Some recreational pursuits swerve in and out of the realm of cool -- dancing is currently making a comeback -- but karaoke, like bowling, is always appreciated for its high-camp value. The Gladstone Hotel from Wednesdays to Saturdays and the private rooms above Clinton's used to be the hipster centres of Toronto's ever-expanding karaoke universe, but no more. Mel Mutiger of 5 Star Tours has become the city's roving ambassador of fun.
About a year ago, Mr. Mutiger had an epiphany at a karaoke club at Bathurst Street and Wilson Avenue. Tokyo is flush with karaoke cabs, but that was not Mr. Mutiger's idea: A tour guide by training, he'd blend his natural hosting skills and tourist patter with karaoke opportunities for his passengers. And voilà! The karaoke bus was born, with room for up to 14 loony crooners. He is still alone in this niche market.
Most of Mr. Mutiger's work is prebooked: For about $80 an hour, he'll take folks to their own weddings ("Sometimes they like to sing on the way to the church"), to ball games, to stags and stagettes and to the racetrack. "Once they get a few drinks in them," he says, "they sing a lot better."
When he doesn't have a big booking, Mr. Mutiger can be found at what he calls the "fun places" around town, like one of the Chick'n'delis or Second City, trolling for roving groups of karaoke fans. He'll happily pick up single passengers, who often get a break on the fare. "We're a bus. But we try to stay competitive with the taxi industry on pickups," he says. Because of Toronto cab licensing laws, Mr. Mutiger has no meter and must negotiate a fixed rate. Inside, dazzled by the disco ball and a strobe light, pretty much everyone releases their inner Cher.
The customized equipment offers about 5,000 songs on the play list, with the same cheesy sunset and skyline pictures and odd garbling of lyrics you find on karaoke machines around the world. The lyrics are displayed on a screen behind the driver's seat, and a computer rates the singer's rendition of each song.
Mr. Mutiger stocks English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Tagalog titles. Coming soon are Portuguese, German and Italian. Most of the exotic-language collection is composed of songs from the countries of origin. "That's a whole new ball game, when I play stuff in other languages, I don't know what's going on," he says. Admittedly, the idea of hearing Oops! ... I Did it Again in Tagalog is a tantalizing prospect.
On this particular night , the bus is parked outside Second City. Three members of the GTOs (Girls Together Outrageously) are beside themselves: a ride, with all their friends, and a mobile karaoke session thrown in free? The comedy troupe has just finished a gig, so they are already pumped up. For about $13, they and three other friends get a ride to the Rhino bar in Parkdale, with enough time to belt out Easy Lover and Making Love (Out of Nothing At All). "I've already had my good time," GTO trouper Mary Crosbie says when they arrive. "You're getting somewhere, and you're being entertained!"
While waiting on clients, Mr. Mutiger likes to tune his own pipes, trying to top his best scores. "Mel is the greatest," enthuses Ms. Crosbie, herself still chuffed with her two scores of near-perfect 99.
"He's not like any cab driver I've ever met. They're always trying to keep you from having any fun. Or any karaoke master: Usually they are so uptight and anal about their equipment. I mean, I try to honour the original performer's work, and if that means Neil Diamond, that means screaming.
"Mel doesn't get mad. In fact, he suggested I join a burlesque show."
For information on Mel Mutiger's karaoke bus, call 416-451-8687.