Mobile Posting!

On The Move

Lack of power has driven me out of CT for a couple days, and it all started right smack dab in the middle of creating the Warmup Gig playlist. Turns out the Warmup Gig did not go off, due to all the complications of a frigging October blizzard that debilitated Central Connecticut and my resources there. But rest assured this will be happening, and I'm online while in MA. To all my peeps affected in CT, best of luck in riding the effects of the storm out. I... shall.... return!

Warmup Gig Playlist

Scroll to the bottom and you'll see 2 embedded YouTube windows now. The second one is a playlist of the first 20 songs I'll be singing in Monday's Warmup Gig with Chris. It's kind of a PITA adding them, I'm starving, and it's snowing, so I'm gonna go back to life for a few, then continue with this. I have 60 songs picked out, which is about 4 hours worth. I can sing the same song after 2 hours, so I'm going to repeat this playlist at the Warmup Gig until we get to 7 hours, which will follow Guinness rules.

Youtube Gadget Moved

OK, so you have to scroll to the bottom to use it, which I hate, but the space in the sidebar is too small. The bottom bar will be growing, though.

New stuff!

Notice the sidebar of this blog is growing! It now has a YouTube player. This YouTube player will play my "World Record Blog" playlist from my YouTube account. I listen to music almost constantly. The radio-based websites aren't for me, because I want to hear the song I want to hear NOW! So I'm a big playlist guy.

Did I mention it's snowing like crazy in CT? Ugh! Before Halloween?! Great day for doing this kind of stuff.

So I'll give you a preview of what I'm going to attempt next. As I mentioned, Chief Architect and Psychologist Chris Aldi and I are going to be doing a test run of 7 hours of karaoke at a secret location on Monday. That means the time has come to put together a list of songs I'm going to sing. I'll post it on the blog. The upshot of this is you should be able to see approximately what time I'll be singing what songs. If you want to come down at any time to watch me break the record, the best time might be when I'm likely to be singing a song you'd like to hear. Sooooo... I'm off to do that... as my peripheral vision keeps catching SNOW out my window on October 29!!!!!

Ugh!

Shure (you know... the microphone peeps?) called me back and left a VM. As I played the message for Chris, I pressed "Se-VEN!". For those of you on Verizon, that ... ummm... deletes the message! And I didn't write down her number! I need a PR department! I'll call her back. Sponsorships will be a good thing. So if you know anyone who wants to sponsor this effort, please have them email me @ jjmenterprises@webjem.net. Thanks!

Mission accomplished

48 hours came and went. It became 55 without a hitch. And then I decided of my own free will to go to sleep. It seems that wasn't that hard. On Monday, Chief Architect/Psychologist Chris Aldi will be providing a secret venue for a 7-hour Karaoke Marathon warmup. Thanks Chris!

This is all shaping up very nicely.

More props to Idea Man Mike Lawson for presenting the following brilliant idea via Facebook: "You need to put a picture of yourself on your blog, also embed the Ralph and friends show in a post." So over there---> is the beginning of part 1. And here is part 2 of that. It's about an hour long, so get popcorn:

Ralph & Friends October 2011 Show from dave overson on Vimeo.

Donations

We all know someone who could benefit from broader exposure. The benefit I gain here is a little legacy for my children, and a plaque from Guinness, nothing more. Those involved have already seen how committed I truly am to helping to let others know about their efforts and businesses, as well as how committed I am to setting this record. When I set the record, you and they are sure to get very broad recognition. It's the least I can do. For larger donations, I'm happy to do more! Please follow the Chip-In link on the right. THANK YOU!

Media Blitz

This morning as I continue my quest to stay up for 48 hours in preparation for what I believe will be the hardest part of setting this record, I'm contacting as many companies as I can think of that will broadcast, sponsor, donate, etc. to this effort. I really want to have a Guinness Adjudicator at the event, but it is costly since the event spans 3 days. They charge approx. $7000 per day. Someone actually claimed 55 hours of singing, but didn't send in sufficient proof, so their effort was all for naught. That would suck!

Record-Journal Interview

Thanks Kim Primicerio from the Record-Journal for the interview!

Publicity II

I sent in an article suggestion to the Hartford Courant, CT's largest newspaper, and many things took off from there.  There was this article in the Towns section of the online Hartford Courant.

Then came the small article in the Southington Citizen.

But this is a proud moment!  Eric Vo, a reporter for the Courant, did an outstanding research and diligence effort on this article. Such a great job, that it's reaching as far as Orlando!

Publicity

I feel like I'm surrounded by so many talented people in CT.  So many people who are just doing what they do, and yet they do it so well!  And I'm just some shmuck trying to culminate years of a hobby into something meaningful and fun.  I'm very lucky.

I have to say that I was shocked into seclusion at the stagefright I experienced during the Ralph and Friends appearance.  We all tend to be so harsh on ourselves, and I have made a lifetime of being extra harsh on myself. Many of you reading this have probably heard me sing many times.  I'm just a guy who loves music.  I appreciate each and every compliment I get.  But I was so very shocked and awed by the talent I shared the stage with on this show, not to mention the ever present "studio silence."  Singing in a bar full of "bar noises" is something very different than performing as the only sound in a studio!  Mike Provenzano and Heather O'Brien, whose combined age might equal mine, will show you on this episode the difference between a karaoke singer and a true, recording artist.  I mean that with all sincerity.  But for the first time in my life, I feel comfortable with the outcome of something like this.  OK, it's not great, I look incredibly fat (LOL!), and it is what it is.  But I just had so much fun!  Have some fun at my expense if you wish, but this appearance was a true highlight of my life.  One more thank you to Pam Overson and Ralph Capenera and the crew on the show.  Truly memorable.  My kids will love it!  I hope you do, too!

Welcome To The Wacky World of World Records!

So I thought a blog would be fun.  I'm not a very private person, really.  I have nothing to hide.  If you know me, you've heard me blabber on about everything from A-Z, but most of the time, it's because I've reconnected this life to the world that I used to think revolved around me.  I listen better.  I care more.  I love life again.  And it is no small part to the great people of Central Connecticut.

So this blog will be about us: the band of karaoke nutjobs that frequent the establishments where karaoke fills the air.  It will be about helping my friends here and around who have been influential, consequential, and existential during my 20-year karaoke journey, which has led me to the the unlikely event of attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the Longest Karaoke Marathon, set to take place December 7-9, 2011 at the Cromwell Crowne Plaza Hotel.  Visit often as more of my crazy ideas result in meanderings into all things karaoke!

Friend me on Facebook: My Facebook
and follow the event on Facebook at: Facebook Event

Thanks for your support!