RockintheKasbah

CONNECTING WITH PORTER PAQUOT

2011-01-20T21:40:00.000-08:00

By Loegan Magic

Photos by Cavelle Somerset

A couple of things come to mind when you think of Porter Paquot; one, she has one of the best singing voices anywhere and two, she really knows how to put on a show. Both of these facts are acknowledged by anyone that has had the pleasure of catching one of her live shows in Second Life. However, what you may not have known is that Porter Paquot likes to scuba dive. I discovered this at once, when she invited me to join her at the Benares Underwater Garden and Scuba area to do some deep-sea diving.

Porter and I have known each other for a awhile now and is no stranger to me. So it was a real treat for me to be able to talk to her and pick her brain about music, her Second Life, and what she deems important. Our interview began when she teleported me onto a small dock in the middle of the sea; where I was greeted by the pleasurable sounds of the surf. The Benares scuba area is a pretty isolated spot full of the gentle chirp of seagulls with just a few lavish island homes in the distance. This is where you can grab your free scuba gear for your under water adventure. Porter, who wore a bathing suit and scuba gear of her own, greeted me and then quickly dived right off the dock into the deep blue ocean. Eager, to enter the Benares underwater world myself, I put on my swim trunks and free scuba gear, and dived in after her.

I was at once struck by the wide assortment of fish around me. The Benares Underwater Garden is a small area but packed with all sorts of wonderful sights. A sunken pirate ship immediately stood out as I took in my surroundings. I floated for a bit and took a further look around. I could hear the sounds of a dolphin as it leaped up and out of the water, playing in the ocean waves. The deep-sea sounds were soothing and the whole area had a nice relaxing effect. I immediately liked it.

“This is my favorite place in SL,” explained Porter as we swam with the colorful fish. “When I first came to Second Life, I met someone who took me scuba diving in the Costa Rica sim and it totally blew my mind. In real life I kind of have a fear of the ocean... not major but enough. But I feel so free when I swim in the SL ocean - it's so beautiful down here”

It really was. As we chatted, I allowed my avatar to float aimlessly in the water as I continued to explore my underwater surroundings. I noticed a cave, complete with cuddle and dance balls.

Benares, a lovely island estate full of fine-looking homes including Porter’s, is owned by Brinda Allen . “My sim owner, Brinda, has been a real mentor and friend to me in SL since the very beginning. When I told her I wanted to sing in SL she encouraged me, but I think she didn't really think I would do it. She's a wonderful person. This sim really is like a family, and she is the den mother of us all. I was very lucky to fall in with them my very first day in SL.”

Brinda gave Porter the space and the prims to make a public Scuba area for the sim. It is a project that is clearly close to her heart, a never ending work in progress, and she is quick to point out that many of her fellow residents have contributed to it.

“I don't come down here nearly as often as I would like to.”

“You are clearly proud of it,” I remarked.

“I am proud of it. I really wanted it to be a place everyone could enjoy together. I wanted to share that first experience I had - where it blew my mind. I want everyone to feel that way in Second Life. I want to give that gift to other people.”

Porter with ease grabbed hold of a stingray and allowed it to guide her around the underwater garden. She suggested I ride the turtle, commenting that its “more my speed.” Unable to find the turtle and feeling a bit cocky I chose the nearby octopus. Immediately, I was on the verge of becoming nauseas due to the bucking creature that was clearly unhappy to have me as passenger. I realized Porter was probably right, the turtle did seem more my speed. First chance I had I quickly abandoned the octopus for the much more docile turtle.

It was apparent that Porter created the scuba area not just for herself but for others. I wondered if that was true when it came to her performing. Those who are in Porter’s group, “Porter’s Party Peeps” know that it is like no other group in Second Life. Porter knows everyone of her fans and they truly interact as friends. They are a community and you can tell that she truly cares about them. I asked Porter to talk about this connection she seems to have to communities.

“I'm someone who gets people to come together. I make little families, at school, at work, in Second Life. I don't like people to feel left out or unimportant maybe? Or maybe I just think we work better together than apart. I think people are interesting; I like to get to know them

“It is clear that you love your fans, they aren't just people who come to your shows.” I commented.

“ No they IM me, and we go out on boats in the middle of the night, and they come scuba diving, and they end up living on my sim and coming to play with me other times. The word fan implies I don't know them but they know me. I hate that. If they care enough about my shows to come and join my group, I want to get to know them. Then they aren't fans, they are friends.”

“So the peeps are another community for you, like your neighbors here at Benares.”

“They are a special community.”

“Why special?” I asked.

“I feel very close to them. I know I can ask a question or invite them to an event and someone will come or if I'm lonely they are there to cheer me up and I would do that for them. They are wild and crazy and fun but they are also really caring people."

“But the Peeps wouldn't exist without your music.”

“The music brought them together, yes. That is what we all have in common and a love of obnoxious gestures.”

Porter is not joking about obnoxious gestures. Just attend one of her shows and you will realize that the louder and more unruly the people are the happier she is on stage. She clearly feeds off of it and her fans love it. You never know what you’ll get at a Porter show; it truly is an interactive experience. I asked her what a typical show is like.

“It's like hanging out with your best friends, making fun of each other and shouting over one another, while listening to great music... and the hijinxs escalate until someone is on a stripper pole, someone else has taken off their clothes, and everyone is laughing,” She continues. “I think what happens is that I have fun with them, and so if they start something I'll take it to another level, and then they escalate, and then I do, and then we reach some kind of critical mass where everyone is just nuts and wearing costumes and yelling Hoooooooooooooo!”

While Porter’s show may seem all fun, one thing she is very serious about is her singing. It is unmistakable that she has a natural gift with her voice; however that has not prevented her from working on it most of her life. She has studied music and theatre arts in college, has a performance degree and training in classical piano.

“I almost became an opera singer but when I was 18 I was diagnosed with vocal nodules and had to go on voice rest. I haven't been the same since. My voice rest period was 1 year.”

“Did your voice change as a result of that?” I asked.

“No, I changed.”

“What do you mean?”

“I sing loud, but I don't talk as loud anymore and I'm pretty careful with my voice now - like I try not to sing TOO much. My voice gets tired easily and I protect it. I'll still do arias and art music on occasion.”

Being a serious musician and singing with tracks in Second Life made me curious if that gave her a disadvantage. Some venues in Second Life won’t have track singers and some musicians won’t even play in the same lineup as them, many referring to them as Karaoke singers. I know this is an issue Porter takes seriously; she can sometimes be spotted wearing the tag, “Singers ARE Musicians.”

“It's my own self esteem that takes the hit, I shouldn't let it get to me, but it does. I feel it more than see it."

“In what way?”

“I personally don't get rejected very often at venues - I'm not someone who goes looking for shows. If someone wants to book me, they ask and I try to work it out. But there are venues that won't take people who sing with tracks. While that's their prerogative, I think it's silly to take someone who is a sucky guitar player and sucky singer and sucky performer over someone who puts on a great show that HAPPENS to use tracks. I'm a trained performer in RL I can play piano, but I'm just better with tracks. I prefer it. I have an enormous voice and I should sing with a horn band. So, I use tracks in SL for a variety of reasons. That doesn't make me less of an artist. In real life I sing with a band that does all original music, I understand the artistic process. I think there is room for everyone. Why do people need to get put into such a tight box? SL is supposed to be wide and creative and people are supposed to be able to be whoever they want here right?

“Yes,” I had to agree.

“Honestly, it reminds me of racism. It’s a very elitist perspective.” Porter paused for a moment. “OK here is the bottom line on it, there are people we consider "good" and people we consider "not so good" in every genre, every group, on every stage, and in every venue in SL. So why pick out the singers who use tracks? There are good and bad just like there are good and bad guitar players. So don't go see the ones you don't like- the end.”

Porter let’s go of her stingray and does some impressive underwater acrobatics, tumbling in the water beautifully, reminiscent of a mermaid. I continue on my turtle, both of us moving slowly and safely through the garden in a much less graceful sort of way.

I wanted to know more about Porter’s music. She can be heard covering such performers as Aretha Franklin, Nora Jones, Stevie Wonder and Tracey Chapman. She really lets the crowd guide where the show goes, giving them access to her extensive song list of blues, jazz, funk and soul and if the mood strikes her she may break out some disco or even some rockers by such singers as Joan Jett and Pat Benatar. You can tell she knows her voice and puts a lot of thought into what she performs.

“What draws you to a song?”

“Hmmm…well I have to connect to it - there's that word again. But I have to feel it down deep I guess. I like funk, soul and blues, I like to really chew on something and I like to have fun.

“What do you mean by chew on something?”

“It has to have heart - some guts to it. I also like technically challenging music, things with hard or interesting vocal runs or rhythmically challenging.”

Porter is a singer in Fez Fatale, a Portland based band that does all original music. They can be heard doing the occasional show in Second Life, currently about one per month.

“Fez is difficult to describe. I would say we are jazz, funk and blues influenced - lounge rock seems to fit. We play across all genres really and the lyrics are written by a woman who is a writer and a lawyer and completely out of her mind. Her name is Pam Quinlan. The music is started usually by Tim Henwood, our guitarist and then the whole band fleshes the songs out together. I usually come up with the vocal parts with help from Michelle, who sings with me.”

Again you can see Porter quick to acknowledge others involved with her work and again I see her band as yet another community Porter is involved with. This made me wonder if Porter came to Second Life specifically in search of community.

“I don't think I was seeking community, I think I build community everywhere naturally. That is one of my gifts in life I guess. I came into SL because I heard a radio show with Dr. Drew and he talked about SL and it intrigued me I had never heard of it before.”

As my virtual skin began to prune up a bit, and I sensed my turtle friend growing tired, I realized that our interview had to come to an end soon. So I asked Porter what was the one thing that people would be surprised to know about her.

“I doubt anyone would be very surprised about anything that has to do with me,” she said with a laugh. “let me think…If I wouldn't have studied theatre arts performance, I would have been a geologist.

That fascinated me. “Why do you love rocks so much?” I asked.

“I'm not sure! They are beautiful, and I like to connect with the earth, Put my hands on it, and think about where it came from. I love the formations of rock.”

“Yet another connection of sorts,” I observed.

“All the processes that take place, it's all very fascinating to me. I rock climb in RL although that's fairly recent. I am an outdoorsy kind of girl, that's why I like scuba diving and going on adventures and flying things and sailing in SL.”

