Episodi

  • Today, the show might as well be called “The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Slightly Better Than Before),” which is far less catchy, but it captures the theme: it’s all about taking care of your vocal instrument and sounding better at karaoke. Adam and Ed did their research, as they aren’t vocal care professionals, and they share what you should and shouldn’t do if you want to make sure your pipes stay as golden as they can through your karaoke shenanigan sing-a-longs.

    They didn’t want to do you a disservice, though, so they brought in an actual expert: Katherine Werbiansky from Voice Revolution–as she helps people find and take back their voices, she’s the self-described “Ursula for Good” in this episode, and talks not just about taking care of your vocal health, but your emotional health as well, and why she loves finding out about what a place is like by the song choices in their local karaoke spots.

    As always, you can find more info on the website (https://www.sungpoorly.com), and on social media--the show is @sungpoorly on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and now even Tiktok. You can reach Adam and Ed via email by sending a message to [email protected]. And if you want to support the podcast and snag yourself some great karaoke and podcast swag doing it, our store has all of that and more–www.sungpoorly.com/store. And our brand-new Patreon also has things! www.patreon.com/sungpoorly 

    Theme song: "Gasoline" by Ben Dumm and the Deviants. Make sure to check out Ben's newest music at The Ben Dumm 3.

    Katherine is a Chicago based singer and voice coach. She teaches singing, songwriting, and gender-affirming speech. She has training as a vocal pedagogue, Internal Family Systems coaching, and Somatic nervous system regulation. Her style of coaching has been described as " if Jack Black, a music therapist, and a queer witch had a baby". She is a self-described "musical Spiritual hype human". Her absolute passion in life is helping folks liberate their voices and life stories through singing and songwriting. Find more at Voice Revolution or on Instagram.

  • In their 1978 song “Who Are You,” The Who asked “who are you? Who, who, who, who,” and in this episode, Adam and Ed ask the same question: who are you… at karaoke? Are you the same person on and off stage? Do you change who you are for different venues, different crowds? The trivia focuses on the same, sort of: artists who have crafted and released music under other personas (the trivia intro songs just keep getting worse and worse). It’s all about personal brands and identity in this hour or so.

    Why the focus on making your mark as a brand or a talent, you ask? Today, the guys talk to Vinnie Potestivo, a man who credits the success in his career as a casting director and brand developer to karaoke–MTV’s “Say What Karaoke,” in particular, which kicked off his incredible journey. He shares his experiences there, as well as some great behind-the-scenes karaoke stories from that show and others.

    As always, you can find more info on the website (https://www.sungpoorly.com), and on social media--the show is @sungpoorly on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and now even Tiktok. You can reach Adam and Ed via email by sending a message to [email protected]. And if you want to support the podcast and snag yourself some great karaoke and podcast swag doing it, our store has all of that and more–www.sungpoorly.com/store. And our brand-new Patreon also has things! www.patreon.com/sungpoorly 

    Theme song: "Gasoline" by Ben Dumm and the Deviants. Make sure to check out Ben's newest music at The Ben Dumm 3.

    Vinnie Potestivo is an industry-leading media and talent innovator who is widely known for his inclusive and impactful approach to brand building and personal brand development. With over 25 years of experience, he and his teams have become well-trusted connectors who sell, develop, produce, launch, distribute, and amplify some of the most talked-about original series & talent brands in modern pop culture.

    Personal brands Vinnie has helped elevate through the use of original content include Mandy Moore, Ashton Kutc/her, Jessica Simpson, Ashlee Simpson, Tyrese Gibson, Lauren Conrad, Diane von Furstenberg, Rob Lowe, Danielle Fishel, Peter Thomas Roth, Kelly Osbourne, Kristin Cavallari, Nasir “Nas” Jones, Molly Sims, Vanessa Lachey, Susie Castillo, Damien Fahey, Quddus, Suchin Pak, Gideon Yago, Will.i.am, Ebro, DJ Clue, LaLa Anthony, Hilary Duff, and Leah McSweeney among others.

    Corporate brands VPE: Vinnie Potestivo Entertainment, Inc. (vpetalent.com) has worked closely with include Macy’s, Samsung, Nikon, MLB, Peter Thomas Roth, June Jacobs Spa, Naturally Serious Skin, Kiehl’s, Hope Fragrances, Ciroc, Dow, Lady Foot Locker, AARP, Prudential & Allstate.

    I Have A Podcast with Vinnie Potestivo, a collection of conversations with celebrities and creatives who aim to inspire us in our everyday lives, can be found on Apple Podcasts and anywhere else you listen to yours. IHAP’s companion video series I Have A Podcast on Television can be seen Thursdays on DirectTV, Distro TV, and Channel 285 on STIRR via bspoketv. For more information on viewing times, current episodes, and guest recommendations please visit ihaveapodcast.com.

