Club CasaBlanco's Artists

Stella Silvansky

2009-01-27T01:15:00.000-08:00

Stella has been singing in Casa since the beginning of summer 2008. She traditionally kicked off the madness and mayhem of Fluffy Fridays @ 10amslt. Unfortunately due to RL committments she is unable to do this set until the summer. All is not lost however, as Stella will be singing at Fluffy Fridays every other week @ 3pmslt - WOOHOOOO. Stella was good enough to answer some questions so we could learn a little more about her. Thanks Stella :))

1. Who are you and where are you from?

Stella Silvansky, and while SOME PEOPLE (ahem, Angel and Mason) might claim I'm from another planet, I currently live in Western Maine, USA.

2. How long have you been playing/singing?

I've been singing all of my life it seems, but only since April, 2008 in SL.

3. Do you play any musical instruments? if so which ones?

I can play Chasing Cars on my Big Baby Taylor. Oh, and Row, Row, Row Your Boat.

4. What was the first tune(s)/ song(s) you learned?

Umm, ever? I remember sitting in my room with my Sony Walkman cassette player singing along to Chicago's You're the Inspiration when I was, like, 12...I remember playing Lisa Loeb's Stay over and over until I could get the lyrics down perfectly with no mistakes when I was 20. I think the first song I learned for SL was the Indigo Girls' Galileo.

5. Is your family musical?

No, but they should be... A tragic Italian opera maybe.

6. Which famous musicians do you admire? Why?

I admire Sheryl Crow because of her song-writing and truly gifted guitar work. I like Dave Matthews for his earthiness and easy ability to convey to us how much fun he's having.

7. Do you write everything yourself?

I have yet to write a song. I am a Creative Writing major, and you'd think the lyrics at least would come easily, but I always feel mystified and overwhelmed by the process.

8. Who was your first teacher? Other teachers?

My kindergarten teacher, Miss Myers. She had really long hair down to her waist, and I always wanted to touch it. Oh...this was supposed to relate to music, right? Okay, then, Mrs. Garst, my Junior High chorus teacher sort of took over where Mrs. Davis, my elementary chorus/music teacher left off. They both encouraged me to sing, and gave me my first solo performances. Mrs. Garst smoked like a chimney and had this great growly voice, but she was the best choral teacher I ever had.

9. What are your fondest musical memories?

The non-R-rated ones?

10. Were you influenced by old records/tapes? Which ones?

I used to listen to the Mary Poppins album endlessly. I remember being enthralled by Dick Van Dyke's haunting take on Chim Chiminey Chim Chim Cherree -- there was something so sad about it to me, and I loved that. I also listened to my mom's Best of Patsy Cline album a lot for the same reason, I think.

11. Who are your favourite musicians? Groups?

I love Dave Matthews, Miles Davis, Nina Simone, Sheryl Crow, Eva Cassidy, Trisha Yearwood, Neko Case, Patty Griffin, umm...Coldplay, Depeche Mode, Shawn Colvin, Deathcab for Cutie, Snow Patrol... This is always a hard question 'cause there are so many, and my taste is pretty eclectic.

12. Do you perform in RL? If so where?

Umm, yeah...in my office when I'm singing for all of you in SL.

13. How do you handle mistakes during a performance?

Sometimes I laugh them off...sometimes I just pretend they didn't happen, 'cause it's not like the audience has Tivo and can rewind -- "Wait, did she just say...?" Nope, I didn't, hehe.

14. Do you get nervous before a performance?

Sometimes still, but mostly only when it's a new venue or if it's venue that has a weird vibe to it (yeah, I know, it's all just cartoon, really, but venues DO have good and bad and weird vibes).

15. What advice would you give to beginners who are nervous?

Picture all the avis in their underwear?

16. How often and for how long do you practice?

I usually spend anywhere from 5-10 hours a week practicing. When I first started it was considerably more as I was learning so many new songs at once.

17. Was this your life long dream?

I always, always dreamed of singing on stage. It's awesome that SL lets me do that even on a small scale.

18. If you won an award for your music, who would you thank?

Lance, of course, because he is both my biggest fan and toughest critic which always makes me want to be MORE...Angel and Dak because they really gave me my start and made a home for me at The Deck...Sarah because she gets me all my gigs and puts up with my brattiness...and Max because he put my name out there over and over again when I first started, and he let me sing with him at venues that otherwise wouldn't have given me the time of day.

