UPCOMING: Zak's "THAT '90s SHOW" at Key West

Tomorrow evening (Wednesday September 7 at 5PM SLT) at Key West in SL, I'll be doing a special show. Side note: I almost never do "special shows", preferring to make each show "special" in some way, but I rarely plan a complete theme-based show.

To keep things fresh, I decided to wind back the clock to the decade before last, and do a complete hour of songs from the 1990s. Unlike most of my shows, tomorrow night's event will not feature any of my original music. Instead, it's 60 minutes of covers, and I'm pulling out six songs I've never played before just to make it all the more exciting for myself and my audience. We'll be covering everything from grunge to alternative, rap-rock to post-rock, and more.

So, get out your flannel shirts and head over to Key West Wednesday night. This will be memorable and fun!

The all-new Zak Claxton Dot Com!

I have a web site. I know, it's shocking. But it's worthwhile mentioning, at least today, because I just did a complete rebuild of the site, and it's all new and stuff.

Therefore, I thought it might be cool to give you a little guided tour of the site. Not that you can't figure it out on your own, dear reader; if that were the case, my web designer would have done a rather piss-poor job. Who is that web guru? Why, it's me, of course. In my life that doesn't involve me playing guitar and singing, I own a little marketing company, and web design is one of the main things we do (along with graphic design, copywriting, public relations, and more stuff in that vein). Since web design is my job, it's all the less likely that I want to spend time designing my own sites after days on end of doing it for my clients.

Regardless, I found my last version of the site to be somewhat lacking. In my desire to "keep it clean", I inadvertently left it devoid of useful content, and made updating it more of a pain in the ass than it needs to be in this Web 2.0 world. So, the first thing you might notice about the new site is that it has stuff... lots of stuff, and stuff that is dynamically updated through things like this blog, which is now viewable right there on the home page.



First thing to note: every single page of the site has a music player on top. No matter where you are, feel free to listen to the songs off my last album. The Home page also has a feed from this very blog, which I update often as you probably know. When you rollover the main navigation in the orange bar near the top, you'll see there are drop-down menus that help you quickly get where you want go. Another item you'll find on every page is the signup form for my mailing list. You can enter your email there, and I'll drop you a line if I ever think of something important enough with which to bother you. Beneath that, you'll see my latest outpouring of genius on Twitter, and below that, you can "like" the page via Facebook.



If you feel like you need to know more about me, the Bio pages should give you all you need to know. There is a miniature version for those among us short of time and/or attention, and a longer one for backgrounds in hard-hitting press exposés. Speaking of press, the Press Kit page conveniently links to the bio and has some high-res photos right there. So, if you want to do a big interview with me and put my picture on your magazine cover, I would probably be okay with it.



The Music page of the site is a place where you can -- for absolutely free -- listen at your leisure to the entire Zak Claxton album. As I often say, if you like what you hear, please buy it... there are convenient links to iTunes and Amazon in the Store area, but we'll get to that later. In Music, you can hear the whole album, and get info on the songs, the lyrics, and the credits for recording form my last album.



Here's a convenient part of the site for all you Zaksters: a complete schedule of my upcoming live shows (most of which, as you know, are in Second Life). Found under the "shows" navigation tab, you can browse through my schedule and decide ahead of time in regard to which of my silly, wacky, zany gigs you may want to attend.



The "Pics/Vids" area of the site has pictures and videos. Wow, was that really necessary to write? Anyway, you may find something you haven't seen before there, and I'm also going to be adding a ton of more recent photos shortly. Enjoy them.



Finally, the Store page of the site is a convenient way to buy my music, as well as clothing and accessories if you're into wearing me. You'll find direct links to my Amazon page where you can buy my CD, as well as links to iTunes and Amazon MP3 to buy downloads. At the bottom are a few of my merchandise items, and a link to my merch store where you can see more.

There's a lot more to the site. I recommend you try out the Random page (who knows what you'll find? Not me, and I coded the damn thing), or browse through my Links just to see who I put up there. I hope you enjoy the site, and if you want to tell me anything about it, it's now easier than ever to reach me.

The Majestic (08.25.11)

What a day! I got up early to make sure my son was ready to head out to registration for his middle school -- he's transitioning from elementary school, and it's a big step, as I'm sure you all recall. School starts next week, and I'm happy to say that he seems pretty confident about the whole thing (unlike me; I'm a bundle of nerves). His new school does something smart; in the afternoon, they had a day camp that was an orientation for all the incoming 6th graders, allowing the kids to get more comfortable and familiar with the layout of the school before classes actually start.

