MONTHLY OPEN MIC // BOLLYWOOD NIGHT
Frequently Asked Questions - PLEASE READ
RSVP required to attend www.tinyurl.com/SaratogaBollywood
OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS for the monthly event - please review
Agreement is required to attend / participate
Click here to read or go to http://saratogatemple.org/tc
- Just a relaxing Friday evening with music, comedy, dance and whatever else you wish
- RSVP required to attend www.tinyurl.com/SaratogaBollywood Address provided upon RSVP - we have many hosts who take turns hosting once a year. Let us know if you are interested to host this too
- Dress code: Party style
- Live Facebook broadcast via facebook.com/rishi1
- Birthdays of the month: If you are celebrating a birthday, please bring a cake and let us make it a community celebration
- Note: All the performances are captured on video. Pictures are taken and pictures/videos posted to social meKdia platforms. Our video recording is a direct feed audio recording, pretty good quality, that you can enjoy again and again.
7pm - Appetizers
7:30pm Tip-Off, lineup for the evening gets set
Performance begins...continues over dinner
8:30pm - Dinner
10pm - Birthday Celebration, cake cutting
10:15pm ....Lights off, all on the dance floor
Wrap - anytime after 11pm, usually by midnight
WHEN? – We are usually on the 1st Friday of the month.
Please RSVP and event details will be emailed to you. Occasionally, our monthly events are cancelled depending on what other madness is going on in our lives. Our events do not occur on the Friday prior to long weekends.
WHERE? – Varies very month. This event is rotated between willing hosts. If you are interested in hosting, contact Rishi
COVER CHARGE - There is none...you get in FREE, getting out maybe a challenge ha ha ha
But there is a catch...you have to support Saratoga businesses
If hosted at a home, please consider bringing something for the potluck or for the host from a Saratoga business
WHAT?
"Discover how Fun is Freeeee
Try a rockin' new act...gift yourself the Maniacal Glee.
Your chance to experiment....discover a New-You!
The monthly event, where you can go totally Footlose! "
We are a BOLLYWOOD themed monthly gathering, where anything and everything goes. We love songs, dances, stand-up comedy, musical performances etc. from all parts of the world. This is a relaxed cozy setting, to inter-mingle and make some new friends.
WHAT CAN I BRING? -
Our events are usually a potluck. Bring an appetizer, main course or dessert
If your spouse is celebrating a birthday this month, bring a cake and surprise your spouse.
I would like to stay connected
https://www.facebook.com/SiliconValleyBollywood
EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION http://groups.google.com/group/ValleyTalent
www.siliconvalleybollywood.com
HOW DO I GET INTO THE PERFORMANCE LINEUP?
LIKE our Facebook page : http://www.facebook.com/siliconvalleybollywood
Submit your RSVP here http://tinyurl.com/SaratogaBollywood
You get to perform once, and we move to the next performer. We repeat this usually and you get to go a 2nd time
HISTORY
Amazing memories of a vibrant fun -loving community gathering that started as a wine & cheese singing party on September 10th, 2010, moved to Bell Tower Bistro July 6th 2011, quickly moved to the Blue Rock Shoot and stayed there for so many years, and with the remodel project of Blue Rock Shoot, we moved to a format where we rotate the event host every month
COVER CHARGE? There is NONE. But...help Saratoga businesses There are no cover charge. But ...Our public event, the monthly open mic "Saratoga Village Karaoke" started July 2011 to coincide the launch of the Saratoga Village Farmer's market, at the Bell Tower Bistro. Our intention was to jump start our downtown economy and bring net new foot traffic to Saratoga Village...a good cause, turned into a fun event. We moved to the Blue Rock Shoot for many, many years, led to raising money for Saratoga Senior Center, a "Saratoga's got Talent" annual competition....and with the recent BRS project, we have moved to a new location with "Silicon Valley's got Bollywood" and a format that includes a catered dinner. A fantastic evening to relax, make a few new friends and kick off the weekend in style. Your network grows, you allow your cool vibe to imbibe upon the gathering, and a monthly karaoke gathering becomes a way of life for you too :-)
Why Bollywood? Our religious 501C3 organization, “Saratoga Hindu Temple and Community center” has the charter of- community building, education and cultural offering. That is why Bollywood fitness has been part of our offering since day 1. Bollywood nights have been an offering for many years to integrate our community and allow opportunities to intermingle, while having a bit of fun on a Friday evening. The 4th annual Silicon Valley’s got Bollywood is part of our 6th annual Hindu New Year celebration that seeks to integrate all the spring celebrations of India. Why have regional separatism and Bollywood truly brings everyone under one umbrella and it is ubiquitous across the country. The Hindu New Year celebrates Cheti Chand/ Gudi Padava/ Holi/ Nabo Barsho/ Puthandu/ Ugadi/ Vaisakhi
What formats do you support? How do I bring in my music?