    Vinnie can be seen on linkedin.com/in/vinniepotestivo where he shares business and brand strategies for people looking to inspire and impact with media. You can also find him at instagram.com/vinniepotestivo where he over-shares photos of his two mini-schnauzers @BeauWellington and @DudleyGreenfield.

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  • While their tastes in punk rock are a little different, punk is a genre that Adam and Ed both adore. This week, The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Poorly) tackles a weighty question: is karaoke, in a way, kind of punk? The Karaoke Trivia Bullpen focuses on punk music, as does Adam and Ed’s conversation on that heady question, as well as their favorite punk songs to do at karaoke, and suggestions for those who want to bring that punk rock energy to their own karaoke performances.

    Why this genre-heavy topic? Well, during Frank Turner’s tour this summer, Ed got introduced to the music of Pet Needs, one of the tour’s opening acts, and instantly became a fan of the band’s pulse-pounding performance style and witty lyrics. He got to talking with Johnny Marriott, lead singer and musician from the band, and it turns out he has a lot of karaoke experience, ranging from doing it at home with family to wild stag parties and questing for extra drink tokens. They talk about the similarities of punk ideology and karaoke, his new album, Primetime Entertainment, and the fascination with America’s yellow school buses.

    Do Adam and Ed sometimes just use the show for a chance to talk to musicians whose work they like? Yes, but only if they’ve got some love of and appreciation for karaoke.

    As always, you can find more info on the website (https://www.sungpoorly.com), and on social media--the show is @sungpoorly on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and now even Tiktok. You can reach Adam and Ed via email by sending a message to [email protected]. And if you want to support the podcast and snag yourself some great karaoke and podcast swag doing it, our store has all of that and more–www.sungpoorly.com/store. And our brand-new Patreon also has things! www.patreon.com/sungpoorly 

    Theme song: "Gasoline" by Ben Dumm and the Deviants. Make sure to check out Ben's newest music at The Ben Dumm 3. Midroll promo for I’m a Sophisticate and So Can You.

    Formed by brothers George and Johnny Marriott, PET NEEDS are a punk-fuelled melodic rock four-piece from Colchester, UK. Their debut album ‘Fractured Party Music’ out now on Xtra Mile Recordings was produced by Tom Donovan and mixed and mastered by friend and fan Frank Turner. Their next album, “Primetime Entertainment,” releases 9 September 2022, and can be pre-ordered or purchased at this link. Web site: Pet Needs | The Official Website (petneedsband.com)  â€˘ Instagram: @wearepetneeds • Facebook: wearepetneeds  â€˘  Twitter: @wearepetneeds

  • Listen. There’s really nothing Adam and Ed love more than karaoke–that should be obvious nearly two years into this podcast. But as much as they love regular karaoke, they recognize that there’s something special about one of the varieties of it–that’s live band karaoke, the closest they’ll ever feel to being rockstars. And they want you to be rockstars, too, which is why they talk about some of the bands and places around the country you can hit to get that rock star experience: Punk Rock Karaoke in CA (and the high seas!); Rising Star in Orlando, FL; Karaoke from Hell in Portland, Oregon; Live Band Karaoke (that’s the name of the band) in Chicago, IL; and Casual Encounters in Los Angeles, CA.

    Check out that proper semicolon use.

    One of the ways the fellas celebrated Adam’s bachelor party was by attending a gig done by Pittsburgh’s premiere live band karaoke acts, Lead Singer Wanted, which prompted the whole idea for this episode. They talk to Tom Medvitz, founder and guitarist for the band, on what the differences are between hosting a regular karaoke gig and doing a live band karaoke gig, the way that song lists are decided, and what the karaoke scenes in Portland, OR and Pittsburgh, PA are like.

    As always, you can find more info on the website (https://www.sungpoorly.com), and on social media--the show is @sungpoorly on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and now even Tiktok. You can reach Adam and Ed via email by sending a message to [email protected]. And if you want to support the podcast and snag yourself some great karaoke and podcast swag doing it, our store has all of that and more–www.sungpoorly.com/store.

    Theme song: "Gasoline" by Ben Dumm and the Deviants. Make sure to check out Ben's newest music at The Ben Dumm 3. Midroll promo for Good People, Cool Things

    Tom Medvitz is the guitar player (and software developer) for the Pittsburgh-based live karaoke band Lead Singer Wanted. They play shows about once per month and always have a blast getting their crowd on stage to experience Rock Stardom! Web site: https://leadsingerwanted.com • Facebook Page: Lead Singer Wanted • Instagram: @leadsingerwanted

  • If there’s one thing folks lose over time–even in a pursuit as wild and zany as karaoke–it’s the fun, the joie de vivre that makes everything that much better. While Adam and Ed have always tried to carpe de karaoke and make nights more fun, adding some structure and formats to that has really amped up their karaoke nights just the way that the Karaoke Trivia Bullpen has amped up this podcast. They cover everything from the low tech pulling-songs-out-of-hats, to more app-based things, to games like Kulture Karaoke that you can purchase at Target if you’re big into ‘90s R&B and hip hop.