19. Where can people find out more about your music or keep in touch with you?

My myspace is: http://www.myspace.com/stellasilvanskysings

Just for fun:

- Person or thing you would most like to be reincarnated asJulia Roberts?

No wait, Jennifer Garner because she got to make out with Michael Vartan a LOT on Alias. (Then again, Lance is pretty awesome in the make-out department, so I'd just be me, but living in Hawaii.)

- If your house was on fire what one thing would you take with you as you ran out? (NOT a person)

My computer!! It has my whole life on it -- my writing, my photography and recordings of my songs with Max and Rasp.

- If you were on a desert island and could take two things with you what would they be?

Lance and my kids.

- If you could go back to a particular period in history when would it be?

Hmm...The 90s?

- What is your favorite food and drink?

Pepperoni and Onion Pizza and Mountain Dew (you said FAVORITE, not HEALTHY)...ooo, and Starbucks Coffee Almond Fudge Ice Cream and a Quad-Venti Sugar-Free Vanilla Breve Latte from Starbucks.

- What’s your pet hate?

Cleaning up after any of them?

- If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

Hawaii, of course. :)

Shaggy's New Album!

2009-01-01T08:02:00.000-08:00

Shagpile Spyker (shaggy) has a new album, Easy To Read. Its available on FREE download for a limtied time from his webpage:

www.shagpile.org - click the link

It's a fantastic album, treat yourself, click that link NOW!

The album features a song i wrote the lyrics to, "Worth More Than Here", Shaggy did an awesome job with the music! Thanks Shaggy! :))

Happy New year!!!

2008 wow it went by quickly!

2008-12-24T07:41:00.000-08:00

(Shaggy at Christmas Fluffy Friday)

(Shaggy Monkeying around)

Another year is almost over. I thought I would take some time out from preparing tomorrows Christmas dinner and complete Casa’s last blog of the year. Its been a pretty eventful year for me and Casa. The start of the year was pretty stressful, having had Casa landed solely on my lap was not what I had thought would happen when I was helping Geoff and Munk organise the opening night way back in November 07.

(RockRhythm Thespian)

The original plan was that Munk would do all the building, scripting etc, Geoff would run the club on a day to day basis and I would help out wherever I could. But like all good plans that didn’t happen. So there I was slowly losing the will to live in SL over Casa. By February I was just about ready to pack it all in.

(Shaggy plays at my Birthday Party)

In mid-February I was sitting on the bar in Casa – as I do – thinking about what to do, when I got a notice off one of the music groups, a new guy called Shagpile Spyker was gonna do a short set. I figured I had nothing better to do and the name “shagpile” made me laugh. My first impression was “what a nutter and wtf is he saying?” then is started to sing and I though “well he might be a nutter but he can certainly sing”. So I did what every self respecting, broke club owner on the verge of a minor breakdown would do……..I sent an IM to him, begging him to do a set for free in casa hahaha Anyway he agreed, and that was a turning point for Casa and for me in SL.

(Hayduke Schnook - the dominante turtle, who talks to people in sl even though they dont exist :P)

(Shaggy Crashes a plane into Casa)

I can honestly say Shaggy changed everything in SL for me. What was stressful was now fun. Instead of trying to keep Casa the way it had been I decided to change it. Djs are great and they certainly have their place in SL. But my first love has to be live music in SL. I got rid of the usual djing schedule in Casa and concentrated on holding more live music whenever I could.

(Matt!!!)

St Paddys weekend music festival was fantastic!!! A full weekend of live music. Awesome fun. My RL Birthday in Casa at the end of March, again really great fun, and it was the first time I sang on SL. It helped that I was drunk of course lol

(Mad, Marvellous Mason)

Another event that sticks out in my mind is Casa’s Summer festival. 13 hours of live music over two days. If anybody thinks that there is no hard work involved in SL then I would have to disagree. Making sure musicans are booked, events are listed, stream details are correct, keeping up with local chat, a million IMs and sending group notices does get tiring after a while BUT its also so much fun, if it wasn’t I wouldn’t do it.

(Donny Doobie - one of my closest SL friends)

It was during the summer that one of the best things that happened in Casa started, Fluffy Fridays. Madness, mayhem, craziness, and lots of fun fun fun, that just about sums up the goings on on Fluffy Fridays. Each week has a different theme, and the theme is chosen by pretty much anybody. There is a minimum of 5 hours of back to back live music, often there is more! And I am looking forward to more of the same in 2009.

