The Wounded Warrior Memorial Celebration

On Sunday May 30th, from 5 to 9 PM SL time, the US Military Veterans Group in SL held a live music event to help the Wounded Warrior project, a program to assist hurt soldiers. The event took place at the Veterans’ Center in the Patriot Island sim, with the crowd in front of the stage numbering over a few dozen residents.

Fingerstyle guitarist Frets Nirvana, US Military Veterans Group of SL, and Symbiotic Productions announced the fourth in the series of benefit concerts for the Wounded Warriors project. ... All proceeds collected ... will be paid out directly to Wounded Warrior Project, (WWP). WWP provides services and programs to the more than 30,000 troops that have been injured in recent conflicts to ease their burdens and aid in the transition back to civilian life.

About Wounded Warriors: Wounded Warrior Project began when several individuals took small, inspired actions to help others in need. The resulting objective was to provide tangible support for the severely wounded and help them on the road to healing, both physically and mentally. What had been initially viewed as a small contribution (compared with what the warriors had sacrificed while serving our country) has become WWP’s signature program: “WWP backpacks delivered beside to wounded warriors.”

Wounded Warriors program has developed significantly over the last several years to include advocacy, benefits counseling, caregivers retreats, coping/family services, peer mentoring, warriors to work and many other programs for the benefit of United States wounded veterans.

Despite being a bit gray from lag, those attending the event enjoyed themselves and the music. Frets Nivarna was the third musician playing, from 7 to 8 PM SL time. There were some schedule changes, and von Johin took over to sing last, “playing live from Nashville Tenn for you.” He noticed not everyone in the audience was from the US, “probably not Memorial Day for you in London, but thank you for participating.” He went on to play past the hour he was scheduled to, going not to 9 PM SL time but two, to 10 PM.

Votslac Hax was among those who helped organize the event, “This is the fourth concert. And I believe the sims been here for quite some time.” He explained in the three previous concerts, there were notable musicians such as Craig Lyons, Maximillion Kleene, “This was the largest longest event (we held). It was designed to celebrate Memorial Day worldwide.”

Approximately 31,000 Lindens were raised for the WWP that night. During normal times, the Patriot Island sim welcomes veterans of all branches to come by and relax, to enjoy activities such as skydiving, helicopter flights, boating, games, and shopping.

To learn more about the Wounded Warriors Project, visit https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

BobbiJo Jonson, “The Responsibility to remember is ours. And a way each of us can do this is to support the Wounded Warrior Project. Thank you all. A most glorious day of remembering.”

Bixyl Shuftan

Debi Latte Closes Mystery Anniversary Week in Fun-Filled Event

On Sunday at Noon, May 23rd, the 4rth Anniversary week of events at Mystery was all set to close as it began: with Debi Latte singing live aboard the Queen of Hearts riverboat club. Her velvet voice would be what was needed for a memorable finish.

It didn't quite turn out as planned.

The event was almost finished before it started with Debi crashing. And then an odd thing happened. Debi was able to log back in, but her avatar didn’t appear. It was like a disembodied voice speaking from nowhere.

With no Debi on the stage, Tygeria put something else on the stage: “newbie Linden” mannequins. After a few minutes, she put other things on the stage. For a corny but slightly macabre touch, three singing skulls rezzed over the stage, along with another blowing into a saxophone, and another on bongo drums. Then came a dancing leprechaun, smiling, which would occasionally stop for a sip of dark beer.

Eventually, Debi reappeared, flying back onto the deck. She had gone away some distance from the crowd to try to rezz. But having no luck, she had to dig out a newbie skin. She poked fun at her own predicament, then saw what Tygeria put on the stage, and laughed. Mystery staff member Ayjay Carpenter commented, “Who said variety was dead. Ventriloquism, a chorus line, great singing, a vanishing act. ... all in the first 25 minutes!” With all the crashes, Ajay was wearing a helmet. Someone else remarked, “Only in Second Life can your back up group be skeletons - some newbies - and a drunk leprechaun.”

And so, the event continued, with Debi occasionally chuckling about the menagerie on her stage, which soon included a rustbucket robot that later fell to pieces, and otherwise looking at the good side of things, “What a terrific day.” Tygeria put back a few of the newbie mannequins, but left some up. Debi sang her music like only she could, songs such as “Daydreaming,” “I Will Be Here Waiting For You,” and the club’s trademark song, “Queen of Hearts.” Someone in the audience muttered an emote: “D-E-B-I SL DIVA GODDESS.”

Debi sang for an hour, then the event came to a close. Despite the technical glitches and having to use a newbie avatar, she enjoyed herself that day. Tygeria’s sense of humor helped. She would later describe the event on Facebook, “Seems that SL wanted to be crazy today and not let my avatar back in after a crash.... but... the show went on.... my amazing audience stayed til I got in with a freebie avatar... and we had fun aboard the Queen of Hearts in spite of the technology!!!!”

Just in case this does happen again, someone passed her a package of freebie “Wingless” furred avatars. So perhaps next time, Debi really will be a “foxy girl.”

“You've been talking to Tygeria toooooooo much. LMAO!”

Bixyl Shuftan

Mystery Celebrates Four Years in Second Life

It was four years ago this week that the Mystery sim was founded. And to celebrate, Tygeria Mirabeau and her staff are throwing a week of special events. They started out with a bang with Debi Latte singing live from the Queen of Hearts riverboat club. But Mystery has much more to celebrate besides the parties. There are new attractions, and even a sister sim appearing.

To read the story, go to Community.