    Why all this talk of games? Glad you asked! The fellas bring on an expert on play in this episode–Mike Montague, the mind behind the “Playful Humans” podcast, who has hosted karaoke and game shows, provided opening act support for acts as varied as Frankie Valli and Billy Idol, and whose mission is to make people’s work and play time more fun and engaging.

    As always, you can find more info on the website (https://www.sungpoorly.com), and on social media--the show is @sungpoorly on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and now even Tiktok. You can reach Adam and Ed via email by sending a message to [email protected]. And if you want to support the podcast and snag yourself some great karaoke and podcast swag doing it, our store has all of that and more–www.sungpoorly.com/store.

    Theme song: "Gasoline" by Ben Dumm and the Deviants. Make sure to check out Ben's newest music at The Ben Dumm 3. Midroll promo for Good People, Cool Things

    Mike Montague is a game show host, public speaker, podcaster, and writer at Playful Humans. He has been a radio DJ, karaoke host, MC, and DJ for live events including opening for Billy Idol, Frankie Valli, and MC-ed at Toby Keith's Bar & Grill. He has done over 2,000 karaoke shows and hosted Harrah's Lucky Break karaoke contest on TV! Find more info at https://playfulhumans.com. E-mail: [email protected]. Twitter • LinkedIn • Facebook • YouTube

  • It’s not all sunshine and rainbows at “The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Poorly)” this episode, just like it isn’t all raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens at your average karaoke night. No, sometimes villainy creeps in, and puts a slight stain on an otherwise awesome night of songs and drinks and friends and strangers. Adam and Ed dive into the villains of a karaoke night: the mic droppers, the stage hoppers, the fake-namers, the line hoppers, the sneaky drinkies, and the showstoppers. Who are they, you ask? The names are pretty explanatory but listen to find out the full details!

    After talking about the villains of karaoke, Adam and Ed talk to someone who knows a bit about villainy–Tiana Hennings of the “Next Door Villain” podcast. She has her own karaoke villain up her sleeve, but also some great stories about singing karaoke in China while studying abroad, what karaoke is like for the more casual karaoke fan, and how it’s a great way to get out into a new place you’re living and meet people.

    As always, you can find more info on the website (https://www.sungpoorly.com), and on social media--the show is @sungpoorly on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and now even TikTok. You can reach Adam and Ed via email by sending a message to [email protected]. And if you want to support the podcast and snag yourself some great karaoke and podcast swag doing it, our store has all of that and more–www.sungpoorly.com/store.

    Theme song: "Gasoline" by Ben Dumm and the Deviants. Make sure to check out Ben's newest music at The Ben Dumm 3. Midroll promo for Good People, Cool Things

    Tiana Hennings is one of the hosts of Next Door Villain. When she's not rehabilitating the images of pop culture villains on her podcast with empathy, she enjoys global learning and hanging out with her cat, Gary. You can find her on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram. Or, heck, the whole LinkTree.

  • If there’s one thing that podcasting lacks, it’s people giving you lists of ways to improve something in your life. Since Adam and Ed noticed this – this absolute dearth of self-improvement out there in the podcast-o-sphere – they decided they’d provide a corrective and give direct, actionable advice. They are pleased to provide you, the loyal listener who loves karaoke, with the Seven Habits of Highly Effective Karaoke People. Just don’t get too inflated of an ego when you master it, or you may end up in the Karaoke Trivia Bullpen the next time the quiz topic is Musician Egos.

    Speaking of highly effective karaoke people and communicators, the guys talk to Brenden Kumarasamy, the creator of the MasterTalk Youtube channel, where he trains people to become better public speakers and communicators. And he does attribute karaoke as one of the places he learned to feel confident communicating with other people (and has a specific video on that very topic on his channel). Brenden can speak three languages, but can sing karaoke in eight! In comparison, Adam and Ed can barely sing in one language. He gives great tips for both karaoke and public speaking excellence, and asks Adam and Ed a tough, introspective question when he fires away after the quickfire game.

    As always, you can find more info on the website (https://www.sungpoorly.com), and on social media--the show is @sungpoorly on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and now even Tiktok. You can reach Adam and Ed via email by sending a message to [email protected]. And if you want to support the podcast and snag yourself some great karaoke and podcast swag doing it, our store has all of that and more–www.sungpoorly.com/store.

    Theme song: "Gasoline" by Ben Dumm and the Deviants. Make sure to check out Ben's newest music at The Ben Dumm 3. Midroll promo by Let's Talk: Marvel Fan Theories.

