A few thoughts during a week off

Since Crystal Sands was closed for Memorial Day on Monday and I didn't schedule any other shows this week, I actually have a week or so without playing in SL at all. While I certainly love to play, it couldn't come at a better time... it's an opportunity to regroup a little and perhaps make some plans for enhancing future shows. Besides, my poor back is still recovering, and not exacerbating it by rocking out with a big ol' Martin dreadnought guitar for a few days is probably a good thing.

Regardless of all that, I might as well give you a blog post that has nothing to do with a specific show or the like.

• If you're looking for a resource of information on performing in Second Life, I highly recommend you head over to the SL Music Community Forums. There are always active discussions on setting up your gear for streaming, on working within the community of musicians, venue owners, and the rest of the SL music scene, and some good camaraderie between folks who participate in this relatively new way of playing live music.

• I do get asked quite often about my own gear setup for my performances in SL. I consider my setup pretty minimal and simplistic, so here it is:

- Guitar: Martin D-18V dreadnought acoustic, but I could easily use a less-expensive guitar and have about as good a sound as I do. Still, keep in mind that what comes out is only as good as what goes in, so always try and use the best stuff available that you can afford. On a side note, I love my freakin' Martin.

- Harmonica: I have a set of Hohner "Special 20" harps, which are the same as the Marine Band harmonicas but with plastic combs instead of wood. They're great, and not very expensive.

- Mics: I use a Groove Tubes GT-57 for voice/harps, and a Groove Tubes GT-30 for guitar. Both are high-quality mics that are reasonably affordable.

- Mixer: I run the mics into a Mackie 1202-VLZ, mostly for some quick hands-on control should I require it.

- Computer Interface: The audio from my mixer goes into my computer via a Digidesign Mbox. It's fine and works reliably.

- Software: Hello, I'm a Mac (sorry). Therefore, I run a Mac setup to stream my audio... specifically, I use Nicecast, which costs about $40 and works well all the time.

That's it. Pretty easy stuff.

Well, that's all for now folks. I'll post some more non-show thoughts over this week as I think of them.

Summertime Blues Club (05.24.08, 7:00PM SLT)

I really don't go out of my way to play two shows in a day. I figure, first, my own small but loyal group of fans don't need to be subjected to me twice in 24 hours, and second, I don't want to deliver a burned-out second show after expending all my energy on the first one. So, this doubleheader day came about as a result of my accepting an offer to play at Summertime Blues Club without looking at my calendar to realize that this Saturday fell upon the every-third-Saturday of my regular show at Stonehenge.

So, Saturday evening, I found myself back at Summertime Blues Club, where I'd done one show previously. I really like playing places that I don't play all the time... there's a challenging aspect of winning over new folks who aren't familiar with you and don't know what to expect. I don't think I recognized more than 2-3 names in the crowd beyond my darling Kat and the club's owner HoneyBear Lilliehook.

One important note: out of respect to folks who DO come to both of my shows in a short time frame, as well as avoiding burnout, I try and do a completely different set list between consecutive shows. While some of the tunes get repeated (especially my originals), you'll note that 90% of the tunes are different between this show and the one I did earlier in the day, although I'll cop to having closed with "Heart of Gold" for one show and opened with it for the next. Hey, it was on my music stand already, my harmonica was out, and I'm lazy. Shoot me. :D

Song Sample: "Soul Kitchen" (The Doors)

The set list:

Heart of Gold (Neil Young)
Falling Down (Zak Claxton)
Wind Cries Mary (Jimi Hendrix)
Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie)
Losing My Religion (REM)
Mary Jane's Last Dance (Tom Petty)
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (Neil Young)
She's Always a Woman (Billy Joel)
You're Like a Cloud (Zak Claxton)
The Weight (The Band)
Black Peter (Grateful Dead)
Soul Kitchen (The Doors)

Thanks to the following folks who supported my show:
Kat Claxton, ZeZe Ember, Gregg Meads, Georgia McDonnell, Timber Oceanlane, Sinful Devin, Melissa Whetmore, Ladyhawk Merlin, Sinful Devin, and especially Axe Bikcin and HoneyBear Lilliehook!