Mystery to Begin Four Year Anniversary With Debi Latte

It was four years ago next week that the Mystery sim was founded. And to celebrate, they plan on holding a week of events. The fun starts tomorrow, Sunday May 16th when at Noon, Debi Latte comes to the riverboat club to sing live. Tygeria Mirabeau and Amythe Midnight, the sim owner and sim manager, had praise for Debi, saying she had always made time for Mystery and it’s people.

Amy and Tygeria told SL Newspaper that they plan to do more than just hold events. They have been working on a sister sim, the Isle of Conundrum, which will open durring the celebration. The sim will offer sailing, romantic cuddle spots for couples, and retail space for stores. They also have new attractions on Mystery for visitors and regulars alike to enjoy.

“You never know what to expect at Mystery.”

Bixyl Shuftan

Particle-Parachute Jump at “The Pocket” for RFL

Particle artist Tyrehl Byk has recently gotten together with Musician Maximillion Kleene and the staff at “The Pocket” club. The people have planned a unique event in Second Life, one that makes the use of their noted talents. They’ve given it a somewhat long name: the “Maximillion/Tyrehl Phantasmagora Particle Parachute Jump/Show/Stunt for Relay for Life.”

Delinda Dyressen, whom is among the staff at The Pocket, promises it will be “the biggest ever mass particle jump in Second Life history!”

At the location at 8 PM SL time, Tyrehl will perform the particle show that he’s gotten raves for. After the show, free “particle parachutes” will be passed around. Then the participants will jump and drop down “in a glorious mass of particle-ized parachutes,” and after pulling the ripcords float down to the dance club (which has had a bulls-eye whimsically painted onto the deck), where Maximillion Kleene will be playing. Relay for Life Kiosks will be set up around the place.

Delinda suggests that those interested try to show up a little early, “The Pocket and Freestar Bay Island are not responsible for anyone who forgets to pull the cord. On the other hand, Max and Tyrehl ... well you can talk to their lawyers.”

The SURL given for the event is Here at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Freestar%20Bay%20Isle/194/89/316 .

Source: Delinda Dyressen’s Blog

Bixyl Shuftan

Debi Latte Sings Live at Mystery

At the Mystery sim on Sunday April 11, regulars to the riverboat club got a real treat. Debi Latte came to the ship at Noon to sing at the live music event, her graceful voice being quite memorable. Also memorable was an example of the sim owner’s mischief.

For the story, go to Community.

Ghost Ship Crashes Live Music Party at Mystery

On Friday afternoon, the Heart of Mystery Riverboat Club at the Mystery sim held one of it’s live music events. At 1 PM SL time was Zorch Boomer, whom provided blues and pop music to the crowd. At 2 PM came Lexie Luan, “The great music continues on the top deck of the Queen of Hearts as Lexie Luan takes the stage at 2pm!! Come hear this wonderful singer today!! Hope to see you here!” Sim owner Tygeria Mirabeau and sim manager Amythe Midnight were there. Micah Giha was the host.

With the sim at nightfall, the graceful Lexi wowed the crowd as she sang while strumming her neon-pink guitar. The audience responded with applause, “Woo-hoo”s, and comments like “Over the fookin’ edge.” A couple times, fireworks shot over the club, providing a little flash and color to the show.

Later in the show, the party got a visitor of a more supernatural and aquatic note. A roar like an ocean wave could be heard, but there was no sign of a big wave below. Then the audience saw the wooden bow of an old-time sailing frigate plowing through, but it harmlessly passed through everyone it touched. A ghost ship!

In just a few moments, the vessel had slid across the deck of the riverboat club, the stern leaving a little water in it’s wake, which vanished as the ship sailed on. The ghost ship sailed on for a little longer, and soon faded into the night from whence it came. The audience paused for a few moments before Tygeria called for the party to resume.

Lexi left the riverboat at 3PM, but before doing so revealed a little surprise for Tygeria with the help of Amy. Even though the musician left, some of the crowd stuck around for a little longer to continue the party.

* * * * * * * * * *

On another note, Mystery is currently hiring additional hosts for it’s events. For “Themed DJ Events, the base pay is 150 L for two hours. For live music events, base pay is 150 L. The pay is in addition to tips given to the host by those attending, which can exceed what Mystery pays. Those interested are asked to contact Micah Giha or Amythe Moonlight by notecard (IMs tend to get capped). They are asked to follow rules for a PG sim.