We accommodate all formats, you can also bring your karaoke track on a USB stick, iPad, Smart phone, CD etc. (Playing it off YouTube is iffy due to the buffering that we occasionally hit. You can download the Youtube video into a USB stick prior and bring it.
WHAT CAN I PERFORM?
We love almost everything. Bollywood works well...anything else works well too. Singing, dancing, stand up comedy, live music – whatever talents you have, put it up on display. And we call it a celebration of cultures; songs and music from every part of the world is welcome and encouraged.
If you have a percussion, string instruments etc. bring it along. At BRS, there is also an upright piano available for live musical performances. Self-composed live music? That is a lethal combination - we love it! Want to go unplugged, Acapella? Bring it on!
Is there a dress code?
Everyone dresses to impress...
Check the event details - we sometimes have a theme for the event and you may want to wear something to reflect that.
If you are unsure, dress to impress - be the bollywood superstar you are meant to be!
Party dress works well
When do I get to perform
You are inserted into the lineup once you arrive and let me know that you are interested to perform
We typically will run through one round - repeat rounds are sometimes feasible depending on the talent pool interested
Our lineup is typically pre-set. Please RSVP at at our Facebook page (Facebook.com/SiliconValleyBollywood or at the Facebook events page). Also email a brief description of your act to siliconvalleysgottalent <at> gmail.com. YOu should see the FB events page updated with you in the lineup (see event description for the lineup that month). If you don't see yourself in the lineup, come at us with a hammer...we have too much time on our hands, and if we goof up, you gotta get us!
Occasionally, we will use the lineup via a "white board" and based on your arrival, your name is placed upon the white board. If you want to perform, let the organizers know and you will be called when your turn comes. Typically FIFO.
If you have performed once already, please let all the others perform at least once, before coming back for round2
LINKS TO STAY CONNECTED
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/SiliconValleyBollywood or facebook.com/saratogabollywood
(Hit LIKE to connect with a growing family of Talented Silicon Valley performers)
YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/SaratogansCA
Subscribe for email notifications : http://groups.google.com/group/ValleyTalent
EMail us: SiliconValleysGotTalent <at> gmail.com
Can I bring my child?
Please refer to event instructions, that will be sent to you upon RSVP
HOW DO I STAY CONNECTED WITH "Silicon Valley's Got Bollywood"
Join our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/SiliconValleyBollywood (Hit LIKE to connect)
Or subscribe into the email Group : http://groups.google.com/group/ValleyTalent
Or email siliconvalleysgottalent <at> gmail.com for more info
I WAS THE STAR PERFORMER LAST NIGHT – WHERE CAN I SEE MY VIDEO?
Firstly, not everything gets recorded. Our facebook page has a few videos on display. And the other repository for our archives is our YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/SaratogansCA
We also have a TV show "Silicon Valley's Got Bollywood"
If you are interested, we can put your performance on a weekly show on KSAR TV ( Silicon Valley's community channel) and CREATV (San Jose). And you can watch yourself perform on TV
I WANT TO BRING A FRIEND
Of course.
I DON’T WANT MY PERFORMANCE CAPTURED ON VIDEO
The assumption is you are giving us permission to video tape. But if you do not want it to be, do let us know, and we will do our best to honor your request.
Saratoga Village prior to this event?
Help our Village businesses - Please do plan to do some shopping in the Village prior to the event, or have dinner, wine, coffee etc in the Village – as it caters to our original intention when we started this, helping our Village businesses out.
Will talent scouts discover me? (ON HOLD)
Of course. If you agree, we can put your performance on a weekly show on KSAR TV ( Silicon Valley's community channel) and CREATV (San Jose). And you can watch yourself perform on TV
For the talent release form, click on WAIVER LINK from our website
OUR SETUP (AT BLUE ROCK SHOOT CAFE ONLY)
Our location has an amazing ambiance for these performances, and seemingly brings the talent out from the woodwork. They have hosted many a musical night over their rich history - and we are so glad to be part of that now.
