DNCE Karaoke!
Webster Hall, NYC, November 16th, 2015. The moment I left the Knitting Factory I started incessantly checking the Host VIP app. I needed one of those karaoke packages. After all, how many could they possibly sell per show? I knew quantities would be limited, and I was not missing out on this experience of a lifetime. It didn't take long until "The Toothbrush Package" popped up on the app, BEFORE it was even announced. I never purchased anything so quick in my life.
I punched in my credit card so fast, it wasn't until after it was a done deal that I realized: am I actually going to sing with DNCE?! I can sing, but can I sing with Joe Jonas who makes me shake just by his mere presence? I didn't really know if I was gonna be able to do this, but I had to. I wasn't sure if it made matters better or worse, but the package was for TWO people. I'm not much braver singing in front of my boyfriend so this one was gonna be a doozy. We settled on singing "Toothbrush" out of the four choices off the EP. I felt it was the most doable and would showcase my vocals enough (granted I could get a croak out).
It was a long day of preparing myself to sing the way I wanted to and not entirely freaking out. When we arrived at Webster Hall, we were the last of four karaoke groups. No one wanted to go first, and I was glad as could be that we got to go last. Not only would I get to watch everyone else, but generally when you go last you get the most time. The wait time went quicker than anticipated because before I knew it we were up. You only get a verse and a chorus-with the most basic of tracks, not even the full instrumental!
When Cole said to me, "Girl, you look ready to rock this!" I answered, "Ready as I'll ever be, I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack!" To which Joe replied, "Just relax, it'll be fun". The Host concierge fired up "Toothbrush", and by the second line I forgot the words. Joe picked me right back up and we were good to go...in head voice. I finally grew a pair when it was almost too late. Joe looked at me in pure shock and when Host shut the music off, he insisted they let me finish. It was a beautifully harmonized acapella ending, and they didn't even get it on camera because it was supposed to be over! But the looks on their faces was all I needed, especially when Cole told us we killed it.
Then Host handed over a selfie stick for us to take pictures with DNCE. JinJoo was in charge of operating the selfie stick, but when there were technical difficulties, Joe took over and I now have multiple close ups of the beauty marks on Joe's neck on my phone (not complaining). We broke the selfie stick, so Joe had to take the pictures (never getting rid of that phone case, it's now been touched by Nick AND Joe). They asked us if we wanted a group picture or individual; naturally I wanted my own picture. I took a nice picture, but they wanted to do a fun squad pic with my boyfriend. We wouldn't know what the backdrop on the green screen would be until we got the pictures, so we were excited to see what alternate reality they put us in (outer space). After our DNCE hangout sesh, we were first into the GA venue.
This was by the far the closest I had ever been for any performance...there wasn't even a barricade, I was literally sitting on the stage. The stage was festively decorated with cardboard cutouts of pop culture phenomenons such as 1D and Edward Cullen. In true Cole fashion, he had a shopping cart of performance accessories by his keyboard. JinJoo was decked out in pink fur and you know Jack is ready when he has a head wrap on. Joe was doing his thing diving in and out of the crowd and getting attacked by the adoring girls. For once in my life I was starting to appreciate GA, because the energy in that room was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. I felt now more than ever that Joe was truly in his element. DNCE is the real deal, I'm sorry for even doubting it for a split second.
