Universal CityWalk's Rising Star gives pop-star wannabes opportunity to sing along with live music.
(Credit: Universal CityWalk)
Now you can catch a Rising Star in the space at Universal CityWalk, where once upon a time you could see a big band, blues or jazz artist on the stage in the beautiful space. Why, after the whole big band/swing movement fizzled out, the folks at Universal didn't book this space for more music acts and make it a popular music venue is beyond me. The place is big enough to easily serve as a mid-to-large-sized venue bringing more acts that play The Social or Club Firestone to the Universal-area and maybe attract more indie artists to Orlando.
Alas, that is not the case. But the new concept seems like an interesting gimmick that definitely works well for a theme-park atmosphere: karaoke with a live band. Rising Star invites patrons onstage to sing for the audience, but instead of an audio recording to back up the vocals, there is a live band. Plus, there are backup singers (to cover up those of us less-talented vocalists) and a couple of emcees to keep the entertainment moving on and off the stage. One of the emcees, D-Nasty, could have toned down the theme-park exuberance a level or two. The high-fives heading to the sky like a (you guessed it) rising star he gave the singers after their songs had me sinking in my seat out of the pure embarrassment of witnessing it. As my friend Trevor put it, looks like D-Nasty attended the same Rick Dees school of cheese where Ryan Seacrest studied.
Well said, Trevor.
The second emcee had more of a tried-out-for-a couple-of-boy-bands-but-Lou-was-already-in-the-hole ambience. More low-key and not overshadowing the singers, which made the performances a lot more enjoyable. At the beginning of the evening, there were a lot of theme-park employees out supporting the new club. So when they went to sing, there was definitely a more polished feel to the performance compared to the usual slurring to "Friends in Low Places" you get at most karaoke joints.
By the second half of the evening, things started getting interesting with my friend Tod's rendition of "(You Gotta) Fight for your Right (to Party!)," that had people jumping out of their seats dancing. The true breaking-in of the joint, though, was executed by Trevor when, during his rendition of "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes, he spliced in a rant on politics and sports that had management and staff clapping and cheering him on. That included D-Nasty, which had me almost doing a Rising Star high-five to the host, but sanity ensued (thankfully).
This is not the first time this concept has been attempted in Orlando. Voyage on 17 W. Pine St. in downtown Orlando has found success with its Rockstar Karaoke night, again karaoke with a live band. The sound system and number of songs gives Rising Star a bigger advantage, but the lack of closeness with the audience is a con.
At the end of the day, it's a neat concept. They only offer 60 songs to choose from, but those cover the gamut and are karaoke faves. They have over-the-top hosts, slightly pricier drinks and a $7 cover charge, but it's a theme-park and tourist destination. I'll take the not-so-polished, karaoke with grit joint any day of the week, but overall, this is still a fun place to bring a bachelorette party or friends visiting from out of town.
Rising Star is at Universal CityWalk in Orlando. Go to universalorlando.com
