ROMA (08.21.11)

It's always a bit of a crap shoot when I perform at places that aren't dedicated live music venues. There have been times, as I sit there strumming away and no one is really focused on the music and instead are walking around looking for good deals on pixellated shoes, that I've wished I hadn't accepted the gig in the first place. But then, there are other times, like yesterday at ROMA, when it can be one of the most fun shows I can do on the entire grid.

I was introduced to ROMA by my manager Maali Beck, who is part of that community. What is ROMA? I'll let them explain it...

ROMA is an ancient Roman themed land within the online world of Second Life®. ROMA is the original Roman land in SL. It has been open since the Ides of October 2006 and has a very active citizenry, with over a thousand members, over twenty associated groups, and over a hundred different attractions which are open to all visitors.

So basically, it's an ancient Rome role-playing sim, and it's really incredibly impressive. I did my first show there for their Spring Festival back in April, and enjoyed myself (I think the audience did too), so when Maali asked me to play at their Summer Feast, I didn't hesitate to say yes. When I arrived, though, I was a little confused; I didn't see a stage set up anywhere. However, Maali then led me a few paces away, and... wow! I was performing inside of a small volcano, on a stage that doubled as a large lounge area with harem-pillow seating in a semicircle behind me. Sweet!

Here I am inside my volcano stage, with the Zakster ladies reclining behind me. A tough life, I have, I'll tell ya. Photo by Kat.

One great thing about this place is that everyone really gets into their ancient Roman roles. Nice outfits, all! Photo by Kat.

The layout of pixel-based feast dishes was making me hungry while I rocked. Photo by Kat.

You know, wearing a toga isn't bad at all. It's a pretty good look for me. Photo by Kat.

It got even better once the show started rolling. Due to the rather tight nature of the space, it felt like we had 100 people in there (as opposed to 25 or so), and the crowd was as talkative and rowdy as I'd hoped they would be. My main Zakster gals -- Kat, Triana, and Diana -- all lounged behind me as I rocked a bunch of songs in a set that was loosely geared toward the ROMA crowd. There were a couple of tunes in there that I hadn't played in about three years, so it was fun to dredge the archives and pull those out again.

ROMA Set List...
Broken Day (Zak Claxton)
Athena (The Who)
Landslide (Fleetwood mac)
Fire & Rain (James Taylor)
Falling Down (Zak Claxton)
†Stonehenge (Spinal Tap)
Starman (David Bowie)
Rikki Don't Lose That Number (Steely Dan)
††Wild Horses (Rolling Stones)
In My Time of Dying (Traditional)
Behind Blue Eyes (The Who)
Always Tomorrow (Zak Claxton)

† Last performance of "Stonehenge": September 20, 2008.
†† Last performance of "Wild Horses": December 21, 2008.

Many thanks to all the folks at ROMA for having me back there... really looking forward to the next festival! Thanks to all who helped support my show there...
Triana Caldera, Airedale Magic, Melanippe Karas, Nekorina Kiama, Morgana Fillion, Diana Renoir, Kat Claxton, Enamabala Towradgi, my manager Maali Beck, and ROMA Estate Manager Angelia Rees!