Bixyl Shuftan

In its continued effort to raise awareness and support for the American Cancer Society, Relay For Life Second Life has taken a lead from it's real life counterpart and is beginning a new series of focused fund raising events. We are therefore pleased to announce the inauguration of the For Life in Second Life program.
For Life events are intended to focus on specific interest areas and allow their followers to plan and hold an approved event to support the Relay For Life of Second Life. For Life events are not intended to be team related, but instead are festival events in support of Relay For Life of Second Life. With the diverse nature of the virtual communities in Second Life and the abilities of the platform, the scope of For Life in Second Life events is limitless.
For Life events such as Bark For Life have been held in Relay communities across the United States. Bark For Life celebrates, in a Relay format , the companionship, comfort and therapeutic benefit provided by pets. With the addition of For Life the American Cancer Society is able to reach a new or expanded audience for its programs and resources, and the fund raising that helps support them.
The first of these For Life events planned is Sail For Life. The event, chaired by Chad Swanson and Aislyn Keynes, will center around Second Life's vibrant sailing community. Sail For Life will include Regattas, Sailing displays and lessons, auctions and social events. The Yacht Clubs and other communities around the Blake Sea area of the grid will all be welcomed to participate. The event is scheduled to take place in June. Other events are currently being planned, including the building and live music communities.
Trader Whiplash, who is well known for his many roles in Relay For Life of Second Life is the 2010 Chair of For Life. The former Mission and Corporate Chair and 2009 Spirit of Relay Award co-recipient is very excited about the new opportunities presented by For Life . “Second Life presents so many different areas with in which we can work to support the American Cancer Society and with this new format we are given a new avenue with which to approach and encourage participation. " Trader, a leukemia survivor, states. "I look forward to working with the many groups who make up this amazing community. We hope that with the addition of For Life events the Relay For Life of Second Life will increase not only its all important fund raising results, but will bring more and more members of our community in contact with the efforts and programs of the Society and its continuing fight for a cure for cancer".
Stingray Raymaker, the American Cancer Society Staff Partner for Relay for Life in Second Life agrees. “We are so very excited introduce this new fund raising opportunity to Second Life. We are fortunate to have a great volunteer, Trader Whiplash to spearhead this venture into new horizons, and this is a great step forward for both Relay For Life and Second Life. We hope that the For Life concept will help to open new doors for various communities and groups within Second Life to learn, participate and feel welcome to the world of Relay For Life. This demonstrates that there are ways for all types of different communities in Second Life to join the Relay Nation in the fight against cancer. "
The American Cancer Society and the Relay For Life of Second Life recognize the capacity of the For Life program to engage new participants and capitalize on the unique ability of Second Life to host these For Life events. For Life in Second Life welcomes any interest group in Second Life to explore the possibility of hosting their own event. Interested groups can contact Trader1 Whiplash in Second Life (trader@t1radio.com) for program requirements and standards, and additional information.

"Live n' Kickin" at Greenies

On Tuesday January 5th at 9 SL time, the live music show “Live n' Kickin” played on a well-known location: the Greenies’ House.

To those who don’t know, the Rezzabe Greenies sim is one of those sims in Second Life that are truly must-see. The sim is a huge house where one appears to be mouse-sized. Residents see the world as the diminutive alien “Greenies” do, and can find them all over the place exploring around and getting into various mischief. Since it’s construction in 2007, the sim has been added to, including a Greenie store, a roach hunting game, and small club in an old radio sometimes called "Club G."

For this episode of “Kickin,” Delinda Dryssen brought in singer Takamura Keiko and her band the “Shebangs.” A notecard stated Takamura “started out playing Second Life gigs as a hobby. and enjoyed an immensely positive reaction from her audience while enjoying the comfort of their own home. It also gained her a profile on MTV and a social network of other SL-based musicians. That turned her hobby into a vocation.”

The notecard went on to say she had moved to San Francisco, became part of the community of local musicians, and with the encouragement of her friends in Second Life recently began playing at open mic nights. Supposedly Philip Linden was there to see her first performance, “Because of my semi-stardom in Second Life, I’ve started branching out in real life, and it’s been a wild ride.”

And so at 9 PM, the party started with Takamura and her band singing live and loud from the big record player, with the audience dancing on the cabinet shelf and down below. A couple dancers were in Greenie avatars as well, with others in green avatars of a different kind. Nearby, one of the sim’s Greenies seemed oblivious as he listened in an iPod.

The event can be seen in the show’s archives on the treet.tv website: Here.

So for Live n' Kickin fans, it was truly a unique event, dancing inside a music player instead of just to one.

Bixyl Shuftan

Autism Awareness at Tiaopia Island

From January 3rd to the 9th, the Tiaopia sim will host the Autism Awareness Project. The week-long event has poetry readings, art auctions, storytelling, and over 40 live music artists to help raise funds, and attention to those with the illness. Each day will have a different theme, from romance to Madi-Gras. The dedicated team has the goal of raising a record amount of cash, and have plenty of fun for themselves and everyone else.

Continued in Community

Renaissance Island

By Shellie Sands

Browsing through music events, I saw  a concert of period yuletide renaissance music.  I thought this would be enjoyable and different.  A lover of the renaissance period, I tp'd to partake in the concert.  Upon arrival, I was given a note which provided a very interesting history of the origins of Christmas from ancient times.  Excerpts of that note are as follows:

"In medieval England Christmas lasted for twelve days, from December 25 to January 6, the date of the celebration of the Epiphany. Originally Christmas was celebrated on January 6 when presents were given in honour of St.Nicholas. Some Eastern Europeans still celebrate Christmas on this date."

"It was a time of merriment, feasting and general festivity, but still primarily a 'holy' day.  The 16th century didn’t participate in Christmas celebration as we know it now. Until the 4th century, Christmas could be celebrated throughout Europe anywhere between early January through to late September. It was Pope Julius I who happened upon the bright idea of adopting 25th December as the actual date of the Nativity. The choice appears both logical and shrewd - blurring religion with existing feast days and celebrations. Any merrymaking could now be attributed to the birth of Christ rather than any ancient pagan ritual. "

"One form or merry making may involve the Feast of Fools, presided over by the Lord of Misrule. The feast was an unruly event, involving much drinking, revelry and role reversal. The Lord of Misrule, normally a commoner with a reputation of knowing how to enjoy himself, was selected to direct the entertainment. The Lord of Misrule sometimes led revelers on wild nighttime processions through town, which of course angered the resident church leaders. However, churchmen had their own form of this custom--the appointment as a young boy as bishop for the holiday season. Lords usually chose this time to bestow gifts upon their servants; a common present was a new suit of clothes. The festival is thought to have originated from the benevolent Roman masters who allowed their servants to be the boss for a while. "

