David Gaines (a.k.a. Dave The Karaoke Guy) is a classically trained musician with over 40 years of experience in all aspects of music and audio and degrees in music from Northwestern, American, and Johns Hopkins universities. A recipient of multiple GigSalad Top Performer and Thumbtack BEST OF awards, as well as Thumbtack's exclusive Top Pro designation for 2019, he has been hosting karaoke with his unique blend of humor, encouragement, and friendly banter at all types of private events around the Washington and Baltimore areas since 2009. He's also served as the regular karaoke host at a variety of local venues, most recently at Vine Alley Bistro in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Dave was responsive and well prepared for our event. He kept the music flowing and Interacted well with our group.
Had the music we wanted and was able to cater to the crowd. We absolutely loved it and would use him again and recommend to friends.
Dave was absolutely wonderful to work with! He provided all necessary equipment, was accommodating and detailed, and ensured that our attendees had a night to remember. I heard our guests talking about it for days after, I highly recommend Dave!
Response from Dave The Karaoke Guy:
Hello Maya! Thank you so very much - your group may well have been the biggest and most enthusiastic collection of karaoke enthusiasts I have ever worked with! They were amazing! I only wish we had had enough time to accommodate every request as we could easily have gone all night! I hope we can work together again sometime.
Dave was great to work with. The planning process was easy and Dave took care of all the details. Our participants at the conference had a great time and Dave was a big part of that. The song list was perfect and his sound equipment was top notch. We only need to make sure the hotel ballroom had a place to for him to plug in. We will DEFINITELY use his services again for a future conference. HIGHLY recommend.
Response from Dave The Karaoke Guy:
Wow, thank you Barbie! What a pleasure it was to work with you and the hotel staff, all of whom were incredibly helpful and provided everything I needed. I'd love to come back and work with your organization again anytime.
Easy to work with and great service !
Response from Dave The Karaoke Guy:
Merci beaucoup, Cedric! I'm glad you found my gear easy and fun to use. Looking forward to working with you again and remember that I offer repeat clients a 10% thank you discount.
Dave was great. Everyone had a fun time. If you want a fun karaoke party hire Dave
Dave was a great Karaoke DJ. Professional, prompt and helps make your party a total success!
Response from Dave The Karaoke Guy:
Thank you so much, Stefanie! Your location is stunning and perfect for an outdoor party. Looking forward to working there with you again!
We hired Dave for my fiance's 7-year-old's birthday party. Dave was friendly, accommodating and extremely professional from the planning stages of the party to the conclusion. He truly saved the day as it was rainy and dismal outside, and he kept the party going inside. All ages enjoyed Dave's karaoke options. I definitely plan to hire Dave for future events, including our wedding reception. He's a first-rate karaoke DJ!
Response from Dave The Karaoke Guy:
Thank you very much, Emily, that's so kind of you! I'm looking forward to helping with your big day. :-D
Dave set up his top notch karaoke equipment in our living room, and taught us how to use it. Everyone from ages 4 to 75 had a blast belting out their favorite songs. I highly recommend working with Dave - a true professional who loaded up our requests as additions to his thousands of songs, and made sure our whole experience was perfect.
Response from Dave The Karaoke Guy:
Hi Jane, I'm so thrilled that you enjoyed yourselves so much. I'm always delighted to help people celebrate the important occasions in their lives with family karaoke. Happy Birthday!
We booked Dave for a birthday party and had a great experience. Dave is prompt in responding to any questions, and Very professional from beginning to end. He arrived early to set up, has multiple binders of every song imaginable, and you can even ask him to adjust tempo and keys.
Response from Dave The Karaoke Guy:
Thank you so much, Betty - what a fun group and some great singing talent as well. Looking forward to working with you again in the future!
Dave did a good job and the party was a success - we would hire him again.
Dave dh'd our family birthday party on July 4th. He was easy to work with and played whatever we requested. He had about six books to look through and every generation found songs to sing. He was amenable to whatever we requested. Just a really nice guy! Would definitely recommend him and will definitely use him again. :)
Many thanks to Dave for helping us ring, I mean sing in the new year. Those who joined in thoroughly enjoyed themselves and others really enjoyed the entertainment. Dave was timely, professional and has a pretty good song library. We look forward to another opportunity.
Response from Dave The Karaoke Guy:
Thanks, Jade! I had as much fun as you all did and was happy to make some new friends. Hope to see you all again soon!
Price Range: Rentals $170-$200 + tax / Karaoke DJ $375 + up
Gig Length: 120 - 360 minutes
Languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, Esperanto
Insurance: $1,000,000 - Standard DJ/KJ liability coverage - will provide a Certificate of Insurance on request
A karaoke DJ is a cross between a game show host, a master of ceremonies, a disc jockey, and a ringleader! I introduce singers, perhaps ask them a couple of questions to put them at ease, occasionally walk through the crowd to break the ice, announce the song, and keep the music going as smoothly as possible in between singers. I might also suggest songs to people based on their musical interests or what kind of voice they have. Overall, the more people who participate (singing talent NOT required) and the more they and I interact with each other, the more fun everyone will have.
MEET DAVE THE KARAOKE GUY!
David Gaines (a.k.a. Dave The Karaoke Guy) is a classically trained musician with over 40 years of experience in all aspects of music and audio and degrees in music from Northwestern, American, and Johns Hopkins universities. He has been hosting karaoke with his unique blend of humor, encouragement, and friendly banter at all types of private events around the Washington and Baltimore areas since 2009.
Dave has also served as the regular karaoke host at a variety of local venues including D.C.'s Uptown Tap House and Sign Of The Whale, the American Tap Room in Rockville, Sugo Osteria in Potomac, the Olney Winery, Vine Alley Bistro in Gaithersburg, Hook & Reel Cajun Seafood restaurant in Montgomery Village, and Charlie’s Bar at Mangia Italian Bar & Grill in Annapolis.