(Norris Shepherd! - the bike losing, mould fighting, discombobulated canadian!)

(Trouble aka Angelwithastooopidlongfuckingname)

There are lots of people that really do deserve a mention and thanks. Firstly, Angel, she is one seriously crazy woman, I worry for her liver, I constantly have to remind her to have her inhaler at hand, she makes me laugh until I am crying and cant breathe, and then I am asking her for her inhaler! She has been so much help to me running Casa this year. She really is my bestest mate on SL and I am fortunate that she is also one of my closest RL friends now too. I cant wait to have a RL drinking/singing session with you in the new year mrs!!!!

(Angel Pole dances at Fluffy Fridays Christmas Party)

Also Matt needs a vote of thanks. He is not on SL as much as he use to, I guess he is busy with college and important RL stuff. But he has been really good to me and Casa during the year. He’s also a crazy and one of the funniest people I have met on SL. And he organised my surprise Rezz Day party at Angel and Dak’s place, The Deck.

(shaggy on the bike shed roof)

(The Many Faces of Shaggy)

Shaggy………he’s fuckin nuts! I mean, seriously he is! We have had some great times on SL this year. We’ve built things,……well ok that’s not strictly true, Shaggy has built things, I sit around and watch, we both “poof” things. Shaggy made Casa disappear…….and he couldn’t fix it! Harry Potter he is NOT. That’s what happens Shaggy when you start waving that wand about :P hahahha. I made the Terrier Pub Shaggy built disappear. I also made all the furniture move from inside to outside and still don’t know how exactly I did that. Oh yeah, and also we had the case of the disappearing fridge…….We never did find that did we Shaggy? He’s killed me while he has flown a magic carpet, an X-Wing thingy, and other things. But most of all he has made me laugh, and encouraged me do things I never thought I was able to do. We wrote a song between us this year too. “Worth More Than Here” means more to me than I can put into words. I am very grateful to Shaggy for taking the time to put to music the words I put on paper. So, thanks Shaggy for making my club disappear, killing me on several occasions, letting me bug the crap out of you while your building, building things for me when I cant (which is most of the time), waving the flexi dick around lol, sharing your music with me and everybody in Casa, and being the bundle of fun you always are. You’ve become a very close friend, you are and always will be the original Geordie NUTTER!!! I hope 2009 is even better to you than 2008 has been, and that your music goes from strength to strength, you deserve every success.

(myself and shaggy chillin and nattering)

Thanks also to, Stella Silvansky (SL’s biggest Diva, you are fantastic!!), Norris Shepherd, Mason Thorne, Hayduke Schnook, Donny Doobie, Jon Bazar, Friendly Fire, Winston Ackland, Avvy Barzane, RockRhythm Thespian, and every other musican who took the stage in Casa during 2008. I really do appreciate all your support. Thanks also to those who have Dj’d in Casa during the year, Lizzie, Ty, Alli, K, Angel. Thanks also to Tinka Tinka, for hosting Friendly Fire’s set every Thursday night for me, it’s a huge help to me, I only wish I could move Ireland closer to the US so the time difference was a little more friendly and I could attend these sets myself lol

(Stella, awesome awesome awesome)

Special thanks to everybody who came to Casa to hear the fantastic live music and join in the fun. Thanks to those who vote and always vote, who tipped Casa and who shows the musicians great appreciation. I can’t wait to see what happens to the most disFUNctional club in 2009.

I hope you all have a fabulous Christmas and an even better 2009!!! You all ROCK!!!

Fluff xx

*Fluff has a girly moment* I lubs youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu hahaha!

Friendly Fire

2008-12-05T02:32:00.000-08:00

(Friendly Fire's First Performance in Casa)

The GLAMTASTIC Friendly Fire have been playing in Casa since its opening night. Mack and Case play every Thursday in Casa at 6pmslt. If anything strange is gonna happen, or if anything is gonna go wrong, it will in Casa. They have survived Rolling Restarts, and griefers! They have premiered songs, named their cat Go-Go, and rezzed the awesome Friendly Fire christmas tree for the first time in Casa. Recently they have started to play every second FluffyFriday too! Mack and Case are great friends of Casa, the place wouldnt be the same without them. They both took some time out to answer questions for us, have a read and get to know Casa's favourite duo a little bit better :)

(Friendly Fire @ Casa's Paddys Day Party)

MacKenzie Rasmuson

1. Who are you and where are you from?

MacKenzie Rasmuson, Pompano Beach, FL

2. How long have you been playing?

10 years

3. Which instruments do you play?

bass, keyboards, guitar

4. What was the first tune(s) you learned?

Shit, my mind is mush right now, but I know it was a Rod Stewart tune

5. Is your family musical?

Yes

6. Which famous musicians do you admire? Why?

I admire Sheryl Crowe because she's a well-repsected woman musician in a rock and roll, man's world.

