Molaskey's Pub (10.15.12)

Last night, we had a rather special show at Molaskey's Pub in Second Life. Actually, every show at Molaskey's is special in some way. Since my first show there in 2008, Molaskey's has remained one of my favorite places to perform in SL. But on Monday evening, Kat and I celebrated our sixth rezday while I did my show, and I pulled out some new and rare tunes to commemorate the occasion.

Let's let the pictures do the talking this time.

Happy rezday to us! Photo and top photo by Kat.

The crowd at Molaskey's was full of fun friends. Photo by Triana.

There were many decorations put up by the thoughtful Molaskey's staff. Photo by Triana.

My view from the stage. Photo by Triana.

The sun starts to set on a fun Monday. Photo by Triana.

Yup, that's my manager. Photo by Triana.

Maali is draped on our cake while the crowd enjoys the tunes. Photo by Kat.

I don't think I've ever had a bad show at Molaskey's. Photo by Kat.

Everyone seemed to have fun. Even robots who were in pain. Photo by Kat.

Poor Crap. Get well soon, Elbow Man. Photo by Kat.

Just me. I seem to be having fun. I usually am. Photo by Kat.

Molaskey's Set List...
Pigs on the Wing Part 1 (Pink Floyd)
You're Like a Cloud (Zak Claxton)
Northern Sky (Nick Drake)
Always Tomorrow (Zak Claxton)
*Blue Sky Mine (Midnight Oil)
†Terrapin Station (Grateful Dead)
**Take the Ride (They Stole My Crayon)
I've Been Waiting for You (Neil Young)
Carey (Joni Mitchell)
The Other Way (Zak Claxton)
Into the Mystic (Van Morrison)

*Indicates the first time I've performed this song in SL.
†I've only done "Terrapin" a few times. Last one was October 2010; July 2008 before that.
**Not only is this the first time a They Stole My Crayon song was performed in public, but also it's the first time I've sung a song with lyrics by Kat!

Huge thanks to all the great friends Kat and I have made in six years of SL! Special shout-out to those who helped support the show last night.
Crap Mariner, Triana Caldera, Krista Morane, Kat Claxton, Aurelie Chenaux, Diana Renoir, TheaDee, my manager Maali Beck, and the lovely people of Molaskey's, including niaranashi, Cicadetta Stillwater, Stace Silvercloud, Katydid Something, and Mia Kitchensink!

The Musician's Sports Guide: NFL 2012-13 Week Six

Hello readers, and welcome once again to the Musician’s Guide to the NFL. I’m the musician, and here’s your guide looking back at Week 6 and forward to Week 7 and beyond.

NFC EAST
Last week, I mentioned that no one, self included, has any idea what’s really going on in the NFC East, and Week 6 proved my point rather nicely. For the last couple of seasons, the Eagles (3-3) have looked like the best team in the NFC... on paper. However, it never seems to fully pan out that way, does it? The loss to the Lions on Sunday could have easily been prevented, and it may be time for Andy Reid and his staff to find greener pastures. They have a bye this week to lick their wounds, and then host the currently undefeated Falcons in week 8. Meanwhile, everyone was pretty sure the Giants (4-2) -- who are, after all, the defending champions -- would lose badly to a hot Niners team this week. Nope! They crushed San Francisco 26-3, and host the Skins (3-3) next weekend. And yet, I still can’t say for certain that they’ll win. Folks in Dallas (2-3) aren’t too happy with America’s Team right now, despite a good effort versus a tough Ravens team.

San Francisco often roots for the Giants in October. Not this time. Photo via Getty Images.

NFC NORTH
Chicago (4-1) is my kinda town, or so the song goes, and they look strong coming off three straight wins. It was their bye in week 6, so they’re presumably fresh and raring to go when they host Detroit (2-3) next Monday night in what should be a good game. Kudos to Detroit for a somewhat surprising OT victory as a 4-point underdog beating the Eagles in week 6, by the way! Despite a loss to the Skins, the Vikings (4-2) are still in pretty good shape in the NFC North. We’ll see how they hold up again Arizona this coming week. Finally, the Packers (3-3) gave a huge spanking to the previously-undefeated Texans on Sunday night. They should have an even easier time against St. Louis this week.

