Both celebrated and vilified by music fans the world over, there is no doubt karaoke has taken the world by storm over the last quarter-century. It’s popularity fueled by the idea that — given a microphone, an audience and a pre-recorded backing track — anyone can be a star if only for a few minutes. Karaoke has multiplied to the point that it is now one of the most common events taking place in area clubs. While there are many venues to enjoy this particular art form, none come close to “OB-Oke” held at Winston’s every Sunday. The difference is in the event’s host since 2002, Jose Sinatra. His larger-than-life persona takes in the look and style of a ’70s lounge singer, complete with gold chains, an open shirt and an irreverent stage presence. The night usually kicks off with a tune from Sinatra, who sees karaoke as a natural extension of friends getting together in bars. “People like to get together and have a drink or two,” Sinatra said. “And quite often they want to sing, whether it’s to tunes by a band that happens to be onstage or to something spun by a DJ. Karaoke gives everyone an outlet.” Sinatra, who has only missed one night in six years, is clearly part of the night’s charm. His over-the-top introductions for the night’s performers — usually made up of the top of his head and quite fanciful — are always a highlight of the evening, eliciting laughs and occasional groans. “It’s one of my favorite things to make up an introduction for someone who I’ve never met before and make it totally absurd,” he said. It’s a knack he extends to the songs themselves, twisting the lyrics along the way, describing the ’70s classic song “Killing Me Softly” as a song about OJ Simpson. Unlike other venues, Sinatra keeps his own singing to a three-song-a-night maximum, preferring to give the stage time to his audience. “I keep a very strict order,” he said. “You can’t slip me money and get a better slot.” Indeed. the jockeying for better time slots has resulted in rules that include no repetition of a song on any given night. He estimates there are 9,000 songs for a would-be singer to select from, but choosing his least favorite is easy. “If I never heard (Neil Diamond’s) ‘Sweet Caroline’ again that wouldn’t be a problem,” Sinatra said. “This rule keeps that problem to a minimum.” Because of the number of people wanting to take part, singers are only allowed one song at a time and must wait for another turn, though some people attempt to get around this by submitting fake names. “We’re pretty quick on figuring out who’s cheating,” Sinatra said. “We even had one woman who put on a wig to get another song faster. People like that go to the back of the line.” Surprisingly, according to Sinatra, most of those taking the stage are actually quite good singers. “There are some outstanding singers that come in,” he said. “Good enough that I wonder why they aren’t fronting their own bands. There are five or six regulars in particular that when they come in for whatever reason, we miss them.” For those that don’t fall into the “good singer” category, Sinatra points to another rule. “The bartender has the right to gong any performer if it starts getting painful,” he said. After six years of shepherding the crowds at OB-Oke, Sinatra is just as enthused as he was when he first started hosting. “Actually, it’s more fun now,” he said. “Early on I was nervous and I was most concerned with keeping order on stage.” He counts on his run as the king of San Diego’s karaoke bars being indefinite. “Now it’s second nature and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else on a Sunday night,” Sinatra said. OB-Oke takes place at Winston’s, 1921 Bacon St., on Sundays at 10 p.m. For more information, visit www.winstonsob.com.
