No Matter Where You Go...

...There You Are

So many applicable cliches assert themselves in our virtual reality - much as they do in reality. Sure, there exists more freedom for expression and yes, there is less inhibition behind our glamorized avatars. Still, there is no escaping yourself. Thus where you go, there you are.

The line that distiguishes SL from RL is very definite for some, for others its a fuzzy, blurry faintly colored thing that is barely perceptible. I’ve met many avatars that have a foot in both camps and just like RL, I know some that are living the extreme of one or the other - black or white. I personally don’t see anyone style as being better than the other — just different.

I’ve talked to a few avatars that define their virtual existence by such extremes and the resounding theme was that they were do so as a form of disassociating their RL personna from their SL personna to more easily avoid some of the same complications that occur in RL. One of my online friends once told me that “…the shades of gray leave too much room for missinterpretation…” which can create a great deal interpersonal conflict, distrust and hurt feelings. In the other camp, I’ve also had another online friend argue the cause for the shades of gray or as she put it “…the vibrancy between the two extremes…allowing the true content of a virtual existence to really be a second life… afterall, we aren’t paperdolls playing dress up…” (are we?)

I feel that our natural, distinct personalities can not be avoided when choosing a social SL existence and we cannot avoid those of others either. In RL, balking the differences can create a great deal of friction and in SL its not all that different. One of the truly wonderful differences I’ve seen between SL and RL, is that in SL *acceptance* seems to be in greater abundance. However, those who gravitate to a more social existence in SL can come across the same, or at least the virtual semblance of the same obstacles that are often faced in RL — cliques, rejection, untrustworthy friendships, dysfunctional relationships and some generally petty discouraging behaviors. As in RL, this of course is not always the case and I don’t believe it can be considered the rule, but it does exist and can be incredibly discouraging.

But… I digress.

Diversity in SL, the supportive communities, the creative exploration of our new frontier, the endless pushing of our virtual envelope and the freedom we are all granted in our new world are the basic threads that bind us as a virtual society. In SL, as in RL - it takes all kinds to give us a rounder and/or more profound virtual existence. Still my idealistic nature can’t help but wonder where the happy balance between black, white and grey might be. (If you know — send me a postcard and I'll be sure to jot your name down for the first ever Virtual Nobel Peace Prize!)

Perhaps my idealism gets the better of me - after all, bad people are bad, manipulative people are manipulative and no matter where you go, you can be certain to find that you can’t out run your own true nature. For me — I am happy that despite my countless hours wandering alone from event to event, activity to activity, venue to venue — I seem to always be in good company, but I’ll admit it’s still nice to find goodness in the company of others.

Come Out Swinging!

I teleported home on Friday, put on my best virtual glitter and hit the town. So much to do, such little time, and only one of me - what’s a girl to do? Well how about … everything!!! (or at least a good attempt.)

Naphtali Hawk, Lucky Pearl
I took in a few of the usual acoustic sets with hopes of hearing something different – this lead me to check out Naphtali Hawk at the Lucky Pearl and I am soo lucky I did. Naphtali’s vocals over reggae covers were jam filled with a reoccurring theme of love. He wooed the ethnically diverse crowd, which was thick with appreciation for his smooth sound. Spied at this event were local celebrities – like Kim Seifert and some of the peeps from MediaCulture.


Kacklicke, Luxor Stage
I think Kacklicke Martin (Kaaaa – Click), has picqued my interest. I found myself compelled to swing by the Luxor Stage to check him out. Despite still having a pretty bad cough, he maintains that cool rockin’ edge with covers from The Reverend Horton Heat and his own original SL-based piece Cyber Me. Again – Kaaaacklick! Indeed!


Grand Opening After Party, Club Dorian Gray
The club’s after party had not yet started and already the floor was filling up. This bodes well for a club whose name may make the literati think it might be a very vain and very gay mens’ club – however, I am happy to report that the crowd was far more diverse and the music – not just the typical *thump thump thump* techno pop. The DJ line up was nothing less than electric. The club crowd was in effect by 11 pm SLT and stayed long after closing time. DJ Maximilian Stradling turned up the volume, tossed in some of his own music and really rocked the dance floor. This club has definite potential.


DJ Brian Martinelli
After parties are a necessity after a night on the town. Friday night was no different. If you’ve ever been to a rave in RL, you know that color and sound can transport you to a very happy place. Here in SL, the colors and phat ass beats were no exception. If you get a chance to catch DJ Brian Martinelli spin the wax – MAKE TRAX, this man is psychedelically hot!


All of Friday’s festivities found me curled up Saturday morning with the worst possible SL hangover! I guess no pain, no gain right? So, having slept-in to a considerably late hour, I rolled out of bed - realizing I was still wearing my glitter from yesterday – tossed on something casually perfect for a Saturday afternoon in Lindenland and headed out – dark glasses on, note book in hand, and a bottle of SL-Advil.


