Nerds don’t do karaoke — unless it’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” night.
Arguably the borough’s nerdiest watering hole, the steam-punk-themed, Dr. Who-loving Way Station now offers Brooklyn’s nerdiest sing-along event on the second Sunday of every month, answering the call of singing-nerds everywhere.
“As soon as we started we got asked for the ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ musical episode,” said Kings of Karaoke founder Jason Gersch. “The best part is, we were able to provide it.”
The Kings of Karaoke provide a variety of themed karaoke events throughout the five boroughs, tailoring the music they provide to please their venue’s crowd, and it didn’t take long before their act at the Way Station turned into a nerd-themed extravaganza.
“It’s one of those perfect storms,” said Joe Coppola, aka DJ Joe, a Kings of Karaoke disk jockey and Nerdaoke host. “The bar is a sci-fi type venue, so the whole crowd is a little nerdy, and they take pride in that.”
Coppola himself is no a stranger to the ways of the nerd; the DJ dressed as a freedom fighter from the popular sci-fi show “Firefly” when he played his first show in the geek-friendly bar.
“I came in wearing my brown coat from ‘Firefly,’ ” said Coppola. “We do a little costuming, and we get requests for more nerdy songs every week. It started off kind of nerdy, and then it became really nerdy.”
In fact, DJ Joe’s nerd score — a scale of one to 10, where 10 is the most nerdy — has surged two points since he began his work at the Way Station.
“I’d say I’m somewhere between an eight or a nine,” explained Coppola. “There are some things, like manga, that I haven’t gotten into. But I did recently tutor myself in Dr. Who and my nerd score jumped dramatically.”
DJ Joe may not be giving himself enough nerd cred, however.
Not only is Coppola beloved by nerds for his disk jockey skills, but he also frequents Renaissance fairs — as a swashbuckling performer.
“On his resume, it says he has long bow proficiency,” said Gersch. “When I saw that, I was like, ‘you’re hired.’ ”
Nerdaoke at the Way Station [683 Washington Ave. between Prospect Place and St. Marks Avenue in Prospect Heights, (347) 627–4949, waystationbk.blogspot.com, TheKingsofKaraoke.com]. Nov. 11, 9 pm, monthly on second Sunday. Free.
