Quaker Steak & Lube Closes Its Doors

During the week of Thanksgiving, 2008, Quaker Steak & Lube in State College closed its doors for good. All neon lighting and brand signing was removed from the outside of the building as well as the electronics, televisions and State Amusement game machines. Yet to be removed is the seemingly endless collection of sporting memorabilia on the walls and hanging from the interior ceilings. Karaoke with Ralf had its last show there on Tuesday, November 4, 2008, an evening that may go down as unpaid. Nevertheless, Tuesday nights are now again open for suggestion. Ralf thanks all the frequent patrons who came to The Lube to make it a worthwhile event while it lasted. He hopes to see you again soon.

Ralf Returns to Live Music

On Saturday, June 28, 2008, Ralf returned to his roots established 10 years before he began hosting karaoke shows by joining two of his former bandmates Pat Elliott and Jerre Price in a partial regrouping and restructuring of the band Trinity 1296, a popular State College fixture of the 80s. Now named ESP, the band is a three member, two guitar acoustic band playing a slew of Crosby, Stills & Nash songs, along with tunes by the Beatles, Dr. Hook, Styx, Simon & Garfunkel, Toto, Cartoon, and many more. If you didn't catch this public dabut show, you might be able to catch the followup gig at the Autoport on Friday, July 18, 2008. Hope to see you there.

KWR Returns To Mifflin County

On February 7th, Karaoke with Ralf returned to the Lewistown area with a regular run of Thursday night shows at the Hammermill Bar & Grill in Yeagertown, PA. It's been a solid seven years since Karaoke with Ralf last took place in the Lewistown area. Already having reconnected with some old friends and finding a nice new generation of talented singers, all is looking very well. And then there are just a lot of people who simply like to have fun. I must say, the selection of songs performed is quite diverse. No single genre dominates at the Hammermill. Hope to see ya there!

Hiway Pizza Trying Variety Schedule

On Thursday, January 10th, Karaoke with Ralf was informed that it would be cut back to once-a-month. You can keep track of the active dates at this venue on the schedule and calendar. Starting January 12th, Hiway Pizza will feature a rock band once-a-month as well. I apologize in advance for any inconvenience those of you faithful patrons experience as a result of this change. Even moreso for those of you who make your monthly pilgrimmage from faraway places. I do hope you continue to join us on our scheduled night, for I will miss you greatly it absent.

Final Show at The Eutaw House

Friday, December 28th, marked the final Karaoke With Ralf show at the Eutaw House in Potters Mills. The Eutaw House shut its doors after its New Years Eve celebration until it is bought by a new owner. After almost seven years of Karaoke With Ralf shows, parting is such sweet sorrow, and Ralf will miss many of the regulars that came on Friday nights.

Although there are several prospects for a regular Friday night gig, no definite plans have been made at this time for a replacement. Stay tuned here for any update.

Songlists at Shows and Online

Work Nearing End on 2008 Edition

The last printing of the song menu offered over 25,000 tracks. Since January 2007, KWR has added many, many more, and yet we are still using copied of the old 2006 edition. In July 2008, KWR will be replacing all current hard copies of the song menu with the 2008 edition. This will probably be the last major overhaul of the menu, as it is becoming quite an undertaking and somewhat expensive to replace them year after year. Any acquisitions after this 2008 printing will be added to the 2008 book as an addendum, and only the addendum will be replaced each time major additions are acquired.

With the collection now having surpassed at 32,000 titles, the online version of the menu should be available by April 15, barring any misfortunate setbacks.

Watch The Schedule!

A date or two here or there may be cancelled this spring due to the possibility of a 20-year reunion with my former bandmates. For a history on our band, Trinity 1296, you may click here. I'll keep you posted here in this blurb as well.

Data Format Change in Effect Since June 2006

Since June 27, 2006, ALL shows are now presented exclusively without discs. All music is played from Ralf's laptop and songs can be searched for via artist OR title. Special note to those of you who enjoy bringing your own CD+G discs to shows: this system will not play CD+G discs for on-screen lyrics presentation. However, with as large as the collection has grown, the songs you've been bringing on your own discs are probably available at the show. It is even likely your version of your song is in the collection. Special note: The new songlist, or "menu" will be ready to reprint at the start of the new year, and it will naturally have "2007 Edition" on the cover. Initial printing will be strictly text, no photos and will also be downloadable. Without photos, it will make for a smaller download and home printing task as well. In the meantime, feel free to ask if he has a certain song. If it has been recorded as a karaoke song, it is very likely he has it. In the event he doesn't, he will research its availability and either get it or let you know otherwise.

Quaker Steak & Lube Photos!

There are now new photos online, as well as a new layout and format. I will be updating and adding to it on a regular basis with the reacquisition of a new high-definition digital camera, With these photos, you can quickly prove to your friends and family that you actually did karaoke on stage. Simple click on the PHOTOS selection in the menu at the top.

Brief History

With 24 years of experience in professional music performance and sixteen years of Karaoke hosting, I continue to forge ahead in this business that has been labeled everything from "corny" to "marvelous" to a form of therapy and stress relief, to a stepping stone for future artists. FOX-TV's American Idol program has done a great deal in promoting amateur singing in venues across the country. If you have such aspirations, why not hone your skills at a Karaoke with Ralf show.  

I started in this business working for Local Motion DJs entertainment company in central Pennsylvania. I still recommend for gigs I cannot cover myself. The early years had me working with the original Pioneer laserdisc collection. Upon deciding to go my own the following year, I became more accustomed to the CD+G format, which has its roots in the very beginnings of the karaoke craze of the early 80s. Through 2006, with the exception of an initial modest collection of DVD titles offered at choice venues, Karaoke with Ralf was exclusively CD+G. Now he's completely converted to MP3+G format, PC-based. 

I'd love to see each and every one of you at one of my shows, but distance and scheduling might make that difficult. I have plenty of patrons who will not hesitate at driving for an hour to join in on "Karaoke with Ralf", but I know that is not feasible for everyone. I'll be adding a referral page as soon as time permits me to work on it.  

Enjoy the site, and drop me a line. I'll see ya in the spotlight.