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

Shannon "Oherlihy" McMahon Live in New Haven, CT

On 15 August, I traveled to New Haven, CT to meet friends and see Shannon live in RL. We were all so excited! Shannon was playing at a local, downtown book shop called Never Ending Books. An unusual venue I thought, but apparently they have local live musicians performing there every 3rd Saturday of the month.

The place was charming and quaint, consisting of two narrow rooms, with two separate entrances. The one room was jam packed with books, every which way on the shelves. The place runs strictly on donations, no real book sales (don't ask me how they do it). There was complimentary wine, beer, soda and water, as well as cheese and crackers and other snacks. I felt like I was joining friends for the evening.

Shannon was the first performance of the evening and took the stage at approximately 7:30 pm. The stage was surrounded by a red skirt (no idea what the stage really was!). The limited seating was in the form of folding metal chairs. The place did NOT have air conditioning, and man was it hot! I don't think anyone cared though.

Shannon looked surprisingly much like her SL avatar and she sounded even more beautiful in RL as she does in SL, if that's even possible. She is very unassuming and you can tell she sings from her heart and enjoys it.

Shannon played her stock SL favorites, including"Emotional Vampire," "Anyway," "The Test," and "Salvation Mailbox," a song for if she ever got to Nashville. She wrapped up her set with "You Never Loved Me."

Save for the members of the band following Shannon and a sprinkling of other folks, five of us were SecondLifers. Shannon explained what she does in SL and about those of us who traveled to see her live.

Following Shannon was another local band called Lonesome Sparrows, 4 seasoned musicians who were very enjoyable and hilarious. We asked Shannon to nudge them into coming to SL where I am sure they would have a following.

All in all, it was a great time and well worth the travel.

Shellie Sands

Duo Appassionato - Izabela Jaworower and Young Zeid

On 13 August, I attended the anniversary concert/summer recital of Duo Appassionato on Muse Isle Northwest at the Muse Isle Ocean Amphitheater. The stage is perched above the water, accessible by a ramp. Seating draped in white lent an elegant atmosphere to the venue.

Izabela is engaging and personable and did most of the speaking. An interesting coupling of violinists, she is Polish and Young is Chinese. Izabela was dressed in a beautiful pink gown and Young in a tux (I felt severely underdressed in my jeans and tank top!).

The first piece they performed was Duet for 2 Violins in G major, composed by Mazas. Mazas was a brilliant pupil of Pierre Baillot at the Paris Conservatoire, from which he received the first prize in 1805. His compositions for violin are, for the most part, studies and duets for young string players of all abilities that constitute methods for both violin and viola.

This was followed by 3 pieces, capriccios, originally written by Henryk Wieniawski, for he and his brother. It is a unique arrangement only available in Poland. The arrangement was compiled by 2 virtuoso concert violinists who wanted to perform together in 2 equal parts. The result of that collaboration is just awesome. Henryk Wieniawski was "unquestionably considered 'a violinist of genius,' an artist of great individuality, intensity of expression, and original technique. The influence of his technique is still evident in the style of some violinists. Izabela actually studied at a school in Lublin, Poland, where Wieniawski was born and lived.

Following that arrangement was Antonio Vivaldi's "Le quattro stagioni," or The Four Seasons. This is his most famous work of 1723 (part of Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione or The Contest between Harmony and Invention). In essence, it resembles an early example of a tone poem, where he attempted to capture all the moods of the four seasons. Born in 1678, Vivaldi worked in a Hospedale, or boarding house,for the illegitimate girls of nobelmen, where they had music of the highest standard. He composed "Le quattro stagioni" for those girls.

Wrapping up their set was Bach's Concerto by 2 violins and their trademark piece, written entitled "Passacaglia" by Handel-Halvorsen. Halvorsen was a Norwegian violinist, composer and conductor. He studied at the Stockholm Conservatory, as well as in Leipzig, Berlin and Leige. He was appointed conductor of the theatre in Bergen in 1892, and served as conductor of the Christiania National Theatre from 1899-1929, where he directed over 25 operas as well as orchestral concerts. Halvorsen's compositions developed from the national romantic tradition of Grieg and Svendson but in a distinctive style marked by brilliant orchestration.

