Onstage at the Old Library in Lutz City of Templemore for a special "Chapter & Verse" deep cut session. Intriguing, isn't it? Photo by Kat.
A Message from Jayda
This story starts a good seven weeks back. On September 1, I was having a typical day when I saw a message pop up via Facebook. It was from Jayda Purz, one of the people associated with the beloved Templemore sim in SL. I hadn't spoken to her often before. Her note read...
Hi Zak, im not sure you remember me, i feel we met at least once via templemore but it was a while ago, i would like to speak to you about an idea I have.
I always like ideas. A couple of weeks went by before we followed up, and then she explained it as thus...
The concept itself is we ask artists to step away from their usual setlists and perform the songs people rarely get to hear, deep cuts, obscure covers, forgotten favourites and unexpected originals.
Well, that's all right up my alley. I told her I'd do it, and later in September, she revealed some more details with the opening event in the series she was calling "Chapter & Verse." The first event featured my fellow Second Life performer Aufwie, and apparently went well. The following month, it was time for me to give it my own shot.
No Shameless Self-Promo
So, the first thing that made the "Chapter & Verse" show at Templemore a bit different from my usual gigs: part of the allure of the series is that the identity of the performing artist isn't revealed until moments before the show starts.
That meant that unlike literally every one of the hundreds and hundreds of SL shows I'd done before it, I made no announcement beforehand. No promo graphics to share on social media. Nothing. I didn't even inform my own fan group about it until shortly before the start of the show.
The mysterious promos for my "Chapter & Verse" show at Templemore.
I wasn't sure that without the proper level of notification to the general public, we might not get a decent-sized crowd to the show. That proved to not at all be an issue; Templemore has its own robust base of people in their close-knit community, and Jayda — along with the Templemore team — did a very impressive job of promoting the mystery artist in the days preceding the event before revealing me hours before the show itself.
Oh look, it's me. Surprise!
Another Note on Templemore
As I've mentioned here time and time again, there are few places in the entire Second Life grid that have an impressively artistic design as Templemore. And, as always, a lot of the credit for that goes out to the incredible skill and environmental design eye of its cofounder, Luis Lockjaw. This show was in one of my absolute favorite of the sim's many live music venues, the Old Library... which, I should add, was absolutely perfect for the introspective vibe of the songs I'd chosen. More on that topic below.
The details that go into every inch of Templemore are far beyond impressive. Luis is the fucking man. Photo by Kat.
How'd The Show Go?
I'd say first and foremost, my shows are only as good as how inspired I am to make them good (combined with a little musical luck of the draw in terms of how my singing voice and guitar playing hands are functioning that day).
But once Jayda has described the vibe she was after at this series of concerts, I knew immediately what would be the right repertoire to curate for my set. I didn't feel any need to bring the mood up with fast or funny tunes. These were all songs that inspire thought and cast a deep vibe... not necessarily sad or morose, I should note. But my set for "Chapter & Verse" was purposefully introspective and interesting and full of imagery. And — having booked the right artist for the right time of year — the songs were very much in my "sounds of autumn" wheelhouse that I tend to pull out this time of year... though not usually all at once.
Before starting my show, I had the unusual experience of coming face to face with my real-life self on the promo graphic inside the venue. That's something I've only very rarely experienced at an SL show.
Doing special tunes, carefully curated for this themed event at Templemore. Photo by Kat.
Everyone there seemed super focused on the tunes (which I like) and expressed gratitude in every way (which I also like). I felt good about the performance overall... the set had a good flow and the voice and guitar were functioning as expected.
Something I also enjoy about sets like these: I'd like to think that if someone was first introduced to a song I performed by an artist like Sun Kil Moon or Nick Drake or the like, they might end up seeking out that artist and discovering the artist's amazing catalog of work. Or sometimes, it's an artist whose hits they know, but never was exposed to the deeper cuts and b-sides and so on. I like bringing those tunes into the light where they belong.
Singing songs that make people think, and maybe even feel. Photo by Kat.
Addressing the Templemore folks directly. Photo by Kat.
A very memorable Templemore show in every way. Photo by Kat.
And a Heartfelt Review
I often get a ton of very complimentary comments during and after my shows. Those are always appreciated and are always nice to hear. But awhile after I'd finished my set and sat back down to chill and get out of rock star mode, I saw that Jayda Purz had made the following social post, which I'll share in its entirety...
Having one of those days where theres so much noise in my head, I've been running on two hours sleep, fighting headaches and suffering the worst case of brain fog I've ever experienced.Then it was time for Chapter & Verse.I ask quite a bit from these artists, to deliver something new, something meaningful, something from the heart. Its never about being better than any other set, its just something a lil' different, and in a wonderful way.Tonight Zak Claxton reminded me why I love this community, he delivered a truly remarkable set which was a joy to listen to, I found myself forgetting how bad I was feeling physically and just enjoying the moment. I couldn't of asked for more, thank you Zak Claxton for bringing the music and the memories to Templemore.And thank you for being so open to new ideas and for putting your own creativity into bringing them to life. 🫶
Um, wow. That is pretty fucking cool. As I said, it was one of those things where the very moment Jayda started describing her vision of "Chapter & Verse" to me, I knew exactly what I'd want to perform for the event. Pulling the set together was fast and easy; I knew that moment exactly how to capture the vibe she wanted. I'm really grateful that it all worked out the way it did, and especially for Jayda having brought her plans to fruition and successfully making it work.
Templemore/Chapter & Verse set list...
Hannah Sun (Lomelda)
Half Moon Bay (Sun Kil Moon)
Bird of Paradise (Cory Hanson)
River Man (Nick Drake)
Falling Down (Zak Claxton)
Among the Leaves (Sun Kil Moon)
Sex Kills (Joni Mitchell)
Blew the Dust Away (They Stole My Crayon)
Ashes to Ashes (David Bowie)
Furry Sings the Blues (Joni Mitchell)
Here I Land (Nicholas Stevenson)
Huge thanks to everyone who came by my special show for "Chapter & Verse" at Templemore, with extra special giant super thanks to those who helped support it!
ImNotAplayeR Resident, Stevie Basevi, Trouble Streeter, Kat Claxton, and most of all the great Templemore team... Luis Lockjaw for building the stages and keeping them rumbling, and most of all to Jayda Purz for putting together a uniquely amazing musical experience in SL!
