Patrons looking for a quiet drink at a basement pub would be in for a sweaty, chubby surprise if they chose The Manx on Elgin Street on the last Sunday of each month. In fact, a quiet and civilized pint is the exact opposite of what the Manx has on tap.
On these choice Sundays, walking down The Manx’s quaint stairs and ducking through their doorway, patrons are more likely to find a topless man wearing long johns dancing wildly between the tables and booths. Lit by a strobe light set to “stun” and powered by a small black amplifier pounding out the theme song to the 1990s sitcom Step by Step, thirsty guests might catch their first glimpse of Remi Royale serenading audiences.
Once a month Royale, part comedian, part karaoke artist, sings (pretty terribly) to whatever songs come up on his iPod or the audience requests. Sometimes, his performance is met with awkward tittering and grimaces or, more often, with loud applause and audiences screaming along to the songs with him.
Not the type of entertainment you would expect from a place that serves $20 entrees often with fancy glazes and a menu that would make even the most pretentious foodie giddy.
But nonetheless, soused and not-so-soused patrons seem to love Royale’s antics. Many sing along loudly and cheer. By the time his set winds to an end, Royale becomes overwhelmed with guests shouting requests.
Occasionally patrons will sing along with Royale into the microphone. And, as Shawn Hill, a cook at The Manx says, “People like to stick beer coasters to his sweaty body.”
Royale is booked through an outside booking service, and the person who books him at The Manx used to work there. Royale has become somewhat of an institution.
Not everyone’s a fan though. If Royale’s doing his thing, some people just leave. Others avoid the pub on the nights that he’s playing. And some say you’re rewarding a complete and utter lack of talent.
There’s little question that the chubby guy who runs around the pub topless, singing and screaming to karaoke tunes playing on his iPod, doesn’t have a lot of talent. With a bit of reckless abandon, a lot of confidence and a total lack of self-awareness, just about anyone could do what he does.
Is Royale talentless? Well, frankly, it often appears that way. But does it matter? No, because he’s really entertaining.
He captivates his audience, they pay attention, and they get involved. Similar audiences for karaoke at Woody’s Pub or for DJs at the Standard located down the street have been known to sit quietly around the bar and ignore performances.
Having an audience half singing half screaming along to a performer, regardless of the perceived quality of his performance, means the performer is doing something right.
Royale is unquestionably entertaining his audiences, which is his primary job. And it’s no wonder The Manx books him over and over again, no matter how inane or silly some Centertown residents think he is.
Hack or not, he's damn entertaining.