Ladybird's Cellar Grand Opening (08.03.18)

I got to be the very first musician to play live at Ladybird's Cellar, and it was awesome. Photo by Kat.

Every time I think I've done everything in live music performance in Second Life, something new comes along. For example, while I've performed a few times at the grand opening of a new SL venue, I'd never been the very first performer to grace a brand new stage until last night, when I had that unique honor at Anastasia Yanwu's place, Ladybird's Cellar. Ana is a very sweet woman who I've known for many years, at first through her close friendship to my buddy and fellow musician Sassy Nitely. I then got the chance to meet her in the physical realm back in 2014, when Kat and I went to Tennessee for the Nashville SL Jam. Ana even sat in on a song with me there and sang harmonies.

It was a couple of weeks ago when Ana hit me up on Facebook to see if I was available at 5PM on a Friday, and told me about her new place. I was delighted; doing a 5:00 show on a Friday sounded perfect. I've been extraordinarily busy with work lately, which is great as a small business owner. But it also means that I can really appreciate any opportunity to relax and unwind, and what better way to do that than strapping on the guitar and doing an hour of live music at the end of another grueling week? I told her yes immediately.

I love this photo gallery of featured performers at Ladybird's Cellar. It will be great to see this get filled in with all the best musicians in SL, as I'm sure will eventually be the case. Photo by Kat.

The lineup for the grand opening: a Sassy Nitely sandwich, with Liam Wakeman and I as the bread. Photo by Kat.

Does the Venue Matter?
Here's something I find fascinating that I'm sure I've pointed out before on the occasions where I play for the first time at a venue in Second Life, especially a brand new place like Ladybird's Cellar. You might think that in a virtual world, the venue itself has no effect on the performance of the artist. After all, we're still in our same physical space where we always play music... most likely a bedroom or office or den or the like in a home where we have our music stuff set up. A side note: it doesn't take a lot of music gear to perform in SL. You have your instrument (or whatever source of sound you use), a microphone for singing assuming your show involves vocals, and an interface that gets your audio into your computer. That's really it, other than any stuff you want to add for your specific kind of performance. The sound gets streamed out via some software, the stream address is set at the SL venue, and the people hear you. It's pretty awesome that it's even possible.

Sorry, got side tracked. The point is that as a musician, you're there in your room, and you're using the same gear, so why would it make any difference at all how you perceive the environment where your avatar is? I won't speak for all SL performers, but I imagine many of them feel the same: it makes a HUGE difference! As musicians, even though we're focused on performing, we are also in this immersive virtual world, so it simply feels different playing in an open outdoor space versus a small club. The decor and vibe of the build do affect your mindset as a performer in the same way that playing different types of venues in real life do. How close is the audience? What's my view from the elevated stage area? These things matter, even if it's to a degree that's so small as to almost be imperceptible. But it's there.

Being in this kind of SL venue -- as opposed to a bar, an arena, a beach, an open field -- makes a difference in your vibe as a performer. Photo by Kat.

Ladybird's Cellar is totally gorgeous. Classy while still feeling intimate and fun. Photo by Kat.

Of course, the biggest factor of what influences your performance is the audience itself, and different venues attract different crowds. I had no idea what to expect crowd-wise for the opening of Ladybird's Cellar. Even with my own little base of Zakster fans, I had no idea how many of them would be available to come to a show on a Friday evening... a day/time that I usually don't perform. I was really pleased that so many folks made it out for the show at a new place. By the time we were a few songs in, the space was feeling pretty full, and I was definitely inspired to put a lot of fun energy into the show as a result.

Sassy Nitely, Anastasia Yanwu, and Kat dance while I do my musical thing. Photo by Kat.

A stalker's view from outside of Ladybird's Cellar. Photo by Kat.

Ladybird's Cellar set list...
Airport Bar (Martin Courtney)
Pretty Pimpin’ (Kurt Vile)
If I Had a Tail (Queens of the Stone Age)
Play With Fire (Rolling Stones)
Among the Leaves (Sun Kil Moon)
Say Goodbye (Beck)
Falling Down (Zak Claxton)
Alison (Elvis Costello)
Abrasion (They Stole My Crayon)
I Believe When I Fall In Love (Stevie Wonder)
Wildflowers (Tom Petty)
Man of Constant Sorrow (Traditional)
Tribute (Tenacious D)

Massive thanks to all who came to the grand opening of Ladybird's Cellar, with special shout-outs to the following folks who helped support my show!
Anashara Resident, Smidge Frimon, Langarhans Resident, MzAllison Resident, Diana Renoir, Helena Kiama, Asimia Heron, go2smoky Resident, Thunder Insippo, Kat Claxton, Alex Zelin, Sassy Nitely, driver Fallen, TheaDee Resident, and most of all Anastasia Yanwu... congrats on a terrific grand opening!