The Passacaglia is taken from Suite #7 in G Minor where it serves as the sixth movement. This work is very demanding on the performers; part of its virtuosity entails having the two instruments simulate the sonority of a string quartet, through the use of double stops (the playing of two or more tones simultaneously on the violin and related string instruments). The Passacaglia is a form of baroque music said to derive from a Spanish dance.

Overall, Duo Appassionato gives a beautiful and lively performance. I was again amazed by their incredible skill and immense talent. They possess a musical harmony and spirit and flair that makes for a refreshing stage presence. Many of the pieces they perform are considered very demanding pieces and yet they do them so well. I had seen Izabela once before as part of another small group, comprised of Clarissima and Kahuna Schumann. This is a must see for the classical music fan.

By Shellie Sands

The O R I G I N A L S III

On 9 August, live at Menora, POL Arida once again brought together a fabulous grouping of musicians, all performing 30 minute sets of strictly original tunes, for a total show time of 6 hours. A portion of that awesome is are captured here.

Catch up with Shellie in the EXTRA EXTRA section

Spotlight On...Zak Claxton

I have had the pleasure of enjoying two of Zak Claxton's shows this summer, one on 20 June at the Broken Rocker at Gorlen Hill and the other on 7 August at Ambrosia Dance Club.

Zak really rocks on the acoustic guitar. He is a bright "musical jester" and an admitted "lazy bastard." He plays the acoustic in world simply because it's easier. Zak performs many covers, including Steely Dan, and the Who ("Behind Blue Eyes"). At one of the shows I attended, he performed, for the first time live, Bob Dylan's "Tangled Up in Blue," as well as the awesome Joni Mitchell's "California" (one of my person favorites, anyone remember vinyl?) and Neil Young's "Ohio," which he graciously dedicated to me. At the latest show I attended, he did U2's "One Love," which I have to say he did very well. He also did my favorite Beck song "Loser," and he definitely had me rockin!

Some his originals include "Always Tomorrow," a song about his RL romance with Kat Claxton when they lived 1,000 miles apart--what a love story, "Like a Cloud," and "This Afternoon," a song he says is about "time, space, and the continuum of all stuff."

Evidenced by his covers, some of Zak's musical influences include Neil Young, Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell and Pete Townshend. Other influences include Tom Petty and David Bowie--a pretty eclectic grouping of musicians by anyone's estimation.

Zak is a dynamic performer whose personality and great sense of humor clearly early illustrate how much he loves what he does. He sings with a clear, strong and very passionate voice, and he totally embraces the audience. A bit of an egotist, he scours the web for articles and other write ups on himself. He plays to the crowd, often incorporating ava names into his songs when appropriate.

Zak is a singer/songwriter/instrumentalist hailing from Southern California. Originally beginning his musical journey on piano, Zak picked up the guitar by the age of 7 and has added electric guitar, bass and harmonica to his songs. Trained at Berklee College of Music and Musicians Institute, Zak earned his degree in music from California State University. Zak began his current musical endeavors sort of spontaneously. He claims he "woke up one day and had songs in my head. It was a case of great circumstances that aligned at the right time. I had songs; I had access to a great recording facility; I had friends who wanted to help me realize this vision. So I did."

With a loyal, enthusiastic fan following, especially in SL, Zak always jumps at opportunities to performing his songs live. Zak is a performer/musician who exhibits great showmanship and has a very entertaining stage presence. Check him out if you get the opportunity.

By Shellie Sands

More About Grace McDunnough

I've written about Grace McDunnough in these pages on several occasions recently, including the Musimmersion show i attended on the 1st of June and other performances. On 7 July, I had the good fortune to get an invite from Grace's group to attend an event Molaskey's Pub where Grace appeared as the guest speaker. A few days later, on the 11th, I received a group invite to join Grace in her "sometimes home" in SL at the Inside Out Cafe. It was while having attended these events, that I began to see a common theme and garner insight into the mind and thinking process of the musician known as Grace McDunnough. What you are about to read is a blend of the three events, as well as Grace's history here in SL.