NFC SOUTH
Most people thought that Atlanta (6-0) would annihilate the Raiders at home in week 6, but the win was a lot closer than the strengths of these respective teams would have you believe. In week 7, they’re up against a tough Minnesota team. Tampa Bay (2-3) pulled out a win over a putrid and injured Chiefs team on Sunday, but I wouldn’t take that as a prediction of great things to come. They take on their division rivals the Saints (1-4) in week 7. Carolina (1-4) also appears to be in this division. Who knew?

NFC WEST
You thought Arizona (4-2) was going to run away with this division when they were undefeated? I didn’t think so then, and I sure don’t think so now. In fact, while San Francisco (4-2) was looking strong for awhile, it’s the Seahawks (4-2) that seem to be showing up ready to play in recent weeks, especially with a rather unexpected win against the Pats on Sunday. I predict that the Cards will have a tough time in Minnesota next weekend, while on Thursday night, Seattle and San Francisco will face off in what’s now a big division game for both teams. The Rams (3-3) are neither as bad or good as they occasionally look; however, Green Bay will likely hand them a loss on Sunday.

First off, the Seahawks have a great home field advantage. Second, that defense is for real no matter where they're playing. Photo via Getty Images.

AFC EAST
Here’s a division usually dominated by one, perhaps two teams. Now everyone -- New England (3-3), the Jets (3-3), the Bills (3-3), and even the Fins (3-3) -- is mired in this limbo-like sea of mediocrity. The Jets and Pats will square off in Foxboro on Sunday to break that tie, while Buffalo hosts the Titans and Miami has their bye. Despite their explosive offense, the Pats are currently one of the worst teams in the league at defending against the pass, and they’ll need to get that together to be a semblance of their former selves.

Perhaps the Dolphins really are turning their season around. Photo via AP.

AFC NORTH
Oh man. Losing Ray Lewis for the season is going to hurt the Ravens (5-1), who were really looking like one of the top-notch teams of the AFC. Big and scary #52 has certainly been their spiritual leader for years, and it’s hard to think that they’ll keep on rolling in the same way without him. Making matters worse, they travel to Houston this week. You’d think that would be an opportunity for the Bengals (3-3) to step it up, but after losing to Cleveland (1-5) last Sunday, I’m not sure they deserve the top spot. In fact, Cincinnati hosts division mate Pittsburgh (2-3) on Sunday, but the Steelers kind of stink too.

AFC SOUTH
The seemingly infallible Texans (5-1) looked quite a bit more human against the Packers last week, and might have trouble with Baltimore in week 7. The Colts (2-3) are somehow in second place in this division, but host the Browns this weekend and just might eke out another win. That’s in contrast to Tennessee (2-4), who travel to Buffalo to be spanked on Sunday. The Jaguars (1-4) had a bye in week 6, and will face an equally bad team in the Raiders for week 7, but I think that Oakland will take them.

AFC WEST
In what is probably the most humiliating loss of the season so far, and one of the worst performances in history, the Chargers (3-3) blew a 24-0 halftime lead against the Broncos (3-3) in front of a Monday night audience. If you need more evidence that Norv Turner does not belong in a head coaching role, I don’t know what else will convince you. Both teams have their bye in week 7, as do the hapless Chiefs (1-5). The only AFC West team playing this weekend is the Raiders (1-4), who actually have an opportunity for a win at home this Sunday against the Jags.

We couldn't believe it either. Photo via Getty Images.

That's All, Folks!
As always, your responses are welcome. Feel free to tell me that I’m full of shit and don’t know what I’m talking about... remember, I’m just a musician, and Mongo just a pawn in game of life (rest in peace, Alex Karras).

The Musician's Sports Guide: NFL 2012-13 Week Five

Welcome back, readers. It’s once again time for a random guitar player to give his armchair analysis of the NFL. Welcome to our week 5 report.

