The New Sound Karaoke (2008–2015) was a Queer expanded-cinema karaoke project that unfolded across clubs, galleries, and alternative spaces in New York City and beyond including Art In General, Tandem Bar, Canada Gallery, DIA, The University of Southern California and more. Conceived and performed by Bobby Abate and JJ Chinois as their alter egos Bobby Service and Black Waterfall — newly “converted” newlyweds turns televangelist turned karaoke hosts — the project reimagined karaoke as a site of disruption, performance and collective release.
Part installation, part nightclub, part live broadcast, the events combined karaoke with multi-channel video projections and participatory performance. Artists wokring in any medium were invited to occupy pop songs by creating visuals and rewriting lyrics.
Participating artists included Jeanine Oleson, Tara Mateik, Jeanne Liotta, Douglas Martin, Cat Tyc, Danny Balgley, Lauren Seigal, Ashley Huizinga, June Fagley, Khaela Maricich, Michael O’Neill, and more.
>> MUSKRAT LOVE
The New Sound Karaoke launched in October 2008 with its debut performance at TBD in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The project brought to life the wild narrative of Bobby Service and Black Waterfall’s karaoke-bound marriage, featuring karaoke videos with rewritten lyrics for Captain & Tennille’s Muskrat Love and Nelly Furtado’s Promiscuous.
>> LOVIN’ U
A month later, in November 2008, the saga of Black Waterfall and Bobby Service’s unconventional marriage unfolded further with a saucy mash-up of Minnie Riperton’s Loving You and Missy Elliott’s Pu**ycat. Once again staged at TBD in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, the performance pushed the project’s queer, camp-infused narrative into new territory.
>> OUR LOVE IS A CONDO
>> TELL IT TO MY PRETTY FACE
>> ONE OF US
>> HOTEL RELAX
>> A HARD CANDY CHRISTMAS
>> YOUR HEARTBEATS ARE NOT ALONE
>> 2045 (DEATH)
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