Last night's show combined two things that are both near and dear to me. First off, it was a fundraiser for the Feed-a-Smile charity in Second Life, which I've written about often before. Second, it was held at my great friend Barbie Horsley's (aka Sassy Nitely) venue, Serene Acoustic Lounge, which has become one of my favorite places to perform in SL on the semi-rare occasions when she hosts shows there.
As you probably know, Feed-a-Smile is run by Brique Zeiner, and is the Second Life-based fundraising arm of Live and Learn in Kenya, a charity that helps educate and feed African kids. I can't say enough about how well her organization is run, and how much effort she puts in on a direct basis. Unlike the other charities for whom I perform, you actually see the immediate results of the cause, with photos sent of the kids enjoying a hot meal courtesy of the artists and audiences who donate time and money. It's all wonderful and fulfilling as a musician to make a difference in children's lives. The Feed-a-Smile system runs so well in SL because it's so easy to understand; L$100 (about $0.40 USD) buys one kid a hot meal. The math is easy to do. Donate L$1000 (about four bucks), and you've bought ten meals, and so on.
Having fun and raising funds. Everybody wins.
Count Zakula, rocking Serene. Photo by Maali.
The scary hostess with the mostest, Sassy Nitely is ready for Halloween. Photo by Maali.
Last night's show was great... we had a good crowd, and more importantly, the collective performers and their fans raised enough for over 300 meals. I always smile when I think about those kids sitting at their long tables, enjoying a good meal courtesy of the crazy bunch of virtual musicians and the people who support them. I've been on a kick lately of new music discovery, and I ended up doing three songs for the first time during my short set. One was in tribute to the musical icon Lou Reed, who'd passed away two days earlier, and it was important to me to honor one of the great founders of the music I love.
Serene Feed-a-Smile set list...
*On a Plain (Nirvana)
I Am a Child (Neil Young)
You're Like a Cloud (Zak Claxton)
*Swing Lo Magellan (Dirty Projectors)
*Perfect Day (Lou Reed)
Go Easy On Me (Zak Claxton)
Huge thanks to all who came out to the show and supported Feed-a-Smile! You rule!
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