    Brenden Kumarasamy is the founder of MasterTalk, he coaches ambitious executives & entrepreneurs to become top 1% communicators in their industry. He also has a popular YouTube channel called MasterTalk, with the goal of providing free access to communication tools for everyone in the world. You can also join his free 90 minute training on effective communication over Zoom every few weeks: https://www.rockstarcommunicator.com/

  • Before anything else, this episode starts with a pre-roll on the SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. For more information on what a staggering amount of the podcast community is doing, please visit podvoices.help, and for more information about abortion support systems, please click this link: Abortion Advocacy Links — podvoices.help.

    With everything happening around us right now, stepping into a fictional world for karaoke sounds like a great escape, doesn't it?

    And that’s what Adam and Ed do--they crawl out through the fallout and investigate the possibilities for karaoke in worlds that aren't the real world. What’s karaoke like in the Star Trek universe? Does the Mos Eisley Cantina have a karaoke night, and is it safe to attend? What about the Yakuza video game series? And what about Fallout? The music of the Fallout franchise is the focus of this episode’s Karaoke Bullpen Trivia (preceded by perhaps the most obnoxious karaoke parody intro to date). There’s also a callout–shoot us a twitter DM or email for a chance to win a Greatest Song Ever Sung (Poorly) t-shirt just for telling us what you think karaoke in your favorite fictional universe looks like.

    There’s so much of an emphasis on Fallout because the guys had a chance to talk to Brad Williams, the creator behind Once Upon a Wasteland, a queer love story set in the Fallout 76 world. Brad talks about his long history of karaoke, including why he got into it in the first place, singing Frank Sinatra songs to a strip club at closing time, and so much more (including his rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from the musical “Carousel.”

    As always, you can find get all that karaoke podcast goodness on the website (https://www.sungpoorly.com), and on social media--the show is @sungpoorly on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and now even Tiktok. You can reach Adam and Ed via email by sending a message to [email protected]. And if you want to support the podcast and snag yourself some great karaoke and podcast swag doing it, our store has all of that and more–www.sungpoorly.com/store.

    Theme song: "Gasoline" by Ben Dumm and the Deviants. Make sure to check out Ben's newest music at The Ben Dumm 3. Midroll promo for The MODUS Files.

    Brad Williams' karaoke career began in Pennsylvania in the mid-1990s, when he was belting out (mostly) Frank Sinatra tunes to patrons with varying levels of interest in a variety of bars and clubs. Though he mostly traded in the karaoke stage for choral work and the occasional musical several years ago, he still dusts off the songbook when peer pressure gets too powerful to resist.

    More recently, Brad has been a voice actor for several video game podcasts, including CHAD: A Fallout 76 Podcast, The MODUS Files, and True Vault Escapades. Last October, he launched his own audio drama podcast, Once Upon a Wasteland, with his partner, Vitriol from the Vitriol Plays Twitch channel. Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReticentDuet Show Twitter: https://twitter.com/onceupon76pod Twitch: https://twitch.tv/ReticentDuet IMDB: https://imdb.me/reticentduet

  • What’s creepier than being misunderstood? Adam and Ed kick off with a “women of the blues” Karaoke Trivia Bullpen challenge before diving into the karaoke songs that are often sung without really contemplating the meaning behind those lyrics. Which boy band from the ‘90s is like “if bubble gum pop and Jean-Paul Sartre had a baby?” Which dance pop hit would chart on a “nice guys” forum in addition to the Billboard charts? Why is the song that was #1 on the charts the week Ed was born creepy as hell?

    The guys deviate from the main topic of the interview because let’s face it–no one wants to hear two middle-aged white males talk about the experiences of women in music (and karaoke), so who better to bring on than Courtney E. Smith (author: Record Collecting for Girls, and the creator of the murder ballad podcast “Songs in the Key of Death”). She talks about why being a bad singer at karaoke is better for everyone involved, the worst karaoke-related date she has ever been on, and, surprisingly, a great experience singing “Picture” with a total stranger. Yep, that “Picture,” the bane of this show and the runner up to last season’s “Song to Ban From Karaoke” question. She cruises through the “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” quickfire challenge, and then puts Adam and Ed through the ringer with a rapid-fire take on the “Fire Away” response of her own.

    As always, you can find more info on the website (https://www.sungpoorly.com), and on social media--the show is @sungpoorly on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and now even Tiktok. You can reach Adam and Ed via email by sending a message to [email protected]. And if you want to support the podcast and snag yourself some great karaoke and podcast swag doing it, our store has all of that and more–www.sungpoorly.com/store. The guys are still taking calls for the annual karaoke advice episode, so make sure to leave them a voice message on their Podinbox page (or, y'know, DM them or email them--but the new voice option is so much more fun).

