Running a bit late tonite because K2's first Elementary School Spring Concert got over only a short while ago. The auditorium was packed, the kids sang their hearts out, and everyone had a wonderful time.
This wasn't the only musical performance I attended in the past week...
One of my favorite things to do in the virtual world of Second Life is attend live music performances. There are performers of every musical genre and given the global nature of SL, there's a gig to attend every hour of the day. I know what many of you are thinking: sooo, why aren't they performing at "real venues"? Well, many of them are very active in the real life scene, but playing to a global audience without having to leave your home... or even your PJs... and making money doing it does have a certain allure :-).
A couple of weeks ago I started hearing from friends that they were getting together in Baltimore for a long weekend of food, fun and music. I pretty much drooled and said I wished I played, so I could go.. even though I'd only met one attendee in person before, and some of the performers were unknowns to me. Hey, we always need an audience, and if you love music, join us!
How many of you have attended Netroots Nation or some other gathering where the people we know online become people we know in person? ::waits for show of hands:: I've been to the previous five, and the rush of meeting old friends for the first time is an experience everyone should have. I knew this was going to be an amazing weekend, and so I asked Mr. Brillig. He gave the OK, and so last Thursday I was on the 8:15 train out of South Station on my way to New Jersey to meet a dear friend I'd never met in person and drive the rest of the way with him. Seemed silly to waste three hours on a train when we could be chatting without typing! :-) Not to mention the surprise trip to Harold's Deli that he arranged for us... which deserves a diary of its own, almost!
Fifty people attended, of whom 20 were performers and the rest either relatives, friends, or music lovers. We had use of the hotel conference room from noon to midnite Thursday thru Saturday, and I don't think the music ever truly stopped! Each performer had a 1-hour slot, but in nearly all cases they were joined by others playing instruments or harmonizing. Everyone at the tables listening was singing and tapping away as well! For those of you who know what I mean when I say "remember the hootenanny jam in the hotel lobby at Netroots?" ... imagine that for four days, and you have an idea what it was like.
I ate breakfast with a disabled Air Force veteran, and discussed the then-impending government shutdown, the VA system of medical care, and many other things. I danced on camera with the 11-month old grandson of the one person I'd previously met while his mother, and fellow SLer, watched (the event was streamed live back into Second Life, and anyone could watch the stream we all kept posting to our Facebooks!).
Sunday afternoon rolled around, and with much hugging, sharing of contacts, and promises to "friend on FB and inworld as soon as I get home" I caught a ride to the airport and flew home. I'm glad to be home, but suffering a bit of Jam withdrawal. I'll be haunting the gigs of the performers I met last weekend, and every time I see their avatar I'll be thinking of the real face behind it.
Just like I do when I come home from Netroots and start reading the site with new eyes. If we all remember there are real people behind the blog names, perhaps we'd all fight less and hug more. I kinda like that idea.
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Comment noms were like pulling teeth today... please, show me what I missed by sharing them in the comments!!!
From Ed Tracey:
Though this was from yesterday's Midday Open Thread - until today, I didn't have a chance to read SecondComing's response to the capture of the defeated yet recalcitrant Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo ... noting the 'dearth of good news recently', SecondComing went on to say, "I'm glad to see that those blue-helmeted pansies at the UN and the wimpy French captured Gbagbo in the Ivory Coast and hopefully averted a full-on civil war".
In the diary recounting how the former senator told Chris Matthews about the
homophobes in the GOP .... not a cent went on to observe that you know how extreme they have become "When even Alan Simpson is repulsed".
From Yours Truly, brillig:
Had to nominate this one by r2did2 because it gives me hope for a meeting of the the left and right occasionally.