I have had the pleasure of enjoying two of Zak Claxton's shows this summer, one on 20 June at the Broken Rocker at Gorlen Hill and the other on 7 August at Ambrosia Dance Club. Zak really rocks on the acoustic guitar. He is a bright "musical jester" and an admitted "lazy bastard." He plays the acoustic in world simply because it's easier. Zak performs many covers, including Steely Dan, and the Who ("Behind Blue Eyes"). At one of the shows I attended, he performed, for the first time live, Bob Dylan's "Tangled Up in Blue," as well as the awesome Joni Mitchell's "California" (one of my person favorites, anyone remember vinyl?) and Neil Young's "Ohio," which he graciously dedicated to me. At the latest show I attended, he did U2's "One Love," which I have to say he did very well. He also did my favorite Beck song "Loser," and he definitely had me rockin!
Some his originals include "Always Tomorrow," a song about his RL romance with Kat Claxton when they lived 1,000 miles apart--what a love story, "Like a Cloud," and "This Afternoon," a song he says is about "time, space, and the continuum of all stuff."
Evidenced by his covers, some of Zak's musical influences include Neil Young, Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell and Pete Townshend. Other influences include Tom Petty and David Bowie--a pretty eclectic grouping of musicians by anyone's estimation.
Zak is a dynamic performer whose personality and great sense of humor clearly early illustrate how much he loves what he does. He sings with a clear, strong and very passionate voice, and he totally embraces the audience. A bit of an egotist, he scours the web for articles and other write ups on himself. He plays to the crowd, often incorporating ava names into his songs when appropriate.
Zak is a singer/songwriter/instrumentalist hailing from Southern California. Originally beginning his musical journey on piano, Zak picked up the guitar by the age of 7 and has added electric guitar, bass and harmonica to his songs. Trained at Berklee College of Music and Musicians Institute, Zak earned his degree in music from California State University. Zak began his current musical endeavors sort of spontaneously. He claims he "woke up one day and had songs in my head. It was a case of great circumstances that aligned at the right time. I had songs; I had access to a great recording facility; I had friends who wanted to help me realize this vision. So I did."
With a loyal, enthusiastic fan following, especially in SL, Zak always jumps at opportunities to performing his songs live. Zak is a performer/musician who exhibits great showmanship and has a very entertaining stage presence. Check him out if you get the opportunity.
By Shellie Sands
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