Shannon "Oherlihy" McMahon Live in New Haven, CT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shellie Sands

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Duo Appassionato - Izabela Jaworower and Young Zeid

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Shellie Sands

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The O R I G I N A L S III

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

Catch up with Shellie in the EXTRA EXTRA section

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Spotlight On...Zak Claxton

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Shellie Sands

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More About Grace McDunnough

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shellie Sands

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Spotlight On...OnlyHalfCrazy Gumbo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shellie Sands

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Spotlight On...Etherian Kamaboko

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

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

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

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

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

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Spotlight On...Kourosh Eusebio

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

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

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

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

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

By Shellie Sands

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SPOTLIGHT ON...

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

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

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

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

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SPOTLIGHT ON...

Bara Jonson: Swedish Singer/Musician

Signed to HondoMesa Records, NY, USA May 2008.

Streaming Live from St Louis, MO or Malmö, SWEDEN

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

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

By Shellie Sands

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SPOTLIGHT ON...

By Shellie Sands

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

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

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

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Interview with Ichie Kamachi

By Bixyl Shuftan

I first saw Ichie Kamachi at Mystery during one of her live music performances at Mystery. A great singer with a beautiful tone, the audience applauded every song. Later on, I had a chance to meet up with her (accompanied by her close friend Greek Miklos), and ask about how she became a singer in Second Life and other details of her musical career here.

Bixyl Shuftan: So how did you hear about Second Life?

Ichie Kamachi: I was with some other freinds in a forum and we were on There.com. Some of them migrated here and convinced us to check it out. I’ve been here ever since.

Bixyl Shuftan: How was your time as a newcomer here?

Ichie Kamachi: I was very very sheltered for the first few months. Our friends owned a sim. I never left there, except to shop. And only when someone TP'd me there. So the first ... oh 4 months was like that. I finally started to get out more places, but I was basically a newbie for a long time, didn't know how to do much but dance, sit, and chat. (laugh) But it's the people I started to meet that kept me here. Second Life is full of amazing people.

Bixyl Shuftan: What gave you the idea of becoming a singer here?

Ichie Kamachi: I have a friend I met here. His name is Detritus Rau, awesome guitarist. He wanted to perform live here, but he doesn't sing and he found out I could. He planted the bug. First it was he'd send his backing tracks and I'd play my voice over them and he'd use that and play over then in his shows. Then I spoke to some other friends who are in the music business in real life, and they helped me get set up to sing live here.

Bixyl Shuftan: How did your first sessions go?

Ichie Kamachi: Very well. the very first time. Detritus IMed that he was playing and TPed me there. When I got there he said, “Okay, this is your two song warning: I signed you up to sing.”

“What are you going to do?” I thought to myself, “people are waiting... for you. So you get up and do it.”

But I've been very very blessed, very well received here in Second Life.

Bixyl Shuftan: Do you also sing in real-life?

Ichie Kamachi: Not any more. I grew up mostly in Hawaii, and they have a strong music community there. I used to do some singing with some of the entertainers there. But now, only in my bedroom. :)

Bixyl Shuftan: How many performances do you do a week?

Ichie Kamachi: Anywhere from about 8-14 or so. A lot of them regular shows, like the Queen of Hearts Club on the Mystery Sim. I'm there every other Wednesday at 4 PM SL time. :) We always get an awesome group of people there, one of my favorite places to perform. And Tygeria LOVES the naughty song :) It has been going over really big in Second Life.

Bixyl Shuftan: Besides singing, I notice on your profile you also write.

Ichie Kamachi: (laughs) Yes. I'm what I refer to as a "dabbler." I do a lot of things, passably I would like to think. But until now, nothing ... very well. Writing has gone on hold for a while, though people keep asking. So I need to finish the rewrites and post it somewhere.

Bixyl Shuftan: Going back to music, what would be your favorite kinds of songs to perform?

Ichie Kamachi: Oh anything I love. But, I really love the old stuff: jazz, ballroom, blues ... stuff even before my time. *winks* (laugh)

Bixyl Shuftan: heh ;-)

Ichie Kamachi: I'm starting to like the obscure songs, and lesser known artists.

Ichie crashed at this point in the interview, but soon returned and went back to the subject.

Ichie Kamachi: My favorite song changes all the time. Right now, it's songbird. Which is a good thing since that is my first single I'm bringing out.

Bixyl Shuftan: Oh? Could you give some details?

Ichie Kamachi: Well, my fans have been asking for MP3's and CD's for months now, and it was pretty daunting. But we are working with some great people who have the resources we need. So the custom backing should be done this weekend and hopefully the single will be out for sale within 2 weeks. Then we'll be working on a full CD. Probably romantic jazz and ballroom, but that's not firm yet.

People are waiting, although right now I have about half a dozen Second Life DJ's who play my songs in their sets when they work. I love my fans. They are not only very loyal, but many of them have gone out of their way to help push my "career." And I've gotten many new fans from the DJ's playing my songs at the different clubs.

Bixyl Shuftan: Have there been any particularly memorable performances, such as something unexpected being pulled by the audience or host?

Ichie Kamachi: Hmmm, let's see ... Not really performances, but it's when people are touched by what I do. I had one young girl who was coming to all my shows, and I wondered why since I was doing mostly the jazz back then. She told me one day that her sister was older and a singer and she remembers sitting at her feet listening to her practice the same songs. But all her family is gone now.

Then another lady who loves when I do Bobby McGee. Her late hubby was a producer on Janis' last album. They are both gone, but it brings back good memories for her. That's why I do this. That's where I get the most satisfaction. It still astounds me when people say I make them cry. As long as people enjoy it, it makes me happy to do it. I also do a lot of benefits, my way of giving back.

