Karaoke Nation is NOW!

By Ken Payne
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Can you sing like Frank Sinatra, Axl Rose, Shakira or Jewel? Are you a natural performer? Ok, maybe you just want to hop onto the stage and have a blast – show your friends how cool or downright silly you can possibly be. No matter what reason you may have for your desire to sing, ChiTown After Dark’s “Karaoke Nation” is for you – the bold, the shy, the ringers, the beginners. Karaoke Nation, THE BEST in Chicago’s karaoke competition is being held at 10:30pm each Wednesday night at The Spot (4437 N. Broadway) and the winners, unlike, other local competitions, is based on fan voting at www.chitownafterdark.com, a partner of NBC5.com.

Since The Spot was already an authority on karaoke, due to their two floors of weekly singing events, it was almost inevitable that ChiTown After Dark would collaborate with the trendy nightspot. For those of you that may not know, ChiTown After Dark is responsible for “Dance Off”, a Chicagoland bust-a-move competition that has taken off like a Sammy Sosa long ball.

When affable ChiTown After Dark host Tony O met Spot owner Brian BonDurant it was a no-brainer – Karaoke Nation would be created and would take place at the city’s number one karaoke hub – The Spot. XL Energy Drink quickly got involved as the contest’s sponsor and in no time Tony O was hosting Week 1 of the rapidly growing contest. Both Brian and Tony O have shown nothing but support and encouragement to each and every contestant in the competition and in return have been rewarded by the intrinsic passion, excitement and originality that have exuded from the vast array of performers. But Karaoke Nation is not just for the contestants; it’s just as fun for crowd members.

After Week 2 treated me to the likes of some unique talent and delivery such as Chad Peterson and Adrian Love, I sat down with organizers Brian Bondurant and Tony Ortiz, otherwise known as Tony O.

Buzz - Why Karaoke Nation?

Tony O - It’s huge. There are a lot of people that do this to let themselves go. Karaoke Nation is a unique people. A lot of people take this serious, but they also have a lot of fun with it.

Buzz - How did Karaoke Nation begin?

Tony O - We had shot The Spot as a feature for ChiTown After Dark and I saw Brian’s excitement about karaoke at The Spot two times a week, and it hit me very clearly – we’re going to do Karaoke Nation, we’re going to launch it at The Spot and it’s going to be awesome.

Buzz - Why is The Spot the place to go for karaoke?

Brian - I’ve been doing karaoke for over twenty years. When I came to Chicago just over a decade ago, karaoke was just being found out. People weren’t doing karaoke a lot here. It just didn’t really exist. Since then it’s become a mainstay in many bars. I think Tony hit it on the head – karaoke is the next big thing. It’s just people having fun with music again. They’re all kinds of people who will be giving it their all and not caring if they sound good, bad, or indifferent because the crowd is going to have a blast and they’re going to have fun doing it.

Buzz - The Spot is already getting known for karaoke so this is a perfect marriage...

Brian - With Tony O and ChiTown After Dark coming on – it’s a dream come true for me. I’ve been trying to find a vehicle for this “Anti-American Idol” forever. The passion is there. And the passion is not just there with me, it’s with the Karaoke Nation – people that love karaoke for what karaoke is.

Buzz - Is Karaoke Nation open to anyone – no matter his or her talent level?



Tony O - It’s open to anybody. It’s done by a lottery system. You come in and fill out a card and at 10:30pm we start pulling names. Only ten people will go on Chitown After Dark’s site on Karaoke Nation. It’s amazing to see how many great singers there are and that’s what this is about. It’s about finding a star in Chicago and giving them the opportunity to shine. That’s why we don’t believe in having three judges – we want everyone to participate and be a part of Karaoke Nation.

Buzz - How does the voting process work?

Tony O - We shoot the show here and we tape it then load it up on www.Chitownafterdark.com and there’s a button that you click on - Karaoke Nation. Once you click the button you will see the actual video of ten singers from the most recent week and you can vote for them. By the end of the week we literally have over 100,000 people voting.

Buzz - Karaoke takes place on Wednesday nights. When will video of the participants from that night be available for watching and voting?

Tony O - By 6:00pm Thursday – the next day. I want to add that this would not be happening if it wasn’t for Brian and XL Energy Drink. Many energy drinks passed on sponsoring Karaoke Nation, but XL Energy Drink did and we really appreciate that.

Buzz - Karaoke Nation is not a contest that moves from location to location. Every Wednesday night of the contest’s duration you can find Karaoke Nation at The Spot.

Tony O - For 12 weeks you will be able to qualify here and at the end of each week one champion is crowned and those 12 individuals will compete the 13th week in the championship round for $1,000 cash.

Buzz - And the winner of the finals is also based on fan voting?

Tony O - Yes. On the 13th week they will sing here at The Spot then all of Chicago will get to for the individuals that qualified every week and we will crown one champion.

Buzz - Besides the $1,000 grand prize, the fun of competing and the exposure, there is also yet another incentive…

Brian - Yes. There’s also the XL Energy Drink each week as well. This goes to someone - who may not have got all the votes – but goes above and beyond. This really embodies what XL Energy Drink is all about. It’s a spirited award for someone who displays the energy and recognition – they get recognition as well.

Buzz - What kind of competitors have come out to Karaoke Nation so far?

Brian - There are many tiers of karaoke. As this goes on you will see people showing up in costume. They’ll come dressed as their favorite singer because they think it will give them an edge and they enjoy it. There are so many things that come into play: style points, XL Energy Drink points, passion, comedy…It’s just a great thing that is beyond entertaining.

Karaoke Nation - 10:30pm Wednesdays at The Spot (4437 N. Broadway). For more information go to www.ChiTownAfterDark.com or call the friendly staff at The Spot at 773-728-8934.