    Theme song: "Gasoline" by Ben Dumm and the Deviants. Make sure to check out Ben's newest music at The Ben Dumm 3. Midroll promo for Cycle Chats.

    Courtney E. Smith is the author of Record Collecting for Girls, a former music programmer at MTV and worked as a music writer at CBS Radio and Refinery29. Twitter: https://twitter.com/courtneyesmith Instagram: https://instagram.com/thecourtneyesmith 

  • June’s a lot of things, but the first thing it is here at The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Poorly) is Pride month. We’re kicking things off with announcing three new pieces of merch (all proceeds from which will go to The Trevor Project and the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, so if you want to support that, buy those, and if you want to support the show, buy something else, too). The Karaoke Trivia Bullpen focuses on queer music from the 1920s to today, and then Adam and Ed dive into queer issues at karaoke, including inclusivity in karaoke bars and how to navigate pronouns in songs.

    Then, Adam and Ed bring their pal Jay McInnis on stage–he’s a poet who has been published all over, and a fixture of Ed’s local karaoke scene now that he’s been on testosterone for a while and has a voice he’s willing to sing in bars with. As an added bonus, Jay reads one of his original poems and, as this is The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Poorly), it’s about karaoke.

    As always, you can find more info on the website (https://www.sungpoorly.com), and on social media--the show is @sungpoorly on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and now even Tiktok. You can reach Adam and Ed via email by sending a message to [email protected]. And if you want to support the podcast and snag yourself some great karaoke and podcast swag doing it, our store has all of that and more–www.sungpoorly.com/store.

    Theme song: "Gasoline" by Ben Dumm and the Deviants. Make sure to check out Ben's newest music at The Ben Dumm 3.

    Jay McInnes is an internationally published poet and LGBTQ advocate. His work has been published under the nom de plume Jay Douglas or, more recently, Jay Orlando. Jay grew up in a small Appalachian town and writes a lot of being trans and hunting deer, among other things.

  • This week, The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Poorly) gets… weird (weirder?). After a Weird Al themed trivia challenge that ends up turning into a sing-a-long a few times, Adam and Ed get into what’s weird at karaoke (already a fundamentally weird endeavor). If you have any weird karaoke advice questions for them, they’ve signed up for Podinbox–leave a voice message with your question, and they may include that on the upcoming advice episode.

    All that weird leads right into the interview with Lauren Carey from the Beer’d Al Podcast, who is the biggest Weird Al fan that Adam and Ed have ever met. She’s also got an intense love of karaoke (and posts more karaoke footage on Twitter than Adam and Ed do), and talks about that karaoke love, where her love of Weird Al sprung from, and embracing her own weirdness.

    As always, you can find more info on the website (https://www.sungpoorly.com), and on social media--the show is @sungpoorly on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and now even TikTok. You can reach Adam and Ed via email by sending a message to [email protected]. And if you want to support the podcast and snag yourself some great karaoke and podcast swag doing it, our store has all of that and more–www.sungpoorly.com/store.

    Theme song: "Gasoline" by Ben Dumm and the Deviants. Make sure to check out Ben's newest music at The Ben Dumm 3.

    Lauren Carey is the host of the Beer'd Al Podcast (Where we talk about two of the greatest things in the world: Beer and "Weird Al.") and has been a karaoke enthusiast for nigh on 20 years.

    https://www.beerdalpodcast.com • https://twitter.com/BeerdAlPodcast • https://www.instagram.com/beerdalpodcast/?hl=en • https://www.facebook.com/beerdalpodcast

  • Let's be honest--when it comes to talking about hip hop, you probably don't want to hear two middle-aged white guys wax philosophical about it. Hell, neither do your hosts Adam and Ed. But when it comes to talking about hip hop at karaoke, that? That's their wheelhouse. They talk about great hip hop songs to do at karaoke, songs that are surprisingly difficult to pull off, and the word you should never say on a karaoke mic if you look like them.

    Yeah, that one.

    After that, they talk to Young Deuces of the Geekset podcast about his love of karaoke, hip hop, and nerd culture. His passion is infectious, which means his latest project, "The Black Geek Documentary," will also be as engaging as this interview--if you want to help crowdfund that documentary, here's the link to the info on it (The Black Geek Documentary GoFundMe Trailer - YouTube), and here's the crowdfunding page for it: (Fundraiser by Rudy Strong : The Black Geek Documentary (gofundme.com)). Let's help him crush that goal, because this project is going to be *great.*

    As always, you can find more info on the website (https://www.sungpoorly.com), and on social media--the show is @sungpoorly on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and now even Tiktok. You can reach Adam and Ed via email by sending a message to [email protected]. And if you want to support the podcast and snag yourself some great karaoke and podcast swag doing it, our store has all of that and more–www.sungpoorly.com/store.

