"This Afternoon" video!

Well, here is a tasty treat for all three or so of you Zak Claxton fans out there. And it's a double-dipped delight that's a veritable feast for the senses.

Below, please find the YouTube video for my song "This Afternoon". Not only is it a Zak Claxton video, mind you, but this is the real, actual recording off my upcoming album, Zak Claxton. So you get to listen to the world premiere of a track off my as-yet-unreleased solo album, and you get to see our silly ideas for putting together a home-made video for the tune! So, check out the vid, and then I'll tell you more about it...



Hope you enjoyed it. Here's the "making of" story: Kat and I found ourselves with a little free time one day, and kind of spontaneously went out and started shooting some footage, with me directing and Kat being a steady-handed camera operator. I edited a bit of what we captured and found that it was workable, so a few weeks later we spent another hour or so shooting. Grabbed everything we needed, edited the rest of the video in another hour or so, and bang-zoom! Video is ready. Should I ever get an actual budget to do real videos, I will still fondly remember our time running around the streets of Redondo Beach with my camera.

In any case, if you haven't been following along, "This Afternoon" will be available as a single and as a track off my upcoming album, in stores in Spring 2009. Followers of this blog will be the first to know when the music is ready to rock.

Fun at The Notes Shack (11.06.08)

Seriously, I've had a blast every time I play at Krakov Letov's club The Notes Shack. The crowd is fun, and they really do appreciate good music there. Also, I do enjoy the opportunity to play to a mostly European audience... it's very cool.

Nothing special to note about today... I was in a good mood, still in euphoria over the election of Barack Obama, and I think I picked some good tunes, many of which I haven't whipped out in quite awhile.

The Set List...

This Afternoon (Zak Claxton)
Court & Spark (Joni Mitchell)
Lovely Rita (Beatles)
Always Tomorrow (Zak Claxton)
Like a Rolling Stone (Bob Dylan)
Space Oddity (David Bowie)
Old Man (Neil Young)
Thanks Anyway (Zak Claxton)
Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd)
Free Man in Paris (Joni Mitchell)
Falling Down (Zak Claxton)
Tribute (Tenacious D)

Big thanks to all the people who supported my show!
Billy Mikoyan, Angelina Rhode, Marcella Mornington, Toby Lancaster, Jeremy Barracuda, Jaggpro McCann, Artefax Jericho, Obeloinkment Wrigglesworth, Rainne Kiranov, Harrie Skjellerup, and most of all, Krakov Letov!

Rockin' the SD: San Diego in SL (11/2/08)

I don't know how many of you know this, but shows in Second Life aren't necessarily the casual, thrown-together events that they may appear on the surface. Well-run, popular venues often book their shows more than a month ahead of time, and busy artists are often booked for at least a month out. So, it was quite a long time ago that I set up Sunday's show at San Diego in SL, through a great supporter of SL's music scene Cher Harrington (more on Cher in a bit).

We pulled together a decent-sized crowd, but my favorite part was that with the exception of a few, most of the people who were there had never heard me play before. If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that I most enjoy the opportunity to play for new folks, perchance to gain some new fans. I'd say that Sunday's show at SD in SL was really great in that aspect. I also had a great time, and fortunately my voice and guitar decided to cooperate with me, so I feel the performance went well too.

Another note: in addition to running SL Live Radio, Cher Harrington (who's become a good friend over the last year or so) is the booking agent and manager for several SL venues, including San Diego. After my show, Cher let me know that due to my San Diego connections (I've lived in Southern California nearly my entire life, and went to San Diego State U. for a year back in the '80s) and the fact that they liked my performance, the owners would like me to start playing there on a regular basis! I couldn't be happier, especially considering that I'd recently lost my other weekly gig. So, next month, I'll be back at San Diego in SL on 12/7, 12/14, and 12/21 (all Sundays, all at 3:00PM). I'm very excited, and there are a lot of opportunities associated with these shows, so try and attend and wish me luck in any case.

Song Sample: "Plush" (Stone Temple Pilots)

Here's my set list from Sunday 11/2...

This Afternoon (Zak Claxton)
Plush (Stone Temple Pilots)
What I Got (Sublime)
Help Me (Joni Mitchell)
You're Like a Cloud (Zak Claxton)
*Mother's Little Helper (Rolling Stones)
Thanks Anyway (Zak Claxton)
If You Could Only See (Tonic)
Old Man (Neil Young)
Drive (Incubus)
Falling Down (Zak Claxton)
Behind Blue Eyes (The Who)

*Indicates the first time I've performed this song in SL

Thanks to the folks who helped support my show at San Diego in SL!
Studly Nightfire, Emmie Fairymeadow, Triana Caldera, Sally Silvera, Otawan Fouquet, Jonty Smit, Merlin Gray, Starflower Orbit, and the lovely Cher Harrington!

