By RICHARD CHANG
The Orange County Register

BUENA PARK – By day, Darryl Harvey is a bus driver in Santa Clarita.

By night, he's a singing dynamo, pouring out his emotions and sharing a well-exercised, wide-ranging voice with karaoke audiences throughout Southern California. On Sunday afternoon, he delivered a heartfelt rendition of Billy Vera and the Beaters' "At This Moment" to an enthusiastic Knott's Berry Farm crowd.

"I guess it's a chance to let your hair down for a minute," Harvey, 41, said afterward. "The energy that comes from the crowd is amazing. I love the interaction."

Harvey was one of 22 male and 22 female contestants in Karaoke Fest 2004, sponsored by Karaoke Scene Magazine and held at Knott's Charles M. Schulz Theatre for the first time. Sunday's was the eighth annual competition, bringing karaoke crooners from five Southern California counties.

For the past eight weeks, hundreds of karaoke singers have been competing at bars, nightclubs, restaurants and bowling alleys throughout the region to get to Sunday's finals. They've gotten to know each other, and even consider themselves a community.

Several hundred friends, family and park visitors cheered the performers on as they offered their versions of rock, pop, soul and country hits.

"It's a very democratic form of entertainment," said Peter Parker, producer of the event and publisher of Cypress-based Karaoke Scene Magazine. "It brings together people from all walks of life under one umbrella. A doctor and a janitor can both get into it. It cuts across all ethnic and age lines."

For Shoji Shinoda, 33, of Anaheim Hills, it's a chance to enjoy the spotlight for four to five minutes, without too much risk.

"I love to sing; I love to perform," said the operations coordinator at a flexible-packaging company. "This is a way to get that fix."

Nadia Wright, 28, a restaurant hostess and native of Iceland, said: "I get to express my voice and talent without obligation, without thinking I have to take it any further than that."

Karaoke, which originated in Japan, typically involves singing over recorded music, minus the original vocals, as the lyrics run across a TV screen. It's basically the high-end, high-tech version of a globally embraced pastime - singing over your favorite song.

While popular in this country for decades, karaoke has seen increased participation over the past few years, particularly among young people. TV shows like "American Idol" have encouraged the idea that anyone can become a vocal star, if even for just a moment.

Still, karaoke contests like the one Sunday at Knott's are dominated by an older, bar-going crowd, from people in their late 20s to hipsters in their 60s.

Donning a cowboy hat and boots, Greg Henss, 52, of Corona performed a countrified version of Brian McComas' hit "99.9 Percent Sure." Though his family and friends say he's usually shy, he becomes a different person when he's on the stage.

"It's my chance to let it out, to shine," said Henss, a general contractor.

Rod Guico of Costa Mesa and Melissa Roeder of Buena Park won first place Sunday. They'll receive $1,000 cash, prizes and an opportunity to appear on Mark and Brian's Wednesday morning radio show on KLOS/95.5 FM. A number of Golden Achievement Awards honored the region's best karaoke venues and DJs, as well as the best music library, sound and stage presentation.

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