If you take photos in SL, there are few better places to get an outstanding shot than at Lutz City of Templemore. Here's me onstage, doing my thing. Photo by Kat.
No one had planned this. In fact, I wasn't aware of this until just before the show, and when I arrived at this show and told Templemore owner and chief design guru Luis Lockjaw, he was as blown away as I'd been. But it's really not shocking that something like that would happen organically without any plan beforehand. Templemore is well known as a kind of magical place where one should expect the unexpected.
I love the special promos Templemore does for each show. That kind of thing takes time and effort, and I recognize that the shows there really matter to them.
How's Everything Else?
Yeah, before we get to the show, I should update you on a few things. As you may be aware, I had a pretty shitty health scare two weeks ago that involved four hours of dental surgery followed immediately by a 9-1-1 call and a trip in an ambulance to the ER.
While I survived that, the next ten days or so were not easy. I had a lot of post-surgical pain that didn't seem to improve much for a good while. In fact, toward the end of last week, I was convinced that the infection in my mouth was getting worse despite having spent a week on antibiotics. I actually went back to my dentist who took a look in my mouth and reassured me that the healing was proceeding quite normally, and I was actually doing quite well under the circumstances.
This is not a picture of Happy Zak. Photo by Kat.
It turned out that he was right. By the time this past weekend rolled around, I was finally able to stop consuming ibuprofen in frightening quantities, and as if by divine intervention, by Monday morning when I was starting to plan for my show, I felt perfectly fine for all intents and purposes.
So that's the good news. And this next thing isn't bad news; it just is what it is, because on Thursday morning of this week, I have to once again head back to the dentist to handle the second stage of my dental hellscape. However, I'm not planning on any emergency shit happening afterward this time. In fact, while no one actually looks forward to this kind of thing, I will be happy to being one step closer to having it be completely done.
Anything Else To Chat About?
Uh, not really. It's 2024, and as we move through the election cycle of the year, I'm going to feel compelled to spend more time and effort communicating in my own personal way to assist the candidates and causes I feel are important.
A side note in that regard. I often hear from people who seem to feel that they have no way of influencing what happens in the world, and that's simply not true. First and foremost, assuming they are eligible to vote, simply doing that is by far the most important way that you can help to guarantee a better life not just for yourself but for your friends, family, and generations yet to come.
But the other thing I'd tell people is this: you have skills and talents. You have acquired knowledge in various areas. And no matter what that is, you can apply it toward causes and issues that are important to you. Me? I write and code and create visual graphics for a living. All of those things can be used to further societal and political topics, and that's why every day, people read my "Zak's Random News" bullet-point lists of what's going on.
Obviously, the very most important thing you can do to help change the world is to vote. But you can also help many other people to vote, and then you've expanded the range of your influence exponentially. Visit vote.org and make sure you're registered, and help others do the same. Thank you.
Does it make a difference? Yeah, it 100% definitely does. I get a constant stream of people who tell me that they'd never have even been aware of something had they not read it in my news. Occasionally, I even get people who claim they've changed their opinions on an important topic after having learned more about it via me. And think about it this way: if that influences just one person's vote, that's twice the impact I had on the election. If just 10 people re-examine their priorities about politics due to the issues I make them aware of, my power to affect the future of our country and the world has gone up by over 1000%.
So back to the point: you are more powerful than you think, and with even a minimal effort, you can help change the world. Yes, you. Person reading these words. I am specifically talking to you. Now go kick some ass.
Hey, How About That Show?
Well, I have nothing but good things to say on that topic. First, as I'd mentioned, I was still feeling leftover effects of my recent dental procedures, and that was causing some throat irritation that seemed to impede the higher range of my vocal register. But really, by the time I went onstage, it was minimal... and I'd curated a set list that didn't focus on songs with a lot of high notes.
We had a good sized crowd of folks there from the start, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Templemore is one of those SL places that has a large built-in community. They all seem to be very close and enjoy each other's company a lot, and that makes it fun for the performer as well.
Getting the show rolling. I never know which one of the many stage environments at Templemore is slated for my show, so it's a fun game I have to arrive and be like, "Oooh, I like this spot," which happens every time. Photo by Kat.
Side note: while it's definitely rude in real life to be talking during a live music performance, my opinion is that I love seeing chat flying by while I'm performing in SL. What I do not love is a completely quiet audience. While they may be just focusing on the music (which is great), it's difficult to tell from my vantage on a virtual stage if anyone is actually paying attention. The chat flying by, whether it's about the music or not, tells me that people are engaged and enjoying themselves.
A couple of notes on the songs. First, I hadn't done "Fast Car" in many years, even though it' s a great song. It's just not easy to do very well. That being said, the performance of the song at the recent Grammy awards, with both original songwriter Tracy Chapman and country musician Luke McCombs doing it together, has brought fresh interest to this great tune. I also wanted to mention doing "Sovay" by Andrew Bird. I've admired his music for a long time, and for whatever reason, this was the first time I'd covered him. It went well, though I plan to make it better at subsequent gigs where I pull it out.
I mean, come on. Who wouldn't want to play on a stage like this? Photo by Kat.
One other note, as I mentioned at the show... during some of my earliest performances there at Templemore, I got to know a guy named Garrett Lutz due primarily to his being a huge fan of a band I enjoyed and covered occasionally called Sun Kil Moon. Garrett was a patron of the live music scene in SL, a true music lover, and was a thoughtful and kind person in every aspect. After he passed away due to ALS in 2017, the entire sim was renamed in his honor, and every time I play there, I include a song by Sun Kil Moon and dedicate it to him. I will do this every time I am fortunate enough to be asked back to rumble their stages.
A fun crowd of good people. Who could ask for anything more? Photo by Kat.
I love Templemore. Photo by Kat.
Lutz City of Templemore set list...
Crime (Real Estate)
Bag of Nothing (They Stole My Crayon)
Polly (Nirvana)
Pink Moon (Nick Drake)
Among the Leaves (Sun Kil Moon)
*Sovay (Andrew Bird)
Losing My Religion (R.E.M.)
Swing Lo Magellan (Dirty Projectors)
Sex and Candy (Marcy Playground)
Don’t Let It Pass (Junip)
Bull Black Nova (Wilco)
Fast Car (Tracy Chapman)
Free Man In Paris (Joni Mitchell)
*Indicates the first time I've performed this song in SL.
Massive thanks to everyone who came out to the show, with super duper extra thanks to the following generous people who helped support the show!
sweetestlea Resident, WolfMarrok Resident, Bonnie Bowenford, Brooks Conundrum, Trouble Streeter, Tera Vanilla, Richy Nervous, Kat Claxton, my terrific manager Maali Beck, and Templemore chief Luis Lockjaw!
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