Crystal Gardens City (11.21.13)

As many seem to point out around this time of year in every single year that ever was, it's amazing to me that we're nearing the end of 2013. While it's been a good enough year for me, with its usual share of ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies, successes and failures, there's a quote from the Ghost of Christmas Present in "Scrooge" (the musical adaptation of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol") that I tend to dwell on near the end of November:

"There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish. The thing is to try to do as much as you can in the time that you have. Remember Scrooge, time is short, and suddenly, you're not here any more."

So, that's what I do. I'd wanted to have two new albums out in 2013 (a new solo album and the debut of my band They Stole My Crayon); instead, I'm hoping that both might happen in 2014. I'd wanted to grow my RL business this year, but instead found myself so busy with my current clients that it became pretty much impossible. And still, I feel like I made the best of 2013 in many ways. Or at least, as the Ghost said, I did what I could in the time that I had. I took a couple of trips to the desert with Kat. I wrote a number of pretty good songs. I saw some cool concerts. I spent plenty of time being a dad, and doing good work for my little company. And, of course, I performed dozens and dozens of live shows in Second Life, as I've done every year since 2006, which brings us around to the actual point of this post: my show last night at Crystal Gardens City.

How awesome is this SL build? Photo and top photo by Kat.

I've actually performed in RL places that somewhat resembled Crystal Gardens City. Photo by Kat.

Seriously, this place is outstanding. I love this vibe. Photo by Kat.

This SL venue is run by my old friend Sandi Beaumont (aka Sandi Benelli), who has hired me at a number of places she's operated going back to 2007 (a really long time in SL terms). Along with her husband Mikal and others, they really do a great job in creating cool environments that go beyond what many places in Second Life do for live music facilities. Crystal Gardens City is a relatively new build, and this was the second time I played there. I really want to go back and do some exploring when I'm not busy singing and playing music for people. It's got this great urban vibe that for some reason I enjoy a lot. Perhaps it's specifically because so many SL places are idealized utopias, it's cool to see a dirty, grungy place that has some feel to it, and therefore stands out from the rest. My compliments to the designers!

The show itself was great. As happens so often at SL shows, there were only a few people there moments before the show, and by the end of my first song we had a couple of dozen folks in the crowd. Moreover, we had a great crew of Zaksters, and it was fun and lively. Having heard Johnny Marr perform The Smiths' "How Soon Is Now" on KCRW this week, I was inspired to give it a shot. I should also add that this regular show I do there every other Thursday has FrankLee Anatra playing after me each time, and I honestly think he's got one of the best singing voices in all of SL. You can easily tell the musicians who have lots of real life performance hours under their belts, and I'm sure that must be the case with FrankLee. While our material differs a bit (he's generally more traditional pop/rock covers while I lean more toward alternative/art rock and original stuff), it's been a really good combination of talent with many of my fans sticking around for his shows. I like that.

Robert69 Little came by with his video camera and captured my first tune of the night. Thanks Robert!

Crystal Gardens City set list...
1979 (Smashing Pumpkins)
Suite Judy Blue Eyes (Crosby, Stills & Nash)
Thanks Anyway (Zak Claxton)
On A Plain (Nirvana)
*How Soon Is Now? (The Smiths)
Perfect Day (Lou Reed)
Shine (Zak Claxton)
Save It for Later (English Beat)
Fire & Rain (James Taylor)
This Afternoon (Zak Claxton)
Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie)
Tea for the Tillerman (Cat Stevens)

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

Big thanks to everyone who hit the city and supported my show at Crystal Gardens!
Linnmey, JBird Melodie, Winter Thorn, Aurelie Chenaux, Mankind Tracer, Diana Renoir, Allegra Genira, TheaDee, Kat Claxton, Demolicious Wonder, Alexis Fairlady, Christine Haiku, Rina Miles, Diana Renoir, Sesh Kamachi, and most of all owners Sandi and Mikal Beaumont!

Molaskey's Pub (11.14.13)

As an SL performer, I consider myself very fortunate to not have to deal with many of the things that plague gigging musicians in the fleshy world -- things I dealt with for years as a gigging musician. However, that doesn't mean it's always a walk in the park. Thursday of last week is a great example. I had to leave here early in the morning and drive two hours across Los Angeles to meet with a client of my RL marketing business. I wasn't feeling that great physically, and apparently neither was my son; he came home from school early with the blahs (a minor cold). I also had work deadlines up the ying-yang. And then, before I knew it, it was time for me to get onstage at Molaskey's Pub.

The point is that every musician I've ever known has a ton of things that suck their attention away from their performance, and the good ones have to be able to ignore those issues while they're onstage. It's an acquired skill, and for me it comes along with about 30 years of live music performances under my belt, going back to when I was just a little kid. By now, there's like a switch in my brain that clicks away from "work deadlines parenting traffic spreadsheets meetings" to "guitar tuned stream on mics working" in a millisecond. And that's why Thursday's show at Molaskey's ended up being a great way to decompress after a long day.

