We Need to Hear You! Vote SoCal Entertainment's Locations for "BEST KARAOKE NIGHT" for 2014 Triad's Best Awards

Vote here!

This time it's YOUR TURN to do the SHOUT OUT!Our vendors need your vote to rightfully take away the 2014 Triad's Best Award from Yes! Weekly.

Our category is Entertainment & Nightlife, then scroll to "Best Karaoke Night" and select your favorite SoCal Entertainment location: Ham's or JP Looney's Kernersville ( remember to select Kernersville*)

We always appreciate your participation be it voting for our shows or showing up to them.

Thank you for taking a moment to help shed the spotlight on our small business. We love you triad!

Click here to vote now!

Miami Heat Get Low and Blur Lines for Karaoke.

Miami Heat Basketball Stars blur the lines & Get Low during charity event.

We Love Karaoke for  a cause...or just  because!

Enjoy!



Check it out here!

What Should a Bride Look for When Hiring A Wedding DJ?

What a bride should look for in a wedding DJ

Congratulations to Winners of the 2013 Showcase Magazine Rave Awards! - #SoProud #Congrats #DanvilleVA

We want to take a moment to congratulate our vendors, clients and employees of these businesses on winning a spot in the 2013 Showcase Magazine Rave Awards!

Congratulations to favorite bartender- Amy Crane who we have personally had the pleasure working with during out Saturday Karaoke shows.

We never laugh so hard as when we are talking with "the other favorite" bartender Jon Hart- who has one the best sense of humor and bartending skills we've worked with. Hart works at Buffalo Wing Wings and can be found mixing and sometimes singing during our Tuesday night Karaoke shows.




Not only does it house a the  bartending favorite John Hart, but Buffalo Wild Wings has also placed itself for an award as one of the favorite places to go. Check out our Personal review of the bar& grill here.

Check out the "never ending" Highlander voted favorite smoking bar - well it can seem like this- with it's spacious but inviting interior. Every Monday we enjoy the atmosphere and company of their crowd who come for live karaoke
 

Click here to view the online magazine


Curious  who, what and where else made it into the 2013 Showcase Magazine Rave Awards? Check out the online version provided.


...Who is going to tell them they forgot to make a spot for favorite karaoke company or favorite DJ? We have a couple suggestions on who could be in the running ;).


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5 Reasons Playing Trivia Will Keep Your Mind Sharp

SoCal Entertainment is promoting healthy minds everywhere... Ok maybe not everywhere- but definitely Every Tuesday at Ham's High Point, NC Locations ;).




1. Improved Cognition

Cognition, or thinking, can be improved with training. If you hope to learn a new skill, retain new information or practice a new craft, you need to be able to think, reason and problem solve. By playing trivia games, or utilizing a trivia app, you can improve your cognition without realizing you’re doing so. The better you get at trivia games, the easier you will find it to learn new things, concentrate on tasks and perform previously unlearned skills.

2. Fluid Intelligence

Our brains are amazing pieces of machinery. Experts call the reasoning that takes place behind our learning processes “fluid intelligence.” If you find trivia games to be confusing, difficult or even boring at first, do your best to stick with them. The more you answer trivia questions and play trivia games, the easier and more enjoyable you will find them to be. As your play becomes more frequent, your brain will adjust to its new task and adapt readily.

3. Cortisol

Do you have a stressful job? Is your life just stressful in general? When you live in a persistent state of stress, your body releases the stress hormone cortisol. The more cortisol that courses through your body, the less able you will be to concentrate, learn and even think clearly. When you play trivia games, you can effectively lessen the amount of cortisol being released by your body. The lessening of cortisol will result in an increased ability to focus and to just plain think.

4. Cross-Training
While you have dozens of choices when it comes to trivia games, the most beneficial are those that cover a variety of subjects. When you find a trivia game that forces you to recall knowledge about sports, music, history, entertainment, culture and other topics, you will have to rely on skill, memory, logic and even language in order to answer the questions. This type of game play is called mental cross-training and is so beneficial that it is often used to treat those who have suffered traumatic brain injuries.

 5. Emotion Regulation

You may not believe it, but the act of answering trivia questions and playing games can make you a happier person. Friendly competition can heighten your mood, boost your ego and make you more jovial in general. If you win the game, you’ll experience a feeling of satisfaction that can increase the release of feel-good hormones in your brain. This is a great reason to sit down with the whole family on a Friday night and pull out your trivia games.There are some people who love trivia games and some that have to learn to love them. No matter which camp you fall into, there’s no denying that trivia games benefit your brain. The next time you’re looking for something to do, find a partner and bounce some trivia questions off of each other; your brain will appreciate the workout.

Credit Given

7 Music Discovery Tools to Find New Tunes

We love Pandora as much as the next person, but for those of you who want something different or want to go a little further than the mainstream; check out these 7 sites – or tools if you will- to find your favorite local artist, hidden track  or undiscovered sound.  

1. Mixcloud- “Instead of finding individual songs and artists, on Mixcloud you'll find mixes and radio shows by DJs — both amateur and professional — that weave in and out of genres and styles. In the end, it brings you music you might never have heard otherwise.”

2. This Is My Jam-“This Is My Jam asks you to proudly share your favorite song of the moment — or the week, more precisely, since jams expire after seven days. You can explore similar and suggested songs based on your current jam in the sidebar and a related section. Through these recommended picks, you can find other jammers who are also jammin' a similar jam.”

3. Bandcamp –“In addition to being a great way to buy music from independent artists, Bandcamp helps you find music you want to support.”

