TROUBLE WITH DEROSA: Colin Sannes

The master of karaoke hosts runs into Trouble

By Steph DeRosa on March 14, 2010

Colin Sannes has definitely made a name for himself in the karaoke scene. Finding more than a handful of people at any given time in Tacoma who have never heard of Colin is nearly impossible.  With only two nights off a week, karaoke hounds can find Colin lining up the songs for customers at Puget Sound Pizza on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, at Tempest Lounge on Thursdays, and Stonegate Pizza on Mondays. 

I asked Colin what he liked to do with his mere two nights off a week, anticipating some sort of exciting game play. Maybe even a little juicy info for this column; you know, cause a little "Trouble."

Fat chance.  I'll spare you the boring details of Colin's mundane days off.  Instead, I milked him for gossip.

STEPH DEROSA: OK, Colin.  Which one of the three locations where you host karaoke is your favorite?  Which one is the worst?  Give me some scandal, Colin.

COLIN SANNES:  Honestly, all the locations are cool.  I like them all. 

DEROSA: Hmm, fine then.  Which one has the most annoying clientele? 

SANNES: None of them.  They're all good in their own way.  Steph, I really do enjoy what I do, and I like helping people have fun.

DEROSA: Grrr. You're not giving me anything to work with here!  Let's try this: Tell me what songs you would use to describe each venue.  Make them good.  Let's start with Puget Sound Pizza.  Go.

SANNES: Fine.  For PSP I would say "Just Like Heaven" by The Cure.  For Stonegate I would say "Just the Two of Us" by Grover Washington, and for Tempest it would be "Going Out West" by Tom Waits.

DEROSA: Seriously?  Those are all nice songs!  You gave me nothing naughty like "Closer" from Nine Inch Nails, or "Rootless Tree" by Damien Rice.  You're too nice!

SANNES: What I can tell you is I'm so sick of the song "Summer Nights" from Grease, "Criminal" by Fiona Apple, and "Picture" from Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow - which I think is a rip-off from Air Supply's "Lost in Love".

DEROSA: (Begins to sing "Lost in Love")

SANNES: Hey, that was pretty good.  My cockles were definitely affected.

DEROSA: Yes!  You're being naughty and perverted!  Finally! 

SANNES: Steph, a cockle is in your EAR.

DEROSA: OK, now you're just being offensive, Colin.  Besides, my ear hole isn't big enough for that kind of thing.