All-ages karaoke TV show has let Thurston County belt it out for 15 years
Robert Kam has always loved being in front of the camera. This Friday, he’s celebrating 15 years of hosting Karaoke Oly, the live televised singing program on Thurston Community Media, and he’s hoping the public will join him.
July 21 is the 15th anniversary of the program that offers people of all ages the opportunity to sing on TV every third Friday of the month. Since its inception, it’s been one of the few public spaces where not just adults can perform.
“Not a lot of kids get the chance to do karaoke unless they buy a karaoke machine,” Kam said. “They can’t do it in public like adults can with going to bars.”
The program typically runs for an hour on the third Friday of the month, but it will go from 7 to 9 p.m. this Friday for a special two-hour celebration of its anniversary. Those who are interested in attending in person — and singing — can go to the studio at TCMedia, located at 440 Yauger Way SW, Suite, C, in Olympia. Singers should arrive at 6:30 to sign up.
The program will be broadcast live on TCMedia channel 22, as well as on Karaoke Oly’s Youtube channel. A song catalog is also available online.
Kam said he started performing in front of a camera as a child, when he would make movies with his cousins. That turned into comedy skits for his high school’s news broadcast. Then, he was inspired by Dance Oly Dance, now known as Dance O’ Dance, another local broadcast program that gives people the chance to dance on TV. It’s been running since 1997.
Then Karaoke Oly was born in 2008.
“It was second nature for me to jump in front of the camera and host,” Kam said. “It felt right.”
Now it’s been 15 years, and he said it feels like it. His daughter was a toddler and is now a teenager. They have newer equipment, after sizable upgrades in 2014, including a green screen that allows singers to choose different backgrounds. Kam said the shows are better attended than they’ve ever been, and even the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t slow it down.
During the pandemic, Kam said the show’s participants did karaoke over Zoom. There was an awful sound delay, he said, but they forged ahead anyway, even if it didn’t sound very good.
“When we did a group sing, everyone was off from each other and nobody was excited to do it,” Kam said.
Every show ends with a group song. Surprisingly, the group performed even more songs together during the pandemic. Kam said he thought it was because it allowed participants to feel like they were with people.
Kam said people from other states even attended, which wasn’t an option before the pandemic. One of those people was his mother, who attended from Texas and sang, “The End of the World” by Skeeter Davis, in homage to the pandemic.
Now there are typically around 10 people who attend the monthly shows. Not all of them sing, which gives some people a chance to go more than once. There are a lot of newbies, Kam said, but a good amount of regulars, too, have been coming for years. But you can always count on Kam to start the show, often joined by his girlfriend’s Chihuahua Luna.
Kam said he, like many others, wouldn’t have minded being famous for his singing chops or acting skills at one point.
“I think everybody wants to have stardom, but I think a lot more realistic these days and it’s important to be a star in your community,” Kam said.
He said this Friday’s show is twice as long because he’s hoping more people will come for the anniversary special. He said he’s had a couple people start making the trip down from Seattle to be on the show, which he said he’s humbled by.
There’s a Facebook group for people who are interested in keeping up with Karaoke Oly news and events, and you can watch performances on its Youtube channel. Kam said you also can email karaokeoly@gmail.com if you have any questions about the program.
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