So, directly after my kid got home from that excursion, it was time for me to start getting ready for my show at The Majestic in Second Life. One of my top-tier Zaksters, Diana Renoir, was having her real-life birthday, and while I was fairly sure she wouldn't be coming to the show, I planned some special b-day tunes for her (after all her support over the last few years, it's the least I could do).

That 6PM hour in SL can be a real bitch. I am not exaggerating when I say there are often 50 live music events happening simultaneously at that time. It is tremendously difficult to scare up a good-sized crowd at 6PM on a weeknight, but despite having a relatively small audience at the Majestic last night, we had a lot of fun.

Small crowd, large fun. I guess it was a fun-sized crowd. Photo by Kat.

The show itself was also good, though my Martin guitar definitely needs a string change and an overall cleaning (which I'll be doing soon). As I've been prone to do recently, I reached a little deeper into my list of tunes and pulled out a few that I don't play often. I also decided within an hour of the show to perform a Doors tune that, for whatever reason, I'd neglected to try before. By the way, Diana ended up popping into the show during its later stages, and it was fun to be able to sing her a special "Happy Birthday". She also inspired me to imitate the birthday dinner from which she'd just returned, and Kat and I enjoyed a massive amount of sushi later that night. Oh, and if you're in the mood for some silliness, fast-forward the audio from the show to about 14:58, which is the moment I decided to go pantsless for the remainder of the gig.

LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE SHOW HERE

Majestic Set List...
*Impromptu Ode to Crap Mariner (Zak Claxton)
Off the Wall (Michael Jackson)
Shine (Zak Claxton)
*Alabama Song (The Doors)
Alabama (Neil Young)
Time Never Waits for You (Zak Claxton)
†Breaking Us in Two (Joe Jackson)
Pink Moon (Nick Drake)
††Mother's Little Helper (Rolling Stones)
Mother (Pink Floyd)
I've Been Waiting for You (Neil Young)
*Happy Birthday Diana (Zak Claxton)
Jane (Barenaked Ladies)

*Indicates the first time I've performed this song in SL.
†My last performance of "Breaking Us in Two" was, ironically, at The Majestic on January 30, 2009.
††Last performance of "Mother's Little Helper" was November 16, 2008.

Thanks very much to the people who helped support my show!
Diana Renoir, TheaDee, Lance Lomu, Kat Claxton, Triana Caldera, my manager Maali Beck, and Majestic hostess Tialicia Muircastle!

ROMA (08.21.11)

It's always a bit of a crap shoot when I perform at places that aren't dedicated live music venues. There have been times, as I sit there strumming away and no one is really focused on the music and instead are walking around looking for good deals on pixellated shoes, that I've wished I hadn't accepted the gig in the first place. But then, there are other times, like yesterday at ROMA, when it can be one of the most fun shows I can do on the entire grid.

I was introduced to ROMA by my manager Maali Beck, who is part of that community. What is ROMA? I'll let them explain it...

ROMA is an ancient Roman themed land within the online world of Second Life®. ROMA is the original Roman land in SL. It has been open since the Ides of October 2006 and has a very active citizenry, with over a thousand members, over twenty associated groups, and over a hundred different attractions which are open to all visitors.

So basically, it's an ancient Rome role-playing sim, and it's really incredibly impressive. I did my first show there for their Spring Festival back in April, and enjoyed myself (I think the audience did too), so when Maali asked me to play at their Summer Feast, I didn't hesitate to say yes. When I arrived, though, I was a little confused; I didn't see a stage set up anywhere. However, Maali then led me a few paces away, and... wow! I was performing inside of a small volcano, on a stage that doubled as a large lounge area with harem-pillow seating in a semicircle behind me. Sweet!

Here I am inside my volcano stage, with the Zakster ladies reclining behind me. A tough life, I have, I'll tell ya. Photo by Kat.

One great thing about this place is that everyone really gets into their ancient Roman roles. Nice outfits, all! Photo by Kat.

The layout of pixel-based feast dishes was making me hungry while I rocked. Photo by Kat.

You know, wearing a toga isn't bad at all. It's a pretty good look for me. Photo by Kat.