Grace first looked into SL in 2005 but was not very impressed it as she noted in her talk. She did return in 2006, when she rezzed Grace, when she discovered SL could actually be a creative outlet. She at first led weekly poety readings at Mill Pond and opened a poetry gallery where people could share their poems. Grace admits some of her original songs were derived from the poetry she'd heard there. It was not long after that when she discovered live music on Mill Pond. Friends helped her get her start as an SL musician, enduring her "melt downs" and "debiltating stage fright." She finally got on the mic in Nov 2006.

Performing at Mill Pond for awhile, and driven by her "insatiable curiosity," Grace eventually branched out to other venues, including Salome Strangelove's Freudian Slip and Carter Liveoak and Gillian Carthage's Heron Island Peformance space (HIPs), both of which remain her musical homes. When Grace saw some of Salome's amazing lyrics, a collaboration began, with Sal writing and Grace composing.

Grace also put together the Miill Pond Folk Festival (MPFF), which encompassed 15 hours of art and live music on 3 stages and across 2 sims, with over 50 musicians from 6 countries. This experience led her to begin thinking about Musimmersion, of which she has done 3 productions thus far. Grace has learned that through frustration, inspiration often comes and this was how Musimmersion was born. Grace wanted to do something "evocative" after her many bookings for gigs in SL, something different. Whe became "motivated" to see if she could "break out of the normal live music experience" and take people on a journey so to speak, using the music as a transport vehicle to connect with what people have experienced, to "shape" their connection with the music and lyrics. She achieved this via Musimmersion, where she blended visuals with her music in a different way. With help from Salome, Gillian Paddy Wright and Almathea Blanc, some amazing sets were built to accompany her original songs. I attended 3 of these productions and was truly in awe. Originally doing her Musimmersion productions every Thursday, Grace hopes to increase the schedule closer to SLCC, running through Labor Day Weekend in the USA.

Grace began taughter herself to play guitar at age 10 but didn't stick with it after having been asked to play a song she wrote for church. In front of the entire congregation, her stage fright, and most likely her tender age, got the best of her and she admits she forgot the words. Following that, she had what she terms a "mishap" and ultimately threw up behind the alter (sorry Grace, you put it out there).

On Saturday, July 11th, Grace invited her fans to join her in her at the Inside Out Cafe located on Nevi. And true to Grace form, this place was a unique spot. Just another example of Grace's unique and talented mind and fairy-tale imagination.

It has a treehouse feel to it, but is really multi level, round platforms, with lots of seating, including clouds to perch upon! I absolutely loved that and quickly helped myself to a nearby cloud. I happily bobbed gently up and down on my cloud seat while Grace played all her beautiful melodies. I was able to change poses on the cloud and opted for the dream pose. In addition to the clouds, a giant stork also served as a creative seat, towering above the crowd. At the second show I attended at this venue, I chose the stork as my seat, where the wings can be changed. I ended up with dragonfly wings and was lifted high above the rest of the crowd. A very awesome place this is.

The artist known as Grace McDunnough is truly an amazing and talented lady. She never ceases to amaze me with her skill, her creativity, and her very humble demeanor.

Shellie Sands

Spotlight On...Deadeye Foggarty and Mash Rhode

By Shellie Sands

On Thursday, 1 July, I visited my friend Sternchen's place, The Old Barn in Metropolis Unknown, to check out a performer I had not yet heard. The first attraction was Deadeye "DE" Foggarty, a surprising, versatile talent, who loves a good story song and is equally at home with tales from either the darker side of life or the lighter side of things. Deadeye Foggarty is a songwriter who brings an eclectic blend of acoustic music to the stage. His performances feature offerings from traditional folk and roots music to the work of contemporary singer/songwriters in addition to his own original compositions. Currently living in Minneapolis, DeadEye first started playing guitar and keyboards in high school, and did gigs in assorted R&B bands, as well as the Wisconsin-based music duo "Woodenships." I was impressed with his pleasing, soft voice as he sang through gentle ballads with his acoustic guitar beautifully pouring out sound in accompaniment. DE's repertoire typically includes the work of such diverse performers as the Carter Family, Townes Van Zandt, and Tom Waits. His all-acoustic set showcased his warm, soft and sweet voice like a gentle lullaby. On this particular day, his performance included one of his original tunes, "Waitin' Around for Better Days," a song about hope and keeping the faith; Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "Lucky Man" and the classic "Over the Rainbow" (beautifully done). He closed with Jackson Browne's well known "Rock Me on the Water." I look forward to attending another one his performers again soon.

