Karaoke with Ken: AALL Annual Event

Between 40 and 60 attendees from the annual meeting descended on McGillin’s Olde English Ale House for this year’s karaoke outing. I was happy to be joined by my wife, Lisa,  and elder daughter, Kimberly. McGillin’s, just a couple blocks away from the Marriott, the main conference hotel, was plenty loud even before the singing started. Borrowing the theme from AALL Battledecks the day before, their sound system indeed was turned up to at least 11. Conversing with a table mate was virtually impossible. The volume levels were reduced slightly once the karaoke started, about 20 minutes past the scheduled 9 PM hour.

Highlights of the evening included the trio of Bonnie Shucha, Debbie Ginsberg, and Meg Kribble channeling the Pointer Sisters Sister Sledge on “We Are Family;” Jackie Prentice of Eos International getting on her Lady Gaga with “Bad Romance,” and Kimberly singing Lita Ford’s “Kiss Me Deadly.” I know that I’ve omitted many others here, both because I did not keep a list and I left relatively early, at 11:10.  So if you want to recognize other performances from the evening, simply add your comment below.  And if you’ve got photos to share, add the links in a comment.

Next year the annual meeting will be in Boston, and you can bet we’ll post the details for Karaoke with Ken 2012 edition here next May.

Join us as we celebrate ten years as an officially sponsored CS-SIS event! This year our karaoke venue will be McGillin’s Olde Ale House, a venerable Philadelphia establishment not far from the convention center and hotels.  McGillin’s and its predecessors have been operating since 1860! Karaoke will be masterfully provided by DJ Joe H. We’ll gather in the lobby of the Philadelphia Marriott (HQ hotel) on Sunday, July 24, at 8:45 PM, and then head over to McGillin’s.  If you need to come later, just meet us at the pub.  Below is a Google maps link, and directions kindly provided by Merle Slyhoff, who also helped find our venue this year.  McGillin’s own map is here.

View on Google Maps

Text Walking Directions:

Exit the Marriott on to Market Street.  Turn right and go to the corner of 13^th and Market (first .  Cross Market Street (heading south on 13^th).  Cross Chestnut Street (first light).  Drury Street is about a half block past Chestnut.  It is one small block on your right – turn right to 1310 Drury.  If you get to Sansom Street on Chestnut you went a few steps too far and Drury street will be behind you.

Update:  Meet-up time at the hotel is moved up to 8:45 PM so we can get to McGillin’s at 9.