The girlfriend and I decided to go out the other night (Friday night) and since we were already in the big city (Salt Lake City), we would go out to a different spot for karaoke. This makes the fourth place in the Salt Lake area that we have visited in the last year or so for karaoke. None of them would be a place that I could recommend to other people to go for a good karaoke experience. Each of them have their strengths and their weakness'. But I can tell you that all four of them that the karaoke is struggling. All of them are struggling for different reasons too.
If you go look at the aforementioned list I made (nobody added to it tho
), I believe that for a business (bar) to be successful, that all the pieces need to work like a clock. If for whatever reason any of the more important factors for success are not followed and maintained, then bars close. Some of them making excuses of why. But it all boils down to "taking care of the customers". Karaoke isn't dying, it's being killed,,,, slowly and surely. Some of it is the legal aspects of late that are creating fear. Other reasons are that the bars aren't giving proper service. And others that the hosts are so poor in their operation that it drives people away. Each reason WILL affect how karaoke is received by the customers and all will cause the end conclusion - "bars closing".
IF any you happen to be lucky enough to be working/hosting for bar owners that offer good service, with wait staffs that are "karaoke friendly", count yourself lucky. Because losing shows over something that is out of your hands really sucks. And hopefully as hosts, you too, are running shows that are oriented to the wishes/needs of the customers. It's a group effort on ALL of our parts to keep karaoke alive and well.