Anyone familiar with Porter, knows that she has a passion for fun in Second Life, a passion that I have always found infectious. It made me wonder more about this amazing underwater garden we had been exploring throughout the interview and how it connected to her music.

“If I leave Second Life the music will leave with me, but this garden will be here as long as the sim is and Brinda Allen will guard this sim with her real life.

“But the people who see your show will remember the experience.” I noted.

“Yes but this is as tangible as a virtual world gets. A memory can be powerful too though. People may never meet me, but they will know me through this garden. They will click on the box that gives scuba gear and get a gift from me with my words inside and come down and live an experience that I wanted them to have even if they have never met me.

“Just like the first time you went scuba diving at Costa Rica when you first came to Second Life.”

“Yes, I actually never thought about that before. Someone else spent a painstaking amount of time on the Costa Rica scuba area just like I did here. That one is way better of course,” she laughed, “but I like my little garden.”

I liked it too. Porter can be seen all over the grid performing and connecting with others, and just like her underwater garden, she’s worth checking out. Connect with one of her shows, join the party, meet some new friends and share the experience, you won’t regret it.

*********

Benares Underwater Garden and Scuba Area

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Benares%20East/142/3/21

Porter Paquot on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/people/Porter-Paquot/100001157382545

Fez Fatale

http://www.fezfatale.com/

************

This article was originally published in the January 2011 issue of SCRUPLZ'S magazine and can be read at http://scruplz.com/

Let's Get Serious for a Moment

2011-01-12T08:30:00.000-08:00

This blog is a bit more serious then the past ones. I recently sent out a notecard to people in the SL music commnunity, the reactions and stories of support people have sent me have been so overwhelming that I decided it needed to be shared. When you see something that is wrong you should speak up. And that is what I'm doing with this particular blog.

This is the notecard i sent out to the SL music community on 1/11/11

My venue was recently approached to join a group for venue owners called Live Music Review. I would encourage the SL music community to NOT join this group. They have set down guidelines for what they feel is a quality venue. After a heated discussion with one of the groups founders, I was still unable to determine what the purpose of the group was – needless to say he no longer wanted my venues in the group (which is fine by me).

One of the standards of what makes a venue, “high quality” according to the group is “no karaoke acts." I own two live music venues with Porter Paquot; The Mill and Kasbah. We do not book karaoke acts, we book high quality vocalists who use tracks, live musicians, and DJ’s. We have original music night and do our best to support the live music scene and art community in Second Life. I have worked for almost two years trying to bring people together and book quality music at my venues. I feel that my venues can stand on the reputations they have made for themselves over the last year and half. In my opinion, reputation is what a makes a good venue not an arbitrary checklist. It frustrates and angers me when someone makes blanket statements like this group is doing. If a venue does not want to book vocalists who use tracks, that is their choice, It DOES NOT make them a higher quality venue. This attitude is what is wrong with an otherwise amazing second life music scene.

It is time to put a stop to this. This is a debate among musicians, managers, and venue owners. The fans don’t care they just want to hear good music. Let’s stop creating divisions and work together. If we as venue owners just book the best people out there and run our venues the way we want, then the people going to the shows will decide who runs a quality venue and who doesn’t. It’s simple. Groups like this that see things as black and white are what is wrong with the Second Life music scene. I also encourage musicians to not support venues with this attitude. This debate is getting old.

I have attached an article I have written for Scruplz Magazine that is coming out this month about this issue. I wrote it before I had this incident with Live Music Review. This is a hot button issue with me and it's about time that we as a community STOP making divisions and work together. Good music is good music.

The Scruplz article follows:

DON'T CALL IT KARAOKE
by Loegan Magic

The Second Life music scene is an ever changing component to to an already complex virtual world, filled with it's own politics and unwritten rules. It has become a thriving independent global music scene unaltered by the corporations that have pretty much gobbled up the airways and watered down the music being put out in the “real world”. Sure some of it is pretty amateurish, but even that has it's charm. What's better then then a kindergarten teacher by day who is a SL rock star by night? The musicians here are all on various levels, some are just having fun, some are trying to make it big, and some are just playing for a much needed outlet or release. Whatever the reason, second life is full of music and we the fan have tons of choices.

I have been involved in this scene on various levels for almost two years now and I've seen a lot (keep in mind SL years are like dog years). Most of what I've seen has been good, some of it wondrous and amazing and yes some of it not so good. I have met a lot of great people, venue owners, musicians, managers and fans. However, one aspect has troubled me, and that is the blatant disrespect, by some in the scene, for singers who use tracks. For those of you who don't know, “track singers” use per-recorded music to sing live to. This has labeled them by some as Karaoke singers or being dismissed as not live music. I disagree. Even the term track singer, I have an issue with; why don't we use the term vocalist?

First off karaoke is an activity. You go to karaoke with your friends to drink and have a good time. And getting up in front of your friends in a supportive environment and singing badly is just that - fun. If you don't believe me ask yourself what happens when the one person in the room that can sing gets up and does it? No one wants to follow them, its no longer fun. It is completely different then listening to a trained professional singer putting on a show and entertaining a crowd.

Now, does that mean that their are people using tracks who can't sing and should not be labeled vocalists – yes it sure does and a lot of them. Does that mean they shouldn't sing – no! It means I might not book them at my venue or go see their next show but that is the great thing about Second Life music, someone else will. The point is, I can think of countless people who strum guitars and sing that aren't any better. Does that mean I dismiss everyone who strums a guitar – no. So why are we dismissing everyone who uses tracks?

The truth is some music can not be reproduced with just a guitar or a piano. So why limit the music in second life to someone playing one instrument? Many track singers sing jazz, blues, soul, funk and more, giving a much needed kick to a music scene saturated with people strumming guitars. I welcome the variety.

Now most fans don't care, they just want to hear good music and be entertained, it's mostly other musicians, venue owners, and managers, that have issue. It just seems sad to me to declare, that you only have 100% life music at your venue when what you are really saying is we don't let people sing with tracks here. As a venue owner I want the best most talented people I can find, Personally, I don't care if you are banging on a bucket, scratching a record, or strumming a guitar...art is art and good art should be seen and heard.

Music is an art form and I can't think of another art form that I would dismiss due to the tools used. Singing is actually the most pure form of music I can think of and while we all do it, it doesn't mean we do it well (or should). So if someone is using a prerecorded track it doesn't matter to me as long as they are singing well over it. I've heard some amazing vocalists in second life, trained professional singers with successful real life music careers that should not be missed. And to not book them because they don't strum a guitar seems absurd to me.

Second Life is an amazing place, it is literally what we make it. Just think how music will be experienced twenty or even ten years from now in whatever second life will evolve to.

We are experiencing something that is in its infancy and we are the ones who will say remember when.

So if you are a musician, venue, owner, manager, or fan who dismisses vocalists who use tracks in second life, I urge you to reconsider. We are all in this together, pioneers in a new world, but whatever world you are in, real or virtual, one thing that does not change is talent is talent. So open your ears and mind to some amazing music, you might be surprised what you discover.
This ediorial was originally published in the January 2011 issue of SCRUPLZ'S which can be read at
http://scruplz.com/

I encourage people to respond to this, leave a comment here or at Scruplz's or at both. You can also email me at loegansl@gmail.com Please share this with others.

THE 2ND ANNUAL KASBAH CHRISTMAS SHOW!!!

2010-12-24T00:19:00.000-08:00

By Tessa1 Beck

Photos by Cavelle Somerset

The night started with Karter Stonecutter. He was dressed appropriately in an awesome santa suit ready to deck the halls with sounds of music! His rendition of The Little Drummer Boy was sweet! He even broke out a little of Elvis's Blue Christmas...the atmoshphere in the club...festive to say the least! Each musician was given 30 minutes to sing as many Christmas songs as they could. Karter made the time fly by and before we knew it he was leaving the stage to make room for Taunter Goodnight!

The crowd was ready for some fun and Taunter delivered with her usual flair! She set the tone for her 30 minute set with songs full of mirth and the audience was delighted! Taunters voice was perfect for her version of I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas and everyone was dancing in SL and I can just bet a good portion of the audience was chair dancing in RL too! It was an awesome half hour. She left us feeling all happy and welcomed AMFORTE Clarity to the stage!

AMFORTE was a big hit with the excited crowd! She regaled us with Christmas songs with her haunting twist. It was great to hear her sing Santa baby! She was chatting between songs about shopping and kids and everyone was sharing their stories about the holiday mall crawls! The set ended on a high note..Jingle Bells!!! We all clapped heartily as AM left and Porter Paquot climbed up on the stage in her lovely gown to entertain us.

Porter started her set off hot with her smoky voice, singing Merry Christmas Baby. Everyone mellowed out and held their loved ones tight as she crooned. She moved into some fun tunes as she cheerfully threatened everyone..Take a copy of the gift I made! Take it! We were all laughing along with her as she sang her own 12 Days of Christmas. It was just too funny! She finished off the set telling jokes and generally entertaining us as only Porter can. I was sad to see her go, but then...Buckley was up next!

That's Buckley Moonwall for those of you that don't know...and he was amazing tonight! The audience began to fill with some of the best musicians SL has to offer...one after another arrived for the festivities! The venue was rockin and the crowd was enjoying Buckleys low key personality and beautiful voice. Everyone was a comedian tonight...Buckley was singing songs he said he was "passing off" as Christmas songs...and we all pretended they were totally Christmasy! He sang some the most obscure and awesome holiday songs and we all had a blast! Buckley wished us all happy holidays and exited the stage as Max Kleene took his place.

Max crashed right off the bat but he continued on as the wonderful performer he is...singing a gorgeous version of Little Drummer Boy. Max and a few others knew a secret and we were so excited....it was torture waiting for the big moment when the secret would be revealed. When all was ready, Max began his song and Loegan asked the big question..."Porter, will you be my partner? The crowd erupted with shouts and well wishes for the happy couple.....it was truly a special moment and we were all lucky to be a part of it! Max ended his set with congratulations to the happy couple and moved aside for kasbah fave Strum Diesel.

The general good feelings we all shared were kept in tact as Strum sang his heart out. He was giving us covers and orginals that really blew us away. I personally love Strums originals, they hit home for me and I am sure many others. The venue was chock full of friends all enjoying this incredible night full of fun, music and love. Strum ended his set with a beautiful, sweet Christmas song that brought tears to some...what a lovely performance. His heartfelt way of sharing his gift of music was the perfect seguay for the final performer of the night LizAday Solo.