It got even better once the show started rolling. Due to the rather tight nature of the space, it felt like we had 100 people in there (as opposed to 25 or so), and the crowd was as talkative and rowdy as I'd hoped they would be. My main Zakster gals -- Kat, Triana, and Diana -- all lounged behind me as I rocked a bunch of songs in a set that was loosely geared toward the ROMA crowd. There were a couple of tunes in there that I hadn't played in about three years, so it was fun to dredge the archives and pull those out again.

ROMA Set List...
Broken Day (Zak Claxton)
Athena (The Who)
Landslide (Fleetwood mac)
Fire & Rain (James Taylor)
Falling Down (Zak Claxton)
†Stonehenge (Spinal Tap)
Starman (David Bowie)
Rikki Don't Lose That Number (Steely Dan)
††Wild Horses (Rolling Stones)
In My Time of Dying (Traditional)
Behind Blue Eyes (The Who)
Always Tomorrow (Zak Claxton)

† Last performance of "Stonehenge": September 20, 2008.
†† Last performance of "Wild Horses": December 21, 2008.

Many thanks to all the folks at ROMA for having me back there... really looking forward to the next festival! Thanks to all who helped support my show there...
Triana Caldera, Airedale Magic, Melanippe Karas, Nekorina Kiama, Morgana Fillion, Diana Renoir, Kat Claxton, Enamabala Towradgi, my manager Maali Beck, and ROMA Estate Manager Angelia Rees!

Molaskey's Pub (08.18.11)

It had been a few months since the last time I played at Molaskey's Pub, and the most recent show I played there was that weird situation where someone had purchased the venue, only to be forced to back out at the last minute. It all turned out good, since Molaskey's original owners Apple MacKay and Katydid Something were able to keep the place running with the help of Thinkerer Melville as an investor, and by cutting the operating hours down to four shows per week from their previous ten.

The end result was that one of SL's finest live music spots stayed open, and I was very glad to get back there again last night. What makes Molaskey's great? It's simple: they have the most dedicated team of people running the place, and all of them are true fans of good music. When you go see a show at Molaskey's Pub, it's almost guaranteed that you'll be hearing the most talented and/or entertaining people in Second Life.

Ah, Molaskey's. Many years of good times for artists and audiences alike. Photo by Kat.

So, enough history, and on to my show. I got a boost of enthusiasm when I found out I'd be performing at 6PM and being followed by Lyndon Heart, one of my personal favorite SL musicians, at 7PM. We're a good fit in terms of the type of material we play, and I had a feeling it was going to be a good night as a result. I wasn't wrong. As I've been doing lately, I reached a little deeper into my song list and played a few that have become rarities in my repertoire.

Molaskey's Set List...
Losing My Religion (REM)
This Afternoon (Zak Claxton)
Big Yellow Taxi (Joni Mitchell)
Falling Down (Zak Claxton)
†Across the Universe (Beatles)
After the Goldrush (Neil Young)
Shine (Zak Claxton)
*Expecting to Fly (Buffalo Springfield)
Things Behind the Sun (Nick Drake)
Love Hurts (Everly Brothers)
Into the Mystic (Van Morrison)

†My last performance of "Across the Universe" was on December 10, 2007! Holy crap!
*Indicates the first time I've performed this song in Second Life.

One of SL's best venues? You bet. Photo by Kat.

One more particularly cool thing came out of last night's show: Lyndon and I will be back at Molaskey's on Thursday September 15, but in a slightly different format: we're going to dual-stream, meaning that from the audience's perspective, we'll be performing together! I have always wanted to get into this type of thing in SL, and I can't wait to see how it goes!

Many thanks to the great friends/fans who helped support my show at Molaskey's!
Tyra Jakob, Diana Renoir, Thinkerer Melville, Cicadetta Stillwater, Kat Claxton, Aurelie Chenaux, Mia Kitchensink, Xerxes Ninetails, my manager Maali beck, and Molaskey's wonderful owner Katydid Something!

Crystal Gardens (08.16.11)

Ah, back at Crystal Gardens again. As I'd mentioned before, I spent my first year and a half in Second Life playing weekly at the former venue owned by Sandi Benelli, and rather recently I re-established that connection. The result is that I'm now playing at Sandi's new venue every other Tuesday. My first show there was fun, but we didn't gather much of a crowd. Last night's show, however, was fun and also pretty well attended for the 5PM slot.

