The Blerd’s Guide to Karaoke

There may be no experience on earth as unifying and freeing as karaoke. There’s the person onstage, shedding their fear and inhibition; there’s the cheering audience, who wants nothing more than for you to succeed; and there’s that magical moment of harmonic convergence when both realize what “success” even looks like – the performer having fun as their truest, most vulnerable self. It’s a feeling I imagine “real” performers feel before being stolen by their celebrity, when someone’s performance is packaged, monetized, and scrutinized. Karaoke is a cathartic release in its most public and liberating form: all eyes are on you to pretend you’re in the shower or jamming in your pajamas alone, singing as if nobody’s listening and dancing like nobody’s watching. The feeling should be familiar to a Blerd, unabashedly loving what you love and leaving it out there for the world to see, daring them to call it anything but awesome. That’s much of why I love karaoke. Call ’em. Call each and every one of ’em.   The crossroads between black culture, nerd culture, and music is a busy intersection, maybe even more so than you think. Whether you’re with other Blerds or the only one in the karaoke room, here are ways to can steal the show, connect with kindred souls, and rep your nerd. Pick “Obscure” Songs Because they’re really not obscure. Not to 2 or 3 people in that room, anyway. Throw in that jam you thought only you and your closest sibling knew from childhood, and watch as someone…