The night was winding down...Liz gave us a fantastic performance....she was joined by Golden Xenno...and the banter was fun and entertaining! I think everyone was laughing when they sang the silliest songs....it was a great time! 10 PM came around way too soon...and Liz was on a roll...anxious to keep the night going. It was a perfect party...The best music possible...the sweetest moment shared between 2 very happy friends and a celebration of a wonderful holiday season. We at Kasbah would like to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!

SANTA IS COMING TO KASBAH!

2010-12-21T08:23:00.000-08:00

The sims are turning white with snow, the holiday decorations are up, and everyone can see that It's that time of the year again - The 2nd annual Kasbah Christmas show! A special night of ALL HOLIDAY SONGS by your favorite SL Musicians!!

ART + MUSIC = THE STUDIO GENRE ART CRAWL!

2010-12-12T08:30:00.000-08:00

Today was the first ever Studio Genre Art Crawl! For those of you not aware, an art crawl is just like a bar crawl but without the liquor lol. We started at Lucky, the home of Strum Diesel. The lush greenery of the landscape coupled with the incredible music of Strum created the perfect beginning to an amazing three hours of live music and beautiful art. Strum is a true artist, writing songs that touch us all with emotions and thoughts from his soul. He spent 30 minutes entertaining us with his original music and always enjoyable banter. The crowd that gathered were enthusiastic to say the least! It was a treat to be among some of SL's premiere artists, musicians and art supporters.

The next stop on the art crawl was Van's Wild West Gallery featuring the music of SweetLilly Pinelli. Van is an interesting artist who does his paintings primarily on small pieces of glass. He has a vast array of paintings displayed here, ranging from the older style of western art to his unique perspective on the SL avatar. SweetLilly filled the gallery with the gentle sounds of her sometimes hauntingly but always beautiful voice. The guests traveled through the gallery to the rooftop stage, stopping along the way to enjoy the art covered walls. I think it was a perfect blend of music and art, giving us 30 minutes of relaxation and pleasure.

We traveled on to The Aries Gallery to take in some breathtaking paintings from the incredibly talented littleone Aries. Kelvinblue Oh was onstage and ready to take over the next 30 minutes of SL music. Littleone's art is a tribute to her surroundings, she paints what she sees from her studio windows and all the beauty of her island home. The studio quickly filled with visitors anxious to hear Kelvin rip into some of his trademark songs.The sharp contrast between Kelvins hard rocking blues and the romance of the art made this half hour pure fun with some awesome guitar and vibrant images that SL has to offer!

I took the tp to the next gallery and was immediately hit with the sounds of Amforte's smoky voice. She was giving herself to a song full of angst. It was a kind of weird feeling hearing her, the screen black during tp...and as the room came into focus there was another surprise, a stage befitting an art gallery...indescribable really...gold and red hues surrounding a small stage. Syl Darcy's Fine Art Gallery held so much to see and enjoy. I cammed down to the art below and really enjoyed the original works she is sharing with all of us. Such lovely landscapes and beautiful watercolors and even a gift for everyone under the christmas tree! Amforte sang songs ranging from the afore mentioned sad to the very happy, Felice Navidad! Her originals and covers were the perfect compliment to Syl's beautiful gallery.

Antenna Rae's Fine Arts Studio was the next gallery in the crawl. I had never been to her studio and I found out quickly that I had missed something wonderful. The paintings were exactly my style, soft, beautiful water colors washed over the canvas, each more beautiful than the next. These are the kinds of paintings you want surrounding you when you want to relax, have a glass of wine and listen to some good music. This is exactly what I did as I listened to Porter Paquot, an awesome SL vocalist with a powerful voice and the bubbliest personality ever to grace SL. The art crawlers spent the half hour perusing the paintings as they hummed along with our Miss Porter. The mood was definitely happy as we finished the half hour and moved on to the last gallery.

Kundemor Tamatzui Fine Artis a fabulous studio full of color and light. His vision of incorporating the kundiamor melon and the latin woman together in his unique way has been accomplished skillfully. The colors and textures creating a feeling of understanding, each painting more vivid and interesting than the last. While we took in the art gracing the walls of this elegant studio we were entertained by the beautiful sounds of Lawanda Andel. Her gorgeous music, all instrumental piano, added to the elegance of the scene. It was the perfect way to close the Studio Genre Art Crawl. I encourage each of you to stop by the various galleries, there really is something for everyone here. Share the Landmark with a friend. Art, music and friendship, who could ask for anything more.

Tessa1 Beck

STUDIO GENRE 1st ART CRAWL December 11 1pm-4pm

2010-12-10T08:48:00.000-08:00

ART CRAWL @ STUDIO GENRE:

Music and Art!

YOU ARE INVITED TO THE STUDIO GENRE ART CRAWL

The art crawl is pretty much like a bar crawl. You get a rowdy bunch of people who go from one bar to the next, usually walking and creating mayhem as they go. An art crawl is the same thing only people will be going from one gallery to the next.

The idea is to get people to roam around the sim, discover all the great art Studio Genre has to offer, and enjoy some great music in the process!

Dec 11, 2010

1:00pm SLT Gallery: Strum Diesel/ Musician Strum Diesel

1:30pm SLT Gallery: Van Caerendow / Musician SweetLilly

2:00pm SLT Gallery: Littleone Aries/ Musician Kelvinblue Oh

2:30pm SLT Gallery: Syl Darcy / Musician AMFORTE

3:00pm SLT Gallery: Antenna Rae/ Musician Porter Paquot

3:30pm SLT Gallery: Kundemor Tamtzui / Musician Lawanda Andel

TESSA CHATS WITH KUNDEMOR TAMATZUI

2010-12-09T08:59:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Kasbah Blog, and another installment of Tessa Chats. Today I had the good fortune of speaking with one of SL's most interesting artists. His name is Kundemor Tamatzui (Orlando Catro Ortiz), a wonderful painter from Puerto Rico. When Kundemor isn't painting he is hard at work at the Department of Education in Puerto Rico. He began drawing as a child and painted even before he began his Bachelor studies in the late 1970's. I was lucky enough to see some of his earliest works. His style has changed greatly from those early days, most of the paintings he did back then were done of the human figure, usually quite realistic, almost photographic. I was treated to a timeline of images ranging from oil based to pencil applications. It was very interesting to watch the progression from the realistic art he started with to the more abstract painting he does today. There is a story in each of his paintings, and the one I liked best was the inspiration he found in something most of us would find annoying. The coloring on his television went bad, making the color of the people abnormal....as he was trying to fix the television he realized how interesting the change in color made the people...and thus he began painting the human figure in unrealistic tones with wonderful results.

Kundemor also has an interesting story of how he came to be in SL. He received an e-mail from an SL resident who owned a museum inworld. It was a request to place 2 of Mr. Tamatzui's paintings in the museum. Kundemor had no idea what SL was, but he agreed anyway with the thought that any exposure was good. Once the images had been placed the museum owner sent photos for Kundemor to see. He was so impressed, he decided to investigate what SL was all about. He logged in and was immediately hit by the idea of how great the exposure of his art could be and quickly opened a gallery. He now has 4 such galleries including the one at Studio Genre.

I was given a tour of the Studio Genre Gallery as well as some very interesting conversation about the types of paints used (all oil now, but he has used acrylic in the past) and the implements like brushes and knives to create the desired effects. Kundemor's most recent works all center around the cundiamor or bitter mellon, a fruit that grows on his property.

Each painting shows the bitter mellon with the image of the female form somehow incorporated into it. In some of the paintings it is easy to see the human body shown in colors of orange and yellow, in others you have to really look and sometimes even imagine it. Kundemor's inspiration for this series is the idea that the Latin woman is very much like the cundiamor and he wanted to express that thought in every way possible. The paintings are vibrant and interesting. His other recent works are also full of vibrant colors and so beautiful, you almost wish you could reach out and touch the wet paint...to actually feel it.

Kundemor's art is shown in RL so the people of his country have the opportunity of being almost close enough to feel and experienceit first hand. His goal is to reach all the cities and towns of his country through his art. I asked Mr. Tamatzui what else might be coming up for him and he said that he has met someone from SL who resides in Japan and they are in talks about showing his paintings at the University of Japan. We talked about how wonderful it is to have a platform like SL to reach so many people from so many places and share not only art, but ideas and thoughts.

One of the ways Kundemor is reaching out to the SL community is by painting live on webcam. I was lucky enough to see one of these moments, beautiful music filled the gallery as I watched colorful images slowly appear. It was fascinating to see the progress from a blob of paint to a beautiful stroke on the canvas. This type of interaction is something Kundemor really enjoys and hopes to continue with in the future, along with perhaps a piano concert for which he has ample space.

After having seen many of the paintings in his gallery I was curious if he had a favorite. I know it is a difficult question, almost like asking a parent to choose which child is their favorite, but, Kundemor was thoughtful as he showed me a few of the ones he was particularly fond of. My personal favorite is a 3 dimensional painting, somewhat darker than the rest. I have included some images of my favorite as well as some he specifically pointed out to me. I really enjoyed getting to know a little bit about Kundemor and his paintings, they are beautiful and thought provoking. Please take a moment to stop by the gallery on your next visit to Studio Genre, I am sure you will find the paintings as interesting as I did. Thats all for now, until next time...Tessa1 Beck.

Tessa Chat's With Strum Diesel

2010-10-23T12:44:00.001-07:00

Hi Kasbah friends and fans! It's time for another Chat with Tessa! This time I sat down with Strum Diesel to learn a little bit more about this awesome SL performer. I have had the pleasure of attending several of Strums shows, but I must admit it was fairly recently, so I didn't really know too much about him. I decided to start at the beginning and asked Strum how he got started in SL music. Strum said that a little over two years ago his RL friend, DJ Deere, aka as Fantasy2u Deere in SL, began mentioning Second Life to him. It was probably 6 months of DJ talking it up before he actually gave it a try. He had become burned out, performing way too often in RL for far too little appreciation, so he decided to take a break, lucky for us, he popped into SL! "I was really lucky, right off the bat I met Valeria Paster and she helped me get set up to stream, I had a lot of help, met so many nice people at first...I started performing and never stopped.....in fact I think I went a little crazy, played too much...I actually sprained a tendon in my hand and had to stay off the guitar....thats how I began using the piano in my performances." I know I for one am really glad he did!