Following Deadeye was Mash Rhode, an Irish blues singer who hails from Dublin. He has earned the monicker "The Badboy of Ballads," and, according to his profile, he is a "Drinker with a guitar playing problem." Mash plays an accoutic set and he did a

Fabulous rendition of Gordon Lightfoot's "The Edmund Fitzgerald," a song I have loved for millenia. He sings passionately and has the most charming accent. Multi-talented, Mash is also a watercolor artist in real life and his paintings can be seen at the Limerick Art Museum in County Limerick, Ireland. A review I read of the musuem had the following quote, "This art museum has many paintings one on top of another all in one room by Ireland's leading nineteenth and twentieth century painters..."--sounds quaint. If you find yourself in Limerick ever, check out the museum. In addition to The Old Bar, you can fine Mash performing at Mash's Rhodehouse, Buddys Bar, Guthries, Blue Moon, and every Saturday morning at Cuddlers Cove. To join his group, you can send him an IM and become one of Mash's Rhodies.

Deadeye and Mash can be found at The Old Barn every Thursday.

Spotlight On...OnlyHalfCrazy Gumbo

OnlyHalfCrazy Gumbo (OHC) played recently at the Falling Waters venue, together with her side kick, Heckova Hampster (yes, you read it right...Hampster, I can't make this stuff up!).

OHC is a live singer with a wide selection of songs thanks to the wonders of backtracks. She performs a variety of covers ranging from Rock, to Country, some blues, some showtunes, and jazz, performing tunes by some of her influences in life, such as Pat Benatar, Stevie Nicks, Judy Collins, Linda Ronstadt, The Beatles and Journey, as well as Shania Twain and Sheryl Crow.

One of the most entertaining performers in SL, OHC hams up the show and has a wonderful stage presence. She sings like she's actually alive! lol and definitely from the heart and soul with the signature of her own style. Her set included tunes by Fleetwood Mac, Prince (Purple Rain) and Bonnie Rait. And not to be outdone, the Hampster also sings (no lie!). He belts out his own rendition of George Thoroughgood's Bad to the Bone (watch out George!) and does his share of entertaining the crowd.

OnlyHalfCrazy Gumbo has been singing most of her life. Her genre of specialty varies from Classic Rock and Country with a smattering of Jazz and Blues intermixed.

A quote from her profile: "Sometimes I pretend I have a brain, but really, if you start taking me seriously, you are going to wind up seriously crazy!! Try not to do that, unless of course you are a half crazed groupie, then you've like, already done it!"

OHC is a surprising talent with a beautiful, strong voice and fun personality. Her audience is taken from laughter, to tears and back again. It's always a blast at an OHC show! The goal is FUN and laughter.

If you would like to have OnlyHalfCrazy perform at your venue, just contact her via IM and she’ll get back with you. You can find her myspace at http://www.myspace.com/onlyhalfcrazed or

http://www.soundsfromtheheart.com "if you want more verbose crap."

Shellie Sands

Spotlight On...Etherian Kamaboko

Etherian Kamaboko performed on 17 June at Tobacco Road in Sorens. An INCREDIBLE talent, Eth weaves his magic using 6- and 12-string acoustic guitars, electric guitar with harmonica, Resonator slide guitar, and keyboards. He's been entertaining crowds in SL for nearly three years now and has been performing live in RL since the tender age of 11 when he joined his first band.

His genre includes blues, Americana, classic rock, folk and foo grass, and his repertoire showcases covers by Dylan, Traveling Wilburys, Warren Zevon, Rolling Stones, John Prine, Billy Joe and The Cars to name a few.

Making the world his oyster, Etherian has lived and traveled in NYC, New England, Guam, Hawaii, SE Asia, Africa and Europe. His tavels began at age 10 and before long he was pulled into the music scene and remains hooked for life.

His show as very well attended, including Blues great CharlesEBristol Xi, and a very large dancing zebra! (can you say LAAGGG? lol).

