JACKSONVILLE, Fla — It’s not a phase; Emo Night Karaoke will be at Kona Skate Park on March 20. The event features participants singing over 125 popular pop-punk, emo, and nu-metal songs with a live band. According to their website, signups are first-come, first-served, and the songs performed are chosen by a lottery.
Photo credit: Raine Media
Guitarist and emcee Chris Pennings says he got the idea after doing karaoke on a cruise ship. “I did a Blink-182 song. It was the first time I ever done karaoke music, and I was with my brother, and we were drinking, and they were egging me on to do it, so I did it. And then when I got off stage, they’re like ‘How was it?’ and I was like ‘It would have been better with a band,’ so that’s where I got the idea.”
Photo credit: Raine Media
While the setlist is over 125 songs, Pennings says the band knows about 150 songs, and members spend about 25-30 hours a month practicing individually. “It’s difficult to remember that many songs. You’re just like, constant practice when you’re at home. You got a weekend coming up, you’ve got to run through everything, and make sure you remember how to play everything.”
Tickets for Emo Night Karaoke are on sale now. You can find the setlist on the Emo Night Karaoke website. You can hear more about the event and Pennings’s message to those on the fence about performing in the full interview.
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