Julie SeabaughFor the debut evening of Cosplay Karaoke last month, the promo literature asked, “What would Harley Quinn sing if she had a chance? What would Peter Parker belt out? You have a chance to find out as NerdMelt hosts COSPLAY KARAOKE!” and warned “YOU MUST BE IN COSTUME IN ORDER TO SING!”
The rules were relaxed for Saturday's second go-round, once again presented by renowned comic book writer Scott Lobdell and hosted by Playboy Radio personality, adult star and “cosplay queen” Nicki Hunter. For one, just a single lone attendee explained her karaoke choice (Lana Kane of FX animated series Archer dedicated Pink's “There You Go” to her titular ex). And two, there was a whole lotta singing by those who remained un-costumed, including an “I Got You Babe” duet, Journey's “Don't Stop Believing,” Dom the Nerdmelt bartender crooning Seal's “Kiss From a Rose” and a LA Weekly reporter who shall remain nameless taking the stage for 4 Non Blondes' “What's Up.”
Credit: Lana Kane
Even after Hunter determined the event's title was officially changed to “Partyoke” near the two-hour mark, the abject rule-breaking didn't rupture the space-time continuum, and roughly three dozen attendees, including DC Comics colorist Nei Ruffino, Xena writer and exec producer Steven Sears and G4 producer Nando Velasquez continued dancing and drinking in Meltdown Comics's rear venue.
A few of the performance highlights:
-An in-the-moment Dr. Strange ripping off his cumbersome cape and duckwalking backwards during the guitar solo of Boston's “More Than a Feeling”
-The bringing onstage and singing of not one, not two, but three official “Happy Birthday” verses to newly-21-year-old attendee Judy
Credit: Boondock Saint and Lara Croft
-Dr. Strange returning to tackle Ray Charles' “Hit the Road Jack” with Hunter, decked out for the evening as Tomb Raider's Lara Croft
–X-Force's Domino tackling La Roux's “Bulletproof”
-A very masculine Rizzo from Grease opting for the Neverending Story theme song, complete with impassioned “Falkor!” cries and dissections of his childhood sexuality
-One of the Boondock Saints belting out the Animals' “House of the Rising Sun,” while Rizzo, a female Superman and a cheekily-costumed Thor's Dentist showed their approval via zombie-walk version of a traditional conga line
Credit: Blues Brother and Domino
-Lobdell, in costume as “Superman on his day off,” leading a giant, gender-divided group duet of the Grease soundtrack's “Summer Nights”
-Dr. Strange and a Batman-tee-wearing crowd favorite named Rico trading harmonies on suggestive Tenacious D absurdity “Wonderboy”
-The Boondock Saint returning for The Beatles' “Twist and Shout” and a rogue limbo contest subsequently breaking out in front of the stage
-One of the Blues Brothers joining forces with Domino to close out the evening with The Rocky Horror Picture Show's “The Time Warp”
Credit: Steven L. Sears
Cosplay Karaoke will return to NerdMelt Theater in January
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