(The guys celebrating Valentines Day in Casa)

7. Do you write everything yourself?

Case Munro and I collaborate on our music.

8. Who was your first teacher? Other teachers?

My first music teacher was an old man named Mr. Kirchner, who taught me piano. I was afraid of him. Case has also been a great teacher. I'm afraid of him too :)

9. What are your fondest musical memories?

Case and I were able to play with two of our all-time favorite bands...Fortress of Attitude (on Myspace) and The Genders (also on Myspace). Anytime I've been to a concert or have seen seen a great band is up there too.

10. Were you influenced by old records/tapes? Which ones?

I love Johnny Cash, and also Robert Johnson as well as Louis Armstrong.

11. Who are your favourite musicians? Groups?

I'm a Van Halen girl, but I also love the Stones, Sex Pistols, and The Clash. I think those would be the groups I would listen to if I could only pick four. Don't make me pick just one please :)

12. Do you perform in RL? If so where?

We used to perform in first life all the time, all around south Florida.

13. How do you handle mistakes during a performance?

Mistakes? Just blow right past 'em!

14. Do you get nervous before a performance?

There's always a sense of excitement just before we go live, but I don't get nervous.

15. What advice would you give to beginners who are nervous?

Just remember, you're going to fuck up and really, only you'll know it. So don't worry!

(Mack and Case at the Half way to Paddys Day Party Sept 08)

16. How often and for how long do you practice?

We play so much that most of my "practice" is done while we're doing a performance.

17. Was this your life long dream?

No! The music industry is awful! But, I do love it and Case needed someone in the band who wasn't going to quit or that he couldn't fire. He's tried! Oh, how he's tried...but he's married to me :)

18. If you won an award for your music, who would you thank?

Case Munro, my family for supporting me, and all our fans as well as all those who believed in us along the way and helped us in anyway they could.

19. Where can people find out more about your music or keep in touch with you?

http://www.myspace.com/friendlyfiremusic

Just for fun:
- Person or thing you would most like to be reincarnated as
A cat in a household like mine.

- If your house was on fire what one thing would you take with you as you ran out? (NOT a person)
Our four cats count as people I guess, so it would probably be my guitar or pictures.

- If you were on a desert island and could take two things with you what would they be?
My bass and my ipod shuffle

- If you could go back to a particular period in history when would it be?
The Renaissance

- What is your favorite food and drink?
All food is great! Beer!

- What’s your pet hate?
People who are phony and liars

- If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
I already live in Florida, but I would also love to live on an island, in a nice bungalow with internet service and people on the other side who would deliver food and such when I needed.

(Case - looks like poor Mack had crashed again)

Case Munro

1. Who are you and where are you from?
We are Friendly Fire (Case Munro/guitar and MacKenzie Rasmuson/bass) an all original rock band from Pompano Beach, Florida

2. How long have you been playing?
I have been playing guitar for almost 30 years, Mack has been playing bass for around 8 years. Friendly Fire was formed in 2004

3. Which instruments do you play?
Electric guitar and bass, along with pre-programmed drums

4. What was the first tune(s) you learned?
Country Roads Take Me Home, it was the only sheet music in the house

5. Is your family musical?
My father and grandfather played the guitar a bit, my other grandfather played the organ

6. Which famous musicians do you admire? Why?
too many to count, but my favorite guitar player is Jeff Beck, because he plays things no one else could think of

7. Do you write everything yourself?

yes
(The guys at Casa's First birthday party!!)