NFC EAST
Don’t listen to anyone -- including me -- who predicts what will happen with the NFC East. The Eagles (3-2) sit statistically on top, but a rough loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday won’t help as they head into their next two games (hosting Detroit next week and then the Falcons after the bye week). The Giants (3-2) managed to give up two fast touchdowns to the Browns before remembering that Cleveland sucks, but they visit San Francisco this weekend for what should be a seriously tough matchup. Dallas (2-2) had the weekend off, and they needed it after being hammered by Chicago the week before. They’ll try and get some of their dignity back at Baltimore on Sunday. Finally, Washington (2-3) put up a tough fight against the conference-leading Falcons, but RG III had his bell rung and hopefully he’s well recovered to host the Vikings on Sunday.

Concussions are not fun. I've had a couple, which sort of explains my inability to, uh... what was I writing? Photo via Getty Images.

NFC NORTH
As the NFL Turns: last year, it would have been pretty odd to see Minnesota (4-1) at the top of this division and Detroit (1-3) at the bottom, but even more perplexing would be Green Bay (2-3) and their losing record. I certainly can’t offer any explanations. The Vikings have won three straight and seem like a good match against the Skins next weekend. Meanwhile, the on-again, off-again Bears (4-1) go into their bye week looking great with a killer run defense, and should make easy work of upcoming games against Detroit and Carolina. Meanwhile, the Packers get to look forward to playing the Texans next week. Gulp.

NFC SOUTH
There’s not a team in the league who wants to face the Falcons (5-0) right now. Not only are the the sole undefeated team in the NFC, but they have massive momentum going into this week’s game against... great, my Oakland Raiders. With a great passing game from Matt Ryan and an excellent defensive backfield, it’s tough to say who will hand Atlanta their first loss. I’ll mention Tampa Bay (1-3), Carolina (1-4), and New Orleans (1-4) since it doesn’t seem nice to leave them out entirely. Congrats, though, to the Saints on their first win of the year, and to Drew Brees for breaking Unitas’ record. Extra congrats for having beaten the Chargers.

NFC WEST
The not-so-unstoppable Cardinals (4-1) were beaten by their division mates the Rams (3-2), and might have a tougher time than you’d think next weekend in Buffalo. Meanwhile, San Francisco (4-1) has beaten their last two opponents by an aggregate score of 79-3. They host the Giants next weekend, and my money’s on the Niners. Finally, in this league-leading division with no losers (what the hell? how can that be?), Seattle (3-2) beat Carolina on the road and hosts the Patriots this week. Normally it would be a lock for New England, but I doubt the spread will reflect your former impression of either team.

You'll be seeing more of the Niners celebrating over the rest of the season. Photo via AP.

AFC EAST
This division’s not looking much like its usual self. The Patriots (3-2) have won their last two, but their pass defense is atrocious, and they’re only alive and somewhat well due to that explosive offense. The Jets (2-3) did slightly better against the Texans on Monday night than I’d expected, but still lost. They host the Colts next weekend, and really better not lose to them if Rex Ryan plans to stay employed for much longer. Meanwhile, Buffalo (2-3) have lost two in a row and had better come out swinging against Arizona on Sunday. Miami (2-3) and their record might not reflect this, but they have the #1 run defense in the league right now. The Fins host St. Louis next week. Much like the NFC East, the year’s still young enough for anything to happen here.

Jeez Tim, relax. It's just a first down. Look at the scoreboard. Photo via Getty Images.

AFC NORTH
I find that few people are ever surprised to see the Ravens (4-1) atop this division. I’d say they are easily the second best team in the AFC right now. They’ve won three straight and it’s good money that they keep riding that streak when they face Dallas this week. The Bengals (3-2) lost to Miami after a few wins, but they should put a mark in the win column against the hapless Browns (0-5) on Sunday. It’s a mystery as to when/how Cleveland will get its first win this year. Pittsburgh (2-2) pulled off a last-second win via field goal this week against the Eagles, and could also fare well against the Titans for this week’s Thursday night game.

AFC SOUTH
Who’s going to stop the undefeated Texans (5-0), I ask you? The reason they sit atop every power ranking goes beyond their win/loss record. They have a crushing defense, a good running game, and even Shaub’s mostly unspectacular passing is enough to have them legitimately be called the best team in the NFL right now. Congrats to the Colts (2-2) on their shocking victory over the Packers on Sunday. Andrew Luck is absolutely going to grow into an elite QB in upcoming years. In other news, Jacksonville (1-4) and Tennessee (1-4) are terrible.

