Brother Atom Bomb of Reflection's Review of Ukulele Nuff's Karaoke Performance

The crowd at the post-graduation reception for the combined staves of Blanco Grande high School and Val Blanco Continuation High School sat eagerly as, one-by-one, each karaokeist got up and sang his or her favorite song. The evening was heavy with country western tunes, with the occasional Guns and Roses tune thrown in for balance.

But the crowd awaited the Great One. Ukulele Nuff was in the house and the rumor was that he intended to represent.

His name called, he stood up, towering over his fans. There was a gasp. A squeal involuntarily escaped one lady's mouth. Ukulele Nuff took a hearty swig from his O'Doule's and sauntered over to the mike, confidently taking it from the speechless karaoke mistress.

First song up: "New York, New York." U-Nuff squinted at the screen. He had forgotten his glasses.

This song started out pleasantly enough, but lacked the flair of a well-rehearsed saloon singer, like a Sinatra, for example. What made things worse was that U-Nuff's voice didn't need re-verb, but there was enough reverb for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. U-Nuff's voice lacked support for this tune. He often went sharp or flat and sometimes had trouble sustaining the note. At the song's finale, as if to make up for his poor performance, U-Nuff got down on one knee.

At least one member of the crowd hooted, but clearly U-Nuff had used up one of his signature moves before he had performed his second song. Also, during the second to last "New York," he stopped to clear his throat. Later, he told this reporter that he had suffered from a cold that lingered in his throat. Tell it to Pavorotii, Ukulele Nuff.

His second tune, "That's Life" faired better, although U-Nuff seemed to stumble at the end. The song was more suited to his range and his support was much better.

Ukulele Nuff told me later that he had considered singing "Fly Me to the Moon," but thought better of it. "Sometimes," he said, "you can give the audience too much of yourself, and they turn on you."

This was not one of Ukulele Nuff's better performances. It is this reporter's opinion that Ukulele Nuff needs to find new inspiration if he is to regain his former genius.