While I didn't get much satisfaction from the concert due to streaming issues, I decided to walk around. I arrived at the clock tower, and touched a sign that read "Pray touch for notes regarding said place."   Note in hand, I strolled on and came upon a horse and carriage offering  a free carriage ride to the docks.  I hopped on and went for a short  gait to the docks where the carriage deposited me and vanished, presumably returning to its station.  Having passed several quaint looking shops down the path by which the carriage took me, I strolled back up the path, stopping first at Madison Creations, a shop selling medieval clothing.  Loving all things medieval, and having a natural footwear fetish, I was compelled to purchase a pair of shoes.  The shoes come in a variety of colors and are crafted to match the gowns, all made by Isolde, one of my favorite designers.  Across the way was a shop called, appropriately enough, Medieval Attire.  In addition to the clothing, Tudor style homes and farmhouse are available for purchase there.  Up the path a bit is the Roble House, boasting art and antiquities. 

Other points of interest on the island include St. David's Society Hall, where you can learn of traditions involving Yule logs,  free Renaissance period clothing, the Parish of St. Minutia's, a lovely church that was one of the monestaries that escaped The King's ransacking, Lagswell Hall, The Wharf on the Thames,  Market Square, Globe (a replica of the London Globe originally built in 1599), the Jousting Arena,  and Bulwark, the arena where men at arms train. Individual landmarks are included in the note given at the Clock Tower. 

"Renaissance Island was created in Feb 2007 by a group of dedicated historians that envisioned what life during tudor times would be.  They collaborated to form a group that would take on roles of parish members that in this era would have lived such as what you will see. They created objects  to allow visitors to  interact and feel how life would have been in tudor times.   Don't be surprised if you see King Henry VIII,  or Queen Bess, herself,  as our sim covers the entire 16th period .  Of course you shouldn't see them at the same time, but depending on our events,  one or the other shall bestow their graces and blessings to their parish. "

Visit Renaissance Island and take the LMs to the various places.  Although I was disappointed that I could not hear the concert, what I got instead was a tour through a quaint village and many  interesting historical facts. 

Trans Siberian Orchestra Rocks SL

On December 13, SL rocked with sounds of the Trans Siberian Orchestra. The group played a rare concert at Dreamcastland, complete with laser lights, and a full stage of guitarists, singers, strings, and drums. The group played all of the holiday music that they are famous for: "Wizard in Winter", "Nutrocker", "Christmas Canon Rock", "Christmas Eve Sarajevo", "A Mad Russiańs Christmas", and more.
     The musicians who performed  were: Lead guitarist Dagoth Graves, Drummer Vyper DeSantis, Lyorick Flux on Keyboard, Guitarists Chuck Morgridge, Toaster Ragu, and Kenny Moreland, Singers Giggsy DeViana, Blaize Rockett, and Tarn Haalan, Violinists Nikolaos Frog, Morningstar Braveheart, and Redangel Paine, Celloist Ruth Sandalwood, and Sarena Penucca on Bass.
     A huge crowd cheered and applauded during the hour long concert. The sim quickly filled, and many residents were unable to get in. This concert was the second of three held in SL. The last one will be December 23 at the Sands of Freedom.

By Grey Lupindo
(pictures also by Bixyl Shuftan)

Winter Comes to Mystery

Winter came to the Mystery sim recently, the scenery now sporting a snowy look. And on Sunday Nov 8, they had their first big weekend live music event to celebrate. Debi Latte sang to the dancers at the Heart of Mystery riverboat club.

To read more, Click Here in Community.

Spotlight On...Trowzer Boa Live in West Chester, PA 29 August

On Saturday, 29 August, I traveled out to West Chester, PA to see Trowzer Boa, aka Dave Renz in RL. He and his band, the Dave Renz Jazz Duo, were playing at a local, downtown winery, Kreutz Creek Winery. The winery's slogan is "Built on dreams with determination...capturing the art of the wine making process, from vine to bottle." The actual winery is located in West Grove PA, but the place in town sells exclusivley all the wine made there in the pub.

The store front window served as stage and the drummer was perched up there in the window with the remaining band members in front. The band consisted of Dave on sax, a bassist and keyboardist, as well. The band members are all former students of the high school where Dave teaches.

The band played for an amazing 3 hours, taking several breaks. Not being a huge jazz fan, I couldn't say what tunes they played but I thought they were terrific and I smiled and smiled. Nothing like live music to give a person a new respect for a particular form or style of music. This band had an all together fantastic sound and I had a blast. The crowd was fun, there was lots of laughter and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

From his website: "Dave Renz has been playing saxophone professionally on the East Coast since the early 1990’s. His compositions and performances have appeared on cd’s alongside Steve Howe, Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), Robert Hazard and Annie Haslam (Renaissance). He has recorded with some of the top players/producers in the industry, most recently for Grammy winning producer Phil Nicolo as part of the Klemmer-Hill-Reid project. Dave Renz has performed From New York City to Nags Head North Carolina, and appeared multiple times at the Berks Jazz Festival and Music Fest in Allentown PA. Look for him regularly at Chris’ Jazz Cafe in Center City , The Blue Point Grille, in Princeton New Jersey, and in and around the Philadelphia area."

Since his performance in West Chester, I had occasion to see Trowzer for the first time in SL. Unaccompanied by the band, Trowzer still plays an amazing sax. If you love jazz, check out Trowzer at your next opportunity.

