Well, it’s KaraokeFest time again and what an event this one’s going to be! Our staff has been tirelessly working to put together a truly outstanding party for the Karaoke community. On Sunday, May 25th (Memorial Day weekend), the fabulous Queen Mary in Long Beach will once host this fantastic “celebration of Karaoke” in grand style offering all kinds of fun for all members of the family.

The Karaoke Expo promises to be bigger and better than ever with vendors of all kinds showing off their wares. Major Karaoke manufacturers will be there to display and demonstrate the latest and greatest in Karaoke hardware & software. VocoPro and Audio 2000s will be there as will Top Tunes, Sound Choice, Priddis and Music Maestro, just to name a few. Top Karaoke retailers such as Ace Karaoke and MTV Karaoke will also be on hand so you can purchase new Karaoke products of all kinds. And, of course, there will be many other vendors with unique and exciting products for you see and experience.

This year there will be two outdoor charity stages so everyone should have their chance to sing their favorite song with the Queen Mary as their backdrop for any sized donation to the Salvation Army. Martini Blues and Star Light Karaoke will each sponsor a stage and they’ll be rockin’ and rollin’ all day and into the night so we can all sing our hearts out.

The “Golden Achievement Awards” will be presented on the main stage to the individuals and venues chosen by the Karaoke community to be honored for their contributions to Karaoke. These awards are so important because they reward excellence in these respective fields of endeavor. Karaoke needs a way to recognize these extraordinary individuals and venues and we are proud to provide the “Golden Achievement Awards” for that purpose.

The prestigious Crème de la Crème singing competition will again take center stage as the top male and female Karaoke vocalists in Southern California compete for thousands in cash and prizes and the coveted title of “Male & Female Karaoke Vocalist of the Year.” See page 4 for the complete list of venues at which you can qualify. For complete contest information go to www.KaraokeFest.com and click on the Crème de la Crème link. And don’t forget, popular radio personalities Mark and Brian have again invited our top male and female winners to appear and sing on their syndicated radio show (heard locally, Monday through Friday, 6am-10am, on KLOS 95.5fm). This is truly a great opportunity to sing for a huge audience.

We have added multiple big screen TVs to the second level so that many more people can enjoy the show in comfort without any overcrowding. There will be many more surprises and exciting things happening at this year’s “Fest” so make your plans now to attend. Don’t forget, KaraokeFest 2003 explodes on Sunday, May 25th. That’s Memorial Day weekend, and with Monday being a holiday; we can party into the night without having to worry about getting up for work the next day.

Karaoke Scene has arranged for special rates for outside staterooms aboard the Queen Mary for those who wish to stay over on either Saturday or Sunday night (May 24th & 25th). For your special rate please call the Queen Mary Hotel at (562) 432-6964 and mention KaraokeFest for your special stateroom rate. We are trying to arrange for there to be Karaoke in one of the lounges aboard the ship on the Saturday night before “Fest” and there are several Karaoke venues in beautifully redeveloped downtown Long Beach for those who want to party there.

And here’s the best part. In an effort to make the KaraokeFest experience affordable to all, ticket prices are only $7.00 each if purchased or ordered before May 20th ($12.00 after May 20th and at the door). That’s less than a movie or a halfway decent fast food meal. You may order your tickets by credit card online at www.KaraokeFest.com or you may order by phone at (714) 826-2212. No one will be admitted without a ticket so ORDER YOURS NOW!

Congratulations and many heartfelt thanks to all of the KJs, clubs, patrons and friends who came together to help our fellow Americans in need to the tune of $13,212.01. Every penny raised was presented to the Salvation Army’s representative, Warren Johnson, and will be sent, dollar for dollar, directly to their 120,000 square foot warehouse/headquarters located at “ground zero”. We have published a copy of the Salvation Army’s thank you letter to the Karaoke community in this edition.

A very special thank you and a big tip of the Karaoke Scene hat go to Manny Pacheco who devoted countless hours and worked tirelessly in helping to make “Karaoke Cares” a success. Be sure to look for his “Unsung Heroes” article in the current issue.

A warm welcome to our new editor/art director, Tony Avery. We look forward to working with Tony and anticipate many new and exciting ideas which he promises to bring to our publication. And best of luck to our departing editor, Julie Turnbaugh. It was a pleasure working with Julie on the past 3 issues and I thank her for sharing her talent and for all her hard work.

I would like to personally thank you for visiting our new, completely redesigned website. The site offers many new things including a remodeled and innovative discussion forum and a new “Ask Sammy” forum where you can get answers to all of your technical hardware & software questions. You may now subscribe to Karaoke Scene Magazine online, purchase merchandise (“Scene Gear”, decals, etc.) and even sign up for a free email address. The events calendar will guide you to contests and other special Karaoke happenings and don’t forget to check out the classified ad section.

We have designed the site to be able to grow and many other new features are being added all the time. For instance, in the very near future, clubs may purchase an entire page on our site so that when someone clicks on the name of that establishment, a customized page opens describing everything about that venue including pictures, logos, special events, etc. Club owners, this a great new way to promote your business. Also, there is still some space available for banner ads. This space is very limited so reserve yours now. For more information you may inquire by email at ads@karaokescene.com or phone us at (714) 826-2212.

Kudos and much gratitude go to Phill Cross of Cross Web Tech for all of his hard work and dedication in the building of this site. We can highly recommend him and his company.

Finally, many are asking about the dates for KaraokeFest 2002. At this time, we are still looking at late spring. We hope to make this the best “Fest” ever and plans are currently in the works to that end.

Thanks again for your visit and your support and please remember, we are here for you!