   Speaking of performances, I was curious about Strum's RL shows and how SL might have had an impact on how he approaches them now. He shared with me that when he first started in SL he really was burned out from the RL music scene, doing 4 hour gigs and really not feeling like he had been heard as a writer or an artist. The first thing he noticed in SL was how much more receptive the people are, how much more appreciated he felt as an artist and it really boosted his confidence. Now, when he performs in RL he says he thinks there is an overall improvement in his stage presence, a confidence he didn't have before. He went on to say, " Knowing people WANT to hear what I have to say has really helped...in fact, the first contest I entered in RL since joining SL I won!" I could feel the enthusiasm and appreciation for SL Strum has when he said, "It has really helped my writing, I feel like I am connecting with the people and it gives me more motivation! You can't beat the energy and many times a simple show turns out to be much more like a party!"

   The first time I attended one of Strum's "parties" I noticed his signature green hair...you know me, I had to ask about it! He was gracious enough to explain to me in detail how he enjoys changing the color of his hair in RL and that in SL the avatar is what we see as the perfect "us". He said green is the color his hair is now, and that it is his favorite color. He also believes in the power of colors and that green is known to bring fortune and good luck. Strum also said something I thought was so important in this day and age of computers and virtual worlds..."We need to stay connected to nature...we are heading into a virtual existence and it is vital that we keep in touch with the real world around us."

   I was really impressed with Strums views and it brought me to thinking about some of his other views, more specifically, his political views. I had noticed that many of Strum's original songs have very strong political messages and I asked him if he used SL as a platform to get his messages out there. Without a moments pause he said "Yes, absolutely yes!" He explained how SL is full of people from everywhere and with his songs they can connect experiences...how any song with a political quality comes from his own experiences. He quoted Ani Difranco..."the personal is political and the function of art is to comment on society" he said one of his goals is to maybe not give people answers to their questions, but to inspire them to search for those answers. "SL is a great tool to reach people and to learn about what is happening politically all over the world" It was refreshing to speak to someone so in touch with what he believes in and so willing to share those beliefs with the rest of us.

   With such a strong desire to share his message I was curious what might be coming up next for this interesting and animated performer. "I am playing a little less, trying to get the next album underway. I already released an album earlier this year....in the new album the songs are very connected SL and I want to capture the energy I feel from the audience" He also told me that there has been some talk about him going to Scotland, possibly late winter of next year...if that works out, he may even book more shows and possibly make it a tour of Europe. Strum can be seen most Saturday nights at the Kasbah! He is also doing the Fire and Ice show for Diabetes, taking place today from 3 to 9pm SL...a benefit being run by Mandy Ornamental at the Fire and Ice Club, all proceeds go to RL diabetes research, so be sure and catch him there if you are able!http://thestreamteam2.serverroom.us:8884

   If you are a fan you know that the relationship between fans and SL performers is unique. I asked Strum his thoughts on his fans in SL and WOW he really opened up to how he feels about SL and his fans. He expressed to me how incredible it is to know that people come to listen to you because they like what you have to say, how you sound..."so many times in RL the people at the shows are friends, or friends of friends that feel obligated to come...in SL, the people come not because they are your friends but because they WANT to hear you." He marveled at the generosity of his fans, even how he worries sometimes that they over indulge him. He raved about venue owners that will sometimes go over and above, turning the entire stage green, encouraging guests to wear green...how much he appreciates those ways the fans connect with him. We talked about how wonderful it is to be able to touch someone with your music, people you might never reach if it were not for the SL platform.

   Strum really has a strong connection to his fans and I felt he would be the perfect person to ask my favorite last question to..."Do you have anything you would like to say to your friends and fans before we close?" I felt the smile, the warmth as he said "I have said it so much and I will never be able to say it enough...thank you for hearing me, for understanding, connecting to me...for buying my records and my groceries and putting up with me when I am acting like a total rockstar LOL...I am so glad you are all along for the ride!" I don't think you can truly aprreciate those words without actually hearing them...the chat was lovely...I love my job! Thats all for now, until next time...Tessa1 Beck

Scruplz Live Music Event @ Kasbah

2010-10-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

Hi all you lovers of live music! Tonight was an amazing night at The Kasbah! Scruplz sponsored 4 hours of live music to launch their new publication, The Scene. It is a directory listing active live musicians and live music venues across the grid with advertisements 100% focused on live music. It will be a constant work in progress with improvements as times goes on making it more and more useful to the live music community in Second Life. To celebrate this awesome new addition to Live music they put together a thrilling lineup! Guitar Zane opened the evening, launching into some of the best guitar playing I have heard in a long time! He did some really great covers from such greats as 3 Doors Down and my personal favorite, his cover of Heartless by Kanye West. He was really able to let loose and showcase his vocal abilities! Halfway through his set the place was packed and everyone enjoyed the originals he shared with us as well as the covers! Before we knew it, the hour was up and time for another awesome musician to take the stage...Maximillion Kleene, one of SL's shining stars, was ready to go, diving into his first song with the enthusiasm we have all come to expect. His set was filled with covers from some of our favorite bands and solo artists. There is little better in SL music than listening to Max, but as soon as that thought came to me...he upped the anty inviting Raspbury Rearwin to join him onstage for a bit of dual streaming! The two good friends performed together some really fun songs and through it all maintained a constant stream of amusing banter. They ended their set together with a dedication to me...playing one of my all time favorite songs, I Don't Want To Lose You Yet by Steve Earle. Max left the stage to huge applause, thanking everybody as he went. Raspbury continued on with his solo set never missing a beat. We were treated to some of his original songs and covers, all with the usual Raspy twist! Someone once said about Raspbury.."Yeah, he is fun, but when he whispers....there is nothing like it!" We got to hear a little of that whisper with his cover of Closer. All too soon it was time to say goodbye to Raspbury and hello to the final performer of the evening...CraigLyons Writer. Craig was new to the Kasbah stage and he was welcomed in the usual Kasbah style. He had live video running so we could watch as he performed some really wonderful covers and great originals! Craigs audience comes equipped with loads of fun gestures including the stomp stomp clap, one of my favorites. It was nice to hear that Craig still donates a portion of his tips to Global Green and he even showed a short video featuring Global Green during his set. His last song was one of my favorites and he played it for one of his group members, a special version of a John Lennon song, Across the Universe. Craig does that song to perfection and the crowd went wild. There were fireworks and lots of gestures flying! It was a great end to a wonderful night of live music at the Kasbah! Be sure to grab your copy of The Scene so you can be informed of all the exciting things SL live music has to offer! Thanks to Scruplz for sponsoring this wonderful event and for bringing us all together again!

Tessa Chats with Porter Paquot

2010-08-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

Hi Kasbah People! It's time for another Chat with Tessa! This time I sat down with Porter Paquot, from Portland, Oregon. We met on Skype this Sunday to chat about SL and RL. I have to say, I learned a lot about Porter, she is an open book, willing and eager to discuss both her lives.

Porter came to Second Life at a difficult time. She was struggling with depression and was barely handling RL. Coming to SL and performing gave her the opportunity to be herself and to gain back some of the strength she needed to again function in RL. She attributes her recovery to singing in SL and having the interaction she was lacking. She is now back to graduate school and performing both in and out of SL. I asked Porter what her favorite thing about performing in SL is and she told me how much she enjoys meeting new and interesting people and how she now gets to sing everyday!

Since Porter is singing everyday, I was curious to know if singing in SL had changed her RL performances. The answer was a resounding YES! Porter was very animated as she described how her band had been commenting on how much her vocals have improved, and even she has noticed her range has widened. She also told me how she has been able to explore different styles of music and to just have fun when she is singing. "Performing in SL is just fun for me, I am not here to get rich or famous, I just want to sing and be entertained."

When Porter is not in SL singing she can often be found performing with her real life band Fez Fatale. The band has been around for about 15 years and Porter has been a member for the past 5. She describes the band as "very quirky" and explained that they do all originals and are sort of a "lounge rock" act. Porter is one of 7 members, 4 of which do vocals for the band. If you go to the website www.fezfatale.com you can find some of their recorded works including one titled "Six Pack" which Porter can be heard on.

I happen to know that Porter's band has come into SL to perform with her so I asked about their next scheduled performance. I was pleased to hear they are scheduled to perform at Kasbah on October 3rd at 10pm, it will be a live show with the strong possibility of live video as well! For those of you that might be in the Portland area the live show will be held at The Blue Monk. Since we were speaking of future plans I, of course, asked what else might be in store for Porter. She was very honest and forthcoming saying "I want to widen my fan base, play new venues and even perform at different times than I am used to. I also plan on having Fez Fatale perform hopefully once a month."

Besides the October 3rd show, Porter will also be performing weekly at Kasbah. I twisted her arm (lol) to tell me a little bit about her feelings for the venue. "I LOVE Kasbah, it's the prettiest venue in SL, so classy and well done. It has such a high caliber of music and I am honored to have been included in the lineup!" I don't know about you, but I got the impression she likes it there :-)

If you have been to a Porter Paquot show two things will immediately stand out. First is her powerful voice, and second, her fun and sometimes rowdy group of fans. In SL more so than anywhere else, fans have the opportunity to interact with performers and the performers have that same opportunity. No one enjoys interacting with their fans more than Porter. She shared with me a few of her favorite fan stories. "At one particular venue, the stage is surrounded by water...but it's prim and you can walk right on it...I noticed my fans were all staying back behind the water...somehow the idea came to pass out flotation devices...rubber ducks, and before I knew it I was surrounded by an army of yellow ducks!" She also described a giant beer bottle designed by a friend that she loved so much she has included in her fan gift pack. Porter's relationship with her fans is special, she thinks of them as her friends and enjoys, even encourages them to be as silly and fun as possible. She says it makes the shows even better not only for the fans but for her as well.