Contact Etherian Kamaboko or Blondee Stardust for bookings, visit his SL Google Calendar is at http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=robyroberts%40charter.net; www.myspace.com/etherianexpress
Shellie Sands

Spotlight On...Kourosh Eusebio

Appearing every Saturday at 8 a.m. SLT at the gorgeous Nitidia Ridge, it was my extreme pleasure to go listen to musical genius Koroush Eusebio. A psychiatrist AND musician in RL and a fan of Metallica, Kourosh blends electronics with keyboards, producing an amazing sound like none other, hauntingly beautiful yet strangely sad and ethereal.

Filled with emotion and inspiration, gently stroking the keyboard and calming the soul...soft sounds building to glorious crescendo. Kourosh takes his own music and continues to further improvise.

Nitidia Ridge was the perfect backdrop for this talented artist, with a beautiful fountain and hummingbirdsflitting about, described by Kourosh as "a Gathering Place just above the clouds, yet on the ground." A truly magical place with intermittent shadows and electric, cloudlike light. In attendance was fellow musician Fyrm Fouroux, a fine talent in his own right.

Kourosh: "What gives good music timelessness? How does music transcend years or centuries - speaking to and carrying through the emotions of generations unborn and unknown?" Come to the misty mountaintop that is Nitida Ridge every Saturday morning and discover what he means.

Blog: http://www.kouroshdini.com/

By Shellie Sands

SPOTLIGHT ON...

On Wednesday, June 17, Andreus "Anj" Gustafson made a brilliant appearance on the Havens Paradise Stage located in Sorens.

Anj is an incredibly talented musician who performs an eclectic mix of songs in a genre one might describe as progressive classical rock, from the 70s, 80s and 90s...for now. He is equally skilled on keyboards, guitar and flute and progams dynamic and delightfully awesome back tracks.

A typical Anj performance might include covers by Radiohead, U2, Jethro Tull (the likes of which Ian Anderson himself would be proud!), Coldplay, Matchbox 20, The Beatles, Emerson Lake and Palmer and Sting, as well as his own songs.

Anj recently released a CD entitled "Distant Suns." Anj is one of my personal favorites and I enjoy him immensely....you will too. If you own a venue and are looking for a dynamic performer who will draw a large and wonderful crowd, contact Anj directly, visit his website (www.a3d3.net, www.myspace.com/a3d3) for availability, or contact Carol Greenwood. Available most weekdays from 3:00PM SLT through 8:00PM SLT.
Shellie Sands

SPOTLIGHT ON...

Bara Jonson: Swedish Singer/Musician

Signed to HondoMesa Records, NY, USA May 2008.

Streaming Live from St Louis, MO or Malmö, SWEDEN

Bara Jonson was born on Nov. 26, 2007. Since coming to SL, he found his way back to music and won the Virtual Music Awards 2008 Category of Best Artist. He is anxiously awaiting the birth of his first son and he is quite excited, which I find very sweet :)

Bara followed Shannon Oherlihy, who, in my estimation is a very tough act to follow, but Bara is just the man to do it and do it well. His strong, clear voice accompanied by accoustic guitar, is quite pleasing to the ear. Bara does mostly originals with a few cover tunes thrown in. A great entertainer...the first time I went to one of his shows, I was impressed. I had seen the name all over but never had occasion to listen. He is definitely someone to go check out.

By Shellie Sands

SPOTLIGHT ON...

By Shellie Sands

Shannon Oherlihy: A beautiful singer/songwriter who has been performing from a very young age. When she was nine, she got her first guitar, and started writing her own songs at the age of ten. Inspired by the music of John Denver, Gordon Lightfoot, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins and Bob Dylan, Shannon found her musical roots in contemporary folk.

Shannon's voice is clear and sweet accompanied by accoustic guitar. I recently saw Shannon at Musicland Isle for an early morning show. She does a mix of cover tunes and originals, and recently won the Second Song for Amnesty contest sponsored by the Amnesty International-E group in search of a theme song. A total of 26 artists entered their songs and they were all very qualified. After, by her own admission, not having written a new tune in some time, Shannon pulled out all the stops with the winning entry. Members of the AI-E group voted, and believe me when I say, it was a very tough choice. I narrowed my choices down to 4 eventually, and Shannon's song was among those. The AI-E group is located on the Four Bridges sim and is officially recognized by the RL Amnesty organization for their efforts here in SL.

Shannon McMahon is based in Stratford, CT and her music is available on iTunes, CD Baby & MySpace