Andrew Luck: does not suck. Photo via Getty Images.

AFC WEST
Welcome to the armpit of the AFC. The Chargers (3-2) lost to the previously-winless Saints in week 5, and host a division game against Denver (2-3) this coming Monday night. Those Broncos lost pretty convincingly against the Pats, and are looking decidedly mediocre on defense. Oakland (1-3) thankfully had the week off, so perhaps they’ll feel better when they travel to Atlanta to get their clocks cleaned on Sunday. Finally, KC (1-4) is at Tampa Bay, and it’s anyone guess as to who takes that suckfest.

Classic "Manning face" alert! Photo via AP.

That's All, Folks!
My only sure win of the upcoming week, sadly, is the Falcons beating the Raiders. Beyond that, it’s a pretty closely-matched set of games in week 6. Good luck to your team and as always, your comments are welcomed.

Six Years in Second Life: The Beginning

A rather early photo of Kat and I in SL (in 2007). I wish I could find some of our true noobie shots. Hilarious!

As 90% of my blog readers already know, Second Life is an online virtual environment that was founded in 2003 by Linden Lab. This week marks our sixth anniversary of joining Second Life, a kind of digital birthday known as a "rezday" to SL residents. It took a few years before SL really permeated the public consciousness, but when it did in 2006, it looked like it was really going to take over the Internet.

That didn't exactly happen, or really happen at all. But during that short time frame between mid-2006 to mid-2007, Second Life really exploded in popularity. However, other than a low-level awareness that was peripheral at best, Kat and I didn't have any plans to join SL. She and I were friends who, about a year earlier in 2005, decided to move our friendship into the romance area. However, she was living in Seattle, and I was in Los Angeles, and the thousand miles between us didn't make maintaining a relationship easy.

Getting into SL, thanks to Mike Burns and Duran Duran
After months and months of trading emails, chatting on forums, and having long talks on the phone, Kat and I took our first trip to meet each other in person in February 2006, spending a weekend in San Francisco together. Apparently I passed the test, because we then met in April in Las Vegas, and then in July in Seattle, and in September here in LA. But still, it wasn't easy having to go weeks (sometimes months) at a time without seeing each other.

One day in October of that year, my great friend and fellow musician Michael Burns called me. "Hey, have you heard of Second Life?" he asked. I said I had, but really wasn't interested in anything that geeky. Mike replied that it was definitely worth checking out, and (as if to prove his point) told me that Duran Duran was building some kind of island there. I had no idea what that meant, but the wheels started to turn in my head. That night, I was on the phone with Kat, and mentioned to her about what Mike had told me regarding this "Second Life thing". We both got on the SL site and it looked weird, but possibly cool in that instead of just being on the phone together, we could go out on some virtual dates.

So, on a whim, we both registered at the same time at that moment, which was October 12, 2006. We picked our names together; in those days, Linden forced you to adopt one of their available last names (probably for database maintenance purposes), so we liked the Claxton name, and I chose to be Zak while Kat became Kat (not her first choice, by the way... that was already taken).

A few more early Zak and Kat photos from SL.

Noob Days and Music Discovery
We were silly noobs, like most noobs. We would rez in random places and cruise around talking to people we would find. But we really did enjoy the aspect of feeling like we were together as we hung out at camping zones trying to collect a little money here and there, and slowly improving our very basic avatars. We probably wouldn't have become full members right away, but Linden was offering a special weekly stipend that would diminish if we waited any longer. So, we became full paid members and got a little land not long after that.

One of the first regular activities we found was Triana's Music Trivia, which we started attending in November of 2006, and where we continue to spend almost all of our Sunday evenings even today. Later that same month, we were on one of our virtual dates, and stumbled across an event where someone (Keiko Takamura, to be specific) was playing live music. My eyebrows went up; hey wait, I'm a musician. I could do that too.

Six Years Later...
I'm neither a huge evangelist nor a detractor of Second Life. I still do find much enjoyment from the virtual world itself, and of course, it goes without saying that my career as a performing and recording songwriter has benefitted greatly from my experiences in SL. Perhaps more important, though, are the great friendships I've made there; in several cases, there are people who will be lifelong friends of mine who I met in that zany world of pixels.