The hour was winding down, so I asked Porter my standard last question...and her reply was both touching and fun if that's possible. "Last words to my fans...hmmm, I think my fans are fun, sometimes rowdy but not crazy. I think I have a personal connection with a lot of my fans and consider them my friends. I feel like they are there for the fun, but also to help me grow. They tp in people to hear me and always welcome new people just like I would. I want them to know I appreciate them so much, for coming to the shows, for being rowdy and fun...I just...their help has been invaluable to me. I call them My Peeps, they are family and I love them." It was an awesome hour, talking with Porter today will always be one of the highlights of my SL. Until next time... Tessa1 Beck

Tessa Chats with Harper Messmer

2010-08-06T16:23:00.000-07:00

   Hello Kasbah Friends, it's time for another chat, this time with Harper Messmer. I will admit, I was a little shy about approaching Harper. I had never really spoken with him before and I wasn't sure how he would respond to my inquiry. I needn't have worried. He was enthusiastic and friendly from the door! We met at my favorite quiet place to get to know each other a bit. We both chose to sit on the grass, no easy feat for me with a new sit animation and a dress! Once we were settled I asked Harper about his return to SL music. He had taken a break and when he returned he had a blow out comeback show. It struck me that things must have changed greatly in the months he was gone. He told me the biggest change he thinks is the economy and how it effects SL, watching venues close and new ones pop up so often. He also spoke of the influx of new musicians to SL and how cool it is to have the opportunity to listen to so many different styles of music from all over the world. He says he enjoys the chance to hear different renditions of the same songs and that since his return he has heard a lot of new talent. "The music scene has grown and I believe it will keep on growing!"

   Harper has been seen at many of the new artists' shows, but he can also be found at some of his good friends' shows participating in something called TP WARS! I asked him to tell me how it got started and who was winning. I could hear the mirth in his voice as he described the events that led up to the first war..."I thought it would be fun to tip one linden at a time, just something to make the artist on stage laugh. The favor was returned shortly thereafter. Then Max (Maximillion Kleene) came up with the genius idea of incorporating a TP in among the tips....so basically we try to trick the singer on stage to take the TP as they are clicking through the one linden tips." Harper laughed and said that he is definitely not the one winning as he has only been able to trick one person so far. "I got AMFORTE Clarity, and umm...she wasn't thrilled, but she forgave me....I have been tricked by Raspbury Rearwin as well as Max lol."He also said that it has gone so far now that even when they are not performing some of the players just send random tips.

   I have witnessed TP Wars at several venues including Kasbah. Since this is the Kasbah blog, I thought it prudent to ask Harper his thoughts on The Kasbah. I don't know if you know this, but Harper is very entertaining to talk to, his first response was "I hate that place!" Of course, he was kidding and went on to say that he thinks the idea to marry the two arts, music and painting is awesome. "It's the only venue I know where you can watch a painter as she paints and hear the live stream of a musician. I think it's innovative and it makes for a quick and entertaining hour."

   When he mentioned the live stream a thought struck me, would we be seeing Harper on live video anytime soon? He explained that years ago, he used to do live video on yahoo webcam but has no real plans to resume that kind of thing in SL. He did say it was not out of the question though...hmmmm. So, if live video is not in Harpers immediate plans what is I asked. "I plan to bring back The Loft in the fall" The Loft is Harpers venue where every Tuesday there was an awesome lineup of musicians! Harper went into detail about how The Loft came to be at Triborough. He thought the 20 connected sims were just right and he set about convincing Panacea Luminos (the owner). I could tell he was thrilled with how hard she worked to make his venue fit in with the overall look and feel of the sims.

   If you have ever been to one of Harpers shows, be it at Kasbah, The Loft or any other awesome SL venue you would see his huge group of fans. We talked about how humbling having fans is to him, because, as he said, he sings other peoples songs for the most part. "At the end of the day, I feel like I am really lucky, I was in the right place at the right time. SL music is a hobby for me and I enjoy it." Harper went on to talk about how great it is to have the opportunity do meet and hang out with the people that enjoy his music. He said that he is well aware of the dangers of putting yourself out there, and that if you don't have the right mindset it can break you. I think Harper definitely has the right idea, being cautious but not allowing it to go to his head or change the way he acts. He also went on to say how he believes that SL fans are the most loyal, and how they have stayed with him throughout his SL journey.

   It was nice to hear such a fresh perspective. I looked up from taking my interview notes to see that our time was fast approaching the end, so I asked Harper my usual question, did he have anything he wanted to say to his fans before we said goodbye. In Harpers gentle voice there was so much warmth as he said "A big thank you, I don't deserve a lof of whats been given to me and I appreciate the love and support I have received. Performing in SL has been life changing in a great way, it's one of the best curve balls thrown my way and a big learning experience." He talked about how he has grown up musically and how his knowledge of bands and musicians has increased drastically since being in SL. His last words...."I would not have been able to continue on as an artist if it weren't for the fans, I have been given the opportunity to perform with amazing artists and share trade secrets, it's been a really cool experience and I have the fans to thank! Oh...and AMFORTE loves random TP'S!!!" See, I told you he was entertaining lol. It was a great chat and I look forward to catching Harper's show again soon, that's all for now, until next time, Tessa1 Beck

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY KASBAH!

2010-07-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

Hi! The Kasbah celebrated it's one year anniversay this evening with a huge party! The lineup was awesome! Starting the night off was Strum Diesel, a really great member of the Kasbah family. His set rocked, as usual, the crowd gathering throughout his performance. Following Strum was SweetLilly Pinelli. If you have not heard Sweet yet, you should, her name perfectly suits her musical style and voice. She gave us a lovely hour of entertainment. She passed the stage over to Phemie Alcott at the top of the hour. Phemie shared her beautiful voice and cool originals with us. Her final song on piano was enough to melt anyones heart. Up next was Rara Destiny, the very first performer to take the Kasbah stage one year ago! She led us through the hour with her sexy, soulful voice and adorable personality. Harper Messmer was waiting in the wings as Rara finished up her final song. Harper, also a longtime regular here at The Kasbah, was true to form, singing in his relaxed style. His gentle tone and easy manner were a pleasing addition to the evenings festivities. At 9pm Maximillion Kleene began his set. Max, one of Kasbah's favorite players, gave us some beautiful music before inviting Harper and Raspbury Rearwin to join him on stage. The three talented musicians entertained us with their adorable banter and incredible musical abilities. The sim was packed, everyone who is anyone was here for the triple stream! Their renditions of "Chasing Cars" and "Hallelujah" were enough to make you fall in love. When the triple stream ended, Raspbury continued for the rest of his hour. Rasp, a regular at the Kasbah was in rare form, still on a high from the triple stream. LizAday Solo, another member of the Kasbah family, finished off the night with her strong vocals and sparkling personality. The night was sponsored by Scruplz Magazine and free t-shirts and party packs were given out to all! We at Kasbah would like to thank everyone for coming to the celebration and for making this past year something special!

Tessa Chats with Maximillion Kleene

2010-07-21T08:39:00.000-07:00

  Have you ever just sat back and thought...wow I love my job? I did this evening. I had the opportunity to speak with one of SL's most well known and loved musicians, Maximillion Kleene! I know right? I learned a lot about Max tonight, and I can't wait to share it with you.

   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

Tessa Chats with Raspbury Rearwin

2010-07-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

   Hey Kasbah! How's it Goin? It's time for another installment of Tessa Chat's With.....and this time, it's Raspbury Rearwin! We sat down in my livingroom today to have a chat about SL music and the Raspinator himself. I was really excited because those of you that know Raspbury know, he is full of questions...but today, it was MY turn!
   My first question was simple, I wanted to know how long Raspbury had been on SL before he began performing. He told me he had been here around 5 months before he even knew there was a live music scene! His first experience came at the hands of Keiko Takamura, a great SL musician. Rasp was hooked and began using search to find more music. It was at least another month before he would stream his own music and even then it was on a friends lawn just for fun. Despite the numerous offers, Rasp didn't actually book his first show til he had been in world 9 or 10 months. I asked him if he also performed in RL and he let me know that while he does go to the occasional open mic, the bulk of his performing is on SL. He performs on SL as a hobby, to have fun.."If it wasn't fun, I wouldn't do it"
   Raspbury does a lot of originals during his shows, and many of them are collaborations between him and other awesome SL musicians. I was curious to learn more about how it all works and his take on it. We talked about how sometimes words come to him, ideas for songs that might not fit him per se, so he might send them off to one of his friends to see if it clicks with them. He has co written songs with Mimi Carpenter and Amforte to name just a few. He said that sometimes it's just him goofing off and the song writes itself. He told me how he and Amforte were just talking, messing around playing music and he started singing what he called an "Amf" song....she came back later and said..."Hey I finished that song we started"...she had loved it...Took it Away can be heard by both of them during sets...
   I recalled hearing both Raspbury and AMFORTE perform the song together and it made me wonder about dual streaming, so I asked Rasp who he would like to dual stream with next. He said he would like to do more dual streaming with a lot of people, has feelers out, but the one he thinks he would most like to dual with is Rara Destiny. They have played together in the past and feels that their voices and styles blend well together. We talked about how he hounded Rara to learn a certain song and how well it turned out. He said he likes to make covers of songs interesting, to take them in a different direction. "Music in itself is a universal language." he said, and followed with "I love to take something familiar, change it, and then perform it totally out of context" You never know what you might hear at one of his shows....but you know it will be fun!
   Speaking of fun...I thought it would be fun to tease Rasp a bit so I asked him why people call him the SOUND NAZI! He laughed and said Rara gave him that nickname. He isn't afraid to tell someone if their sound is off, because he thinks it only helps people get better. You can often find Rasp in someones IM box helping to fix their sound. We talked about how for the most part the musicians in SL have formed a very supportive community and he is proud to be a part of it. "SL does nothing to promote the live music aspect so we as performers have an obligation to promote each other" Rasp does his part by volunteering his time to new musicians to tweak their sound and by giving shout outs to the musicians in the audience at his shows.
   For those of you that don't know, Kasbah has a birthday coming up, and Raspbury will be performing for the celebration. I asked him for a few thoughts on Kasbah and he had lots to say! "I often don't play more than once in a place, but Kasbah is different" He mentioned how great the crowds are there, how he likes to be the last act, getting the carry over guests from previous shows. He told me how great he thinks it is that Kasbah is now on the Studio Genre sim, mixing art and music for a unique experience. "It's really cool because you can park there for the night, knowing it's going to be 4 hours of quality music" He also mentioned that he felt the shows were well run and organized and how friendly the staff is to work with too.
   TIme was running short, but I had to ask Rasp about his fans. He has this extremely strong and loyal core of fans that come to every show. They will fight til the death for him....believe me, I have seen them do it....and I was curious how he felt about it. He said he thinks it's because he doesn't look at his performances as shows, more like..."Hey, I wanna play, you wanna listen? that's when it's fun." Rasp explained to me that he shares a lot of himself during his sets, doesn't matter if it is a 30 strong group or an intimate concert of 2 or 3, he chats about his life between songs and that he really feels like he is hanging out with his friends rather than performing. He told me that he is amazed by the support from his friends, fans and the music community in general and wanted to thank everyone for making SL what it is for him. I asked if he had a message for his fans and he said..."thanks again and next time, when you are scanning search, pick a name you have never seen before and go catch a few minutes....you might be surprised! It was great fun to talk with Raspbury, check out his weekly gig at Kasbah! That's all for now, Tessa1 Beck

Loegan's Log

2010-07-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, Kasbah is celebrating it’s one year anniversary on July 21st and you are all invited! We have a great lineup in place and our friends at SCRUPLZ magazine is sponsoring the event. So come on down and Rock the Kasbah’s Anniversary bash!