    Theme song: "Gasoline" by Ben Dumm and the Deviants. Make sure to check out Ben's newest music at The Ben Dumm 3.

    Young Deuces is a part of Geekset, an emerging collective that started as a podcast reaching global notoriety by being the only place that blends Hip-Hop Culture & Geek Culture in one place.  Think Comic Book Men meets Drink Champs & you have Geekset.  Lead by 1 Artist, 2 Music Producers & an Engineer, Deuces, Bacardi, Lib & Didge have successfully become the hub to curate and combine the two.  From releasing podcast episodes to delivering convention coverage to breaking down properties, Geekset has it all.

    http://www.twitter.com/GeeksetPodcast
    http://www.instagram.com/GeeksetPodcast
    http://www.facebook.com/GeeksetPodcast
    http://www.youtube.com/GeeksetPodcast
    https://www.linkedin.com/company/geekset
    http://www.twitch.tv/Geekset

  • Karaoke is all about singing, right? That should be obvious, but what's a little less obvious is finding your voice. Do you sing like yourself, in your natural voice?  Do you try to imitate the original artist? Ed makes the bold claim that he is "the voice of karaoke" (and that isn't about the quality of the singing), and Adam and Ed talk about taking songs originally performed by women, and why that's a great way to expand your karaoke repertoire. In terms of impersonation, Ed goes into trying to sound like the artist, and Adam talks about the Stanislavski method and embodying a character, if not a voice. 

    The trivia challenge is all over the place--it covers sampling, comedy songs, and iconic voices, and that's all inspired by this episode's guest: Bobby Hedglin-Taylor is a standup comedian and impressionist who integrates actual karaoke into his act and can sing in 50 different voices. He talks about that, how he finds the voices he does, and how doing singing impersonations made his own natural singing voice better. If you're listening on day one and are in the NYC area, you can catch his New York Queer Comedy Festival Highlight Show Thursday April 21st, 9:30PM at the Greenwich Village Comedy Club.

    As always, you can find more info on the website (https://www.sungpoorly.com), and on social media--the show is @sungpoorly on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and now even TikTok. You can reach Adam and Ed via email by sending a message to [email protected]. And if you want to support the podcast and snag yourself some great karaoke and podcast swag doing it, our store has all of that and more–www.sungpoorly.com/store.

    Theme song: "Gasoline" by Ben Dumm and the Deviants. Make sure to check out Ben's newest music at The Ben Dumm 3.

    Bobby Hedglin-Taylor is standup comedian, a circus and aerial designer who has worked on and off Broadway, in summer stock and regional theater as well as rock concerts and cruise ships, and he’s just published his first book, a tribute to his late mother called #ShitMyMamaSays–a humorous look at life while dealing with dementia.  Now available on Amazon. His next book, Escape to Ravioli Mountain- a Memoir in Food, is currently in the editing stage. Recipes and amusing anecdotes from growing up in a dysfunctional Italian family on a mountaintop in rural Pennsylvania.

    All this and he can cook too!

    Find him on social media:
    Facebook-Escape to Ravioli Mountain
    join his mailing list - [email protected]
    Instagram and TikTok @BobbyHedglinTaylor @EscapeToRavioliMountain
    Twitter- @YwalkWhenUcnFly

  • In the movie BLOOD IN, BLOOD OUT, one of the characters says “life’s a risk, carnal.” Life is absolutely a risk–and so is karaoke. After this episode's Karaoke Trivia Bullpen challenge, Adam and Ed talk about the risks and rewards of karaoke, and the risks associated with starting a mobile KJ business–chiefly, the cost it takes to set one up in the first place.

    Why business? Are the guys transitioning into the world of business podcasts? Of course not. Their guest, though, Joey Held, talks to all kinds of artists and entrepreneurs in his podcast “Good People, Cool Things,” and reached out to us because he loves talking to karaoke people as well–for nearly 20 years, he’s been on both sides of a karaoke night, as a singer and as a host. They all compare notes on the progress of a goal they all share–singing karaoke in all 50 states, discuss one key rule to providing a great karaoke performance, and have a great time doing it all. Who knows–they may even end up on Joey’s podcast someday, as karaoke is a very cool thing.

    This episode briefly mentions a karaoke charity event that took place in Pittsburgh where proceeds went to RAINN. If you’d like to contribute to RAINN, you can do that at their web site: RAINN | The nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization

    As always, you can find more info on the website (https://www.sungpoorly.com), and on social media--the show is @sungpoorly on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and now even Tiktok. You can reach Adam and Ed via email by sending a message to [email protected]. And if you want to support the podcast and snag yourself some great karaoke and podcast swag doing it, our store has all of that and more–www.sungpoorly.com/store.

    Theme song: "Gasoline" by Ben Dumm and the Deviants. Make sure to check out Ben's newest music at The Ben Dumm 3.