In any case, doing something for six years is a pretty long time, and bing there that long places Kat and I in the upper 10% of people who've remained in SL since those early days. I'm happy to say that we're still glad we found SL, and remain appreciative of its many good aspects.

Whisky A Go Go (10.02.12)

Performing in Second Life... no, wait. Scratch that. Expand it. Performing live music in any setting is unpredictable. That's part of the fun of it, of course. When you press play on your MP3 device, the music comes out the same way every time. But when you go and see a band live, especially a smaller artist (not one of those acts you see in stadiums), damn near anything can happen. Mistakes can happen. The band/artist can do different arrangements of songs than the ones you're used to hearing. Things can break. How bands and solo artists handle the challenges of doing live shows tells a lot about them as people.

From the performing musician's standpoint, there's an equal and opposite uncertainty principle going on. See, we can't control what happens outside of our little world of playing instruments and singing and being entertaining. We can't, for example, go out and force people to come to the show. I'm usually very fortunate in that I have a small but mighty group of dedicated friends/fans (known as the Zaksters) who seem to come out to way more shows I do than I could possibly hope they would. But on a night when the Zaksters have other plans, and that we don't do as well as we could in promoting the show beforehand... well, the fact is that whether it's in SL or in the fleshy world, unless you are a very well-established act, you need to accept that not every show will break attendance records. Factor in a world like Second Life, where the technology that supports it simply doesn't work all the time, and you have another obstacle to overcome in getting big audiences on a steady basis.

I'm spoiled; I have a great manager who is fantastic about booking my shows, managing my fan base, and drawing people to each show. And most of the time, between our combined efforts, we get really good audiences (both in terms of quality and quantity). As I said, I'm spoiled, because when that doesn't happen these days, it's surprising. That's a good thing! Last night at the Whisky in Second Life was one of those rare shows where we just couldn't get a consistent audience to hang out. Most of my Zaksters weren't around, and while there were a few folks coming and going as people tend to do in SL, we never got to that critical mass of people where folks wanted to hang around and enjoy the music, the banter, and other things that make for an entertaining night.

If I find myself in a situation with a smaller crowd, I can't stand staying up on the stage. It just seems silly. I wouldn't stand on a riser in my living room to play for a few friends. So, here I am standing and performing on the dance floor. Photo by Kat.

That's not to say the music wasn't good. I actually felt the show itself was fine, and I think the few folks who did stick around enjoyed it. I definitely reached a little deeper into my song list and did some stuff that I don't often perform. But I also reached a conclusion regarding some possible burnout of my shows at the Whisky... after all, it's been damn near every Tuesday night since the beginning of June. So, we'll take a week off and see how we do come the following week. We actually have a busy "tour" toward the end of the month, with shows at Molaskey's, Key West, Warung Beats, and the Islands of New England in addition to shows at the Whisky. I think a week off would be good right before all that... especially as I'm super busy working on new original music for my secret band project. So that's what we'll do.

Whisky Set List...
Allentown (Billy Joel)
Sex and Candy (Marcy Playground)
Better Man (Pearl Jam)
Rock and Roll Woman (Buffalo Springfield)
If It Makes You Happy (Sheryl Crow)
Everlong (Foo Fighters)
†Uncle John's Band (Grateful Dead)
Soul Kitchen (The Doors)
The Other Way (Zak Claxton)
Starman (David Bowie)
*Love Is The Seventh Wave (Sting)

*Indicates the first time I've performed this song in SL. Hey, it was Sting's birthday. Pompous asses need birthday wishes too.

†My last performance of this Dead song was in December 2009!

For those who hung out and supported the show, my sincere thanks!
Kat Claxton, Kaeko Freenote, Elke Shepherd, Cicadetta Stillwater, fmcneil, my manager Maali Beck, and Whisky host Dmitri Polonsky and owner Cameron Trenchcoat!

The Musician's Sports Guide: NFL 2012-13 Week Four

Hello Readers. I'll forego the "why is a musician writing a sports column" disclaimer this time and jump right in. First, a hearty welcome back to the union referees. They looked nearly as rusty as their scab counterparts last weekend, but that should improve soon.