We’ve gathered together your favorite Kasbah musicians
4pm Strum Diesel
5pm SweetLilly Pinelli
6pm Phemie Alcott
7pm Rara Destiny
8pm Harper Messmer
9pm Maximillion Kleene
10pm Raspbury Rearwin
11pm JordanReyne Deezul

It’s sure to be a great nigh that you don’t want to miss. We hope to have a surprise or two along the way.

Check back for more info soon,
Loegan Magic

Tessa Chats with Van Caerndow

2010-07-08T11:17:00.000-07:00

  Hello Kasbah Friends and Family. Today I was given the opportunity to meet with one of Studio Genre's featured artists, Van Caerndow. His show at Kasbah will begin July 10th in the upper gallery. We decided to have our chat in his space at Studio Genre. It was a fun experience listening to Van talk about his artwork as it surrounded us. Van is originally from New York, but came to Illinois for college. That was some 40 years ago and he now resides in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois. Before he began his painting career he owned and operated a record store. He did all the advertising himself, always the artist. When the record store closed, he was inspired to begin painting, using small strips of 2 inch by 10 inch pieces of glass as his canvas. He used Pebeo glass paint to create scenes for a renaissance fair he was working. He was surprised that people liked them and he actually did ok selling them. He eventually began working with different sizes of glass, creating paintings of mythology, medieval scenes and eventually old west themes. That first year he did 150 paintings!

   Van shared with me that he actually came to SL for the sole purpose of showing his artwork. Friends of his suggested he try it out, and he cautiously logged in. He began by doing some role playing and asking people how he could go about bringing his art in-world. While here in SL he happened upon the article about Filthy Fluno, another SL artist, in the New York Times. He again began asking around and was given the information on how to bring his works here and how to display them. He even learned how to scan and printout his glassworks on watercolor paper to make them any size he wanted. He had been in SL for about 7 months when he began painting portraits of avatars, the bulk of his SL work now.

   I was camming around a little as we talked, and I was curious to know what influenced him in his art. I learned so much! Van is very influenced by Van Gogh, and yes, that is the inspiration for his avatars name. He has used several of Van Gogh's paintings as a starting point, even using the same couple from a famous painting in several of his own! He told me he likes creating paintings that tell a story, and that he needs to feel moved by something before he paints it. He likes action in his art, and hopes when people see his paintings they can see the story he is trying to convey.... "even with portraits, I try to get to know the person, spend time with them before I begin painting them" Van was so sincere as he spoke about his desire to create art that pushes him to get better and satisfies what others want to see as well. I asked what his current favorite was and though he had several the one that stuck with me was one called ‘Ed is Dead.’ He enjoys painting so much and you can tell in his work. In Ed is Dead, you have to really study the painting to get all that he has included....even down to a painting within a painting the size of a postage stamp!

   Van was excited about his upcoming and current shows and projects. In RL he has some of his SL portraits displayed in a hair salon. Each avie is sporting wild hair and getting great reviews from customers! In SL he has his own gallery, will be showing at Kasbah starting today and has an upcoming project that sounded intriguing. He will be painting portraits of ten SL artists, hopefully including, Filthy Fluno, Fuschia Nightfire, littleone Aries, Rowan Argus, Genevieve Silvercloud, Rag Randt and a few more, and they will in turn paint his portrait. The 20 paintings will be displayed as a series coming hopefully before the end of the year.

   The gallery was proving to be enticing, so I asked Van for the full tour. I was impressed by the detail in his works and we stopped to chat about several of the paintings. I especially liked the one he did of a Unicorn....there are so many I could mention, but I think the best thing is to check them out for yourself. As we came to the top of his gallery I noticed the sim around us. Studio Genre is a very unique place and I asked Van his thoughts about it. "I was impressed" he said, "when Gen and Jacobo first came to me about showing there, I had no gallery, nowhere to show my art full time. I thought it sounded tremendous! It feels like a family here." I was touched by how open and friendly Van was, and how much he truly appreciated what SL and his friends here have given him. I said goodbye to Van and before I tp'd out took a last look at some of my favorite pieces. It's not surprising that he has 7 commisioned works currently and has even sold some of his SL paintings in RL. It was pleasure learning about this artist and his works. That’s all for now; until next time, Tessa1 Beck.

Tessa Chats With Buckley Moonwall

2010-06-25T11:59:00.000-07:00

Hi Kasbah People! I just had the best chat with Buckley Moonwall, aka Gordon Vincent. We sat down on Skype to talk about SL, music and all things Buckley. So many times a musician is interviewed and asked the same questions over and over. I wanted to try and avoid that for the most part, but there were a few things I felt could be touched on briefly. One of those things was Buckley's first impression of SL in general. His friend Pete, also known as Pilgrim75 Swashbuckler, had been on SL for about a month and told him about it...his first reaction....he dismissed it as just another one of those "things". But after watching a show he thought it was a bit weird, but also cool. He decided to give it a try, the start was rough, issues with sound etc. but he found everyone to be so supportive and helpful, and he learned a lot about the technical side of performing.
  I asked about some of the differences he noticed between SL and RL performances. "In SL it is more intense, the sound is more vivid, more controlled," he said, "I play with headphones on so I hear everything and the fans hear everything I do as well" He also mentioned the amazing interaction he enjoys with the crowd. "I love to read local chat when I can, my fans are funny and sometimes crazy, makes for a better show all around" We talked about some of the more amusing interactions he has had during sets, one in particular came to mind..."One of the people in the audience made comment about the tip jar I use...a monkey in a wagon, there is always someone making funny comments, stroke the monkey, hit the monkey...free the monkey.... but this one fan in particular was saying it gave a whole new meaning to massaging the monkey...and I wanted to know...what was the old meaning???......turns out she worked in a zoo!" He told me he loved getting to know his fans, that the idea that people from all over the world can come to SL and hear his music was mind blowing to him.
   The SL music scene is my home and I wanted to know how Buckley felt about it. True to form he was enthusiastic about his feelings. "It's such a strong scene, I think of it kind of like the new frontier...everyone trying new things, breaking new ground, some of it works, some of it doesn't...but we keep pushing...exploring." He said SL music gave him what he needed, interaction with people, a place to share his music and learn. It was clear Buckley was thrilled to have the opportunity to perform in SL and to reach so many with his music.
   I asked Buckley about his RL career, how it was going, what was new...and he told me he is hoping to begin touring the NE soon, sharing his music and that his 3rd CD, Confessions of a Hummingbird Farmer, should be out in July. Where can we get it I asked...."I will probably sell it in world, but it can also be purchased at ITunes, CDbaby and of course my website GordonVincent.com" We talked a bit about his goals for his SL career and he made me smile, saying he just wants to keep playing, growing and reaching more people. ""I feel I am a better performer because of SL, and I look forward to more feedback to help me to continue to grow."
   Sadly our time was drawing to an end, so I asked my standard fan question...What would you like to say to the fans on SL? I don't think I have gotten quite such a lovely answer before..."My life is as a singer/songwriter, to have such regular fans, or to be playing so often,
connecting so directly, - this is all new, and really appreciated. I feel like I've been on the road
for the past year and a half. I want to share myself with them through my music and thank them all for coming to my shows and to let them know that nothing I do would mean anything without them, it's not all about me, the shows are what they are because of those wonderful people" I leave you with that, until next time...Tessa1 Beck.

Jupitars Jargon

2010-06-24T16:43:00.001-07:00

Jupitars Jargon

June 23

   The Kasbah had a great night of music this Wednesday. Sojurn Rosini took the stage at 7pm and the crowd started to pour in. Sojurn put on a great performance and played cover songs ranging from artists such as Eric Clapton, MatchBox 20, 3 Doors Down and many others. He also performed an incredible original song called "Solace" that he is thinking about bringing to iTunes. During the performance at Kasbah Sojurn was simultaneously broadcasting live in UStream and taking requests from both crowds. The show was full of energy, soul and the hour flew by so fast; before the crowd knew it, Sojurn was performing his traditional show finishing tune "Imagine."
   Performing at 8pm was the great Harrison Digfoot, starting off with Low by Cracker and then a fantastic rendition of Mazzy Star's Fade Into You. More people joined the crowd and danced to the almost haunting sounds of Harrison's harmonica and acoustic guitar. Despite a few technical difficulties that sometimes happen when performing live in the complicated world of Second Life Harrison put on a fantastic performance.
   The fantastically talented Strum Diesel started wowing the audience at 9pm. An abundance of new Second Life faces came to join the Kasbah audience and Strum did not disappoint. His smooth and passionate voice embraced the entire Kasbah venue performing original songs off his album, which can be purchased in SL, and fun covers by entertainers like the Cult, Annie Lenix and George Michael. In the middle of the set Strum read a touching poem that he had written the day before Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans while he was there.
   Ending out the four hours of live music was the electrifying Edward Kyomoon bringing with him his dedicated fans. Edward started off the set with his acoustic guitar and a stripped down performance. His rendition of Bob Dylan's knocking on heaven's door had the crowd praising him the entire song. Later in the set he transitioned back to his more familiar electric sound switching to his electric Guitar, exciting backing tracts, and dynamic harmonies. Edward performed original music as well as covers by Artists such as Beck and Blue October. At the end of the performance there were over 50 people rocking the Kasbah!
   Sheila Soulstar was the Kasbah's hostess for the evening and she did a remarkable job welcoming every person that entered the venue and chatted with the audience throughout the show. The Kasbah's audience was remarkable throughout the four hours of live music; donating to the performers and to the venue and also just making the Kasbah the awesome venue that it is. It's the people who visit Kasbah that give it its soul and thanks to the remarkable people that come to be entertained they make it an incredible place to hang out, perform and work at!

