A lovely Monday evening at Crystal Sands (07.28.08)

As I may have hinted earlier, I was itching to do some new songs, and that I did tonight at Crystal Sands -- three of them, in fact. I don't have much to say about the show other than that it went really well, with no stream problems, a nice-sized crowd, and an overall easygoing vibe. Got a request right before I started to do "Tribute", which I was happy to do as well. Let's cut to the chase- er, the set list.

"Blue Morning, Blue Day" (Foreigner)

Here's what I played!
*Drive (Incubus)
*Take It On The Run (REO Speedwagon)
*Blue Morning, Blue Day (Foreigner)
Thanks Anyway (Zak Claxton)
Old Man (Neil Young)
This Afternoon (Zak Claxton)
Mother (Pink Floyd)
Tribute (Tenacious D)
Behind Blue Eyes (The Who)
You're Like a Cloud (Zak Claxton)
Carey (Joni Mitchell)
Tempted (Squeeze)

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

Thanks to the people who helped support my show:
Carrie Laysan, Ictus Belford, Rykk Ferraris, Kat Claxton, Haroldthe Burrel, Elsbeth Writer, samsam Newbold, Aurelie Chenaux, Triana Caldera, Torch Weinstein, Alex Barth, Grateful Stryker, Sharpie Sommerfleck, and most of all, Sandi Benelli!

Stoned at Stonehenge (07.26.08)

Let's get the complaining out of the way first: I think I need to change off this 3:00PM slot on every third Saturday at Stonehenge . It's not that I don't love the venue; I do, very much so, and Lyn Carlberg and Tessira Soderstrom are about as cool and nice people as any I know in SL. But I can't, for the life of me, get a great crowd there at the start of my show, and I don't seem to run into that problem at any other place in any other time slot. I may ask to switch over to the 4:00 slot so I can at least have the benefit of someone else playing before me.

But regardless of the light crowd for the first 4-5 songs, I had a great time and I felt like both the voice and guitar were working with me all day. I like when that happens! I'd have to say the highlight of the show was the "Suite", where I stretched out and played a little guitar strummin' between lines.

Song Sample: "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" (Crosby, Stills & Nash)

The Set List:

Carey (Joni Mitchell)
Southern Man (Neil Young)
Thank You (Led Zeppelin)
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes (Crosby, Stills & Nash)
You're Like a Cloud (Zak Claxton)
Wonderwall (Oasis)
Thanks Anyway (Zak Claxton)
Stonehenge (Spinal Tap)
This Afternoon (Zak Claxton)
Any Major Dude (Steely Dan)
Behind Blue Eyes (The Who)

Thanks to the following people who supported my show!
Rhiannon Stradling, Nikki Mathieson, Kat Claxton, Raden Heliosense, Sally Silvera, and especially Lyn Carlberg and Tessira Soderstrom!

Fibber Magee's -- Dublin (07.24.08)

So this one time, on my way to the virtual venue...I got lost!

First time for everything I guess. When I got my information pack to play at Fibber Magee's, I was inadvertently given the wrong LM, but it happened to be to another club in Dublin, the Blarney Stone! So, I walked into the wrong place, and rezzed my shit on the stage. I'm like, "Hi everyone!" and no one's talking to me because they're probably going, "Who's this cheeky fuck, dropping shit off in our club and putting on a guitar?"

I'm still laughing my ass off about it now but at the time, I was saying, "Oh shit! I think I'm in the wrong place!" and to make matters worse, I'd already sent out notices with the wrong address attached. DOH! But then found the right club, went there, and sent another volley of "OOOPS" notices with the right one, and then went on with the show. Ah man. SL imitates life in every way. Too funny.

So, despite those shenanigans, I did actually get started right on time, and I think the show was fantastic. We had a decent-sized, very enthusiastic crowd, and everyone seemed to be having a good time, and I know I had a blast playing for my first show in ten days!

Song Sample #1: "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" (Steely Dan)

Song Sample #2: "Tribute" (Tenacious D)

Here's the set list:

Wonderwall (Oasis)
Help Me (Joni Mitchell)
This Afternoon (Zak Claxton)
Nowhere Man (Beatles)
Sex & Candy (Marcy Playground)
You're Like a Cloud (Zak Claxton)
Any Major Dude (Steely Dan)
Old Man (Neil Young)
Thanks Anyway (Zak Claxton)
Six Underground (Sneaker Pimps)
Tribute (Tenacious D)
Rikki Don't Lose That Number (Steely Dan)
Soul Kitchen (The Doors)

Thanks to the following folks who supported my show:
Emmie Fairymeadow, Freyja Merryman, Allister Philbin, Lilli Landar, Niky Zenovka, Soundcircel Flanagan, Ray Weyland, Rawnie Lane, Otawan Fouquet, Danton Thirroul, and most of all, Cher Harrington!

Last show for ten days: Crystal Sands (07.14.08)

Well, I have a short forced hiatus from performing in SL. Due to some RL obligations, combined with my show scheduling, I have a ten-day break from playing in SL at all. I know I'll miss it after a few days, but part of this vacation from playing is spending some quality time with my darling Kat, which I am VERY much looking forward to. So all is well.