Stonehenge (05.24.08, 3:00PM SLT)

I did NOT have high hopes for either of my two shows today. My lower back has been giving me problems (I spent an hour being twisted and tortured at the chiropractor's office Friday morning), and the very thought of holding a dreadnought acoustic guitar and singing seemed like it would be hell on my poor spine. So, as I arrived at Stonehenge Arena for my 3:00 performance, I told proprietor (and fellow musician) Lyn Carlberg that he should be prepared to jump in and take over my performance if he heard anything resembling a scream and a thud.

Well, I was worried for nothing; if anything, playing today seemed to help my back rather than hurt it. After I tentatively did the first few songs and realized I wasn't in severe pain, I was able to get into the show and had a great time as usual at Stonehenge. Nice folks, decent crowd, and a good time for everyone, I think. I'd also like to thank the Advil I popped like Pez before the show. :)

Song Sample: "Stonehenge" (Spinal Tap)

The set list:

Help Me (Joni Mitchell)
Wild Horses (Rolling Stones)
This Afternoon (Zak Claxton)
Fire & Rain (James Taylor)
What I Got (Sublime)
You're Like a Cloud (Zak Claxton)
Stonehenge (Spinal Tap)
Goodbye Blue Sky (Pink Floyd)
Rikki Don't Lose that Number (Steely Dan)
Redemption Song (Bob Marley)
Falling Down (Zak Claxton)
Heart of Gold (Neil Young)

Thanks to the following folks who helped to support my show:
Grace McDunnough, Jer Susser, Stolyn Nightfire, Kat Claxton, Gia Hutchence, BobbiJo Jonson, Ashlin Dreamscape, Sally Silvera, and especially Tessira Soderstrom and Lyn Carlberg!

New COYOTE web site is live

I did a new web site this week for SLCoyote.com, the personal web site for Kat and I.

The site has some fun stuff, including a bunch of live SL performances and real life photos of Kat and I in the "Hmmm" area. Check it out!

In other news, my lower back feels like I was thrown into a sausage grinder. I went to the chiropractor today, but it's still pretty ouchy. Wish me luck on that... especially considering that I have two SL shows scheduled for tomorrow!

Crystal Sands (05.19.08)

Another Monday, another Crystal Sands show. I was happy to see as I arrived that Elvis Duffy has seemed to have secured the slot directly before me (4:00) on a weekly basis, so no longer do I have to arrive at Crystal Sands and be the one to draw the first crowd at the start of the show. Sweet!

I had a fun time at this show, my most fun one in awhile, despite the fact that I got a little phlegmmy during my set and did my best frog imitation from time to time. But it was a blast, with a great crowd and a set list of tunes that I hadn't played much in awhile, interspersed with my own songs.

Song Sample: "Falling Down" (Zak Claxton)

The set list:

The Man Who Sold the World (David Bowie/Nirvana)
Wonderwall (Oasis)
This Afternoon (Zak Claxton)
The Weight (The Band)
Thanks Anyway (Zak Claxton)
Summer Breeze (Seals & Crofts)
Harvest Moon (Neil Young)
You're Like a Cloud (Zak Claxton)
Sex and Candy (Marcy Playground)
Falling Down (Zak Claxton)
Rikki Don't Lose that Number (Steely Dan)
Soul Kitchen (The Doors)

Thanks to the following people who helped support my show tonight!
Ictus Belford, kat Vargas, Elvis Duffy, Vadan Ziskey, Damaris Whitfield, Kat Claxton, Elle Metty, Gretchen Capalini, and of course Crystal Sands owner Sandi Benelli.

Sunshine Daydream (05.15.08)

Sandi Benelli is the owner of two venues: Crystal Sands and Sunshine Daydream, and I have to give her credit for being one of the people who "discovered" me in SL when I was really just getting started playing live in-world. She's also been a great friend, and is one of the most staunch supporters of live music in Second Life I know.

So, when I heard it was her RL birthday yesterday and that her pals wanted me to perform for it, I didn't hesitate to sign up to rock! I only did a short half-hour set, since there were a lot of people who wanted to show appreciation for Sandi, but that was plenty to have some fun. I didn't collect tips, opting instead on asking my crowd to give anything they would have given me to the venue instead. The only minor misfortune was that my streaming computer (old Bessie the G4) took a crap at the start of my final song, but I didn't realize it and stood there strumming silently for the last three minutes of my show, like an idiot. Ha! You gotta laugh about things like that, or you cry. But I had a great time regardless, and I think everyone else did too, most importantly the birthday girl herself.

