Minnesota Mix: Ray Evangelista's 'enhanced karaoke' goes down
easy  Arts & Culture Nikki Tundel · ·   1. Listen Story audio
Ray Evangelista   St. Paul's Hunan Garden is home to one of the
capital city's longest-running musical acts. Ray Evangelista has
been belting out cover songs at this Chinese restaurant for more
than two decades.  The Filipino-American musician likes to call
his act "enhanced karaoke," with sets shaped almost entirely by
audience requests. His renditions of Jimmy Buffet and Michael
Jackson classics go down about as easily as Hunan's legendary
Flaming Volcanoes -- punchbowls of brandy, rum, and fire.
Evangelista can play over 600 songs from memory -- everything
from "Green Onions" to "Lady Marmalade." And he seems to be as
familiar with his audience as he is with the chords to "Hotel
California."  "The moment I see their face, I know already what
they want to hear," Evangelista said.  Out in the audience, Jack
Schuster loves every minute of it.  "Our favorite is 'Hotel
California,' which