the gooooonnnnng show!

Local venue Continental Club runs a Gong Show every month or so. They have a house band and emcee and three judges and A Gong. You go in, sign up, and get up on stage when they call your name. The house band can play a song with you if you let them know beforehand (and they know the song).

I didn't catch the whole thing but what I did see was rather reminiscent of the old Gong Show tv program. First, two kids got up on stage and sang Tiny Bubbles. They were disqualified, possibly because the emcee was prompting them with the lyrics. An older dude did an excellent imitation of Jerry Lee Lewis singing (what else) Great Balls of Fire. Another old timer performed his own song about his car, but he got gonged off (gongued? anyway). Then my new pal got up with his banjolele and did an old timey song that didn't get good response from the judges because, well, they hate the ukelele. The first woman got up and hula hooped while she played the violin. Excellent Gong Show fare. I heard later that she won the whole thing. Another woman in an M&M costume danced to an Eminem song and got gonged. I was actually yelling out for the judges to gong her, it was so painful. The next guy got up and started to do a Doors song, but the Continental has a No Doors policy, so they gave him a second chance and he got gonged off doing Brown Sugar. Finally, the last fellow I saw danced to Saturday Night Fever. He did a pretty good job and even got the knees of his pants dirty.

I can't say I really enjoyed any of the acts, but the overall program was funny. I'd definitely go again, and it would be fun to put an act together for it. Anyone up for playing the Chinese whistle while I breakdance?