Jermaine Stewart - "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off"
Chic - "Le Freak"

and anything I've written a Seconds on.

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Ian Mathers is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Stylus, the Village Voice, Resident Advisor, PopMatters, and elsewhere. He does stuff and it magically appears here.

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