Z's Music Club (01.27.10)

Photo courtesy of Crap Mariner.

I began yesterday's show at Z's Music Club being a bit of a whiny bitch. You gotta cut me some slack here, though; my audience at the top of the hour consisted of three people, two of whom worked at the club. I mean, c'mon; you name a musician, one who is worth a shit, who wouldn't be at least a little concerned about this revolting development. Not to go off on some silly ego trip, but I am Zak Claxton, goddammit! I've spent three years performing hundreds of shows in SL, and I'm not going to feign modesty when I say that I know I'm a talented and entertaining motherfucker.

I mean, I am.

So, I probably still would have just sucked it up, but even after a few more people started arriving, there were problems. I was told by the hostess via IM that her stream was cutting in and out. Well, that just took the cake. Not only was I playing my ass off for a tiny group of people, but then I wasn't even sure that the few of them who were there could hear me at all. Now can you see why I was a little miffed? In fact, heh heh, I started having thoughts go through my head while I continued to strum away. "This might be a good time for a long hiatus from SL," I thought to myself. "Maybe if folks have to wait a few months to see me, they'll appreciate me some more," I grumbled silently, possibly setting new records for unwarranted self pity.

Anyway, while pondering early retirement from my virtual music career, more people started showing up, and more people started reacting positively after each song, and maybe 20 minutes into the show, I was as chipper and happy as usual. Really, sometimes, you just gotta get over yourself. Not to make any excuses, but I should know that 5pm on a weekday is a shitty time to do a show in SL. After all, I did a 5pm slot every week for over a year, and it was a bitch getting folks there. It's too late at night for most European audiences, and too early for the West Coast crowd. Meanwhile, there seem to be ten million other shows scheduled for that crappy time slot, so you're dividing what little audience there is around too many places on the grid. Unless you're someone like Max Kleene, you're just not going to get a throng of people awaiting your entertainment magic at that time.

Long story short: after I gradually became aware that it's not all about me, I started having fun again, and I think I played pretty well, and enjoyed the show as I almost always do. I will say, though, that next time I'm invited to do a show at Z's, I'll try and get a slot that's less likely to cause me to want to stab a fork in my eye.

Zak's Z's Set List...
This Afternoon (Zak Claxton)
Any Major Dude (Steely Dan)
Thanks Anyway (Zak Claxton)
You're Like a Cloud (Zak Claxton)
Falling Down (Zak Claxton)
Mother (Pink Floyd)
Rock and Roll Woman (Buffalo Springfield)
Always Tomorrow (Zak Claxton)
I Am a Child (Neil Young)
Fade Away (Zak Claxton)
The Man Who Sold the World (David Bowie)
Big Bad Bill (Van Halen)

Thanks to everyone who came out to Z's to support my show!
Mack Humbridge, Sistagrlro Wei, Marifee Dexler, Kat Keen, jsmn Yao, Crap Mariner, hexx Triskaidekaphobia, TonewoodFrank Unplugged, Perkey Felwitch, Kaj Qinan, our hostess Jadzia Vasser, and Z's owner Zelema Wrigglesworth!