TKO! SL Boxing
Despite looking fabulous, my poor head felt like I had been in a boxing match. Which made me think about all the athletic possibilities here in SecondLife. Feeling like the losing contender after Friday’s wild night, I decided to check out SLB, SL Boxing at its best! The stands were amply filled. From inside the ring there came taunts and groans. In the stands, fans shouting their dismay or approval as the competitors teased and psyched each other out. The adrenaline I felt watching the fighters land punches and kicks was awesome! I was nearly out of my seat, cheering for both fighters! Kick ass!!


Rich DeSoto
So, super charged with adrenaline, ridled with Advil I headed over to Willow Point to catch Rich DeSoto. There has been so much buzz about this man, that I was a little anxious to finally fidn the time to catch his set. I have to say — ALL the hype was totally worth it!!! Covers and originals moved smoothly and effortlessly with serpentine percision. There is a reason his shows are always filled with excited fans. Most of which holler for more known songs such as Avatar Girl and while personally, I LOVE that song, his cover of the The Beatles’ Norwegian Wood was so beautiful - I was simply transfixed. Does this mean I’ve gone weak? Ha! However, I can’t wait to catch another one of his shows.


Charles E Bristol
With my adrenaline wearing off and my hangover starting to rear its ugly head again I decided to catch Mr. Bristol’s Blues Project.

Ahh…yes the blues… hot back porch, steamy Louisiana bayou, twilight casting mysterious shadows illuminated by dancing fireflies – your body aching for relief from the hot sticky embers of a dying summer sun. (insert record scratch here) While his vocals could have taken him to that sweet, sweet place - it was obvious that his rhythm hadn’t quite “rezzed” – in fact it seemed to be lagging behind him about half a step. The dance floor however, was mysteriously packed. Shaking my head in amazement I asked myself, "Was their sound on mute? Is this another case of crowd charming? Participation pity? Are we Avatars so hungry for music and events that we accept even what we know to be really painful as acceptable? After a particularly painful combo of howling vocals and guitar I had to flee with whatever was left of my poor head.

Thankfully the weekend didn’t end there…

When in Rome...

Baby You Can Drive My Car!
Vrooom! Put the pedal to the metal and brace yourself for hottest thing to hit SL asphalt. Forget the driver’s license – roll down your windows and let your racing heart take the wheel of the car of your dreams or at least a car you can afford.

With pink slip in hand, it’s time to roll! Hit the streets at the Drive In - Pontiac 1/8-mile drag strip. The straightaway will drop your stomach into your spine as you feel your heart leap forward. Be sure to drop it into a lower gear and dust the competition.


Shake it for the Team!

Hey let’s hear it – SoHo has team spirit! If you didn’t get a chance to get your groove on this Saturday at The Dock on SoHo than you missed the purrrfect opportunity to shake your pom-poms and huddle up with the best looking players and cheerleaders in SL. While hosts Andrea Humphrey and MB Darrow took key quarterback positions, DJ Jean Collingwood was MVP for keeping the tunes rocking and the crowds cheering for more. Also, big congratulations go out to Rob Larkin and Jennifer Simoni for the major costume touchdown! SCORE!


Beach Beatles
What do you get when you cross Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band with beach bunnies? Beatles Review at the Troubled Club. The Beatles are untouchable - their sound never gets old and the beach, while an unpredictable setting, was nonetheless wholly enjoyable. So, pull up a beach blanket, heap some pallets on a bonfire and cozy up with your best friends or hot date and soak up some immortality.

In the Ears of the Beholder
A lazy Sunday afternoon on SoHo — the setting, SoHo’s Sunset Stage. The performers, Nad Gough followed by Juel Resistance. The venue was perfect, the audience in abundance and the weather (as always) gorgeous. Nad’s cover set list couldn’t have been more perfect, the response from the crowd overwhelming but his sound left this poor girl wondering if she might have an ear infection. Where he may have lacked pitch and rhythm, he more than made up for with charm and personality. Is charm and personality all it takes to woo an audience in SL? Jeul’s set, while far more original begged this reviewer to wonder if perhaps Juel has yet to find her own sound. Her set was inspired, passion driven and it’s obvious her soul is in her music and for that all is almost forgiven. Being somewhat disappointed in the overall performances, I am left with feeling that here in SecondLife – build it and they will come, charm them and they will stay.

Hear No Evil?

In a virtual world where it’s all about the looks – there exists a whole other world of sight and sound.

Some of that sound is a lot more like a cat screaming at a chalkboard assaulted by rusty nails or bathroom karaoke of the worst sort. However for every auditory assault there seems to be at least 2 or more acoustic respites from the everyday to-fro of SL life.

These men and women, frogs and cats are the streaming music equivalent of pioneers. They take their local neighborhood, garage, bedroom and computer-based sound and “Bring It” with enthusiasm, professionalism and do their best to really entertain us.


*** Frogg Marlowe & Jaycatt ***
Frogg Marlowe and Jaycatt, a rather popular duo with scores of fans, make no bones about engaging their fans throughout the show. This personal touch is a wholly strategic, if not subconcious way to inspire loyalty with the die-hard fans and encourage newcomers to jump on the Frogg/Cat bandwagon. Personally, I know of no other performers who’ll admit that their Mom makes them Cheesy Tots and I’m certain the confession won over all the tatertot lovers in the audience.

