Hotel Chelsea & 2026 Midterm Elections (11.03.26)

Rocking for a very small crowd on election night 2026. Photo by Kat.

Hello readers.

As I've certainly written about before, when you perform on the first Tuesday of every month as a regular scheduled live music gig, you're going to be the person who's playing on Election Day. Any election day. Actually, far worse: election night, when everyone is huddled around their TV screens and streaming news and phones, refreshing anxiously to see who's winning.

And once again, that was the case at Hotel Chelsea during the 2026 midterm elections, a crucial turning point in the history of America and the entire world, I suppose. But unless I am physically unable to perform music, I simply do not cancel shows, and I'm certainly not going to do that on a day when maybe getting a little break from the stress of an election could be a good thing for someone.

I even promoted the show as such... kind of a combo event where we could chill, do some tunes, and maybe give reports on any breaking news from the election.

I knew it wouldn't be easy to draw a crowd on election night, and I knew I'd want to keep an eye on the elections as I played. But trying to do a combo show tends not to attract either of the audience types you're pitching it to.

Did It Work?

No, and that was okay. I had maybe 6-7 people in the audience, and that included my manager and the venue staff. Look, my shows in Second Life are fun and I know people do get something ut of them... relaxation, discovery of artists they hadn't heard before, and general relaxing good-ass time. But are they important? Perhaps in some sense, but compared to the importance of the 2026 midterms?

For the past year and a half, Kat and I have worked our asses off being active in supporting the resistance effort against the Trump regime and all that comes with it. We were in the streets for every Hands off and No Kings event. We were active online, building coalitions and lines of communication and coordination, all focused only on the midterms. No offense to any apolitical folks reading this, but that stuff is way more important than a random livestream music show, whether it's by me or any artist/band in history.

Honestly, even I was distracted from my show, which — I should note — otherwise went great. Photo by Kat.

After the Show: Blue Tsunami Time

Kat is one of those people who gets so deeply invested in the outcome of important elections, she can't possibly sleep while they're ongoing. I'm invested as well, but I refuse to allow myself to get that stressed over shit that's — by then — out of my control. Regardless, she'd already taken the day after the election off work, planning to stay up as late as it took to try and determine the overall direction of the midterms.

I'd given her my standard spiel, which was that it was unlikely she'd quickly know whether or not the Democrats had taken the majority in one or both of the chambers of Congress, and that it wasn't worth staying up late. But she was intent on her plan, and I never try to dissuade her from anything she really wants to do.

By the time I finished my show at 6pm PST, the polls in the east were already closed/closing, and we quickly got some races being called. Virginia. Georgia. Delaware, Illinois, and New Jersey. Things were quickly picking up with a series of Democratic wins. And then, some shockers. At 7:39, they called it for South Carolina. At 8:03 for Texas. 8:10 for Ohio. 8:24 for Kansas. And a few minutes later after calling the race for Iowa, the Associated press officially called the Democratic majority in the Senate at 8:36pm PST.

So much for Kat having to stay up all night. A short while later, the Democrats had surpassed the 218 threshold for majority in the House as well. It was shocking that I was able to go to bed that night knowing the most important aspects of the outcome of the election. And, of course, it was a euphoric high that I got to ride for many days after the Blue Tsunami of 2026.

We had the important results that night, but nine days later, the near-complete picture of the 2026 midterm elections is coming together better than even my highest expectations.

Hotel Chelsea set list...

Heart of Gold (Neil Young) 

America (Simon & Garfunkel)

Boys in the Trees (Carly Simon)

It's Easy Like Walking (The Sadies w/Kurt Vile)

Nowhere Man (The Beatles)

Say Goodbye (Beck)

*Phantom Limb (Queens of the Stone Age)

Help Me (Joni Mitchell)

All Lives, You Say? (Wilco)

Perfect Day (Lou Reed)

Thank U (Alanis Morissette)

All You Fascists (Woody Guthrie)

*Indicates the first time I've performed this song in SL.

Thanks to my small but mighty crowd on election night!

Lutz City of Templemore (10.22.26)

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.

Hello there. It is I, Zak Claxton — musician, political rabble rouser, and former child fashion model — here to tell you about a special live music show I did at Lutz City of Templemore in Second Life. And I must say, among the myriad shows I've done both in the flesh and online, this one had a very unique aspect, and it's worth documenting.

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!

Hotel Chelsea (08.04.26)

Doing the tunes that only I do. Photo by Kat.

Still catching up on reports from my shows in Second Life. This was a typically fun one at Hotel Chelsea, where I have a standing "first Tuesday of the month" show. While I don't have much time to spend getting ready and performing for shows in SL, I do like keeping this show rolling at Chelsea. They're good people and I always have fun there.

I look nice and comfortable in SL. Here in reality, it was a summer heat wave and I was a sweaty mess. photo by Kat.

Makin' tunes, makin' friends. Photo by Kat.

Hotel Chelsea set list...