To mark the occasion, I decided to have a special show at Crystal Sands where I only did the work of two artists: myself and good old Neil Young. I know how much Sandi Benelli enjoys Neil's music, and I'd been neglecting him a bit lately, relegating him to one or two songs per set at most. So, it was all Neil/Zak night, and I think it was fun.


I really love Crystal Sands. I usually do my best shows there since it's where I'm the most relaxed, like being in a room full of appreciative freinds. Thanks to Triana Caldera for the photo!

Song Sample: "Always Tomorrow" (Zak Claxton)

Set list!

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (Neil Young)
I Am A Child (Neil Young)
Always Tomorrow (Zak Claxton)
My My Hey Hey (Neil Young)
This Afternoon (Zak Claxton)
Alabama (Neil Young)
Falling Down (Zak Claxton)
A Man Needs a Maid (Neil Young)
You're Like a Cloud (Zak Claxton)
*Rockin' in the Free World (Neil Young)
Thanks Anyway (Zak Claxton)
Ohio (CSNY)
Old Man (Neil Young)

*Indicates first time I've played this song in SL

Thanks to the following folks who supported my show:
Kinder Torok, Tinder Torok, lofthesedazimgonnacutuin2ltlpc Rust, Kat Claxton, Elvis Duffy, Triana Caldera, CuteMandy Hesse, Fable Sinatra, Pmann Sands, and the always terrific Sandi Benelli!

New 30-second song clip at zakclaxton.com

My Pro Tools system is working again, after doing a little updating at the Digi site, so I put a little teaser clip of the rough mix of You're Like a Cloud on the site. Visit the music page of zakclaxton.com here to listen to the clip from the studio version!

Opening for Max Kleene at Inspiration Cove (07.13.08)

I admit it: I'm an SL gigging whore.

Keeping in mind that I wasn't planning on playing at ALL this weekend, I ended up playing Friday, Saturday, and now Sunday as well. It's not my fault, your honor. I really was going to relax, but first I couldn't pass up playing for Bree Birke at Nitida Ridge, and then yesterday Urusla Cinquetti had me fill in at Triumph Cove.

But since Kat had already scheduled Maximillion Kleene to perform at Inspiration Cove, and I had that little taste of sponging off Max's crowd yesterday, I decided to volunteer to open for Max again today. You know, out of the goodness of my heart, not at all having to do with the 10,000,000 people that tend to show up at every Max Kleene show. Purely altruistic, I am.


Thanks for coming (to see Max)!


"You're Like a Cloud" went over well! See how happy I look! Thanks to Triana Caldera for the pics.

So, I used the opportunity for a quick half-hour show of my originals only, the first time I've done that in SL, ever. And it actually went well! Had a tiny crowd at the start (doing shows on the half hour in Sl is always risky at best), but as more folks drifted in and Max's crowd began to arrive, it was a really great opportunity to showcase my tunes.

Here's what I played:

This Afternoon (Zak Claxton)
Always Tomorrow (Zak Claxton)
Thanks Anyway (Zak Claxton)
Falling Down (Zak Claxton)
You're Like a Cloud (Zak Claxton)

Thanks to the following folks who supported my show:
CuteMandy Hesse, RoseDrop Rust, Revika Quintessa, Hathornefer Gaea, Triana Caldera, Luka Mikoyan, Tessa Rhiadra, Stella Silvansky, Alex Barth, and most of all, my love Kat Claxton!

Surprise! Zak at Triumph Cove (07.12.08)

I awoke today being aware that for the first time in awhile, I wasn't going to be performing on a Saturday. My only plans of the day involved hanging out with my son, doing some grocery shopping, and general laziness. That was, until noon or so, when Ursula Cinquetti dropped me a message to see if I could fill in for Charles Coleman at Triumph Cove at 5:00. At first I was a little hesitant, but then she also let me know who was playing after me... Max Kleene. Well, every time I've played before Max, I've enjoyed the benefit of being there when his massive crowd started to filter in. This time was no exception. It was a fun, totally unplanned show, and I think the folks who were there had fun. I definitely did. :)


Zak in the round.


Pretty sim, nice crowd, can't ask for more.

Song Sample: "All-Star" (Smash Mouth)

The set list, maestro:

Help Me (Joni Mitchell)
You're Like a Cloud (Zak Claxton)
Nowhere Man (Beatles)
Sex & Candy (Marcy Playground)
Thanks Anyway (Zak Claxton)
Heart of Gold (Neil Young)
Tempted (Squeeze)
Rikki Don't Lose That Number (Steely Dan)
Six Underground (Sneaker Pimps)
Falling Down (Zak Claxton)
Tribute (Tenacious D)
*All-Star (Smash Mouth)
Behind Blue Eyes (The Who)

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

Thanks to the following folks who supported my show:
Jer Vought, Kat Claxton, Grant Herrey, Maria Schreiner, Ian Banach, Sandi Benelli, and especially Ursula Cinquetti!