WHY HIRE DAVE?
• Solid reputation as a reliable and ethical music professional - also super friendly & easy to work with
• 14 years of karaoke experience in nearly all types of venues and with all age groups
• KJ bookings carry full liability insurance (COI provided to clients on request)
• Many thousands of songs from all genres and time periods -- 1940s standards to this year's top 40 hits -- with more added regularly....special requests are no problem!
• All songs purchased as downloads from reputable commercial karaoke distributors or as original CD+G discs - no pirating or illegal copying
• My KJ services are built around a professional, computer-based PA system custom designed by me specifically for high quality karaoke audio and video
• My rentals feature pro quality machines packed with features but very easy to use — delivery**
and setup included!
• I provide karaoke exclusively - not as a sideline or add-on to a DJ business
** rentals provided ONLY within 20 miles of Zip code 20851
I have a complete PA system designed by me specifically for karaoke audio/video. It includes a professional, laptop-based karaoke hosting program, stand-mounted 24" flatscreen TV with HDMI inputs, and various small accent lights. I can configure the PA system either on the small side (for private homes, bars, apartment complex community rooms, small conference rooms) or the larger side (for corporate cafeterias, hotel ballrooms and large conference rooms, outdoor events, etc.). I also have a 2nd video output available by way of an HDMI splitter in case your venue has a TV for the audience to view. I'll bring the appropriate system for your needs after consulting with you.
| December 18, 2024 • All-day event | Denizens Karaoke Night |
| December 12, 2024 • 6:00pm - 9:00pm | Corporate Event |
| November 23, 2024 • All-day event | Private Event |
| October 29, 2024 • All-day event | Private Event |
| October 12, 2024 • 7:00pm - 10:00pm | Cocktail Party |
| August 16, 2024 • 7:30pm - 11:30pm | Nonprofit Event |
| August 02, 2024–August 03, 2024 • 10:00pm - 12:00am | Nonprofit Event |
| June 08, 2024 • 6:00pm - 8:00pm | Birthday Party |
| March 08, 2024 • 7:30pm - 10:00pm | Birthday Party |
| February 24, 2024–February 25, 2024 • 8:00pm - 12:00am | Corporate Event |
| January 27, 2024 • 12:00pm - 2:00pm | Children’s Birthday Party |
| December 31, 2023 • 7:00pm - 10:30pm | Festival |
| December 23, 2023 • 6:00pm - 9:00pm | Festival |
| December 16, 2023 • 7:30pm - 10:30pm | Christmas Party |
| December 03, 2023 • 7:00pm - 9:00pm | Corporate Event |
| June 10, 2023 • 6:00pm - 9:00pm | House Party |
| March 11, 2023 • 9:00pm - 11:00pm | Birthday Party |
| December 10, 2022 • 6:00pm - 10:00pm | Birthday Party |
| June 03, 2022 • 7:00pm - 9:00pm | Retirement Community Event |
| May 07, 2022 • 5:00pm - 7:00pm | Children’s Birthday Party |
| February 19, 2022 • 4:30pm - 6:30pm | Birthday Party |
| February 16, 2019 • 6:30pm - 9:30pm | Birthday Party |
| October 05, 2017 • 1:00pm - 5:00pm | Corporate Event |
| July 09, 2017 • 11:00am - 12:30pm | Bar/Bat Mitzvah Party |
| January 15, 2016 • 7:00pm - 8:00pm | American Tap Room, Rockville Town Center, Rockville, MD |
| January 08, 2016 • 7:00pm - 8:00pm | American Tap Room, Rockville Town Center, Rockville, MD |
| December 18, 2015 • 7:00pm - 8:00pm | Rockville, MD |
| December 16, 2015 • 7:00pm - 8:00pm | Damascus, MD |
| December 16, 2015 • 1:00pm - 5:00pm | Holiday Party (Christmas) |
| December 13, 2015 • 7:00pm - 8:00pm | Washington, DC |
| December 12, 2015 • 7:00pm - 8:00pm | Gaithersburg, MD |
| December 10, 2015 • 7:00pm - 8:00pm | Potomac, MD |
| December 09, 2015 • 7:00pm - 8:00pm | Gaithersburg, MD |
| December 05, 2015 • 7:00pm - 8:00pm | Chantilly, VA |
| December 04, 2015 • 7:00pm - 8:00pm | Washington, DC |
| July 28, 2015 • 4:30pm - 7:30pm | Birthday (Child) |
| July 04, 2015 • 6:00pm - 8:00pm | Birthday (Adult) |
| December 30, 2013 • 3:00pm - 5:30pm | Private Party |
I need at LEAST two hours, and frequently three hours, prior to start time for loading in, parking, setting up, and doing a soundcheck. If there's no elevator or lift and I have to load in up a stairway to an upper floor, that requires even more time (and
I carry a handcart with me but if you or your venue have a large dolly or luggage cart available, that is always helpful.
Frederick, MD 
Videographer
25 Verified Bookings Reanna D. said “Worked with Jaabran and team for an event for about 50 people. It was easy to schedule with him, and we had an amazing time. Nothing to improve from my…”
Springfield, VA
DJ
67 Verified Bookings Hallie T. said “The DJ provided a whole other level of fun to our fall party.”
Alexandria, VA
DJ
84 Verified Bookings Stephanie S. said “The music was great and DJ Nose knocked it out of the park! Everyone had a great time and even if they weren’t on the dance floor they were singing along…”
Washington, DC
DJ
11 Verified Bookings Melissa B. said “Steve was fantastic for our fundraising gala. He purchased music to fit the Great Gatsby theme and was always very receptive to making sound adjustments,…”
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