Shellie Sands

Spotlight On...XanderNichting Writer and Tamra Sands

On Friday, 28 August, I visited The Cape at Cupid Lagoon Romantic Resort on Kaiya Islands. Xander started off at 2 pm performing solo. He makes the most beautiful sounds on electric violin. I have been to man Xander shows and always enjoy him immensely. He does big band sounds, jazz, romantic, ballroom dancing tunes and, my favorite, songs from Riverdance. He even had a set of Riverdance dance balls. Those songs are terrific. Imagine though, a Dutchman playing Irish tunes. But, hey, good music is good music and has no ethnic boundaries.

Just before 3 pm, Tamra joined Xander on stage at the mic. This girl has such a beautiful voice and has performed on Broadway in RL. She hit notes that gave me goosebumps.

While Tamra is living in New York and Xander is in Holland, they dual streamed and the sound was truly magnificent. Some of the highlights of their duet included "Amazing Grace," "Route 66," "Eyes of an Angel," Sting's "Fields of Barley" and one of my favorite Streisand songs, "Somewhere." Tamra's manager gave us all her lengthy song list and requests were encouraged. I requested my favorite Tamra song "Eden Will Bloom," and I was not disappointed. She explained that she wrote "Eden Will Bloom" when her nephews were going off to war, which she was against.

This was a dynamic pairing of immense talent and I hope they do it again soon!

By Shellie Sands

NEW COVER CHARGE SYSTEM BEING TESTED FOR MUSIC VENUES

The controversy over music venues utilizing a cover charge has been
ongoing in Second Life for quite a few years. One Second Life
musician, Mankind Tracer, has come up with a Business Model called
CCS (Cover Charge System) for venues and musicians to begin using as a
mandatory cover charge tool to hear your favorite performers.

In an open letter to residents of Second Life, Mankind Tracer
explained how this type of system could be one answer to the
increasing problems of venue closings in-world due to the club owners
not being able to afford to pay their live performers in addition to
the tier costs of running their club. This Cover Charge System would
pay both the musician and the venue owner by an agreed upon percentage
beforehand, freeing the venue-owner from the burden of paying the
musician at all.

HOW IT WORKS--
The musician determines the cover charge amount and both venue and
musician agree beforehand on the percentage the venue will receive for
the show. (Mankind's letter suggests that a $500L cover charge might
be appropriate for his performances, with a 20% split going to the
venue.) The system would be set up prior to the event and once
activated, continually scans the club area for non-paying residents,
as well as logging paying residents into the system.

As residents enter, the CCS sends them a message asking them to pay
the cover charge. If they do not pay, predetermined security
personnel receive notices of avatar names who have not paid. These
security personnel will send the non-paying resident several warning
messages asking them to pay the fee. If they fail to pay after
numerous warnings, the avatar will be ejected from the venue.

CRASHES --
All paying and non-paying avatar names are kept in the system until
the owner clears the list. If an avatar crashes, they can return
without repaying. Likewise, if the sim crashes, they do not have to
repay when they return.

MONIES --
The performer determines the cover charge amount. And the percentage
that the venue would receive would be entirely up to the musician and
venue owner to predetermine. In this sense, the venue owners no
longer have the burden of paying the musician.

FIRST TEST --
At Thursday's first test of the system, Mankind Tracer set the cover
charge for one linden and performed for two hours at his "Sweet Spot"
venue. A considerable crowd was on hand, with several well-known
musicians and managers also in attendance. The crowd asked questions
in IM and on notecards and Mankind addressed each one in between
songs. While the system seemed to work well for this first 1L test
run, the true test would be to actually charge 500 Lindens and see
what the crowd does or doesn't do.

AVAILABILITY/COST
Once the system is tweaked and more test runs are performed
successfully, the system would then be made available. Whether or not
there will be a cost associated with acquiring the actual system
hasn't been determined yet.

RAISING CONCERNS
Several concerns are evident. New residents do not have lindens to
spend, especially for large cover charges. Residents who normally
would frequent several shows in one evening may only be able to attend
one show depending on the cover charge rate. Residents are
less-likely to tip if they are charged the initial fee to get through
the door. Sim owners would need to "parcel-off" their club/venue in
order that the stream isn't broadcasting throughout the entire sim and
also so that the Cover Charge System scans only the club/venue parcel
area. The obvious issues of performers losing their fan base, not
making enough money if people don't choose to attend, and even the
pinch some residents may feel at losing the control over freely
tipping... is of serious concern.

Time will tell how this proposed system will or will not become an
active part of the SL music scene. One thing's certain... people are
sure to make their voices heard on the issue. But that's the great
thing about Second Life, we still have a choice, even with a cover
charge system.

by Mystique Sassoon

“Live ‘n Kickin” - Paisley Beebe Speaks on Her New Music Show in Second Life

On 9 PM Second Life time, Tuesday August 25, a new show opened up in the metaverse: “Live n Kickin.” At “The Pocket.” Pilgrim75 Swashbuckler (Pete Mroz in real life) sang live to the crowd, who danced away to his music. What added to the excitement was that the show was being shown on Treet TV live. Those familiar with SL Media could make out a few familiar names in he audience, in the audience, notably Delinda Dryssen and Paisley Beebe whom with AutumnFoxx Sutherland made the show possible.

“This show was an idea I had from day one when I started in television in Second Life,” Paisley later explained to me, “Being a musician in real-life, it was a no-brainer to do this.” She stated AutumnFoxx Sutherland and Delinda Dyrssen were working with her to get the show up, both “involved in the music scene in SL for years.” But it was Delinda who was producing the show, “I’m paying for it ... which means I have the final say on things, but she is basically doing all the leg work.”