Bixyl Shuftan: What charities have you performed at?

Ichie Kamachi: Oh so many. Cancer and autism are my two big ones. So are Relay for Life events. Blues for Autism I did last month. That was awesome. People don’t realize I do more than jazz. I've only done some for the Australian bush fires and some smaller charities too, and Make-a-Wish Foundation, Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, Children of Ireland, American Cancer Society, and another cancer one in Europe. I forget the name. But almost any charity that can show they are legitimate, I try and make room for.

Bixyl Shuftan: Bringing up something that maybe I should have brought up earlier, I notice that Greek has been by your side the whole time. What can you tell of him?

Ichie Kamachi: (laughs) Greek is an amazing man. :) He holds my heart but he has also been my strongest supporter. He does a bit of everything.

Greek Miklos: Thank you Love, but I am nothing more than just a simple poet and wordsmith.

Ichie Kamachi: He helps find me shows, greets my fans, helps me wade through the legal gobbly gook ... I don’t know what I'd do without him. And yes he is an amazing poet.

Greek Miklos: *blushes*

Ichie Kamachi: :) And modest (laughs)

Bixyl Shuftan: *chuckle* Do you have any future plans with your singing career, or anything else?

Ichie Kamachi: I am always looking toward the future, like I mentioned. Right now, trying to get these recordings out. After that who knows. :) I'm always open to offers and suggestions, especially those that are win-win for every one. :)

Greek Miklos: Just not the kind we have made to each other ... the offers I mean.

Ichie Kamachi: Yes of course Love :) ... We do get some of those too. (laugh)

Greek Miklos: But we are so happy together.

Ichie Kamachi: Yes we are. :)

Bixyl Shuftan: Anything else that you'd like to add?

Ichie Kamachi: Hmmm ... Anything, Love?

Greek Miklos: I am happy that the Second Life community has been so receptive to Ichie

Ichie Kamachi: I am grateful, yes! To my fans and friends, without them, I wouldn't be where I am. I know it sounds cliche, but it's very true. Your fans can make or break you in Second Life especially. I never forget that, and love to see them return again and again. They all become good friends.

Greek Miklos: And don't forget the great venue owners who have given Ichie a chance to show what she can do.

Ichie Kamachi: Yes, I love my venues.

Greek Miklos: They are some great people.

Ichie Kamachi: Like family. And most of them I'd bend over backward to help, and have. Like the Queen of Hearts Anniversary. I was totally booked for this weekend, but slid them in. I didn't want to miss something so important.

It was then that the interview ended, we wished each other well, and we went our seperate ways.

Ichie Kamiche keeps a schedule of her events in her profile.

“If you are looking for a voice that is sultry, sensuous, and as smooth as butter to set a truely romantic tone to your night, look no further. With a heart as big as her voice, I guarantee you will not be disappointed.”

Bixyl Shuftan

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Mystery’s 3 Year Aniversary

By Bixyl Shuftan

It was three years ago that the Mystery sim was created in Second Life. And to celebrate, the Heart of Mystery Group is holding a three day 3rd Anniversary event-filled weekend from Friday May the 15th to Sunday the 17th to celebrate, filled with dancing and live music from Mystery’s own singers and some talent from outside.

The fun began on Friday May 15th at 11 AM SL time with the “Color’s of Love” party, with people wearing red, white, pink, or a combination. At 1 PM, Lexie Luan sang live on the top of the Queen of Hearts riverboat, followed at 3 PM by Ichie Kamachi with her graceful notes. The audience danced away to the live songs, occasionally getting a few Linden coins dropped onto them from above.

Saturday, the event started at 11:00 with a dance party on top of the Queen of Hearts, with Debi Latte singing on the stage, starting with “All of Me.” Mystery’s leader Tygeria Mirabeau wore a revealing dress that kept with her “Queen of Hearts” theme with all the hearts placed on it. The largest part was an animated cape which had a heart pattern that flowed like water. Tyg joked that Debi looked “delicious,” and the joke led to her starting a raffle with the prize being the winner getting to bite her (the results will be in a later edition of Mystery’s magazine). The party did have a hiccup when several people crashed at once, and rerezzing took a while with some people remaining gray for a noticeably long time on a number of residents' viewers. But the party went on with Debi’s gentle voice singing away.

At 12:00, the party went downstairs to the riverboat’s ballroom. The “Come As You Are” contest with Tygeria herself as DJ offered 500 for the best male and female each. Plus there was the exploder which got into the hundreds at times. It was quite a party, even if SL was acting up at first, though soon things settled down as we danced to “Queen of Hearts” and other songs. The winners were Anny Sweetwater for the women. Danilindo Wulluf was runner up for the men, with a certain reporter ending up with the top prize.

At 3 PM, it was back to the top of the riverboat. Kiaranne Flanagan sang while playing her guitar. This time the lag that hit the party before was largely gone. So everyone was more free to concentrate on Kiaranne’s music, which had Tygeria reaching for tissues at one point. The singing and dancing went on for a few minutes past the planned ending at 4 PM.

Sunday May the 15th will be offering three musicians singing live. At 2 PM SL time will be Mystery’s own Lyn Carlberg. At 3PM, Dallas Horsefly will be singing live. And last but not least will be Kim Seifert at 4 PM to conclude the anniversary party for the Mystery sim and the Queen of Hearts riverboat club.

Mystery is in the sim of the same name, with the “Queen of Hearts” club in the southeast.

Bixyl Shuftan

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