My darling Kat had spent the previous five days away from me, visiting with family in her old hometown in the Seattle area, and she'd just returned a couple of hours before my show. Therefore, I made the show into a welcome home party for Kat, and did a number of songs specifically for her (including my first-ever performance of a Who song she enjoys).

My crowd and I enjoying a Tuesday evening sunset at Crystal Gardens. Photo by Kat.

Crstal Gardnes Set List...
You're Like a Cloud (Zak Claxton)
*Athena (The Who)
Fade Away (Zak Claxton)
Thank U (Alanis Morissette)
Falling Down (Zak Claxton)
†Powderfinger (Neil Young)
Always Tomorrow (Zak Claxton)
Ashes to Ashes (David Bowie)
Pink Moon (Nick Drake)
Perfect Girl (Zak Claxton)
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away (Beatles)
Accidents Will Happen (Elvis Costello)

*Indicates my first ever performance of this song in SL.
†My last performance of "Powderfinger": October 6, 2008... coincidentally at the old Crystal Sands

Many thanks to everyone who came out for (and supported) the show!
Diana Renoir, Dino1234, Elke Shepherd, Blues Heron, Triana Caldera, Alexis Fairlady, Kat Claxton, Xerxes Ninetails, my manager Maali Beck, and Crystal Gardens owners Sandi Benelli and Mikal Beaumont!

The Majestic (08.11.11)

I had a very interesting day involving the Second Life music scene yesterday. I'm not going to get into details, but something that happened inspired me to do something I'd never even considered doing in the nearly five years I've been in SL: write a letter to the CEO. At this stage, it's a guy named Rod Humble, and the upshot of the story is that I'd noted a situation that seemed to be unfair toward the long-term members of the SL music family. I wrote the letter more to vent my frustration at that situation, and wasn't really expecting a response.

But respond he did, and quickly. Rod, as it turns out, is a guy who really seems to understand the needs of SL's residents, and (here's a rare quality in a CEO) knows the difference between right and wrong... and is willing to act on it. Long story short: Rod sent me back a nice note agreeing with my sentiment, and perhaps as a show of willingness to make right on a wrong, the announcement of my show at The Majestic was re-Tweeted by the official Second Life Twitter feed last night. Uncalled for, but very nice, and much appreciated.

The official Second Life Twitter feed, helping to spread the word about my show last night. Very, very nice of them. Thanks, SL!

Anyway, enough of that, and onto the show. I played after Zerbie Magic, another experienced SL performer. It's funny; Zerbie and I have styles that couldn't be more different (she's a pop/R&B singer who performs live to recorded tracks, while I'm a guitar-strumming silly singer-songwriter guy), but it was nice having someone there before me so I didn't feel that the burden of bringing every single avatar to the venue was on my shoulders. She's a talented singer too, so it's always cool having some comparable musical skill in the same evening, even if our styles are 180 degrees apart.

As you can see, we had a nice-sized crowd of Zaksters and general SL folks. Everyone seemed to be having fun. Mission accomplished. Photos by Triana.

Whether it was due to SL's tweet or some other factor, we had a much better crowd at the Majestic than we've had in recent weeks. As I've mentioned, the 6PM weekday slot is just packed with shows, so any time we get 20+ people in a venue at that time, I'm a happy camper. The Zaksters were out in nearly full force... except (notably) my darling Kat, who was at that moment on a plane to Seattle to visit her family. Still, we had lots of fun, and musically I think it went very well, continuing a string of recent performances that left me satisfied.

Majestic Set List...
Broken Day (Zak Claxton)
If You Could Only See (Tonic)
Into the Mystic (Van Morrison)
Hunger Strike (Temple of the Dog)
Edith and the Kingpin (Joni MItchell)
Falling Down (Zak Claxton)
Landslide (Fleetwood Mac)
Man of Constant Sorrow (Traditional)
Polly (Nirvana)
Little Wing (Jimi Hendrix)
Better Man (Pearl Jam)

Big thanks to everyone who came out to the Majestic last night, especially those who supported my show!
Diana Renoir, Triana Caldera, Alexis Fairlady, Charm March, Dottie Idlemind, Wayne Kira, Aurelie Chenaux, Cobalt Niles, Christine Haiku, my lovely manager Maali Beck, and Majestic manager Kalli Birman! And, once again, thanks to Rod Humble and the SL marketing team for giving me a little hand. It's the small stuff that matters, and it's appreciated.