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MUSIC House of Flames New venue opens to capacity crowd by Pollywog Gardenvale
Since this article was written, The House of Flames has moved to
The House of Flames Concert Venue SWINSIDE — The opening night of the House of Flames proved to be a showcase of real-world talent—both on and off the stage. This “First Flame” opening night concert featured live performances by independent musicians JueL Resistance, Luigi DiPrima, Ricardo Sprocket, Cylindrian Rutabaga, and Foxyflwr Cure. Aussie DJ Cybster Curtis served as emcee for this cross-genre musical road trip that began with the casual coffeehouse banter of JueL Resistance with her distinctive, alternative singer-songwriter sound.  
Luigi DiPrima's performance crossed over into the more complex terrain of acoustic fingerpicking blues. He said, “I’m gonna let my guitar do some singing here...” He was moving and sweet, yet somewhat shy, which made him all the more likable. I just wanted to take him home to Mama—but then I realized, “Wait! I *am* Mama!” Then came Ricardo Sprocket, pounding out a mix of original compositions and cover tunes on his ripping, rocking, honky-tonk piano. Clearly an accomplished musician, at times he sounded like a reincarnation of Jerry Lee Lewis fused with Elton John.  
By this time, teleporters were being turned away because the sim was full. Cylindrian Rutabaga took the stage with an easy-going style that was reminiscent of the great female folk/rock singers from the sixties. The technical significance of the event was underscored when Ricardo and JueL joined forces in a duet. The combination of their voices and musical styles was surprisingly natural and appealing. But the real mind blower was to realize that they were actually playing in different parts of the country.
The opening night at the House of Flames was an example of online collaboration at its best—which should come as no surprise, considering that the originator of the project is none other than Flameheart Sol—a music lover with an architectural background, who also happens to be Director of Learning Technology for a major university. Flameheart’s vision for The House of Flames is to “provide a showcase for the best of music in Second Life.” Her initial plans are to produce two shows per month, plus a special quarterly performance. However, she is already planning an outdoor extravaganza for June called BONFIRE 2007, which promises to be even bigger and better—if such a thing is possible. Flameheart thinks BIG. As you might expect from someone who appreciates architecture and beautiful views, the nightclub is situated on the roof of her home—a vantage point that encourages behavior such as romantic dancing under the setting sun. But this was no ordinary house concert. A walk-through of Flameheart’s home reveals extraordinary attention to traditional Arts & Crafts era detailing, and a sense of proportion that reaches from the inside to embrace the outdoors. Every view has been strategically and thoughtfully placed, and this attention to detail is what makes the House of Flames more than just another concert hall. She has the heart and soul—plus the know-how, to turn the House of Flames into the premier venue in Second Life, and perhaps beyond. * * * Sponsored Links |
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But music is only part of the story. The real star of the show was the
streamed audio provided by Auron Havercamp and Schuyler Kent of the KHE
Entertainment Network. Using their proprietary technology and Cybster DJ’s
stream mixing know-how, each musician’s audio was delivered to the House of
Flames in a steady and continuous stream of high-quality sound. The event was
also simulcast from the House of Flames website for those unable to attend the
concert in-world. What this means, is that the sound barrier has been broken.