NFC EAST
Regardless of my apparent disbelief regarding the strength of the Eagles (3-1), they seem to keep finding ways to win more often than not. Beating the Giants (2-2) was an important division game; next week they visit a somewhat befuddled Pittsburgh. Washington (2-2), who leads the league in team rushing behind the talents of both Alfred Morris and RGIII, will have a tough time against the Falcons on Sunday. Dallas (2-2) pretty much got their asses handed to them by the Bears on MNF, and will be happy to lick their wounds during their bye week.

The replacement refs probably wouldn't have called this a penalty. Photo via AP.

NFC NORTH
One reason I like the old-school NFC North is that there's never a perennial favorite. In recent years, Green Bay (2-2) and Detroit (1-3) have been the leaders; not so right now. The Vikings (3-1) just took on two tough teams in a row and came out on top, and should roll over Tennessee next weekend. But the occasionally tough Bears (3-1) also have a couple of seemingly easy wins coming up, so this division remains a toss up for now.

Ro-mo you didn't! While he shows great talent on occasion, iit must be frustrating for all Dallas fans when this guy has a bad game. Photo via Getty Images.

NFC SOUTH
When is Atlanta (4-0) going to lose? I don't think it's next week against the Skins, nor the following week against the Raiders. They face the Eagles in week 7, so perhaps that will give them a real test. Meanwhile, no one else in this division -- the Bucs (1-3), the Panthers (1-3), or most of all the Saints (0-4) -- are going to have any impact this season. Tampa Bay has a bye this week, then faces KC in week six for a craptacular battle of badness.

Like most winning teams, Atlanta is well-rounded with both offense and defense strength. Photo via Getty Images.

NFC WEST
Watch out, Arizona (4-0); I think San Francisco (3-1) woke up and remembered how powerful they can be with a "message game" shutout of the Jets. I don't think that the Cardinals will be exactly running away with the division, though they should be able to get past the Rams (2-2) this coming weekend. Seattle (2-2), perhaps coming off the high of their high from the end of the previous week's game, didn't look so hot against St. Louis.

AFC EAST
I think the last thing you want is to face an embarrassed Tom Brady in any game situation. Halfway through the third quarter of the New England (2-2) / Buffalo (2-2) game, the Pats were down 21-7 and the catcalls were scoming form the rowdy fans. Bad idea. Not many other guys than Brady can unleash hell in that particular way. A quarter and a half later, the score was 52-28 Pats, and the Bills were left scratching their heads (or more unseemly parts of themselves). As a sad Raiders fan with little to look forward to this year, I am hoping that Brady puts on a similar performance against Denver next week. Meanwhile, the Jets (2-2) got the worst spanking of any team this season so far with a 34-0 crushing by the Niners. I will ask any fan who is screaming to put Tebow in: do you really want to see what the Texans defense will do to him? What kind of person does that makes you? On second though, yeah, put him in. Finally, Miami (1-3) has one win, and that's because they played the Raiders. Sigh.

Te-bow! Te-bow! Te-bow! Photo via Getty Images.

AFC NORTH
Yours Truly, the Musician Sports Guy, was born and spent his infancy in Cincinnati, and as a result has a special affinity toward the Bengals (3-1). They looked good against the hapless Jags, and should also do pretty well for their next couple of games. But the fate of the division mostly lies in how well the always-tough Ravens (3-1) are playing week to week. They should crush KC next weekend, but then have upcoming games against Dallas and Houston. As some of my friends would say, shit's about to get real. The Steelers (1-2), who aren't looking too hot, had a needed bye this week, and host the Eagles this coming Sunday. Cleveland (0-4)... well, I was told not to say anything at all if I can't say something good. Moving on.

AFC SOUTH
I thought the Texans (4-0) were Super Bowl bound last year, until injuries devastated them. I'll tell you right now, I don't see any other team looking as consistently strong as these guys this year, so until proven otherwise, I'd still say they are the elite team of the AFC right now, if not the entire NFL. They face the Jets and Packers in upcoming games. As for the Colts (1-2), Jags (1-3), and Titans (1-3)... moving on.

Get used to shots of Houston celebrating victories... there will be plenty more if they stay healthy. Photo via Getty Images.

