Private Party (07.06.13)

I'm always at a loss when I start to write about performing at private parties. I obviously have to satisfy my OCD-ish obsession for documenting my shows. However, a private party is, by its very definition, private. Oh, the humanity! What to do? There's a simple answer: I'll give you the details I want to give without divulging the specifics that would take away the privacy aspect. Win-win.

Saturday, I performed at a private surprise birthday party in Second Life given by a man for his beloved. I didn't know these people, and when I get booked for shows like that, I'm never quite positive how they found me. I suppose I should ask; my manager Maali Beck might know, since they contacted her to have me play there. In any case, I like to make sure that all my ducks are in a row well before performing at any place that is new to me, so early that morning, I stopped by the landmark I was provided.

I was very glad I did. First, the party had a "Game of Thrones" theme, and the man running the event gave me a stipend to go buy some appropriate attire so I'd fit in with the crowd. Second, the lady for whom the party was being given, I found out, had musical tastes that leaned toward the pop/love song area, which was fine; I have plenty of those in my bag. Third, the people giving the party were from Saudi Arabia and surrounding areas. It's always good to know if your audience doesn't use English as its primary language; that way I don't spend a bunch of time chatting.

Here I am in my medieval "Game of Thrones" tunic. So now I have this in my inventory. Photos by Kat.

Onstage at this way huge build that the owner put together just for this party. Photos by Kat.

I returned at about 20 before the hour (as I always do for SL shows, just to make sure everything is ready to go), and there was already a good sized crowd there. Plus, as I heard on the stream, there was a lady singing very prettily in an Arabic language. The owner let me know that he had a few friends singing, and that there were going to be multiple entertainers coming to perform. I said that was fine with me. A little while later, he told me to go ahead and do my show. I did. As it turned out, he'd also hired another well-known SL musician, Sara Tiemogo (Sara Marie Philly in SL) to perform, so after a half hour, I was already done.

Private Party set list...
Drive (Incubus)
Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Queen)
Always Tomorrow (Zak Claxton)
She's Always A Woman (Billy Joel)
Northern Sky (Nick Drake)
Longer (Dan Fogelberg)

All in all, it was a really good show. I got to perform for a big crowd who had never heard me before, all from an area of the world that (as far as I know) had never had any previous exposure to my music. The person running the show was very nice and generous, and I'd be happy to play for him and his friends any time.