Enjoying a fun and relaxed show at Molaskey's. Photo and top photo by Kat.

We didn't have a huge crowd, but we had a good smattering of my Zakster fans in attendance, and I enjoyed being sandwiched between a couple of good SL performers -- Bright Oh and Lyndon Heart. Most importantly, the music went well and was enjoyed by those who were there. I ask for nothing more! I did enjoy doing the debut of a tune by my band They Stole My Crayon, though in the future I hope to have the actual lyricist and singer, Kat Claxton, ready to do the song live along with me.

I've Been Waiting for You (Neil Young)
This Afternoon (Zak Claton)
Man on the Moon (R.E.M.)
Man of Constant Sorrow (Traditional)
Swing Lo Magellan (Dirty Projectors)
*Better Reasons (They Stole My Crayon)
Falling Down (Zak Claxton)
Leggy Blonde (Flight of the Conchords)
I Am The Walrus (Beatles)
You're Like a Cloud (Zak Claxton)
Starman (David Bowie)
Go Easy On Me (Zak Claxton)
Tea for the Tillerman (Cat Stevens)

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

Many thanks to those who helped support my show!
Bright Oh, Kat Claxton, Aurelie Chenaux, TheaDee, Cicadetta Stillwater, Precious Rallier, My manager Maali Beck, and Molaskey's GM Mia Kitchensink!

Crystal Gardens City (11.07.13)

I have a list of things that I always do previous to my live music shows in Second Life. Some of those things are obvious, like tuning my guitar, warming up my voice, and making sure that my broadcasting software is functioning. But there are other details that help ensure a smooth evening of music. One of those is taking a look at the official event notice in SL, and confirming that the time/place of the show is when and where you think it's going to be. Something as simple as that can obviously make a big impact on the success of your show.

I knew I was scheduled to perform at Crystal Gardens for some time; I am now doing a regular bi-weekly show there every other Thursday night. However, what I didn't know until a couple of days before the show was that Mikal and Sandi (the owners of this fine establishment) had installed an entirely different area on the sim with an urban theme. In doing my usual round of checking the event listing, I noted that the show was scheduled at Crystal Gardens City, and decided to check it out. I'm glad I did! The place looked awesome... dirty, gritty, and at least slightly unsafe, which is precisely how I like to think of my performances.

The new urban-themed venue looks gritty and fun. Photo and top photo by Kat.

Kat watches me rock. Photo by Kat.

I was constantly reminding my audiences to not get stabbed or shot (kind of like a few of my real life gigs). Photo by Kat.

How cool is this build? Loved playing there. Photo by Kat.

It turned out to be a pretty fantastic night. Everyone seemed to dig the urban vibe of the venue. Since it was Joni Mitchell's 70th birthday, I dedicated a portion of the set to her songs, including one that I hadn't done before (and decided to learn about an hour before the show started). All four of the Joni tunes I did were from her album Blue, and it was good to do some homage to one of my biggest musical influences. We had a really good crowd... a big bunch of lively people who were able to shoot back my smart-assed craziness as fast as I could dole it out.

Crystal Gardens City set list...
You're Like a Cloud (Zak Claxton)
Carolina In my Mind (James Taylor)
Carey (Joni Mitchell)
California (Joni Mitchell)
*All I Want (Joni Mitchell)
Big Yellow Taxi (Joni Mitchell)
This Afternoon (Zak Claxton)
It's Good to be King (Tom Petty)
Let My Love Open the Door (Pete Townshend)
Lost Cause (Beck)
Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd)
Things Behind the Sun (Nick Drake)
Waterloo Sunset (The Kinks)
Tea for the Tillerman (Cat Stevens)

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

Thanks to all who came out to the City and supported my show!
Diana Renoir, Sesh Kamachi, Christine Haiku, Maurice Mistwallow, Sassy Nitely, Kat Claxton, Rina Miles, Cicadetta Stillwater, Alexis Fairlady, Aurelie Chenaux, Xerxes Ninetails, my manager Maali Beck, and Crystal Gardens owners Sandi and Mikal Beaumont!

Diamond Skies (11.01.13)

Happy November, everyone. I'm getting up on Sunday with daylight savings time having thankfully ended, and lazily enjoying the hour that was taken away last spring having been magically returned to me. It seems like a good time to talk about my show Friday night at the grand opening of Diamond Skies in Second Life.