AFC WEST
The rather cake-like schedule of San Diego (3-1) will continue to give the impression that they're better than they are. Last week, I strongly suggested that the Broncos (2-2) would open a can of whoop-ass on the Raiders (1-3), and that came true. However, Denver will have, oh, a bit tougher time against a possible revitalized New England next weekend in Foxboro. The Chiefs (1-3) will continue their fight to be the bottom feeders in the AFC West this weekend against the Ravens.

Sad Carson is sad. So is every Raiders fan. Photo via Getty Images.

That's All, Folks!
Join us back here every Tuesday morning throughout the season, and feel free to leave your thoughts in comments, or wherever. I read 'em.

A weekend of new music with my new band

I'm listening to a song right now on this foggy early Monday morning. It's pretty special as far as songs go. It's the first song that was ever written by my ladyfriend Kat Claxton (with music by yours truly). Why is Kat suddenly a songwriter? Simple: because that's part of her job in her role as one third of a new musical project along with myself and the ever-amazing Bunny Knutson.

Kat's new songwriting experience is something that I've enjoyed for my entire life: creating new music. I think she's hooked; she had that gleam of creation in her eye when she left yesterday. After all, it's a pretty good day for any songwriter when you can write lyrics and help compose music for not just one but two entirely brand new tunes, then record demos of both. That's a great day for anyone who makes music.

Bunny, Kat, and I have been friends for about a decade. If you can't be in a band with your best friends, who else is there?

I know there are a lot of people with a number of questions. What do these songs sound like? When can I hear them? What is this musical project with Kat and Bunny? What's the band's name? Are you going on tour? Will there be an album? What kind of music is it? Is this the new Zak Claxton album? Have you been playing these new songs in Second Life?

In short, the answer is that I'm going to be frustratingly devoid of answers. We have a pretty good idea of what we're doing, Bunny, Kat and I; it's just better if we focus on doing what we need to do and not waste time talking about it. I will tell you that it is a band... not just Kat and Bunny backing me up on my stuff. As such, everyone will be making contributions of songwriting, singing, and music creation. The band does have a name, and even a web site, but we're neither ready nor willing to talk about that stuff yet. Only a few people have heard the name, and the total number of people on planet Earth who've heard the first two demos is three. Yeah, Kat, Bunny, and me.

Bunny and I in a hipster bar in San Francisco in 2006. I'm the drunk guy.

We're going to keep it like that for a little while, but not for long. The plan is for us to write and record an entire album's worth of music -- call it 12 to 15 songs -- by Thanksgiving, and put the album out before year's end.

I will be specific about a couple of topics. First, this is NOT the new Zak Claxton album. Don't worry... there will be another album of my own songs in my own style eventually. But this isn't it. None of the songs we're doing now include anything you've heard me play before. As far as I'm concerned, I'm one member of a band of equals in this project; each of us will be bringing something unique and cool to this party, and already the results are different than anything I would have done on my own.

So, back to the moment, this moment where I'm sitting here listening to one of Kat's songs. She wrote the lyrics yesterday, and I immediately was inspired to do music for them. We could have left it at that, but why waste a perfectly decent Sunday afternoon by not following through and recording? We made demos -- quick and simple recordings to use as a reference -- for both songs. I'm not kidding about working fast; we did two songs in less than two hours, and shared them with Bunny who will then make his own creative additions between now and when we actually record the tunes for real.

Despite all the mystery and seeming uncertainty surrounding this band so far, I can assure you that we have a very, very focused direction of music. Music, as it turns out, is the most important aspect of a band.

I'm also looking forward to whatever Bunny contributes from his end. He's a very, very innovative guy who will do things with music that I'd never think of in a million years, which is exactly why I love working with him. And now, knowing what I had already suspected -- that Kat can make a big creative contribution as well -- I'm even more excited about this new band.

As always, I'll let you know anything that you might want to know as soon as it's worth knowing, and I'll do it right here on the blog and on my various social network thingees. The one thing we won't be doing is sharing any music before it's 100% ready for your ears, so for the next couple of months, I thank you in advance for your patience while we build this stuff. Regardless of anything else, it's going to be fun (it already is), and if it goes like I think it will, we'll have some really good music that we'll be proud to show you when it's said and done.