Kasbah News!

2010-06-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone! Just a quick heads up, our very own Loegan Magic, owner of Kasbah and Speakeasy is currently appearing in Scruplz Magazine! Here is the link, best to check it out online!
let's give Loegan and Kasbah our support! Have a great day!!!http://scruplz.com/

Interview Take 2

2010-06-01T09:03:00.001-07:00

   This evening I was given the opportunity to do something I love, have a conversation with an SL musician. I sat down with Harrison Digfoot after his set to have a chat. Harrison broadcasts live from his home in GA. He has only been on the SL music scene a few months and I wondered how he found himself here in SL. He told me that way back in 2008 he was watching MTV with his niece. There was a show about a girl who performed on SL and it intrigued him. He wrote down Second Life on a piece of paper and a week later came online to check it out. He managed to find an open mic and tried it out. "That was not a great experience lol" he said as he described the difficulties he faced with poor graphics and slow connection. He did, however, catch a tribute band of Pink Floyd. I could tell he really thought that was cool, he even shared the story with his online friends! Due to the afore mentioned computer issues, he decided to shelve SL and went back to CamFrog, an online chat room where he and other musicians perform for their online friends. In December of 2009 Harrison again signed onto SL, this time to show his nephew how much better things looked with a better connection and graphics card.
   Harrison describes his style as his own brand of Americana, influenced by bluegrass, country and even the likes of Bob Marley. He began playing his music on the streets of SL, performing for whoever would listen. His experiences were kind of crazy, receiving all sorts of reactions from the residents. One day he decided to just fly, he flew and flew and flew! He made up his mind that the first people he saw he was going to talk to. After quite awhile, he saw 3 dots on his map. He stopped to talk to them, it was Hennesey Sauteraeu, Arimo Teixeira and Cellandra Zon. They were at a club, they were really nice to him and he told them he played. They let him play a song for them. Thats how Hennesey became his first manager. "To me it was kind of magical," Harrison said, also mentioning he is still good friends with Cellandra. While Harrison was performing here, he was also making new friends. One of his favorite things to do in SL is just sit back and chill at his usual spot (sorry ladies not giving that info up lol), chatting with his friends and making new ones.
   We talked about some of his songs, Harrison writes a lot of his own songs and I was anxious to find out about his writing style and maybe even some of his inspirations. One of my favorite songs is Lil Girl in California, Harrison told me that song was written for a real life girl and that the song basically wrote itself. He also just recently wrote a song for a greifer girl in Second Life, Lianna. "Songs like that are fun" he said. He hopes to make an SL video based on that song, maybe even have the girl appear in it. "That song wrote itself in no time, while I was talking to this girl, and I started singing it to her, she was like....why did you write that lol" Harrison commented that songs that come quick like that are usually his best and he plans to sit down soon to write some more. I suggested one with "Tessa" in it, fingers crossed lol.
   It is clear that Harrison is thrilled to be performing here in SL, so I asked him about his long term goals. In his usual sweet manner he said, " I just want to play my music to as many people as I can, SL is a great platform for all kinds of things, especially music." He credits SL with making him a better musician, pushing him to reach his potential everyday. "In Second Life I can play to people all over the world! I can talk to them about my music, their music, anything really." He is so enthusiastic about SL, he has been actively recruiting other online friends to come here and try their hand in the music scene too!
   Sadly our time was coming to an end, so I asked Harrison about his thoughts on his upcoming weekly gig at Kasbah. He was about as animated as I have ever heard him as he said "I love the Kasbah!" He is excited to be back and looks forward to working with both Loegan and Tellstar again. Harrison can be seen weekly at 8pm sl time throughout the month of June. As is my habit, I asked Harri if there was anything he wanted to share with his fans before we said goodbye. He was Pure Harrison as he said "get to as many shows as you can, get out there and enjoy, hang out, music is AWESOME!" What else is there to say, thank you Harrison, until next time, Tessa1 Beck.

LIZADAY SOLO IN LILITH FAIR!!

2010-05-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

LIZADAY SOLO NEEDS YOUR VOTE!

Hello friends,

SL musician and friend to Kasbah, LizAday Solo is a finalist in the LILITH FAIR Talent search with her song "Lucky". If you are a LIzAday fan, and if you aren't you should be, please take some time and go to the website and vote for her. This is a great chance to support an SL musician's RL music career. Let's show her how much we love her playing here in SL and give her some votes. Just follow the information below.

The contest is in the 'quarter finals' right now.

Voting in this contest sort of involved... so if you have 20 minutes to an hour (depending on how fast you can click) please consider voting for Liz!!

Here's how:

1. Start an account on ourstage.com

2. click JUDGE it's at the top of the home page.

3. click LILITH FAIR CHANNELS off to the RIGHT hand side of the screen.

4. Click SEATTLE/GEORGE and the RIGHT hand side of the screen.

That will take you to the judging area. There are 19 other women in this portion of the finals and you have to listen to @least 15 seconds of each... There will be about 160 "battles" for you to vote through. Liz should appear about 15 times or so in the "head to head" voting.

She would love to get through to the next round and each vote counts.

Good Luck Liz!

Thanks for taking the time to support LizAday and SL music
Loegan Magic

KASBAH INTERVIEWS TAKE 1

2010-05-17T09:38:00.001-07:00

   Hi and welcome to the Kasbah blog. Every week we will be interviewing one of the Kasbah musicians, learning a little about them, what they like, what they think about SL, Live Music and of course The Kasbah! This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Adrienne Deezul. We met on Skype for a chat, and, right off the bat, I liked her! What a friendly, outgoing person, we spoke with ease about SL, RL, music and even a bit about real estate lol.
   Adrienne, real name Jordan Reyne, is originally from New Zealand. Her early years there could be described as difficult, and she spent a year living with her guitar instructor and his family before branching out on her own. She now resides in Germany with her partner and performs for us from the comfort of her home. I asked Adrienne about the difficulties of living in Germany and performing in SL due to the time zone differences. What she told me was amazing, "I had to go to the rental group and ask when I could play my music legally and the tenants group said.. that the law is basically not in favor of any kind of playing music,but, because studies have shown that music is helpful to peoples well being so there fore we must allow it, so you can play legally from 7am to 12pm and 3pm to 8pm, that means the latest I can have a gig is 11AM SL time" she continued with "there are very strict rules here about music"

   I asked Adrienne what first brought her to SL and what she liked most about performing here. She said that her friend, an SL musician, suggested she come and check it out. She did a set with said friend and was amazed at the feedback she received from the audience. She was hooked and decided to become an SL resident and share her music. Her favorite thing about performing in SL is the warmth and support she feels from her friends and fans and the ability to reach a broader audience with her music. Since we were discussing fans, I asked if she had any funny stories she would like to share. She did! the first was about her early days in SL, she was performing after someone and he was announcing she would be coming up next, here is what he said.."I don't know who is up after me....oh, it's Adrienne Deezul, well who the hell is that?" she told the story with intermittent laughs and I could tell that she really thought it was amusing. Her other fan story was about someone who came to her deep dark set and began break dancing and smoking. She said, "I love it when people do stuff like that, inappropriate dancing, silly stuff, in fact that person became my best friend in SL!" Did I mention I really like this girl? lol
   I was curious about Adrienne's music career in RL, she told me that when she first came to Germany she was a busker, performing on street corners in Hamburg and other areas. I was thrilled to learn that she has 5 albums out and has been nominated for several music awards in New Zealand! Her CD's can be found at CDBABY and most of her sales are made that way. She does perform about 2 RL gigs a month, but prefers to sing here in SL. In fact, her long term goal is to survive financially solely on SL performances, following in the footsteps of such musicians as Russel Eponym and Loran Andretti.
   Adrienne was excited to share with me her website www.jordanreyne.com where you can find more about herself, and her music. She is looking forward to the release of her newest video for the song The Brave from the Album How The Dead Live. The album is about Susanna Hawes, a brave woman who quietly made history. I could hear the emotion in her voice as she spoke about the song and the inspiration for it. She promised to give me the scoop on the release date for the video and the song can soon be heard here on the blog as well!
   Our time was coming to a close, so I asked my final question..."What do you like about performing at the Speakeasy and what are your thoughts on your upcoming weekly gig at The Kasbah" True to form, Adrienne was quick to answer and straightforward..."I loved how the people behaved there, it's a great venue! I really like Loegan he is a professional, but with humor" She is looking forward to performing at Kasbah, starting May 19th at 10am SL time. She describes her music as dark with attitude and while I found her very entertaining and engaging I just know that attitude is in there! I enjoyed the interview and look forward to catching her perform at The Kasbah soon! Don't you think you should be there too? That's all for now, take care...Tessa1 Beck.

Thank You From Kasbah and Loegan Magic

2010-05-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to take a minute to say a quick thank you to all the musicians and fans who have been coming to Kasbah since we reopened on May 5th. The shows have been better then ever and the response has been overwhelming. The support you have all given Kasbah is greatly appreciated, thank you all.

While I’m on the subject of giving thanks, I’d like to give a special thank you to the musicians who took time out of their busy schedules to have a word with Tessa about playing Kasbah (Grand Re-opening posted May 5th). Musicians play lots of venues in SL, so it means a great deal that Kasbah stands out to them and that they have fond memories of playing here. I’d also like to thank them for the kind words they expressed about my staff and myself. So allow me to thank, Maximillion Kleene, Harper Messmer, Strum Diesel, PM Bookmite, Edward Kyomoon and Buckley Moonwall for taking the time to express those kind words about us. All of us at Kasbah greatly appreciate it and look forward to creating more memories when you all come back to play again.

One last thank you goes to Kasbah’s staff. Running Kasbah is a team effort, we currently have over 25 hours of live music a week. It’s a full time job and if we are doing our job well, the work we do goes unnoticed so that you can enjoy the shows and enjoy the music. Kasbah has the best staff out there, so I’d like to thank, Tellstar Clarity (manager), Sheila Soulstar (hostess), Joonie Jatho (hostess, music scout), Alexandria Glabrous (hostess), and of course Tessa1 Beck for putting the blog together and contributing to it. They are the ones who make it possible to keep Kasbah rocking.