With openings of new venues, you never know what's in store as a performer. It's basically impossible to tell how it will go. Will they be able to pull in a good crowd? Is the venue designed well for live music performance? In the case of Diamond Skies, everything went very well. I arrived while Samm Qendra was serenading the audience, and wasn't sure if my particular style of live rock was going to be received well, but I needn't have worried. First, we got an excellent turnout of my Zakster friends who know what to expect from my insane brain. Second, the folks who were there and the owners of the new establishment (Marina Sharpshire and Hollywood Roar) both seemed to be having as good a time as anyone. All was well.

Fun place, fun people. I ask for nothing else. Photo and top photo by Kat.

You can never tell how Friday nights in SL will go. This one was most excellent. Photo by Kat.

Had a giggle-inspiring moment due to a typo when the venue was kindly helping to promote my tip jar...

[19:28] I SPY ZAK'S TIP JAR ON STAGE....CAN SOMEONE GO CHECK AND SEE IF IT'S WORKING
[19:28] Kat Claxton: Yep, totally working. All buttons. ;-)
[19:28] GO PUSH BNUTTONS!!
[19:28] Kat Claxton giggles at 'bnuttons'
[19:29] Kat Claxton: it sounds naughty
[19:29] Marina Sharpshire: bnuttons?! its a new thing...Zak said he likes new things
[19:29] Kat Claxton: That's true
[19:29] Kat Claxton: If you love someone, push their bnuttons
[19:29] Christine Haiku: lol
[19:29] PUSH ZAK'S NEW BNUTTON THINGIES
[19:29] Hollywood Roar: lol
[19:30] Kat Claxton: lmao

So that was fun. The whole show was, actually. I'd say that as long as Diamond Skies is successful as a Second Life destination (and I wish them the best in that regard), it's highly likely I'll be back there again with all of my bnuttons.

Diamond Skies set list...
This Afternoon (Zak Claxton)
What I Got (Sublime)
Free Man In Paris (Joni Mitchell)
*Mexican Radio (Wall of Voodoo)
Thanks Anyway (Zak Claxton)
Perfect Day (Lou Reed)
Pulling Mussels from a Shell (Squeeze)
*Lost Cause (Beck)
Save Me (Aimee Mann)
Frigid Spring (Chairlift)
Sex & Candy (Marcy Playground)
You're Like a Cloud (Zak Claxton)

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

Massive thanks to everyone who came to Diamond Skies' grand opening, especially the following who supported my show!
NeCole Chiantelle, autumnleather, Maurice Mistwallow, Robin Kierstrider, Vannilla Latte, IanChaos, Rusty Seisenbacher, Christine Haiku, Richy Nervous, Alexis Fairlady, Benjalina, Kat Claxton, Pfritz Balogh, Carina Stardust, Diana Renoir, kat Vargas (who also suggested me to perform there, which is very cool), and Diamond Skies owners Marina Sharpshire and Hollywood Roar!

The Islands of New England Halloween Party (10.30.13)

Here was my day yesterday in a single sentence: I woke up at 6AM, I worked like a madman until 3PM, warmed up for and then performed my show at the Islands of New England Halloween party in Second Life, changed out of my sweaty gig shirt, went straight to my son's school to watch him play trumpet with his jazz band, then had dinner from the Grilled Cheese Truck, and finally went home. Then I basically collapsed and slept until starting life over at 6AM today.

But we're not here to listen to me whine. Let's talk about the Halloween event at the IONE, because it was a fun one.

My friend Christine Haiku is the events manager at the IONE, and she does a fantastic job. All of her regular events there are well run, and bring in a fun group of people for whom it is a pleasure to perform. I should have realized that she was going to set up something spectacular for her Halloween event. The place looked simply amazing; I've been to (and performed at) many Halloween-based events over my years in SL, and this one took the cake.

Am I bugging you? Here's my customized costume (since I couldn't play guitar as a full bug). Photo and top photo by Kat.

Photo by Kat, who wore her "Cream of Kat" soup can.

Nice crowd of scary monsters and super creeps. Photo by Triana.

Being that it was a Halloween celebration, I pulled out some of my spookier material. I had to laugh when I chose to debut "Every Breath You Take" by the Police. Most people tend to think of it as a pretty love song, rather than a horrifying tale of obsession, voyeurism, stalking, and unrequited love.

IONE Halloween set list...
Six Underground (Sneaker Pimps)
Spooky (Atlanta Rhythm Section)
The Other Way (Zak Claxton)
Opposite of Afternoon (Unknown Mortal Orchestra)
Psycho Killer (Talking Heads)
Ashes to Ashes (David Bowie)
*Every Breath You Take (The Police)
Chrysanthemum (Zak Claxton)
Swing Lo Magellan (Dirty Projectors)
Falling Down (Zak Claxton)
Waiting for This (Zak Claxton)
Tribute (Tenacious D)
Tea for the Tillerman (Cat Stevens)

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

Huge servings of awesomesauce to everyone who came out to the party especially the following who supported my show!
Triana Caldera, Theedge Corleone, TheaDee, Llena Lilliehook, jpb2ire, Sesh Kamachi, Kat Claxton, Debbie Rau, Sassy Nitely, my lovely manager Maali Beck, and IONE's fantastic manager Christine Haiku!