8. Who was your first teacher? Other teachers?
Self taught

9. What are your fondest musical memories?
too many to count, although playing the Hard Rock was cool

10. Were you influenced by old records/tapes? Which ones?
Albums that had a big impact- The Clash, Never Mind The Bollocks, It's What's Inside That Counts by Critical Mass, Get The Knack, The Beatles Rock and Roll music

11. Who are your favourite musicians? Groups?
off the top of my head- Beatles, Stones, Clash, Pistols, Cheap Trick

12. Do you perform in RL? If so where?
not since we found SL :) we used to play all over Florida

13. How do you handle mistakes during a performance?
small mistakes we just plow ahead, usually we notice more than the audience, major screwups we point out and joke about

14. Do you get nervous before a performance?
every time

(Rockin it out @ Casa)

15. What advice would you give to beginners who are nervous?
channel the nervous energy into your performance

16. How often and for how long do you practice?
don't really practice per se, but we work at music for 3-4 hours a day, writing songs or recording or promotional stuff. I noodle on the guitar a lot while watching tv. when we first started the band we rehearsed 5 days a week for an entire year, which really built the foundation

17. Was this your life long dream?
yes

18. If you won an award for your music, who would you thank?
everyone

19. Where can people find out more about your music or keep in touch with you? http://www.myspace.com/friendlyfiremusic

Just for fun:
- Person or thing you would most like to be reincarnated as
one of our cats, they have it made

(FIRE FIRE - Mack is HOT HOT HOT)

- If your house was on fire what one thing would you take with you as you ran out? (NOT a person)
if it was just one thing it would have to be my computer, but I would try and grab a guitar or two if I could

- If you were on a desert island and could take two things with you what would they be?
a guitar and a pot seed

- If you could go back to a particular period in history when would it be?
I would have liked to have been born 20 years earlier when rock and roll was starting out

- What is your favorite food and drink?
tacos and beer

- What’s your pet hate?
willful stupidity

- If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

wouldn't want to live anyplace else :)
(The guys complete with Santa hats)

Thanks Mack and Case for answering the questions. You can catch the guys in Casa every thursday at 6pmslt. And every second Fluffy Friday @ 2pmslt!!!

Mason Thorne!

2008-11-29T08:29:00.000-08:00

(Mason on Hawiaii week on Fluffy Friday)

MAD MARVELLOUS Mason Thorne - has NOT missed a Fluffy Friday since he starting playing in Casa. And to be perfectly honest, it wouldnt be Fluffy Friday without the Mason Madness. There is NO show like a Mason show.......that i can gaurantee!! Mason recently took time out from his busy schedule of....surfing....and eh.....surfing.....to answer some questions for us.

1. Who are you and where are you from?
Mason Thorne Maui Hawaii

2. How long have you been playing?
I cant anwer that ppl will laugh more

3. Which instruments do you play?
Guitar harmonica uke spoons comb and tissuepaper

4. What was the first tune(s) you learned?
Sidekick

5. Is your family musical?
very

(Mason on Canada week, Fluffy Friday - one of his Favourite themes)

6. Which famous musicians do you admire? Why?
Norris Shepherd

7. Do you write everything yourself?.
I play Norris Shepherd tunes

8. Who was your first teacher? Other teachers?
Norris Shepherd

9. What are your fondest musical memories?
My first Norris Shepherd

10. Were you influenced by old records/tapes? Which ones?
Yes very old NOrris Sheperd 8 traks

11. Who are your favourite musicians? Groups?
Norris Shepherd

12. Do you perform in RL? If so where?
In a Galaxy far far away

13. How do you handle mistakes during a performance?
I blame Angel

(Mason on Oscars night)

14. Do you get nervous before a performance?
Only when Angel wont leave me alone 30 seconds before the show

15. What advice would you give to beginners who are nervous?
See a Norris Shepherd show

16. How often and for how long do you practice?
Does playing live count?

17. Was this your life long dream?
To meet Norris Shepherd

18. If you won an award for your music, who would you thank?
Norris Shepherd

19. Where can people find out more about your music or keep in touch with you?
At a NOrris Shepherd show

(Mason on Playboy week - Fluffy Friday)

Just for fun:
- Person or thing you would most like to be reincarnated as
Norris Shepherd

- If your house was on fire what one thing would you take with you as you ran out? (NOT a person)
My autographed picture of NOrris Shepherd

- If you were on a desert island and could take two things with you what would they be?
Pictures of Angel and Norris
- If you could go back to a particular period in history when would it be?
1845 the year Norris Shepherd was born.

-What is your favorite food and drink?
fish and chips

- What’s your pet hate?
Norris haters

- If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

New Brunswick(Mason on TV themed Fluffy Friday)

Thanks Mason!!!