The set list:

Happy Birthday to Sandi (Traditional)
*Cinammon Girl (Neil Young)
Terrapin Station (Grateful Dead)
Thank You (Led Zeppelin)
You're Like a Cloud (Zak Claxton)

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

Thanks to the following people who were great audience members!
Cellandra Zon, Chris Ohl, Jeannie Jannings, Tommy Cult, PukaD Dingo, BaHaCa Hennah, Mandi Blumenfeld, and the people who helped organize this event, Grateful Stryker and SherieAnn Thirty, and of course Sandi Benelli!

Relay for Life (05.14.08)

My good pal Haroldthe Burrel hit me up a couple of weeks ago to perform at one of his Relay for Life events in SL. For those of you who don't know, Relay for Life is a fundraising event for the American Cancer Society, and I'm happy to support them in any way I can. I mean, what could be a better cause than helping to fight cancer, fer gawd's sake, I ask you?

I think the show was really fun, though I did spend a wee bit too much time complaining about a) my sore back and b) being hot in my little oven of a studio. But besides that, everyone seemed to have a great time. And, of course, the tips I made were instead funneled into the donations kiosks for RfL.

Song Sample: "What I Got" (Sublime)

The set list:

Accidents Will Happen (Elvis Costello)
Heart of Gold (Neil Young)
You're Like a Cloud (Zak Claxton)
Ashes to Ashes (David Bowie)
Any Major Dude (Steely Dan)
California (Joni Mitchell)
This Afternoon (Zak Claxton)
Bell Boy (The Who)
Comes a Time (Neil Young)
*What I Got (Sublime)
Mother (Pink Floyd)
Behind Blue Eyes (The Who)

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

Thanks to the following people who were great audience members!
Lulu Berkmans, Nell Newman, Mash Rhode, Katja Runo, Madame Maracas, Dianna Voight, Peltzer Hirano, Wouldja Singh, and others who helped support RfL during my show... and especially Haroldthe Burrel and Elizabeth Antonelli.

Crystal Sands (05.12.08)

I've decided a fresh start is the best way to go, so we're going to continue this blog with new show reports. If you want to see the old stuff, it's going to remain static over at ye olde MySpace blog. Besides, the mere thought of moving six months of posts over here was giving me the willies, so we'll blow that off and forge ahead!

I perform every Monday evening at 5:00PM SLT at Crystal Sands, a terrific spot in SL run by Sandi Benelli where live music is supported 100%. It's a great place for audience and musicians alike. I had fun, with a new original to debut ("You're Like a Cloud", which I just did the demo for this weekend) and a new cover too ("Bell Boy", which was awesome), plus a nice selection of other songs, or so I think. My opening act was the talented Elvis Duffy, and it was nice sharing a bill with him for the first time.

Song Sample: "Any Major Dude" (Steely Dan)

The set list:

This Afternoon (Zak Claxton)
I Am a Child (Neil Young)
*Bell Boy (The Who)
Help me (Joni Mitchell)
Ashes to Ashes (David Bowie)
*You're Like a Cloud (Zak Claxton)
Any Major Dude (Steely Dan)
Comes a Time (Neil Young)
Falling Down (Zak Claxton)
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes (Crosby, Stills & Nash)
Old Man (Neil Young)
Accidents Will Happen (Elvis Costello)

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

Thanks to the following people who helped support my show tonight!
Carrie Laysan, Elvis Duffy, Basil Brooks, Chris Ohl, Lolly Gladstone, Vadan Ziskey, Kat Claxton, CoolCat Maximus, PukaD Dingo, and especially Sandi Benelli.

The dilemma: bring the history or move ahead?

For about six months, I've been maintaining meticulous logs of my shows in SL, with photos, set lists and more. They're over on my old blog on my current MySpace page, but one of the points of this blog is phasing out the old one. So, I'll make up my mind about that soon enough.