So that’s it for now, I hope you check our calendar for upcoming shows and choose to follow our blog. We love to see who is reading it and feel free to leave a comment. Kasbah wants and needs your input if we are going to be the place where you come to enjoy live music in second life. Until next time, see you at Kasbah.

And thanks to you as well,
Loegan Magic
Kasbah owner

Grand Re-Opening

2010-05-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

Tonight is the grand reopening of The Kasbah, so, I thought I would have a chat with the opening night acts. I wanted their thoughts on Kasbah, what they liked about the old Kasbah, what they hope for the new one. Let me first say that ALL the musicians were so friendly and willing to take a few moments out of their busy schedules to talk with me. Thanks guys, you rock! I spoke with Strum Diesel first, an awesome musician who gives his all to every performance! I caught him after one of his sets, probably still out of breath and needing a cool drink! He told me his fondest memory was Christmas last year, saying, "that was Christmas for me last year in a way". He continued with, "New Kasbah is exciting in that it's a part of Studio Genre which is also home to my store/venue Lucky and a good number of fantastic SL/RL visual artists as well." He also told me that he liked that they book quality acts and he is very happy to be a part of that roster! He gave me a wink and a smile as he waved goodbye. Thanks Strum! I next spoke with Maximillion Kleene, one of the most popular and most loved musicians in SL. Max has played Kasbah countless times and I knew he would have something cool to say, and he didn't disappoint! Recalling the old Kasbah Max said, " I liked that there was always a good line-up of live music for hours of listening on Saturday nites" he went on to say, "it's always a fun vibe, with hours and hours of music" I asked Max what he liked best about playing Kasbah, "what I liked best about playing there was of course the listening audience. Always a good audience and the owners/hosts :-D, they're the best :-D" Thank you Max! Just as I was finishing up with Max I got an IM from Buckley Moonwall, an incredibly talented singer songwriter also in the Kasbah lineup. He was more than willing to give me his thoughts on Kasbah. " i've always appreciated how hard Loegan works to put something really creative together......he's such a patron of the arts - visual, musical - i know SL is so full of innovators, but i was surprised to see geniveve up there painting while i did my set, . . . i really dug that, it shows a real respect for creativity - definitely a crowd that i feel honored to be a part of." Buckley mentioned again and again how wonderful the crowds are at Kasbah, how great the energy is there too! When asked his final thoughts Buckley said, "yeah, these are the things that i really appreciate about it - loegan really respects the arts - and i know it takes a lot of work and money to keep a venue going - with Kasbah - you can really feel the passion for what he's doing over there" I can tell Buckley really enjoys playing Kasbah, probably as much as we all like listening to him there! Thanks Buckley!! The next fabulous musician in the opening lineup is Harper Messmer. I managed to catch him between sets as well for a brief chat. He has great memories of the old Kasbah, he told me of one in particular where there was a griefer during his set, then Raspbury Rearwin took the stage. There were objects flying all over the place but everyone endured the harassment. He said, "i remember we were there for hours as rasp played non-stop.... a tribute to his love for music......and then after all of that, there was a fireworks display,
one cool night." I asked him what he liked best about playing at The Kasbah and if he had a wish for the future, Harper was quick to answer, " it's so easy to work with loegan and the place is always upbeat so it's a tie", and his wish for the future..... "continued success and i hope it doesn't lose it's flavor" Thanks Harper for the memory and the kind words! Towards the end of my SL evening I was able to touch base with the last performer in the lineup, Edward Kyomoon. He was between sets, you know, those shows where he rocks everyone out with fun lyrics to well known songs as well as awesome covers, anyway, he was kind enough to give me a few minutes to chat about Kasbah. When asked what he liked best Edward said, "well we always have large crowds there... i like how they support artist as well as musicians.... i like outdoor venues, with minimal clutter... kasbah is one of those:) I asked him if he had any final thoughts before we said goodbye and he did! " in a world where anyone can be a venue owner its the successful places stand above because of their persistance and commitment to SL music. loegan knows what he's doing and does a good job at it" Thank you Edward! My last musician was PM Bookmite, a super musician, who took time out of his RL schedule to send me a few well chosen words... "Kasbah, cool atmosphere, great musicians, great hosts, great owner, for what more could a musician ask?" It was clear to me after speaking with these wonderful artists that Kasbah holds a special place in their SL as does Loegan Magic, Kasbah's owner. I am really looking forward to the shows tonight and the future success of the new and improved KASBAH!!! That's all for now...Tessa1 beck

A Conversation with littleone Aries

2010-04-30T20:37:00.000-07:00

   Today I spent some time with littleone Aries an RL and SL artist. I was a little nervous about this interview as I know virtually nothing about the SL art scene, or art in general, but littleone set me at ease immediately. I found her to be a very warm and kind person eager to share her art with me and all of you. Get this, she lives on a mountain, on an island in the Caribbean, how cool is that! Her art work definitely shows the influences of her natural surroundings. She spoke to me a little bit about the "rich tapestry of cultures" she is exposed to there and how the various cultures have been woven into the fabric of the land.
   Littleone came to SL for the sole purpose of sharing her art. She had read an article in the New York Times featuring Filthy Fluno, a prominent figure in the SL and RL art world, and was curious to see what it was all about. A little over a year later littleone is showing and selling her art in SL. She told me that at some point she met Filthy and found him to be both helpful and generous. She is paying it forward when possible helping answer artists questions and educating people like me about the SL art scene.
   I was curious about her process and asked if she created any of her work in-world. She told me all of her art is created in her studio, then meticulously photographed and uploaded to SL. She also said she likes to work in many mediums including watercolor and oil based paint. The first floor of her gallery is watercolors, beautiful paintings with soft strokes. As she spoke I found my eyes wandering from painting to painting, examining and experiencing each of them. One of the things I noticed was the fact that her paintings were not all of the same ilk, that she showed versatility, each one unique. Littleone shows, in many of her paintings, a touch of magic, and as we discussed that she shared with me that her major influence was Walt Disney! I could see the magic and the influence in several of her paintings, especially the ones she refers to as "magical realism" These paintings have both fantasy and a touch of reality incorporated into them. I can honestly say those were my favorites.
   We maneuvered the stairs to the upper floor of her gallery to view the virtual book she and a few friends put together. Her friend Elfgreen Cyberstar wrote poems to compliment the paintings and Automatic Quandry wrote music to accompany the words. Jacobo Sands suggested they make it into a book and viola there it is on the top floor of the gallery. I was thrilled to see more of littleones work and the book is not to be missed, it provides a whole new way to experience her art. I asked about her current favorite painting and she directed me to Night Life, The Crane, a gorgeous depiction of a bird incorporated into a tree. the tree, in fact grows, on her property. It's a ficus tree and as she explained how the ficus has air roots and takes root wherever it lands, I could just feel her connection to both the tree and the painting. Littleone is very aware and intrigued by the connection between things and strives to depict that in her paintings. This tree, for example, is her "ceremonial tree" and she describes it as a labyrinth, perfect to incorporate images into.
   My time with Ms. Aries was coming to an end so I asked her thoughts on showing her work at Kasbah. She explained how the Kasbah has been wonderful for the sim, attracting traffic and creating interest. She feels that here every effort is made to keep the artist in peoples minds, through notices, the blog, signs, advertising and even having the musicians mention who is showing. We talked about the benefits of showing art in SL and Littleone was happy to share that the most amazing thing she has found is the fact that her work can be seen by so many cultures, so many people. Her voice softening as she spoke of the overwhelming support she receives and the kindness of the SL audience. Before I bid littlone goodbye I asked about any upcoming news regarding her art and she hinted that opportunities are opening up in Europe and the states and that we should stay tuned for more information as the details are ironed out.
   I came away from this interview with an appreciation for the SL art scene I didn't really have before. It was wonderful having the opportunity to speak with someone so creative, intelligent and thoughtful. I loved the paintings, the virtual book was incredible and littlone Aries was nothing short of a pleasure. I look forward to seeing what she creates next, and might even check out a few more of the amazingly talented artists SL has to offer.Littleone will be showing in the Terrace Art Gallery from 5/5 til the end of the month and all of her pieces are available for sale. Here is a link to her website, http://www.monicalinville.com
That's all for now.....Tessa1 beck

KASBAH RETURNS MAY 5th

2010-04-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

A lot of new beginnings are around the corner for Kasbah. One of which is the blog you are reading. Right now, if you have your sound up, you are currently hearing some of the musicians who play Kasbah and the play list is growing. From this site you will be able to link to the web sites of the musicians playing Kasbah, read interviews of musicians and artists, link to our calendar to check out upcoming events and that’s just for starters. In short, this is your one stop spot for everything Kasbah and we all have Tessa1 Beck to thank for it. Thanks for doing such a great job Tessa.

In a way, everything we’ve done in the past has brought us to this reopening on May 5. I think of this as Kasbah 2.0, the same Kasbah but bigger and better then before. We will be having more shows then we’ve had in the past ( live music 5 nights a week and 2 days with European friendly time shows). As always, we promise only the best musicians and singers SL has to offer. I’ve assembled an almost entirely new staff, including Kasbah’s new Manager Tellstar Clarity, to help me out. And we are all excited to get the Kasbah rockin’ again. It’s been too quiet for too long.

We kick things off on Wednesday May 5, with our reopening and I feel like the lineup speaks for itself: 6pm Harper Messmer, 7pm Sturm Diesel, 8pm PM Bookmite, 9pm Maximillion Kleene, and closing it out at 10pm Edward Kyomoon! Then keep coming back because the live music continues 5 days a week!

I hope that you choose to follow our blog. Its still “under construction” but we will be adding more content everyday. This is a great way for Kasbah goers to stay connected with each other and the SL music scene. Kasbah exists for fans of SL music, so we want to hear what you think so please leave a comment. Check back for write ups on Kasbah shows, interviews with Kasbah musicians and links to all things SL music.

We are excited about the reopening as well as the upcoming shows we have to offer and look forward to seeing you on May 5th. .

Don’t forget to check out our calendar to see who’s coming soon to our stage.

That’s it for now, except to say we hope to see you at the ropening as we all Rock The Kasbah together! Don’t forget so spread the word, Kasbah is back!

See you soon,
Loegan Magic
Kasbah Owner

Who's Rockin The Kasbah!

2010-04-18T14:44:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! Welcome to the new Kasbah Blog! Coming soon you can check here for upcoming events, news on your favorite performers and artists, interviews, pics and lot's more! So stay tuned, we will be up and running very soon!