The End of an Era

Sorry to be all dramatic in my post title, but it's true.

After a full year of performing every Monday night at Crystal Sands, it's unfortunately been decided that the owners can't afford to continue doing as many nights of hosting shows as they have been. The result is that you will no longer be able to catch me at what was my one remaining regular show in SL: Monday evenings at Crystal Sands.

I certainly don't blame the owners at Crystal Sands for this; they can only do what they can afford to do, and the last thing in the world I want to be is a financial hardship on any of the venues in SL. However, as usual, I'm looking on the bright side of this setback. It's high time I retooled my plan of SL rock stardom, and playing at the same place every week isn't really beneficial for anyone.

So, while I have plenty of shows scheduled for now (see the left column on this page for specifics), I am currently putting together some meetings with some people who might be able to help me take my SL music career in some new and exciting directions. that, combined with my album inching closer and closer to completion (and the press coverage I'm anticipating when it's done) should be a great 1-2 punch to kick start my virtual rocking.

Anyway, back to the point: no more Monday nights at Crystal Sands, which used to include me, Ictus Belford, and Patrick LaSalle. Ah well. Nothing lasts forever, as they say, so I'm making some lemonades out of these lemons and moving on. Stay tuned!

Opening for BAP at COYOTE (10.26.08)

Well, to get the negative stuff out of the way, we couldn't get a crowd going at COYOTE for the life of us on Sunday afternoon. But ignoring the fact that we only had a few folks in attendance, we actually had a really fun time when I opened the show for the Born Again Pagans on Sunday, and then (of course) during the Pagans' set as well.

I decided to stay in non-standard tunings during my short half-hour set, and it was fun. It also led me (sorry for the weak-ass pun) to do a song I'd never played before: Zeppelin's classic, "Kashmir". Yup, all seven+ minutes of it. Hey, you gotta be adventurous sometimes, and the results aren't completely embarrassing (listen below if you want).

High point of the day? Probably when a fan got topless during the BAP set. Yeah, that's me smoking a fatty in my boxers. It was a hippie extravaganza!

Song Sample: "Kashmir" (Led Zeppelin)

My short set list...

Mr. Soul (Neil Young)
For This Moment (Zak Claxton)
Ohio (Neil Young)
*Kashmir (Led Zeppelin)
The Loner (Neil Young)

*Indicates the first time I've performed this song in SL.

Thanks to the folks who were there!
Leyah Renegade, Doubledown Tandino, Kat Claxton, Shannyn Fall, hexx Triskaidekaphobia, and Madame Amoufhaz.

A great day at Crystal Sands (10.20.08)

Doubledown Tandino sets up camp at Crystal Sands, and cooks up some beans. On my foot.


Looking out from my usual view at Crystal Sands.

I had a feeling that it was going to be a good day at Crystal Sands, and sometimes my predictions are 100% wrong, but today it wasn't. I think it was a good combination of crowd and the songs that I happen to pull out, and perhaps it was Doubledown's pup tent and campfire that put me in a good mood. In any case, Crystal Sands was fun today.

Here's what I played...

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (Neil Young)
Thanks Anyway (Zak Claxton)
Cinnamon Girl (Neil Young)
Stonehenge (Spinal Tap)
Court & Spark (Joni Mitchell)
Always Tomorrow (Zak Claxton)
If You Could Only See (Tonic)
Nowhere Man (Beatles)
This Afternoon (Zak Claxton)
California (Joni Mitchell)
Love Hurts (The Everly Brothers)
Heart of Gold (Neil Young)
You're Like a Cloud (Zak Claxton)

Thanks to the folks who supported my show today!
Tarina Sewell, Ictus Belford, BuffaloMike Hammerer, Tessa Rhiadra, Etierre Bonde, Carlton Vendetta, Kat Claxton, Cher Harrington, Naga Flow, and of course Sandi Benelli!

Ictus/Carrie Rezday (10.19.08)

Kicking back after my set, watching Mimi Carpenter play.

I did a fun short set to kick off Ictus Belford and Carrie Laysan's 2-year rezday party at noon today. Good times. :)

Set List:

Pigs on the Wing - Part 1 (Pink Floyd)
If You Could Only See (Tonic)
Thanks Anyway (Zak Claxton)
For the Turnstiles (Neil Young)
Our House (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young)
Love Hurts (Everly Brothers)
Old Man (Neil Young)
Impromptu Happy Rezday Song (Zak Claxton)

Thanks for the tips, folks...
Mimi Carpenter, Carrie Laysan, Kat Claxton, TenneseeJed Freiman, Ictus Belford, and Shannyn Fall!