4. Last.fm- “Organized in tiles at the top your dashboard, the recommendation section takes what you have been listening to (your Last.fm "scrobbles") and offers suggestions based on that data while noting which artists you like that are similar. The expanded recommendations page offers even more options to sort through, such as tags, related artists, new releases and some free downloads. You can better the odds of a helpful recommendation by removing artists in which you know you're not interested.”

5. Hype Machine-“All  The Latest Blogged Music- enough said. What everyone is talking about and sharing. Hype Machine circumvents the so-called hype machine of the major music press to bring you what's being shared across all music sites right now. In the span of a few songs, you could find a crazy EDM remix next to a folksy ballad, DIY punk single and a glitchy electronic track.”

6. The Vinyl District-“There's no better place to find new music than in a record store. Record shop employees are some of the most knowledgeable, nicest people you'll ever meet, and are happy for you to pick their brains about music recommendations and the latest releases. Unsure of where your local store is, or in an unfamiliar town? Find the stop nearest you with The Vinyl District's record store locator app.”

7. Twitter-“No, we're not just talking about Twitter Music (although that's fun to explore). Twitter itself has become an invaluable resource for staying up-to-date on the latest news, and music is no different. Follow music publications and writers whose tastes seem to align with yours (or be adventurous and follow someone with different tastes), and check out the artists they're tweeting about. It's their jobs to stay on top of the latest on the music scene…”

Credit given to Mashable

Pre-Game for Triva Tuesday with 10 Random Facts

In honor of our #TriviaTuesday shows  at our favorite  Ham’s Locations in High Point.  We’ve listed 10 random facts to pre-game with. Enjoy!

1.      Horses cannot breathe through their mouth. If their nostrils become obstructed, they could suffocate.

2.      A group of eggs, such as those found in a bird's nest, is known as a "clutch."

3.      The famous Aaron Burr “Got Milk?” ad from 1993 was directed by Michael Bay.

4.      Giant squids have been known to feast on baby whales.

5.      The poinsettia, the red-and-green flower commonly seen in Christmas arrangements, isn't snow-friendly; it's native to sunny Mexico.

6.      For years, the pharmaceutical company Bayer held the trademark for the word “heroin” and sold the drug as a cough and headache remedy. Lake Nicaragua is the only spot on Earth where freshwater sharks swim in their native habitat.

7.      In a fit of uncharacteristic decisiveness, President James Buchanan tried to buy Cuba. However, his plans ground to a halt when Congress refused to give him the dough to purchase the island, believing that the president would take the money and skip the country.

8.      Tire mogul Harvey Firestone gave President Calvin Coolidge a pygmy hippopotamus in 1927. Today, many of the pygmy hippos in US zoos are that one's descendants.

9.      There are molecules called Sonic hedgehog and Robotnikinin, both named after the popular Sega characters.

10.  Donald Duck's middle name is Fauntleroy.

 

To participate in our live trivia shows all you need is a brain, sense of humor and the ability to spell fairly close to what you want to say. Bring these qualifications to one of our participating venues below!

 

 

* Live Trivia - Palladium Ham's Restaurant in High Point

9pm - 11pm 5840 Samet Dr.

Phone: (336) -887-2434

 

 * Live Trivia - N.Main St. Ham's Restaurant in High Point

8pm - 10pm 2001 N. Main St.

Phone:(336) 887-1556

 

 

 

Warm Up to Your Co-Workers with These Ice- Breakers

Brrr it's cold in here....traditional office ice breakers may not be the way to fire up the office. Don't leave your team with frost bite and check out some of our recommendations below on how to warm everyone up!

A study by the American Psychological Association notes that although companies have the best intentions,  icebreakers "can be counterproductive if not executed properly—disrupting trust, heightening tensions, and allowing cynicism to grow in the workplace."

The suggestions below provide some out of the box ideas  on how to build up vs break down the team spirit  in the workplace. 

1. Volunteer Together
It allows everyone  to get on an equal playing field while supporting a good cause. Making the world a better place with others reminds everyone just how human. Not to mention there's a good feeling associated with making a difference. Taking this work toward a common goal and positive feeling into the office can strengthen the work environment.

2. Attend a Sports Event
Cheering for a common team reminds everyone that once again there is a bond and common goal. Loose or win, they see another team working together and giving their all. Inspiration with a side of popcorn, hot dogs, peanuts and cracker jacks- whatever your choice- is always a win!

3.Karaoke **
We will be the first to admit that the thought of getting up alone in front of strangers let alone your co-workers is less than comforting...which is why you do this as a team! Music brings people together- its a known fact ;). Gathering the group for some Journey or other classics provide a great way to make laughs, memories and once again remind everyone at the end of the day we are all human.

4. Local Music
As we noted- music and memories go hand in hand. If you aren't going to take the mic, let someone else. Enjoying local food and music supports the community and breaks away from the office. Appreciating talent together and enjoying a good meal is a great way to unwind from the office and wind up with a friend.

5.Be A Kid About It
Bowling, air hokey, go karts, lazer tag- all incorporate some team work and healthy competition that will mirror the workplace. We're all kids at heart after all.

6. Live Trivia **
Brining all different backgrounds an interests to accomplish a common goal and beat other teams in the process- isn't that what most companies are doing on a daily basis?  but now you can add chicken wings and hilarious team names into the mix. And.... if you're looking for a spot, we might know a company that can help you out ;).

** SoCal Entertainment would love to hear if you plan on brining a group in for one of our Karaoke or Live Trivia shows. We'd love to do something special for you.

** Also if you can't leave the office, bring the fun to you. SoCal Entertainment comes fully insured and with our own equipment, so we are always ready and happy to host any event at your office in both a professional and personal manner.