Chat streaming consciousness about breakfast tacos, Taco Bell, tatertots, frog legs and other streaming silliness occurred practically in time to original works and covers that were both true tribute and an inspired playground of music appreciation… and yes, the rumors are true -- his Mom was right there – front and center. We should all be so lucky to have “Mom” as our biggest fan


*** Kacklicke ***
Like the smooth taste of whiskey resembling Jim Morrison, Kucklicke (or for those of us requiring a more phonetic version -- Kaaa-click) moved and grooved his audience with a bluesy rock inspired acoustic set. Willow Point Park was a great venue to show case this artist whose creativity really caught me off guard with a song about a Furry Lolita. SL never had it so good – songs for peace, love and a whole new SL generation. Expect to continue to see great things from this artist. Kacklicke, indeed!


*** SRV4U Conacher ***
Where Marty McFly may have seriously mocked all blues-rock legends on the stage of his mother’s high school – SRV4U Conacher ups the ante and keeps it real with the intensely passionate siren songs of blues and rock legends like BB King, John Lee Hooker and oh so many more – his name SRV4U is a direct reference to the guitar god Stevie Ray Vaughn and he left no doubt that soul reeling guitar and impassioned vocals do make for one hell of a performance. Marty McFly only wishes he were this cool.

Sexy, sinful and an overwhelming change to the typical SL sound – with a vibrato that makes you wish you had a bourbon in one hand and a tear in one eye – SRV4U transports his listeners to that place where even the world’s woes are reason enough to dance and sway.

“You Upset Me Baby” set the tone for a scorching rendition of “Johnny, I mean, Tommy Be Good,” which couldn’t make for a better example of an avatar electrifying a sim – the solo was enough to make this girl’s knees weak. He followed this with a really driving and guitar laced Crossroads.

Before his time and completely timeless – SRV4U delivers his audience from his fiery electric guitar riffs directly into the fire with a wholly unpredictable acoustic set - it’s hotter, steamier and infinitely more intimate than the usual show you're bound to catch - Rock on!


*** Fireworks ***
So how does this girl follow up a rockin' Friday and Saturday night on the town? I took in the fireworks hosted nightly at 9 pm by Tommy Parrott. Bring your friends! Bring your kids! Bring your partner or a date! Tommy’s choice of classical music compliments and seems to encourage the ultra cool patterns, colors and unpredictable movement of light dancing through the night sky. Ooos and Ahhhhs not included, but are sure to be in abundance. Not to be missed!

And so it begins...

Embark: begin, undertake, initiate, start, go into, set about, take up

So, what does it take to embark on a Second Life-time? That’s a question for which you could receive 4,069,104 different answers (as of this morning.) For me, it took heeding the call of fate. I saw it as a sign when a coworker and a friend mentioned the experience to me on the same day. I’m a sucker for that sort of thing – how could I pass it up?


IN A SEA OF CHAOS…


I’m a pretty driven person, perhaps even a bit of a perfectionist. I routinely make order out of disorder. I never anticipated that these personality traits would so readily transfer over into my "Second Life." In fact, in my first few days wandering the "The Grid," there was little that left me to believe that anyone else had this same enthusiasm and determination.

I felt dehydrated in an endless sea of kool-aid, surrounded by insipid, oddly colored and wholly unnatural entities. From the beginning, I was fearful that all there was to be had were perverts, shopping and the occasional nice guy who would ask me to dance. It was a casino builder, a virtual security guard and a graphic artist that pointed me in any semblance of a direction. This, in a sea of chaos was just enough wind in my sails.

Perhaps it was my launching of a friendly, yet interrogative Q&A session that prompted them to suggest I pursue a "Second Life" career as Freelance Journalist. I was thrilled at the notion that I could have a purpose within my virtual existence! Hallelujah! The light at the end of my "SL" existence was illuminated with possibilities.


UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT…


Where to begin? Who to target? What on earth would I do with the information? With these questions in mind, I embarked on a quest to find out what my fellow citizens were like, what their purpose for being was and what it took, especially women like me, to rise above the seemingly endless "SL" sex industry. What I quickly found out was that this was going to take a lot more L$, fine tuning my virtual self and buying, experiencing and learning a new a dynamic world.

However, with every step, the glow of my spotlight seemed to dim. I was going nowhere fast. The light at the end of my "SL" existence was fading. A whole month of countless hours in search of something that would give my “SL” meaning was dying. How could I be a star writer without my spotlight? How could I get it back?

Besides the group that initially set me in motion, far too many hours of dancing and enduring horrific soft jazz, along with some sweet and captivating characters, being overwhelmed by naked people, sky diving, a generous escort, a friendly neighbor or two and most recently - an amazing "SL" entrepreneur to help me realize that there is indeed a direction for me.

At last, an inspired direction with a destination!

So I heed the call of fate once again -- "SL" is a big place and growing everyday -- I have a lot of ground to cover, a lot of people to talk to, events and places to review, topics to explore and most importantly – a destination to reach.

Cue the spotlight!

Marlo Kline, Journalist