Forcing people to hear lesser-known songs in the Old Library at Lutz City of Templemore. Photo by Kat.
Hi again. Good to see you. It's me, Zak Claxton, the news aggregator, slacker activist, raconteur, musical maestro, aging cute guy, and man about town, here to tell you about the show I did on Sunday afternoon at the always-amazing Lutz City of Templemore in Second Life.
Didn't You Just Have a Show?
What do you mean by "just?" No, I did my monthly show at a different venue the week before last. I shouldn't need to remind you that in the time frame of the late 2000s/early 2010s, I typically did a few shows per week -- on a multitude of platforms -- every damn week of the year. So no, doing a few shows in a month isn't a lot at all. I really should do even more frequent shows, if I had more of that precious commodity called time.
One cool thing about shows at Templemore... they're always good at helping to promote it to the world at large.
Ah, Okay
But it's funny; I am so used to playing less frequently now that two gigs in two weeks does feel like a lot. That's pretty interesting, how we become acclimated to certain aspects of life, and then that becomes our norm. It's only in the midst of big and fast changes that we notice the drastic difference, which is why I complain so bitterly about both the "spring forward" and "fall back" aspects of Daylight Saving Time.
I'm sure you've heard the term "a frog in boiling water," which, like many aphorisms and proverbs and idioms, is a horrifying concept. But the concept is simple: it describes a frog being slowly boiled alive, with the premise being that if a frog is put suddenly into boiling water, it will jump out, but if the frog is put in tepid water which is then brought to a boil slowly, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death.
No frogs were harmed in the making of this analogy.
That's Horrible! Why Are You Telling Us This?
Because it's not meant to be interpreted as a literal tale. The frog isn't a frog. It's you. And the water isn't water. It's the socioeconomic and cultural environment around you that's being altered one small step at a time, each step being small and incremental and nearly unnoticeable, and almost always to your disadvantage and to a more powerful person's benefit.
What I'm saying is that you'd better wake the fuck up and get out of the water before it boils and it's too late. Leap, frog! Leap!
Okay, What Else You Got?
Um... look, nearly every other page of this blog is my "Zak's Random News" daily information updates in bullet-point format. So, I don't feel compelled to comment on what's going on in the world; you can hit up any other post for that.
But me? I'm doing fine. I'm white and male and middle-aged and not gay for the most part. Few people who share that description have a lot to complain about in their personal lives. It doesn't stop them from complaining anyway, but that's how people are. But any situation where I'm healthy and making income, and my family is doing well, and my rights aren't being brutally repressed (yet), is good enough for me. I am fine.
Though if you force me to complain about something, this was the knuckle of my left index finger after the show. Yes, it hurt, though it was fine a short while later. I suspect it's probably some kind of minor arthritis on my guitar fretting hand. No, it's not the end of the world, as long as I can keep my guitar skills at the level I expect.
How About That Show?
Ah yes, the show. I decided to do a themed show called "Songs You Don't Know by Bands You Don't Know," and that turned out to be super fun. As it implies, my entire set was filled with indie music. While I nearly always play some stuff in this particular style of music, it's usually in between other older and more well-known songs.
But this time I decided to be somewhat relentless toward my audience... not in a bad way, but in a "you're going to listen to stuff you don't know whether you like it or not" way. While some of the bands/artists I covered are extremely well known and respected in the indie music and singer-songwriter world -- think Wilco or Nick Drake -- others were truly outliers. A few of them, like Cory Hanson, Martin Courtney, and Charlie Martin, are better known for the respective bands they're in than the stuff I covered from their solo outings.
How cool is this fucking stage? Nowhere in Second life will find any live music spot as detailed in decor as Templemore. Photo by Kat.
This place is so cool that I actually get inspired to play better while I'm onstage there. Photo by Kat.
People are moving and grooving as I do the rocking. Photo by Kat.
I also added two new songs released in 2024 that I hadn't ever done before... both outstanding tracks that made my special year-end best-of list last year. One of the bands -- Knitting out of Montreal -- just released their first full-length albun last September. I love cool music by young artists.
One note I'd like to mention: as always, Templemore is an absolutely delightful place to play live music in Second Life, and this particular venue -- the Old Library -- has long been one of my absolute favorites. It's extraordinarily designed, and it's a smaller room that's perfect for more intimate performance styles. I was completely stoked to be back. Last time I was scheduled to play the Old Library in September 2024, my broadcast stream took a shit and after trying for 15 excruciating minutes, I had to give up and cancel. I was so angry and annoyed that I immediately jumped on live cam and did a Zak Claxton Happy Fun show on video instead.
I've done other shows at other Templemore venues since then, but it was a really good feeling to get back there and have a successful show. We had a reasonably nice crowd throughout the event, and I was followed by my friend Raspbury Rearwin, whose set I got to check out once mine was done. I will also say that despite giving people clear warning that I was about to do a bunch of music they likely didn't know, most folks hung out and seem to really enjoy themselves.
My final note on the show, as usual, is just my endless admiration for the venue itself and the Templemore sim as a whole. Everything there is so well thought out and executed. I said it out loud during my set there on Sunday, and I'll say it again here: I'm a professional designer. I art direct photo shoots and do graphic design work for a living, and I create global advertising campaigns (among my many work-related responsibilities). What Luis Lockjaw has done in the creation and near-constant modification of Templemore is beyond anything imaginable by me. My mind is blown each time I visit or perform there. Hats off to not only Luis but everyone involved in the Templemore community for it remaining beautiful and superbly well run.
Right after my show, I snapped this rather low-res shot (I keep my graphics dialed down during my sets so it doesn't interfere with my streaming abilities) because the entire Templemore gang was huddled in one nook together and I thought it was cute. Left to right: Rhia, Luis, Stevie, Jayda, and Levi.
Templemore set list...
Don’t Let It Pass (Junip)
Either Way (Wilco)
Things Under Trees (They Stole My Crayon)
Bird of Paradise (Cory Hanson)
*Sleeper (Knitting)
Among the Leaves (Sun Kil Moon)
Airport Bar (Martin Courtney)
Things Behind the Sun (Nick Drake)
Something Else (Zak Claxton)
*On Fire (Idaho)
Swirl (Charlie Martin)
Low Key (Tweedy)
*Indicates the first time I've performed this song in SL.
Thanks to every single person who took some time out of their day and enjoyed some live music with me at Templremore, with super special thanks to the following who helped support my show!
Triana Caldera, Rhia Janick, Stevie Basevi, Micheal Pixelbottom, Gina Stella, Jaydai Resident, not4gods Resident, Kat Claxton, Trouble Streeter, and Templemore's outstanding staff led by their amazing lead designer Luis Lockjaw!
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