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Singers at Smithfields say karaoke brings them joy Bonney Boy McClellan of Medford sings karaoke to a gathering at Smithfields Pub and Pies Tuesday night in Ashland. Mail Tribune / Denise Baratta Wednesday Feb 1, 2017 at 5:15 PM Feb 1, 2017 at 5:45 PM Angela Decker for the Mail Tribune There’s nothing like karaoke to bring out your inner rock star. Tuesday night karaoke at Smithfields Pub & Pies in Ashland has a loyal following of locals who gather to share their love of music and make one another smile. Natalie Scott of Legendary-Oke facilitates the pub’s karaoke nights, providing equipment, music and spirited encouragement for the singers. “The people who come here for karaoke are people who come to sing,” says Scott. “It is really supportive and encouraging. Most people don’t just go out on a Tuesday; people come because they love singing, rather than because they love to drink.” By day, Scott is a sound technician at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. At night, her work with Legendary-Oke takes her to a variety of pubs and clubs in the area. “With Legendary-Oke, I supply all the gear and get the evening started,” she says. Because of the proximity to OSF, Scott says, OSF performers also join the Tuesday event. “We do get actors and, yes, they can sing, but for the most part we get people who just love to sing, but do not do it professionally, people who know that singing will just make their day better.” Scott says she likes to start the night off with a song to get people going. “I love to do songs that the bar loves, though I often sing 'Son of a Preacher Man.' I know that song inside-out and backward,” she says. Warren Davidson, a karaoke regular at Smithfields, says the people who gather at the pub are part of a community, and each karaoke place has its own personality. “It’s kind of like going to church, in the sense that you all come together and share in something that is spiritually satisfying,” says Davidson. Zara Davis and her husband, Dan, were at the pub’s karaoke night Tuesday for the first time. The two sing professionally, but say karaoke is more about relaxing and having fun than practicing their craft. “It’s a great vibe,” she says. “I’d rather be in a bar where people are singing instead of just listening to a jukebox. Everyone gets to be a star and sing their favorite song in public instead of the shower.” Her husband adds that it is just plain fun. “It’s not about how perfect you sound, it’s about how much joy singing brings you,” he says before diving into Jethro Tull’s “Locomotive Breath.” Scott and Davidson both talk of the transformative power of singing. “I can have a really crappy day and feel like I don’t want to come here because it seems like work, but as soon as I’m here and people are singing, it all doesn’t matter anymore and I don’t want to be anywhere else,” says Scott. “Singing is such a cathartic experience, and it ties people together," Davidson adds. "Someone will pick a song and at least half the bar will recognize it and associate with a feeling or memory. I think a lot of empathetic connections happen this way.” Juliana Wheeler, a local performer and voice instructor, says she enjoys singing her favorite pop song. “I love karaoke. It’s so fun to sing the songs you truly love,” she says. “Also, my friends and I go to trivia night at Louie's, and we’re so bad at it that we like to follow up with something we can do.” Reilly Owen, waiting for his turn to sing, says, “Karaoke is endlessly good people-watching. Seeing someone feeling good makes you feel good.” Scott says that each person who stands up and sings brings something special to the evening. “Karaoke is two parts, it’s the sound, and it’s the show. I can tell you that everyone who comes through here is bringing one of those if not both,” she says. If you are singing at a karaoke night, Scott has one piece of advice. “Sing the song that you can’t not sing along with when it comes on. If you can sing along with it in the car and it makes you happy there, it will make you happy here." Smithfields Pub and Pies is in downtown Ashland at 23 S. Second St. For more information, call 541-482-7437. For information about Legendary-Oke, see www.legendaryoke.com. — Angela Decker is a freelance writer living in Ashland. Reach her at [email protected].