Paisley told me her production role was working with how it would look on Treet, “I’m looking forward to being able to shoot on location, and really get into some great (special) effects and locations.” She went on to say most of Treet’s show’s were “very straight studio-type shoots and events,” not having experimented much with light and filming techniques, “But I want them to go all out, get psychedelic even! To get really funky.”

“The Pocket,” which AutumnFoxx Sutherland and Delinda Dyrssen run, was chosen as their first spot as the place was familiar, “We wanted the first shoot to be easy, cause we didn't know what we would have to really contend with.” But they intend for the show to go to other places besides clubs, “We are not going to be shooting in venues all the time. We are going to be looking for some really way out locations ... underground, in a cave, underwater, in the clouds, in a spaceship, ... I want to do what is not possible in real-life.”

She hoped to involve the audience as well, “we are recording the audience reaction to each song, ... the applause and gestures, and what the musician says to the audience. ... I want our audience to know when they tune into Live n Kickin, they are going to get as near a professional performance as possible, hat it is going to be a really great experience! ... I don't know if you felt it, but the energy and buzz during the filming at Pilgrims show was just fantastic. Just being there in the audience, knowing that it was being filmed. And that Pilgrim was giving his all. He was amazing. I was so exited during the filming, I was dancing around the room. It was such a thrill to showcase such an incredible artist.”

Paisley and Delinda had featured close to a hundred musicians on the “Tonight Live” show on Second Life, “For musicians it’s not just about having a nice vid clip of their work. It’s about doing a gig, for around fifty people in-world. And then getting maximum exposure after that, to probably 3000 people a month in about a month’s time. ... Treet.tv archives are heavily watched over and over. With that sort of exposure, it’s the best way in Second Life for a musician to get to the maximum audience and sell their CD's and Mp3s.”

The show will next appear at Luxor, “We are hoping to bring out all the splendor of the Egyptian theme that Circe Brooms has.” Any musicians interested in getting on the show can contact Delinda Dryssen, “ Delinda is the producer of the show. Poor Del, she has been absolutely inundated, even before our first show was filmed!”

“I want Pilgrim and the other artists we showcase to get to as many avatars as possible, to sell their albums, and to get booked for gigs, both real-life and Second Life, and to get offers and good deals from being exposed on our show. I hope that happens. They deserve it. I can’t stand seeing such amazing talent undiscovered. I just can’t stand it, it breaks my heart. I know how tough it is. I’ve been there, and am still there. I saw it over and over again, and working in radio. Ignored talent. It was so very frustrating. Albums dropped by record companies, buried in basements ... I’m so grateful to help just a little.”

“Live n Kickin” will be weekly, 9 PM SL time every Tuesday, with shows posted on the treet tv website. Eventually, they hope to have videos on iTunes. They have a group for updates, and plan to have a subscribomatic soon.


Bixyl Shuftan

Music News

One venue owner is piloting a new business model beginning this fall. The owner of Rasta Ventures, TributeTim Kwak, has 3 venues, Red Rock Amphitheater (Pop, Country and other genres), Mama's (Blues), and a brand new Urban Alt Rock venue. Also on the sim is Rasta Beach (reggae DJs and one regular live performer a week).

Previously, Red Rock and Mama's have been operated separately from Rasta Beach and sharing staff. Beginning in September, Tim plans on linking the 3 live venues. with the reopening of Red Rock and Mama's and the opening of the new club. These 3 venues have formed a co-op consisting of quite a few live performers.

The concept is that an admission fee of $L200 will be charged. This admission fee will defray the cost of the venue owner of paying the high fees of the performers, as well as supporting the venues for their financial needs. Very often, venue owners are paying money out of their RL pockets to pay tier fees and performers' fees. It is understood that this is an expensive undertaking when one decides to open a live performance venue. As a result, many quality clubs close their doors because they can no longer afford to pay their tiers. planning 15 shows.

The revenue from the co-op will be equally distributed among the co-op members. The venue owner is responsible for coordinating scheduling, supporting venue builds, and providing "professional, well trained hosts," and streams. The objective is to "put on regularly scheduled, high quality performances 4 or 5 nights each week, with each event involving 3 or 4 musicians" "....lasting 3 or 4 hours." The expectation is a 30 avatar attendance, at $L200 a head, for a total revenue of L$90,000 per week in ticket revenues, split between (currently) 8 people, or L$11,250 each per week. At the current conversion rate, that equates to $43.27USD per week for each co-op member. Tim will use his share to pay hosts and managers, and stream fees, etc., but he noted it would not defray all of his costs.

Performers who would be invited to join this co-op would typically be "popular musicians (who) are interested and able to work well with a group of people." The term "popular" might be defined as "an artist with the demonstrated ability to consistently attract at least 30 people to their performances."

This concept is not entirely new. I, as well as others, including performers, have heard of such a thing through the music community grapevine, etc. I have done a small poll of concert goers and performers alike, and some have even said it's been tried before and been unsuccessful. One source explained that another venue owner/performer is also trying a new pay system at his venue.

According to Tim, an ongoing debate has been taking place on the Rasta blog http://rastaliveco-op.blogspot.com. I have collected comments from friends who have been going to live shows in SL for years, a venue owner, and some well know performers here in SL.