Norris Shepherd

2008-11-17T12:44:00.000-08:00

(Norris - his first gig in Casa)

Norris has been playing in Casa since it opened just over a year ago. I can still remember when i heard him sing first. Myself, Munk and Geoff (the ex Casa owners) were on the hunt for some people to play at the opening. Geoff tp'd myself and Munk to hear Norris and I said "book him, i want him to play" lol and there you go. I havent stopped annoying Norris since :)) Norris shows are always fun and he plays in Casa most Fluffy Fridays :)

Norris took some time out from ploughing the fields to answer some questions, have a read :))

thanks norris :))

(Norris on Scottish Themed Fluffy Friday)

1. Who are you and where are you from?

Norris Shepherd from somewhere in New Brunswick, Canada.
2. How long have you been playing?

Started playing guitar probably in about 1986, then played parties, and a few very minor band type things up until 1998. From 1998 until 2007... guitar rusted in the closet, and i've been playing again for a little over a year since starting to play in SL.

3. Which instruments do you play?

Guitar and voice. Want to get a Bass guitar... and some more harmonicas, and a keyboard.. oh and andand... yeah.. but goota learn to play them too. :)

4. What was the first tune(s) you learned?

hmmmm.... one string picking songs.. probably Wipeout or the James Bond theme or something. Duh duh duh duh dudh Da da ... Duh duh duh duh Duh duh Dada....... Da Da... dadada...

5. Is your family musical?

Do i have to have one? lol. Musicals are verym... um... un-masculine? lol. shessh...
...
....
...
Pink Floyd's the Wall? (although i've never seen it all, my parents caught me trying to watch it and hid the Video tape on me)

OHOHOHOHOHHOO>... I KNOW!

It's when you synch up Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon to the Wizard of Oz. That kicks ass.

OOOHHHH WAIT.. i just re-read the question.. NOT what is my favorite musical but is my FAMILY msuical...

yes. lol. Brother very good guitar player. Sister plays piano. Mom and dad sing in church choir. My other sister played guitar and sang, and my other brother is a bit of a guitar hack.

6. Which famous musicians do you admire? Why?

Musically, lyrically, as a person, or for their fashion sense?

Musically, lyrically, - Gordon Downey and the Tragically Hip, Rivers Cuomo (Weezer), U2, David Grohl
as People - Bono, Johnathan coulton, Gene Simmons, Bruce Cockburn
for fashion sense,... hmm... dunno...

(Norris on tv - oh ok, TV themed Fluffy Friday)

7. Do you write everything yourself?.

anything (yes) or everything(no)?

8. Who was your first teacher? Other teachers?

musically? Hal Leonard (http://www.amazon.com/Hal-Leonard-Guitar-Method-Complete/dp/0634047019)

9. What are your fondest musical memories?

the one year anniversary gig at Casa Blanco. ;-)

10. Were you influenced by old records/tapes? Which ones?

tapes/records -- Rick Springfield, Abba, Triumph, Trooper, BTO, Trooper, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Rush

11. Who are your favourite musicians? Groups?

lots.. but some are Tragically Hip, Pearl Jam, Weezer, Foo Fighters, Stan Rogers, Matthew Sweet, Rheostatics, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Beatles, the Jayhawks... etc... etc...

12. Do you perform in RL? If so where?

no...RL gigs are a pain in the ass.

13. How do you handle mistakes during a performance?

plow through them.

I try to ignore them, but usually end up laughing, so people usually know i mucked up. :)(Norris at Casa)

14. Do you get nervous before a performance?
no. unless someone famous or intimidatating is in the crowd. like Shaggy or somerhing...

15. What advice would you give to beginners who are nervous?

get over it. Sing it like ya mean it.. trying to half sing it just doesn't work. Take a big breath and let it out! lol

16. How often and for how long do you practice?
don't practice much.... (d'oh) I often use my shows as practice. lol. So about 6 to 10 hours a week.

17. Was this your life long dream?

well.. sorta Playing SL music is helping me towards it. Always dreamed of being able to write, produce, and record my own music, and since i started playing in SL, i've aquired some gear, and are currently learning the skills to be able to allow me to do so.

A real life long dream would be able to do this and be able to make a living from it....

And to be a dancer in a Britney Spears video... that's another one...

18. If you won an award for your music, who would you thank?

Anyone who supported me. (list would be way long ) If no one ever asked me to play, and encouraged me in subtle and non-suble way, then i wouldn't be playing... it's just that simple.

19. Where can people find out more about your music or keep in touch with you? Please add website/myspace details here.

http://www.myspace.com/norrisshepherd

http://www.thesixtyone.com/#/norrisshepherd/

**coming someday** http://www.NorrisShepherd.com

(Norris standing on the bar at Casa)

Just for fun:
- Person or thing you would most like to be reincarnated as

a rockstar

- If your house was on fire what one thing would you take with you as you ran out? (NOT a person)

my hard drives.