Serene Acoustic Lounge Spooktacular for Feed-a-Smile (10.29.13)

Last night's show combined two things that are both near and dear to me. First off, it was a fundraiser for the Feed-a-Smile charity in Second Life, which I've written about often before. Second, it was held at my great friend Barbie Horsley's (aka Sassy Nitely) venue, Serene Acoustic Lounge, which has become one of my favorite places to perform in SL on the semi-rare occasions when she hosts shows there.

As you probably know, Feed-a-Smile is run by Brique Zeiner, and is the Second Life-based fundraising arm of Live and Learn in Kenya, a charity that helps educate and feed African kids. I can't say enough about how well her organization is run, and how much effort she puts in on a direct basis. Unlike the other charities for whom I perform, you actually see the immediate results of the cause, with photos sent of the kids enjoying a hot meal courtesy of the artists and audiences who donate time and money. It's all wonderful and fulfilling as a musician to make a difference in children's lives. The Feed-a-Smile system runs so well in SL because it's so easy to understand; L$100 (about $0.40 USD) buys one kid a hot meal. The math is easy to do. Donate L$1000 (about four bucks), and you've bought ten meals, and so on.

Having fun and raising funds. Everybody wins.

Count Zakula, rocking Serene. Photo by Maali.

The scary hostess with the mostest, Sassy Nitely is ready for Halloween. Photo by Maali.

Last night's show was great... we had a good crowd, and more importantly, the collective performers and their fans raised enough for over 300 meals. I always smile when I think about those kids sitting at their long tables, enjoying a good meal courtesy of the crazy bunch of virtual musicians and the people who support them. I've been on a kick lately of new music discovery, and I ended up doing three songs for the first time during my short set. One was in tribute to the musical icon Lou Reed, who'd passed away two days earlier, and it was important to me to honor one of the great founders of the music I love.

Serene Feed-a-Smile set list...
*On a Plain (Nirvana)
I Am a Child (Neil Young)
You're Like a Cloud (Zak Claxton)
*Swing Lo Magellan (Dirty Projectors)
*Perfect Day (Lou Reed)
Go Easy On Me (Zak Claxton)

Huge thanks to all who came out to the show and supported Feed-a-Smile! You rule!

I'm Going To Help You Understand Lou Reed

Don't get why so many people are upset at the loss of a one-hit wonder? That's okay, you're not alone. So I'm going to tell you why this is a heartbreaking moment for anyone who loves the music of the past 40 years, and it's going to be quick and easy.

Previous to Lou Reed, songwriters strived to create beauty. Even the sad songs were pretty. And songwriters -- the successful ones, anyway -- knew that familiarity was the key to popularity. Songs tended to sound like other songs. Lyrical themes were used over and over again. And there was nothing wrong with that, and it continues today. Speaking of lyrics, a typical "risqué" song in the mid-1960s might talk about a boy who loved a girl and then met another girl. Then Lou came along, and suddenly this guy is tunelessly singing about scoring heroin from a transvestite.

You have to understand how shocking this was. You have to understand that in that time frame, people could be arrested on obscenity charges for singing about these disturbing topics in public, much less releasing them on recordings. While poetry and literature had enjoyed dark themes for a long time, no one really bothered them applying them to pop/rock music before Lou. He never made things pretty, never polished them up. He strove for realism from his gritty New York worldview, and millions of people suddenly had a voice that spoke to them in a way that no pop singer did before. It's almost like a psychological breakthrough, listening to Lou Reed; there's an open acknowledgement that life has its darker side, and perhaps listening to what he had to say was a cathartic moment for many.

I promised you "quick and easy", and others can write the man's obituary better than I can. Here's what I will say: without Lou Reed, there's no punk rock or alternative rock. There's no Sonic Youth. There's no Pixies. There's no Nirvana. No Smiths. No Sex Pistols. No Iggy Pop. No Depeche Mode. No R.E.M. No Beck. No Jane's Addiction. No Talking Heads. And if you don't like those bands, that's okay. There might not be a Public Enemy, an NWA, or a Beastie Boys either. Any musician who purposefully explores dark themes and creates challenging and confrontational songs owes a massive debt to Lou. Thankfully, most of them seem to know it.

An oft-repeated quote was that only 30,000 people bought Velvet Underground records, but every single one of them started a band. Count me as one of them, even though it took me a long time to understand what I was hearing. I get it now.

Rest in peace, Lou.