The general consensus is that it will not work. Some will go to fewer shows since music has been free from day one. One venue owner fears that if this does become the way music will go in SL, it will make live music "only available to the elite in SL who can afford to pay." This will "reduce the number of SL music fans" and that "one of the few free pleasures available to a new residents is live music." Another comment along those lines was "It won't work as I see it...most people won't wanna be in the 'Elite' group" and "other than groupies and loyal 'gotta catch every show possible' fan," he forsees "a pretty bleak future there." One very popular performer and his manager said they would want no part of it. Others feel it's just plain greed.

Some feel that SL should be an outlet for exposure, as many performers share the website links where RL CDs can be purchased. One comment was on the fact that the fans are never consulted and this is why it has failed in the past.

A big debate was on the "high quality" factor. Many balked at that since who can define high quality? It is a subjective issue, it is not science. Different people see quality in something/ someone that others will not.

On the positive side, some just accept it as the way of the future for music in SL, acknowledging that when venues can no longer afford to stay open, the musicians will have to create their own if they don't already have one, and they will have to charge for admission to cover their expenses, as well as their music.

An interesting point to note is, as many of you may know, often venue owners and musicians encourage fans to get the word out about live music through their blogs, newspapers, other writing avenues, etc. As a reporter covering live music in SL, the price of admission will exceed what I get paid for these articles. How will it then make sense to continue to write about live music as the musicians would like?

Answers to these and other questions remain to be seen. I anxiously await to see how it all plays out. Look for a follow-up piece here as things get underway and the wheels are set in motion.

Shellie Sands

Editors note: Watch for another bright idea to solve this problem tomorrow with Mystique Sassoon

Fierce Tibetan Gods Virtual Tour 09

By Nazz Lane

On Sunday, August 9^th at 3 pm PDT/SLT, the band “Fierce Tibetan Gods” will hit the stage for its sixth appearance in second life.

Founded by Perry Geyer and Andrew Woolf in 1996, Fierce Tibetan Gods (FTG) recorded its first CD, “Dreams of Earth and Sky” a year later with the help of ex Cars keyboardist Greg Hawkes and recording artist Rie Imai. The group recorded a second CD, “Forbidden Frequencies” in 2001 and they are working on a third, “Monks, Tanks and The Saffron Revolution” which is planned for release later this year. This sixth performance of the Virtual 09 tour will be held at Devils Moon SIM, which is themed after the Sci-Fi Movie 'Bladerunner.' Band members are planning to perform dressed as the principle cast members and are encouraging audience members to wear ‘future noir’ outfits “reminiscent of the denizens of Los Angeles, 2016,” as depicted in the movie.

I’d been introduced to band member Gaius Luminos (aka Andrew Woolf) though a publicist and we made arrangements to meet and chat about the band and the tour. I arrived at the appointed time with a TP request from Gaius and landed on the stage where Gaius was busily preparing for Sunday’s performance. We exchanged pleasantries and then began the interview.

Nazz: This is the stage for Sunday’s show?

Gaius: This is the set for Sunday … Bladerunner show. Our staging is always different; it’s better to have a new set each time that matches the theme of the SIM, even though that's a much bigger challenge.

Nazz: A new stage every time would be a challenge. How long does it take to set up for a performance?

Gaius: It depends on the particular SIM. This one is a more complex example ... it took maybe ten or twelve hours. I’m getting better at it ... this is the 6th show of our virtual worlds tour 09 in SL.

Nazz: The band is named, Fierce Tibetan Gods ... what inspired the name?

Gaius: I'm a Tibetan Buddhist … 25 years. The music partially draws influences from that.

Nazz: Influences from the teachings and practice?

Gaius: Yes, definitely, also from the spirit of the Tibetan people. I think it’s something we can all learn from.

Nazz: Besides the Tibetan influence, how would you characterize the band’s sound?

Gaius: it’s a mixed bag; with some … I suppose more core elements ... which are just things we like. Greg is a big Beatles fan, as are Perry and I ... the rest stems I guess from our mutual interest in world music, especially Indian, Middle Eastern and African...we're not genre specific, but somehow it ends up having a readily identifiable sound. As to how that happens, I have no idea it just does.

Nazz: How was it that you four found each other to form the band?

Gaius: Well, we'd known each other from various studio recording work in the past, here in Boston. It’s a smaller and tighter circle here, so people tend to know each other anyway. Perry and I had been working on and off together for several years. Perry knew Greg because he worked as a producer at the Cars old studio in Boston, Synchro Sound. Greg tended to pop in and out as you’d expect to listen to various sessions, and one night he popped in and heard FTG, which at the time was just Perry and I, and the rest was history. We're very lucky to have Mr. Hawkes, he’s a consummate writer and performer.

Nazz: The band’s performances so far have only been in SL, are there plans for other virtual worlds?

Gaius: In the past we've done a few sporadic live shows in RL ... then personal commitments truncated that. Now we have more time to do RL coming up, so the idea of being in SL is to ramp up exposure faster and more expeditiously here than we could in RL, preparatory to doing RL shows.

Nazz: How many more SL shows are planned?

Gaius: It’s a good question ... we're kind of feeling our way thru to an extent, and that’s good because it allows us to be intuitive ... definitely another twenty I'd say at least.

Nazz: So using the series as tuning and for increasing awareness for the RL performances?

Gaius: Yes exactly ... there are many parallels and congruencies between playing in SL and RL ... and none of the hotel, crew and gas bills at the end of the day!

Nazz: How receptive have the SL audiences been to the band and the sound?

Gaius: We've been fortunate, we've been very well received and I’m making a lot of new friends here ... it’s a great place for us to be it seems.

Nazz: Have you experienced any technical problems?

