Not a joke, not an imaginary story: Silicon Valley Bank and Coverflow are hosting an event next month that was described in an invite as “American Idol for the geek set.”
Now, there’s nothing special about getting a bunch of startup assholes to sing karaoke. (Heck, I hear that the TechCrunch team held not one, but two karaoke parties this week.) However, Silicon Valley Voice, which will be held on Oct. 3, looks kinda-sorta legit. It will take place at the Fillmore, the legendary San Francisco venue where The Doors, The Grateful Dead, and The Who once performed. And if you want to get on stage, you have to apply. The performers will be chosen by Coverflow, the cover band whose members include Silicon Valley notables Ethan Beard (Facebook), Tim Chang (Mayfield Fund), Prashant Fuloria (Facebook), Philip Kaplan (Fandalism), Raj Kapoor (Mayfield Fund), and Kristian Segerstrale (Electronic Arts).
Oh, there will be Simon Cowell proxies too, and they’re not just adjudicating bragging rights; all the proceeds will go to a charity of the winner’s choosing. I’m told that Michael Arrington and August Capital’s David Hornik were the first judges to sign up.
If I haven’t scared you away already, you can register to attend here. And if you’ve been blessed with golden pipes, you can apply to compete here. But hurry, because the deadline to apply is September 15.