We met at The Audio Union and after a brief tour we sat down to chat. Max has been performing in SL for close to three years, and I was curious how the music scene had changed since his early days. He told me that he thinks the biggest change is the size, saying, "Basically the whole scene has grown exponentially." We talked about how, when he began performing, the entire music scene was one big community; that it was easy to get the buzz going about a new artist, but that now, as the scene has grown, there are different groups of musicians and fans that may not intersect. "New artists have a harder time growing their fan base, if I were to have come in now rather than 3 years ago, I doubt I would have the following I do." Max explained how there are so many more musicians and even types of musicians hitting SL, and that he thought it was really great to be part of such a growing community.
One of the things that I think sets Max apart from some of the other SL musicians is his vast repertoire of songs. I asked him how he goes about choosing a song, what goes into deciding whether to add it to his list or not. He said he gets a lot of suggestions for songs from his fans and he tries to check each one out. He also hears them on the radio or T.V. "It's kind of how the song makes me feel, happy, sad, whatever...it has to catch me and I think about if I would want to play it or not." I was curious what his current favorite songs to perform are right now and he said, "Starry, Starry Night"" and Hey Soul Sister", both very new to his set list.
While we were talking about songs and performing I asked Max if he had anything new in the works here in SL. I was excited to hear that he is making plans to resurrect The Zone, a live music venue he ran awhile back! He said, "It's just time, you know...everyone has that place, that happy place to go and relax, could be here, RL or even in your head, that zone where you feel good" He is looking forward to working on it, finding the time to obsess over it and make it just right.
Speaking of finding time, Max has been spending a lot of his time at SL music jams. I wanted to know what it was like for him there, and what keeps him going back. He shared with me that to him, it's about the music and meeting the people he considers his friends. He loves the energy, how the music just builds, and how everyone is just so happy to be there. "It's just....FUN!" He will be attending the South Carolina Jam this month and I was curious where he would most like to go for a future jam. "Buffalo!" Max told me that he and another SL'er have been in talks to do a jam in Buffalo, N.Y. next year, because it's close to home and easy to get to, so keep an ear out for news about that jam coming soon!
When he isn't going to SL meet ups he is in world performing. One of the many shows he does is at The Kasbah. I happen to know that Max has a soft spot for the venue, so I asked him about it. He was kind enough to tell me that he likes the feel of it there, the people, the hosts; he said that when you go there, you just know it's going to be a fun night. He also mentioned how much he enjoys being part of an awesome lineup of musicians, spouting names such as Raspbury Rearwin, Harper Messmer and Edward Kyomoon to name a few.
If you have ever been to a Max Kleene show, at the Kasbah, or anywhere the first thing you notice is the crowd. Max has a huge group of fans, and a good portion of those fans go to his shows faithfully. I asked him how he felt about having so many people feel they know him, care for him...Max's voice changed, became softer, as he said, "People connect through music, I love that they feel so close to me, that’s part of why I go to meet ups, why I speak about my life during sets." He spoke about getting used to seeing the same names at the shows and how he makes a point of trying to get to know those people. "I'm a live music fan as well as a musician and I love hanging out after my shows to listen to the next performer and to get to know the people who come to see me."
I realized that the time for his next set was quickly approaching so I asked Max my standard question...Do you have anything you would like to say to your friends and fans before we close? Max said..."Oh man, that's a good one" there was a long silence, to the point where I thought perhaps I had lost sound, then..."speechless" and in that one word I heard all the emotion, all the gratitude he felt for the people that have made his SL so special. Sometimes there just are no words that can adequately express ones feelings and for Max, this was one of those times. We sat there for another moment, quietly reflecting. It was a well spent 90 minutes, a chat I hope you enjoyed reading about as much as I enjoyed having. That's all for now, until next time...Tessa1 Beck
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