Gaius: Yes, but only the predictable ones in-world lag and so forth. We had over a hundred people at Dance Island ... things got a bit sticky.

Nazz: That’s a lot for an SL event.

Gaius: It was a surprise ... it was the third show of the tour… a nice surprise

Nazz: Live music is a big part of the SL experience. Most of us can clearly recall our first concert.

Gaius: It is indeed, and the more we explore that landscape, the more richness and diversity we are finding. There are many world class innovators and talents here.

Nazz: How has the reception by the SL musical community been for you and the band?

Gaius: Again, it’s been very warm, very friendly and very encouraging.

Nazz: That’s good to hear and I’m not surprised, you all are accomplished and professional performers.

Gaius: Thank you that’s very kind. We're newbies, but we're focused somewhat from RL, so that helps and yes … we all have industry track records … notably Mr. Hawkes.

Nazz: Since the first performance have you had to make any changes in the technical or musical side of things?

Gaius: Yes definitely, it’s something we do in RL to … the project itself is structured or de-structured such that things like intuitive thinking and free styling so called are encouraged ... we're open ended as it were, in both a creative and technical sense. It’s a work in progress!

Nazz: Do you have any closing thoughts or comments for my readers you'd like to share?

Gaius: Sure, we'd like to thank the SL community for embracing us as they have, and we'd like to embrace them in return … Tashi Delek.

Relay for Life Music Event

Sat-Sun, July 18-19

RFL weekend covered 37 sims with multiple events and stages on four of them. Performers played from 2pm on the 18th through 10 am on the 19th. The list of performers is quite long, but some of the musicians showing their support included Quinton Whitman, ELiz Watanabe, Scarletta Roux, Shannon Oherlihy, Tone Uriza, Kim Seifert, Dominick Manatiso, Mike00 Carnell, Mason Thorne, Steely DeCosta, Dann Numbers and Buckley Moonwall, to name just a few. I was approached by the lovely Ms. Bourque Rau to put my hosting talents to work for an hour segment, and I hosted Tone Uriza.

I arrived early to catch Nad Gough on the Entertainment Bay Fest sim. Nad performed tunes by Burt Bacharach and Cole Porter, and sang with a voice and style that reminded me of Johnny Cash. Although he didn't quite pull off the Johnny Cash imitation, it was all for a good cause.

At 6 SLT, Mr. Blues himself, Tone Uriza, took the stage at RFL Shire and entertained us for an hour with soft, sweet blues. Tone chose to support RFL because of his mother's experience with cancer, and he can be found at many of the RFL events throughout the season. In speaking to the crowd about the experience with his Mom, his emotion nearly got the best of him, but he continued his performance with style and grace. Tony Uribe aka Tone Uriza is a 29 year veteran of the Tucson, Arizona blues scene. He has developed an eclectic style of blues drawing from the traditional & contemporary blues styles of the last century. He covers other blues artist only with the intent of bringing more blues and it's rich history to the world. An ambassador if you will, Tone loves spreading the blues wherever he can.

Following Tone was Kim Seifert, who opened with one of my favorite Alannis Morrisette's tunes. She sang beautifully with a resonant voice with a Southern lilt. Very nice indeed. Look for Kim in events, she is worth a listen.

At 7 pm it was back to Enterainment Bay Fest for Steely DeCosta. Always a treat, Streely is a great show to relax to, a very soothing sound and great guitar solos.

A guitarist from Kentucky, he plays a variety of covers, including CSNY, Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Ben Harper, James Morrison, Firefall, Jason Mraz, U2. Benny King, Eagles, Plain White and Sam Cooke. He also does original jams with a loop station and prerecordings.

Steely was followed by Buckley Moonwall at 8 pm. Buckley plays harmonica and acoustic guitar with a southern flair. He plays a blend of roots-rock, Americana, folk and blues. Buckley is always a pleasure to see. Make a point of checking him out .

Sunday, July 19th

7 am SLT

Dann Numbers performed at Entertainment Bay Fest. A great entertainer in his own right, Dann can often be heard on the IndieSpectrum stream [http://81.169.149.182:8016 (SL Artists Music)]. Dann is reportedly very shy at first, you would never know it when he takes the stage. He gives an awesome performance. At one point, he broke his G string (again!) and while fixing it, he did a song for us a capella. Who needs guitar??

Next up on stage was Soundcircel Flanagan, who played a mix of covers and original songs, with accompanying backing tracks recorded in his studio. He opened with a Michael Jackson tribute, playing several songs from his Thriller album. Sound does a completely electronic set and has a great sound.

CelticMaidenWarrior Lancaster performed at 9 a.m. SLT on the An Inema sim at Long Journey. What a cool place it was! The stage was a giant mushroom and smaller mushrooms were scattered about providing seating. I have had the pleasure of hearing Celtic numerous times and always thoroughly enjoy her. Celtic has a beautiful voice, loves her audience and is prone to giggling. She is a great performer to kick back and relax too. This was a perfect fit for a Sunday morning.

I split my time between Celtic and Mike00 Carnell so as to take in as much as possible. Mike performed at the RFL Courage sim at Buckshot Bend. He has played guitar for 18 years and has been performing in a RL band called Jazzmanix. He plays a Fender Strat USA Deluxe, as well as acoustic guitar. In addition to some original tunes, he plays classic and soft rock covers from The Eagles, Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd and Jack Johnson, to name a few.

The weekend event was successful in its fundraising, raising over 270,000. Congrats and applause to the Relay Teams for their untiring efforts to raise funds to support cancer research and the families of cancer victims.

Shellie Sands