- If you were on a desert island and could take two things with you what would they be?

food and water

- If you could go back to a particular period in history when would it be?

depends... would i be poor or rich at that point in time? :)

- What is your favorite food and drink?

hmmmm.. tough.. BUT i love a good steak well done. Beefeater or Medallion steaks with a nice Shiraz red wine (store bought... not my homemade). Don't have that very much though. And sushi.. mmmm.. Can buy it frozen here. And LOBSTER... YUMM!!!

- What’s your pet hate?

hmm... mean/self-centred/egomaniacal people

- If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

probly here... it's where home is.

(Norris at Casa's First Birthday Party)

Hayduke Schnook :)

2008-11-12T05:49:00.000-08:00

Hayduke Schnook has not been playing in Casa long, but he is an awesome talented guy. His shows are packed full of fun, and its not a Hayduke show unless he has told a fishing story, of which he has plenty!!! Ask him about the finger story........O.O
Oh and sometimes he appears as a turtle!

Duke took time out to answer some questions for us.

1. Who are you and where are you from?
My RL name is Alex and I'm from the high mountains of Colorado.

2. How long have you been playing?
I have been playing the mandolin for about 7 years now, though have only been comfortable playing for other for about 3.

3. Which instruments do you play?
My main instrument is the mandolin. I also play some guitar, and a bit of saxophone.

4. What was the first tune(s) you learned?
On the Mandolin it was a bluegrass tune called Old Joe Clark

5. Is your family musical?
I have people in my family who like to sing, but not a lot of instrumental talent in the family.

6. Which famous musicians do you admire? Why?
Any musician, famous or not, who plays the music they love and makes a name for themselves doing it. I think if you really put yourself out there, sing, play, let that music flow through you... Then you are experiencing the music the way it is meant to be, and if you stay true to the music that moves you, you can't go wrong.

7. Do you write everything yourself?.
LMAO, Hell no. I don't have my writing confidence yet. I have written about 2 songs, both have been trashed. As of now, I feel I am still learning a lot and building up the experience I need to do justice to a good song.

8. What are your fondest musical memories?
When I began to get old enough to spend nights away from parents, friends would go out and spend hours of fun just messing around with guitars. I always wanted so badly to be able to pick up an instrument and join in, and that eventually lead me to my mandolin and the motivation to learn to play.

9. Were you influenced by old records/tapes? Which ones?
Too many to list, but a lot of old country and folk, along with Classic Rock...

10. Who are your favourite musicians? Groups?
I generally enjoy music played by the performers, with instruments. Studio-generated music styles are not really my thing.

11. Do you perform in RL? If so where?
I have only performed in RL once, at an open mic in Ft. Collins, Colorado. Woohoo! I have come a long way since then...

12. How do you handle mistakes during a performance?
I usually giggle and blame somebody in the audience for distracting me ;D

13. Do you get nervous before a performance?
YES, but sometimes more than others...

14. What advice would you give to beginners who are nervous?
You can play as well as you can in practice, sometimes better. So just relax and play it the way you normally do. Don't rush, don't overthink it. When on stage, that is the time to just let it smoothly flow.

15. How often and for how long do you practice?
I pick up my instrument every day, sometimes I play a few songs. Other times I play for a few hours. Depends on the day, but to build up your muscles and muscle memory you need to put in a few extended sessions on occasion.

16. Was this your life long dream?
SL Musician? Nope. RL Musician? Thought about it, but not really my dream. I have wanted to be proficient at an instrument for a long time, a goal which I feel I am just now attaining.

17. If you won an award for your music, who would you thank?
My Lucky Stars!

18. Where can people find out more about your music or keep in touch with you? Please add website/myspace details here.
For now, you have to come find me. Perhaps I will at some point lay some tunes down for folks to hear when they want, but for now live is best ;)

Just for fun:
- Person or thing you would most like to be reincarnated as
My Dog!

- If your house was on fire what one thing would you take with you as you ran out? (NOT a person)
My Mandolin (duh)

- If you were on a desert island and could take two things with you what would they be?
Survival pack, Boat

- If you could go back to a particular period in history when would it be?
I would be a mountain man exploring America, trapping beaver

- What is your favorite food and drink?
Fish I caught with a fine red wine!

- What’s your pet hate?
My dog hates getting his ears wet. It really disappoints him.

