It was when he hit the high note in Radiohead鈥檚 song Creep, and saw the crowd go nuts, that Adam Menzies became hooked on singing.
The 91原创 resident was at Rusty鈥檚 Neighbourhood Pub in Cloverdale on a weeknight, and karaoke happened to be on.
鈥淲hen you see people in a bar who are just there to have a drink, chat with their buddies, they鈥檙e not there for karaoke 鈥� sometimes karaoke just happens to people when they go to the bar. They鈥檙e like, 鈥極h God, karaoke is happening, I hope they don鈥檛 suck.鈥欌�� Menzies laughed.
鈥淏ut when you see somebody who you think is very disinterested, and you watch them take notice when you鈥檙e singing 鈥� that鈥檚 an addicting thing, because you鈥檙e like 鈥極h, I鈥檓 affecting the room.鈥� That I think is fascinating.鈥�
Two years later and Menzies, 32, is now taking his voice to the national stage.
He is one of 10 finalists from British Columbia to make it to the Karaoke World Championships Canada competition, being held in Calgary, Alta. Aug. 30 to Sept. 3.
Joining him are other B.C. singers Justin Wong, Jennifer Victor, Shawna Palmer, Todd Klassen, Sandra Nogueira, Francis Cardeno, Lauren Briggs, JP Vega, and wildcards Matt Briard and Jess Escobar.
There, 50 vocalists from across the country will go head to head for a chance to represent Canada at the world championships in Finland later this year, where 32 different counties will compete.
鈥淏ut no one is doing it for that,鈥� Menzies said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all just doing that because we like to sing. It鈥檚 not about the actual competition part of it, because everyone supports everyone.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a very supportive environment, it鈥檚 awesome.鈥�
INTERNATIONAL PERFORMER
Performing in front of a large crowd is nothing new for Menzies.
He has also been an internationally ranked gymnast for 18 years, winning the world championships in trampoline in 2003, and a professional acrobat with Cirque Du Soleil.
Menzies has travelled the world performing circus, and was even featured in a trampoline segment on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.
His career has taken him in 鈥渁 weird circle,鈥� as he spent years working with professional singers, without ever actually singing himself.
鈥淚 worked for Cirque Du Soleil for six years and that was a huge introduction to the arts,鈥� he explained.
鈥淚 did some vocal training at Cirque, but not for singing. I would do things to make sounds and like 鈥榟a ha鈥� or 鈥� weird odd things we would do in shows. But everyone who goes to Cirque, acrobat or otherwise, does vocal training.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e performing, you speak in the shows sometimes and you鈥檒l be speaking in a made-up language, which they call Cirquish 鈥� You鈥檙e making up all these weird sounds and weird articulations, so there is some element there that ties in the athletics and they鈥檙e trying to basically turn you into a well rounded performer.鈥�
Following that, Menzies worked as the acrobatic director on the Broadway tour of Pippin, where he met many Tony Award winners and top Broadway singers.
When he returned from that tour two and half years ago, he decided to 鈥渕ake a competitive comeback鈥� and do gymnastics again.
鈥淚 qualified for nationals, I was going to qualify for worlds again after an 11 year retirement, and I tore my ACL,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 tore my ACL at nationals, in finals, in front of everyone.鈥�
At first, Menzies thought his career was over.
鈥淚t was rough in the beginning, don鈥檛 get me wrong,鈥� he admitted. 鈥淏ut the more I realized if I just rehabilitate, and I take my time, and I don鈥檛 rush this, I can still do stuff again. And so I鈥檓 still training, I鈥檓 still jumping on trampolines and jumping around.鈥�
In the interim though, he needed something to help build himself back up during recovery.
That鈥檚 when he found karaoke.
鈥淚 started making this really cool connection of going to Rusty鈥檚 in Cloverdale, or going to Newlands (in 91原创) and doing karaoke there, and meeting all of these wonderful, wonderful people that come from all different walks of life,鈥� he said.
鈥淭here鈥檚 the businessmen by day, there鈥檚 stay-at-home moms, there鈥檚 a whole cool plethora of people that come from every different background you could think of that go to karaoke as an outlet.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like a therapy. People go to karaoke because it is therapy, I鈥檝e discovered. You can just let it all out. It doesn鈥檛 matter if you鈥檙e an amazing singer, it doesn鈥檛 matter if you鈥檙e a bad singer. It鈥檚 just about are you willing to have the bravery to get out there and sing in front of people? Because that鈥檚 a scary thing to do.鈥�
Before he knew it, Menzies had found a new platform for competing, and an unexpected group of new friends.
鈥淲hen you get a karaoke person who has never done karaoke before, and the bar knows it, the place erupts because everyone just wants to see that person do well. It鈥檚 lovely. It鈥檚 a lovely community that I鈥檝e discovered and it鈥檚 this secret little gem,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so nice, you get to meet some wonderful people. And there鈥檚 this group that we hang out with called 鈥楾eam Thursday.鈥� Everyone gets together and has barbecues, we become friends outside of going to the bar.鈥�
And for that, Menzies thanks Jacqueline Stone of , the company that hosts karaoke throughout the Lower Mainland.
鈥淪he鈥檚 really gone out of her way to create this community that is supportive and kind and welcoming, and no matter what kind of singer you are, we all cheer and all give high fives when you walk off the stage.
鈥淲ithout Jacqueline鈥檚 passion for this, none of us would have this little home to go to.鈥�
FUNDRAISER
As the trip to Calgary is not fully funded, the 10 competitors from B.C. have started a GoFundMe Page to help cover some of the costs, especially for the singers who cannot afford to go.
Their goal is to raise $6,000.
To donate and find out more about the team, click .
entertainment@langleytimes.com