Free Man in Paris (Joni Mitchell)

Our Lips Are Sealed (The Go-Go's) 

On A Plain (Nirvana)

Roxanne (The Police) 

God Only Knows (Beach Boys)

Peaceful Easy Feeling (Eagles)

Nothing Compares 2 U (Sinead O’Connor)

Right Down the Line (Gerry Rafferty)

Loading Zones (Kurt Vile)

Bag of Nothing (They Stole My Crayon)

Jesus Ranch (Tenacious D)

Bull Black Nova (Wilco)

Big ol' thanks to everyone who came out to the show, with extra super special thanks to those who supported it!

Hotel Chelsea (07.07.26)

Feeling the good vibes on a Tuesday night at Hotel Chelsea. Photo by Kat.

Still getting caught up on my show blogs. This evening at Hotel Chelsea was excellent. Grabbed a good crowd and the voice and guitar were both functioning at the top of my expectations.

Me being me. Photo by Kat.

Giving the people what they want. Photo by Kat.

Hotel Chelsea set list...

Northern Sky (Nick Drake)

This Afternoon (Zak Claxton)

Summer Breeze (Seals & Crofts)

Hannah Sun (Lomelda)

Doin' Time (Sublime)

Shame Chamber (Kurt Vile)

Time Stand Still (Rush)

Carey (Joni Mitchell) 

Straight On (Heart)

If I Had a Tail (Queens of the Stone Age)

Barely Breathing (Duncan Sheik) 

Swirl (Charlie Martin)

Tribute (Tenacious D)

Huge thanks for everyone who hung out for my show, with special thanks to those who supported it! You rule!

Hotel Chelsea (06.02.26)

Getting down with the fans like a rocker man. Photo by Kat.

Continuing to get caught up on show reports from Second Life. This was my typical "first Tuesday of the month" show at Hotel Chelsea, and once again... small crowd, good tunes, good time.

I've been doing shows here for almost six years now. Great place for real fans of live music. Photo by Kat.

I seem to be immersed in my own performance. Photo by Kat.

Hotel Chelsea set list...

Save It For Later (English Beat)

One of These Things First (Nick Drake)

So. Central Rain (R.E.M.)

Fire & Rain (James Taylor)

Perfectly Calm (They Stole My Crayon)

Beyond the Blue (Martina McBride)

Rocky Mountain High (John Denver)

I Believe When I Fall In Love (Stevie Wonder)

The Arrangement (Joni Mitchell)

Hunger Strike (Temple of the Dog)

Friend of the Devil (Grateful Dead)

Alabama (Neil Young)

*Hotel Chelsea Improv (Zak Claxton)

*Indicates the first time I've performed this song in SL.

Big thanks to all who came out to my show, especially those of you who helped support it!

Hotel Chelsea (05.05.26)

Another Tuesday evening at Hotel Chelsea. Photo by Kat.

We're playing catchup with a batch of show blogs I've been neglecting to do. Just the basics: fun show as usual. Hotel Chelsea is a great place to play for a crowd of 10 or 100. This show happened to be on Cinco de Mayo, so I have a feeling a good number of people who would otherwise have attended were out eating tacos and drinking cervezas. 

What a cool place to be in SL. Photo by Kat.

Me, looking into the distance for reasons unknown. Photo by Kat.

  

Hotel Chelsea set list...

Airport Bar (Martin Courtney) 

California (Joni Mitchell)

Losing My Religion (R.E.M.)

Something Else (Zak Claxton) 

River Man (Nick Drake)

Waking Light (Beck)

Carry Me Here and There (They Stole My Crayon)

Pecan Pie (Golden Smog)

Mother (Pink Floyd) 

Pickles (Zak Claxton)

Swirl (Charlie Martin)

*I Love Everyone at Hotel Chelsea Improv (Zak Claxton)

*Indicates the first time I've performed this song in SL.

Thanks to all who came, and special thanks to those who supported the show!

Hotel Chelsea (04.07.26)

First Tuesday of the month, you'll find me onstage at Hotel Chelsea. Photo by Kat.

Continuing our series of very brief show reports, we had a good one Tuesday night at Hotel Chelsea. My musical theme, inspired by the exciting Artemis II space mission, involved songs that reference space. Good idea, huh?

Me. rocking as I tend to do. Photo by Kat.

A small but happy crowd at Hotel Chelsea. Photo by Kat.

Getting offstage for my final song so the next performer can get set up and started on time. It's the nice thing to do. Photo by Kat.

Hotel Chelseas set list...

Pink Moon (Nick Drake)

Man On the Moon (R.E.M.)

Space Oddity (David Bowie)

Swing Lo Magellan (Dirty Projectors)

Across the Universe (Beatles)

Brain Damage/Eclipse (Pink Floyd)

Blew The Dust Away (They Stole My Crayon)

Big Empty (Stone Temple Pilots)

Say Goodbye (Beck)

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (Neil Young)

Hummingbird (Seals & Crofts)

Lola (The Kinks)

*Hotel Chelsea In Space Improv (Zak Claxton)

*Indicates the first time I've performed this song in SL.

Big ol' thanks to all who came out to this show, with very special thanks to the following who helped support it!

dottydigit Resident,  Trouble Streeter, daallee Resident, Kat Claxton, my great manage Maali Beck, and Hotel Chelsea manager Shyla the Super Gecko!