On Nickie Fonseca’s 26th birthday, her friends dared her to do
karaoke. Despite her timid demeanor, Fonseca did not back down
– singing the tune
”
More Than Words
”
by Extreme at Betsy’s Lounge in Morgan Hill.
Fonseca hasn’t been the same since.
On Nickie Fonseca’s 26th birthday, her friends dared her to do karaoke. Despite her timid demeanor, Fonseca did not back down – singing the tune “More Than Words” by Extreme at Betsy’s Lounge in Morgan Hill.
Fonseca hasn’t been the same since.
“I did it,” said Fonseca as she reminisced about the experience. “In high school, I couldn’t even get up to do an oral report. It was pretty frightening.”
For the next year or so, Fonseca and her friends began hanging out at Betsy’s every Friday night for karaoke.
“Karaoke, it kind of opened me up. It opened me up a lot,” said Fonseca, 33. “I’m a people person now.”
Fonseca enjoyed entertaining so much that she started her own karaoke business – Nix Kick’n Karaoke – shortly after with the blessing of her husband and co-owner Art Fonseca.
“I still get nervous,” she said. “I’m always nervous at the beginning of a show, but once it gets going, I kind of roll with it.”
The 20-year San Martin resident has since seen her patrons undergo the same transformation, simply by stepping up to the microphone and singing a song in front of strangers.
“You can always tell people who want to try it. They are always thumbing through the (song) book,” said Fonseca, who usually approaches the first-timer, introduces herself, and asks if they want to give it a whirl. “It’s a lot of fun. I tell them, ‘Don’t be scared, no one is going to boo you.’
“All it takes is one time and you will be hooked,” she said. “When they come up, their hands are shaking and sweaty. I tell them to take a deep cleansing breath. Sometimes I help in the beginning. Once they’ve got it, I back off.”
Fonseca knows from personal experience, and she tries to make every karaoke singer feel as comfortable as they can be before, during and even after giving a performance. First-timers have to eat a ceremonial cherry after they’re done.
“I’ve literally watched people transform,” Fonseca said. “It gives you a lot of confidence.”
It helped her husband, Art, as well.
“It’s been good for him, too. He was a real quiet type. He loves it just as much as I do. It’s changed his personality as well,” Fonseca said. “It is strictly for fun. It’s for everybody just to have a good time.”
Fonseca – who tested her stage fright by entering a singing contest in San Jose and taking second place – started making good times for everyone in 1997 when she got her first gig at the Box Seat in Morgan Hill.
“I told the owner to give me a chance. I said I would do the first show for free,” Fonseca said. “We got slammed.”
Together with her husband, Fonseca’s new-found passion had become an instant breadwinner for her family. Instead of working nights on a full-time basis, she was making more money as a part-time karaoke disc jockey.
“I did it to stay home with my kids. That’s a big deal for me,” Fonseca said. “I love it. I love to sit back in the bar when it’s packed. Sometimes I trip out on the people laughing, clapping and getting into it. It makes me feel good that I’m able to entertain them.”
Fonseca’s first steady gig came from The Office in Hollister. At first, she did not want to make the trip down Highway 25 to San Benito County – but she ended up taking it anyway.
“I love Hollister. I love Morgan Hill, too, but Hollister is my bread-and-butter,” said Fonseca, who worked at The Office every Thursday night until it closed down about three years ago.
Friday nights soon became (and still are) Fonseca’s biggest at the Hollister Family Bowling Center – which brings out her most loyal and dedicated customers of all ages.
“It’s pretty packed every Friday night,” Fonseca said of the Hollister lanes that are getting remodeled. “It’s a little different show. We have a lot of singers in the beginning, but only so many people can listen to karaoke for so long. We get singers to sing and then others like to dance.”
Fonseca – who has done one-night shows at Whiskey Creek and Johnny’s in Hollister – used to do Monday nights at the Longhouse in Gilroy for an eight-month period. In Morgan Hill, she performed twice at the Box Seat while becoming a mainstay on Thursday and Saturday nights at Betsy’s Lounge from 9 p.m. to closing.
“It seems like karaoke is more popular today,” Fonseca said. “You hear about karaoke everywhere. Everyone wants to be a star. Everybody wants to be in that limelight even if for that split second.”
Now a 6-year-old business, Fonseca has accumulated more than 7,000 songs – covering the wide spectrum of the music world. She adds to her collection every four months as new songs come out and become popular.
“I don’t know how long it’s going to last. … In Hollister, I just don’t have slow nights,” Fonseca said. “It’s gotta die down. It can’t last forever. Truthfully, it’s stronger over there (Hollister) than six years ago.
“When it slows down and we have a dry streak for a long time, then I’ll know the karaoke fad is over. I’ll leave it knowing I had a great time. I was able to pay my bills and stay home with my kids. I’ll never forget it.”
Until that time comes though, Fonseca will be out and about making sure everyone has a good time.
“I have so much customer love. I really do. I will stand there and make sure everyone gets home safe. They’ve given me so much,” Fonseca said. “A lot of these people have become part of my family. I met a lot of good people who became good friends.”