    Joey Held is a writer, podcaster, and author based in Austin, TX. He's the founder of the Crisp Bounce Pass newsletter; host of the Good People, Cool Things podcast; and author of the book Kind, But Kind of Weird: Short Stories on Life's Relationships. He's never met a pun or dad joke he didn't like, and he prefers a wireless mic when performing karaoke.

  • Hey, look at us, posting on a Friday! Today, we’re the podcast that takes etymology *exactly* as seriously as it should be taken. Well, we don't, but The Endless Knot (alliterative.net) does–it’s April Fool’s Day, and Operation Switcheroo, so we’ve switched places with Mark and Aven–their listeners are hearing one of our episodes, and you’re hearing one of theirs. Their notes for this one, from 2018, are as follows:

    "We head back to the Endless Knot Cocktail Bar to talk about the history of the Mai Tai, the Tiki craze, Polynesian mythology, cultural appropriation, and World's Fairs. And then we turn to Rome's relationship to Greece, and discuss whether Horace wrote the Exotica music of the ancient world!"

    As always, you can find more info on the website (https://www.sungpoorly.com), and on social media--the show is @sungpoorly on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and now even Tiktok. You can reach Adam and Ed via email by sending a message to [email protected]. And if you want to support the podcast and snag yourself some great karaoke and podcast swag doing it, our store has all of that and more–www.sungpoorly.com/store.

    Theme song: "Gasoline" by Ben Dumm and the Deviants. Make sure to check out Ben's newest music at The Ben Dumm 3.

  • You know, doing this podcast has been a journey for Adam and Ed. Or, rather, it's been a step on their own personal karaoke journeys, and that's what this episode is all about. Even the Karaoke Trivia Bullpen focuses on journeys (and, for one question, at least, the band Journey). They relive some of their karaoke history and share some karaoke philosophy along the way.

    Their guest, too, was a big part of their karaoke journey--Tabitha Ashley was there when Adam and Ed really began developing into the diehard karaoke fiends they are today. They talk about the old days, of course, but the main focus is on Tabitha, who has made the leap from a person who sings at screens in bars to releasing music of her own--you can find her music wherever you stream your music, or via her web page www.tabithaashley.com.
    As always, you can find more info on the website (https://www.sungpoorly.com), and on social media--the show is @sungpoorly on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and now even TikTok. You can reach Adam and Ed via email by sending a message to [email protected], and you can buy great karaoke and podcast swag at www.sungpoorly.com/store--it's a great way to support your favorite or second favorite karaoke podcast.
    Theme song: "Gasoline" by Ben Dumm and the Deviants. Make sure to check out Ben's newest music at The Ben Dumm 3.
    Tabitha Ashley is a singer/songwriter residing in Pittsburgh, PA. She lives with her husband, three children, and two dogs. Tabitha considers her music to be mostly symphonic hard rock. She writes most of her songs late at night when the distractions of everyday life aren’t so intrusive. She loves the quiet time, and it brings her peace when she can bring her innermost thoughts and emotions to paper. Tabitha also works as a photographer and has owned her own studio for 15 years. In addition to serving clients at her local business, she enjoys writing/illustrating children’s books and exhibiting in art shows in her spare time.

  • This week on "The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Poorly)," Adam and Ed reminisce about some fantastic karaoke regions--from Japan and the Phillipines, to New York City, Portland Oregan, Florida and, of course, western Pennsylvania, where they both cut their baby karaoke teeth and became the karaoke-obsessed people they are today. Naturally, the Karaoke Bullpen Trivia Challenge has a place connection, too, as Ed quizes Adam about places in songs. Some of the great karaoke bars mentioned: Winnie's in NYC and Backstreets Sports Bar in Cape Coral, Florida. And, of course, the idea of finally taking this podcast on the road and hitting up some new towns and making some new friends along the way.

    Speaking of new friends--the guys are then joined by Jennifer Howell of the "Every Rom Com" podcast, who has also done a lot of karaoke in her time--everywhere from Massachusetts to Korea to Portland, Oregon. She shares some of her favorite karaoke places and memories and brings some of her movie love in as well before playing the "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" quickfire game. And, for the first time this season, the show features its guest singing karaoke! 

    As always, you can find more info on the website (https://www.sungpoorly.com), and on social media--the show is @sungpoorly on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and now even Tiktok. You can reach Adam and Ed via email by sending a message to [email protected].

    Theme song: "Gasoline" by Ben Dumm and the Deviants. Make sure to check out Ben's newest music at The Ben Dumm 3.