The sound system is outstanding, supplemented by 3 vocal mics. If you have a percussion, string instruments etc. bring it along. Guitars plug right into our system. We no longer have a piano available.
Our setup will also permit sticking in smart phones into a karaoke mixer. Yes, we do have a karaoke mixer, and can change pitch etc of tracks.
We can also play your favorite tracks from karaoke online sites etc.
Want to go unplugged, Acapella? Bring it on!
What is not permitted is to add your own karaoke system, and we don’t have a TV in the room to display lyrics, so we do have to rely on a system with a built-in display.
Playing tracks from YouTube is discouraged as we have encountered buffering issues. If you would like to bring a buffered YouTube track ready to play, that should be fine.
"Silicon Valley's GOT TALENT" on TV??? (CURRENTLY ON HOLD)
We have a half hour weekly segment of "Silicon Valley's Got Bollywood" on KSAR TV (Silicon Valley's Community Channel) and CREATV (San Jose)
Our intention is to put only original performances on our TV show.
If you have performed in the past,or planning to perform, and interested in having your performance on our TV show, please sign the waiver form and email it to me: siliconvalleysgottalent <at> gmail.com or bring it to the event
You will need to fill our waiver form, sign on behalf of your child (if this is for your child), take a picture (using your cell phone / camera) and email it to siliconvalleysgottalent <at> gmail.com
Alternately, you can take a pic with your cell phone OR scan and email the form Or you can fax itTo be featured on our show - you will need to be subscribed to our "Silicon Valley's Got Talent" group
Easiest way to do it is to hit LIKE on our page http://www.facebook.com/Silicon Valleytalent
Can I watch the TV shows online?
You can watch KSAR live over the internet - here http://Silicon Valley.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=2
and on CreatTV here http://www.creatvsj.org/Streaming.aspx
BOLLYWOOD SITAARE TEAM (CURRENTLY ON HOLD)
A dream team of super talents are coming together to provide the finest entertainment for Silicon Valley and the bay area. Shows currently planned are for 2014. If you are interested in being part of the dream team email siliconvalleysgottalent <at> gmail.com with a brief bio. We currently have a few musicians, dancers, singers, comedy acts etc., but we are always seeking the next hidden talent.
Experience the magic of "Silicon Valley's Got Talent"where east meets west, where you get to enjoy and experience cultures and sculptures - Artistic Expression at its finest...transcending Geographies, Genres, and Generations,
So mark your calendars and join in, for an eclectic electrifying evening of revelry...throw caution to the wind and have a super time.
We are easy, don't bark nor bite, but provide a continuous stream of jam-packed, power-packed wholesome entertainment .. Why did we start the open-mic??
Our events started as an open-mic with 20 people in attendance at the Bell Tower Bistro back in summer of 2011. "Saratoga VIllage Marketplace" had been launched in Saratoga downtown by the "Saratoga Chamber of Commerce", and we piggy-backed on that via a weekly Wednesday evening karaoke event to provide shoppers an opportunity to stay back in the Village and co-mingle - have some fun too. Our intention was to create a "magnet" to bring in area residents to Saratoga downtown and enjoy and experience the offerings of our Village and help revitalize our Saratoga downtown. The new comers to Saratoga preferred to head to Los Gatos, Campbell, Santana Row and did not have any incentive to even discover the offerings of Saratoga Village. Our events were conceived to be kids and family friendly, and we aspired to bring in every demographic group from Saratoga to join us for a fun evening...we still do...and discover Saratoga downtown. We eventually had folks from Belmont, Danville, Fremont, San Jose joining us to showcase their talents and bring their special energy.
What also emerged - that we eventually realized - a platform was provided for little kids to embolden their stage presence and grow their talent. High-Schoolers became regular fixtures as they experiemented with their special talents. Adults tried out acts that they were not sure off, but willing to show-case with an accepting forgiving audience.
We realized there was an opportunity to address local needs via this talent show. The first Saratoga's Got Talent Annual Competition 2012 was held at Saratoga Community Center that raised $18,136 for Saratoga Senior Center, attended by almost 300. Later in June 2013 , we had almost 88 incredible performers (contestants and entertainers) at McAfee Center, and our audience list tallied to a total of 556! Living the dream ;-)
