It was when he hit the high note in Radiohead’s song Creep, and saw the crowd go nuts, that Adam Menzies became hooked on singing.
The Langley resident was at Rusty’s Neighbourhood Pub in Cloverdale on a weeknight, and karaoke happened to be on.
“When you see people in a bar who are just there to have a drink, chat with their buddies, they’re not there for karaoke — sometimes karaoke just happens to people when they go to the bar. They’re like, ‘Oh God, karaoke is happening, I hope they don’t suck.’” Menzies laughed.
“But when you see somebody who you think is very disinterested, and you watch them take notice when you’re singing — that’s an addicting thing, because you’re like ‘Oh, I’m affecting the room.’ That I think is fascinating.”
Two years later and Menzies, 32, is now taking his voice to the national stage.
He is one of 10 finalists from British Columbia to make it to the Karaoke World Championships Canada competition, being held in Calgary, Alta. Aug. 30 to Sept. 3.
Joining him are other B.C. singers Justin Wong, Jennifer Victor, Shawna Palmer, Todd Klassen, Sandra Nogueira, Francis Cardeno, Lauren Briggs, JP Vega, and wildcards Matt Briard and Jess Escobar.
There, 50 vocalists from across the country will go head to head for a chance to represent Canada at the world championships in Finland later this year, where 32 different counties will compete.
“But no one is doing it for that,” Menzies said.
“We’re all just doing that because we like to sing. It’s not about the actual competition part of it, because everyone supports everyone.
“It’s just a very supportive environment, it’s awesome.”
INTERNATIONAL PERFORMER
Performing in front of a large crowd is nothing new for Menzies.
He has also been an internationally ranked gymnast for 18 years, winning the world championships in trampoline in 2003, and a professional acrobat with Cirque Du Soleil.
Menzies has travelled the world performing circus, and was even featured in a trampoline segment on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.
His career has taken him in “a weird circle,” as he spent years working with professional singers, without ever actually singing himself.
“I worked for Cirque Du Soleil for six years and that was a huge introduction to the arts,” he explained.
“I did some vocal training at Cirque, but not for singing. I would do things to make sounds and like ‘ha ha’ or … weird odd things we would do in shows. But everyone who goes to Cirque, acrobat or otherwise, does vocal training.
“When you’re performing, you speak in the shows sometimes and you’ll be speaking in a made-up language, which they call Cirquish … You’re making up all these weird sounds and weird articulations, so there is some element there that ties in the athletics and they’re trying to basically turn you into a well rounded performer.”
Following that, Menzies worked as the acrobatic director on the Broadway tour of Pippin, where he met many Tony Award winners and top Broadway singers.
When he returned from that tour two and half years ago, he decided to “make a competitive comeback” and do gymnastics again.
“I qualified for nationals, I was going to qualify for worlds again after an 11 year retirement, and I tore my ACL,” he said.
“I tore my ACL at nationals, in finals, in front of everyone.”
At first, Menzies thought his career was over.
“It was rough in the beginning, don’t get me wrong,” he admitted. “But the more I realized if I just rehabilitate, and I take my time, and I don’t rush this, I can still do stuff again. And so I’m still training, I’m still jumping on trampolines and jumping around.”
In the interim though, he needed something to help build himself back up during recovery.
That’s when he found karaoke.
“I started making this really cool connection of going to Rusty’s in Cloverdale, or going to Newlands (in Langley) and doing karaoke there, and meeting all of these wonderful, wonderful people that come from all different walks of life,” he said.
“There’s the businessmen by day, there’s stay-at-home moms, there’s a whole cool plethora of people that come from every different background you could think of that go to karaoke as an outlet.
“It’s like a therapy. People go to karaoke because it is therapy, I’ve discovered. You can just let it all out. It doesn’t matter if you’re an amazing singer, it doesn’t matter if you’re a bad singer. It’s just about are you willing to have the bravery to get out there and sing in front of people? Because that’s a scary thing to do.”
Before he knew it, Menzies had found a new platform for competing, and an unexpected group of new friends.
“When you get a karaoke person who has never done karaoke before, and the bar knows it, the place erupts because everyone just wants to see that person do well. It’s lovely. It’s a lovely community that I’ve discovered and it’s this secret little gem,” he said.
“It’s so nice, you get to meet some wonderful people. And there’s this group that we hang out with called ‘Team Thursday.’ Everyone gets together and has barbecues, we become friends outside of going to the bar.”
And for that, Menzies thanks Jacqueline Stone of Almost Famous Entertainment, the company that hosts karaoke throughout the Lower Mainland.
“She’s really gone out of her way to create this community that is supportive and kind and welcoming, and no matter what kind of singer you are, we all cheer and all give high fives when you walk off the stage.
“Without Jacqueline’s passion for this, none of us would have this little home to go to.”
FUNDRAISER
As the trip to Calgary is not fully funded, the 10 competitors from B.C. have started a GoFundMe Page to help cover some of the costs, especially for the singers who cannot afford to go.
Their goal is to raise $6,000.
To donate and find out more about the team, click here.
entertainment@langleytimes.com