    Jennifer Howell is the host, producer and editor of Every Rom Com, the podcast that has fun taking romantic comedies seriously. When she’s not podcasting, Jennifer works as a page at the Madison Public Library, spends time with her husband and cat, and tries to figure out the perfect ending for her horror screenplay. Jennifer spent time as a karaoke nerd at the Ambassador in Portland, Oregon, before moving to Busan and Gyeongju, South Korea to teach English from 2009-2016. Her favorite karaoke songs include “Don’t Stop Me Now”, “Wannabe”, “Bette Davis Eyes”, “Dancing in the Dark” and her special party trick of singing Disney’s “Colors of the Wind” in German.

  • This week, Adam and Ed get a little serious–they talk about all things health and wellness, and how they relate to karaoke. Even the Karaoke Trivia Bullpen focuses on it, as Adam quizzes the notoriously morose Ed on songs about happiness. But they also share some of the benefits of singing and karaoke.

    As the fellas both say, neither of them is licensed or certified for anything, which is why they bring in Angel Shamsa (https://angeluniversal.com), a holistic health coach and shaman, for a more official look at some of the benefits of karaoke and singing can have for the person doing it, as well as her own health and wellness story–and, obviously, her karaoke story as well.

    In addition to Angel, here are some other resources for your mental and physical health:

    The National Institute for Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help

    Healthline Mental Health Resources
    https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health-resources#finding-therapy

    US Health Resources & Service Information
    https://www.hrsa.gov/

    As always, you can find more info on the website (https://www.sungpoorly.com), and on social media--the show is @sungpoorly on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and now even Tiktok, sometimes. You can reach Adam and Ed via email by sending a message to [email protected].

    Theme song: "Gasoline" by Ben Dumm and the Deviants. Make sure to check out Ben's newest music at The Ben Dumm 3.

  • Disclaimer: there is no actual singalong, but Adam and Ed do interview Frank Turner, the musician and songwriter responsible for that line from his song “The Gathering,” part of his ninth album F.T.H.C. releasing 11 February 2022.

    Prior to the interview, Adam and Ed debut their new, more formal trivia game "The Karaoke Trivia Bullpen" with some questions on songs Frank Turner has covered, and then cover some topics at the intersection of karaoke and professional music: is a karaoke performance a cover song? What do musicians have to say about karaoke? What are the barriers to making music, and creativity in general? Essentially, the concept is the same as in any episode: it's about loving music, and how people engage with it (and everyone knows how Adam and Ed engage with it).

    Frank might be a surprising choice for a karaoke podcast, but Adam and Ed are both big fans of his work. They heard an interview Frank did with Liam Bird on Liam’s podcast Punks in Pubs--Frank told a story about getting kicked out of a karaoke bar after singing Meatloaf (which they’ve excerpted here). He expands on that story, tells another unhinged karaoke story, and then the three of them sort out all sorts of music and karaoke related questions. He even left a piece behind--starting in Episode 4, the quickfire game has a question rephrased because, not surprisingly, Frank Turner turns a phrase more cleverly than Adam and Ed do. 

    FTHC is the ninth solo album from British punk and folk artist Frank Turner. Initially striking out as a vocalist in the punk rock band Million Dead, Turner then turned his focus towards a folkier, acoustic-based solo career. Since that time, he has reached international acclaim as a chart-topping, award-winning singer-songwriter. Taking inspiration from early '80s US hardcore band logos, FTHC stands for Frank Turner Hardcore.

    Photo credit: Ben Morse (ben-morse.com)

    As always, you can find more info on the website (https://www.sungpoorly.com), and on social media--the show is @sungpoorly on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and now even Tiktok, sometimes. You can reach Adam and Ed via email by sending a message to [email protected]

    Theme song: "Gasoline" by Ben Dumm and the Deviants. Make sure to check out Ben's newest music at The Ben Dumm 3.

  • This week, The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Poorly) finishes up its look back on its inaugural season, including the final four quickfire rounds. In these fifty-nine minutes, you'll hear from:

    Terry and Naomi Clark (owners of Black Parakeetz in Nyack, NY): 4:33
    Honey Leavitt (host, "The Honey Leavitt Show" podcast): 17:12
    Christian Swain (host, "Rock N Roll Archaeology" podcast): 25:48
    Douglas Wolk (author, "All of the Marvels"): 35:32

    Then, Adam and Ed reveal some data from the first season, including this season's winner (loser?) of everyone's favorite karaoke question, "If you could magically strike one song from every karaoke playlist forever, which song would you choose?" They also wax nostalgic on some good memories from the first season, and cast their shiny, hopeful eyes towards what season two will bring this February.

    As always, you can find more info on the website (https://www.sungpoorly.com), and on social media–the show is @sungpoorly on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and now even Tiktok. You can reach Adam and Ed via email by sending a message to [email protected]. The discussion continues at The Greatest Song Ever Sung (Poorly) Podcast Facebook group.

    Theme song: "Gasoline" by Ben Dumm and the Deviants. Make sure to check out Ben's newest music at The Ben Dumm 3.