DJ blends dance breaks into karaoke

King is a DJ, of course. But, during the combined dance/karaoke events she hosts weekly at Fiesta Rancho and Boulder Station, King uses her knowledge of both music and people to craft karaoke performances and dance breaks into one seamless party.

King grew up in Kingman, Ariz., and, in her early 20s and seeking excitement and a career, “moved to Las Vegas to see what Las Vegas would bring me.”

That led her to audition for and land a job as lead singer in a band that played, she says, “mostly rock and blues.” She played various venues around town with the band for about five years and, as the group’s frontwoman, developed a feel for how to play for audiences.

“I would see, when I was out performing, there were so many areas we could go (based on) crowd response to a particular song,” King says.

And, King came to realize, “I knew that if I could just DJ, I could have these people in the palm of my hand.”

So, seven years ago, King struck out as a DJ. In addition to her regular dates at casinos and lounges, she plays private parties, corporate gigs and even weddings.

“I’m pretty much all over town as far as DJing,” King says. While many of those are straight DJ dates, she enjoys the challenge inherent in combining DJ sets with karaoke.

“Karaoke is a great way to be on the mic and interact with people,” King says. “Karaoke is all about making people feel good — singing, doing singalongs, encouraging them when they’re scared.

“I do karaoke and DJ. I like to do dance breaks because, especially at karaoke, there are a lot of people who like to dance and don’t know how to sing, so I try to include them, too, by doing short dance breaks.”

And, because she has so many local regulars, King interacts with them to make the shows even more fun. For example, she’ll text to them song suggestions they might like to perform during their next visit.

Many regulars are talented, King says. “I just want them to reach outside the box. And I don’t want my show to be predictable. I want to encourage people to try something new so my show is fresh and not just the same old singers.

“I love talent and I love music, and I love bringing people together through music.”

DJ Tara King’s regular dates include the Cabo Lounge at the Fiesta Rancho, 2400 N. Rancho Drive, at 8 p.m. Thursdays and the Kixx Bar at Boulder Station, 4111 Boulder Highway, at 8 p.m. Fridays.

— By JOHN PRZYBYS