- If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Still undecided, perhaps Scotland?

Dukes next set in Casa is on Friday 14th November @ 2pmslt - dont miss it!!

Casa's First Birthday Party - 7th November 08

2008-11-08T05:25:00.000-08:00

Fluffy Friday this week was also Casa's first birthday party. And what a party it was!! It was so much fun! Fluffy Fridays are always fun but this was FANTASTIC fun! lol Angelwithahintoflife, (known from now on as Angel lol) was fantastic help to me, she made the invitations and the decorated Casa for me, Lizzie gave me decorations too. Outfits where chosen, the stream was tested and the party was ready to begin.

Stella Silvansky kicked things off as she always does on Fridays. Stella is a great friend to Casa and to me, and is an awesome singer!! AND she is always up for a giggle.

Shaggy was next to entertain us. It was Shaggy's auntie Val's Birthday yesterday too, so everybody wished his auntie a happy birthday lol. Shaggy looked just stunning in his Trap Door Hat, and there were giggles when a naked pic of shaggy suddenly appeared behind him......I have NO idea where it came from *looks around innocently. Shaggy hadnt had a set in SL for a long time, it was great to hear him sing again :) I hope its not as long till we hear him next.

Norris Shepherd was next up. Norris originally played Casa on opening night. It was great to have him back at Casa's first birthday. AND i got to pick his set list WOOHOOO, of course I had to get Angel, my partner in crime, to help me. "Ask him to play the 2 discos songs?", she said.......(obviously she couldnt remember the name of the songs)....and i asked him to play the ice cream song and the slipped hip song.....and Norris of course understood which songs myself and Angel were talking about. Norris set was fantastic, and a naked pic of him turned up too...weird that...lol.

Mad Mason Thorne jumped on Casa's stage to continue that madness and mayhem that reigns on Fluffy Fridays. Mason is a fantastic entertainer, he cracks me up laughing. There must be a lot of nakedness goes on in SL because there was a naked picture of Mason there too....Mason finished his set off with "The Fields of Athenry"....FANTASTIC!!!!

Next up - Friendly Fire!! WOOHOOOO this GLAMTASTIC Duo played in Casa on opening night too. And they have played in Casa every Thursday @ 6pmslt since.....I think they have only ever missed just a couple of shows. During the last year they have, burned a christmas tree in Casa, had naked people push Case off the Stage, had plenty of griefers, oh and not to mention the ever popular rolling restarts in the middle of their sets! If its gonna happen, it will happen in Casa for Mack and Case. Their set was awesome, as always, and there was plenty of Beers Glammed!

Now, Hayduke Schnook was suppose to take to the stage next, but he hadnt logged on, we all presumed he went fishing. So Mason was good enough to grab the stream. Then, right before our very eyes, Duke tp'd in! LOL. Mason wouldnt give up the stream until he had sang the Unicorn song! So naturally enough, Angel rezzed a Unicorn and herself and Stella decided to sit on it! Duke eventually wrestled the stream off Mason, well ok not really, Mason willingly gave it back lol. Duke's set was full of fun, as it always is, and of course he got the giggles because he was reading chat! Duke and his Mandolin havent been playing in Casa all that long, but something tells me, they will be there alot more in the future!

Maximillion Kleene was next to grace Casa's stage. It was the first time that Max played in Casa, apart from the couple of songs he streamed with Stella during Dak's rezz day party. Max is a fanastic singer, and good fun. I hope he comes back to Casa again soon :))

Ayden Kruh was the last "offically listed" musician of the day/night. What a fantastic talented guy he is. Ayden played at Casa's Summer Festival in July, and it was great to get him back for Casa's first birthday party. I should point out that the Sim was full for almost the entire event LOL And some people where lisenting remotely too :)) Even Ayden found it difficult to get to Casa for his set!

The party continued as Duke took the stream again. And it was still going when i logged out. It was an amazing party, with fantastic talented musicans and singers. I want to thank each of them, i really appreciate it. I also want to thank everybody who came and spent ALOT of their time at Casa yesterday, you are all awesome! Angel, Dak, Noddy, Duke, Donny, Shaggy, Gazza, Stella, Rasp, Luka, Lo, Sarah, Catt, Norris, Mason, Jon, Sam, Alura, Temp, Tink, Lizzie, Chely, Horizon, Kat, Mandy, Rad, Promise, Dee, Lance, and everybody else.............you all ROCK!

I hope that this time next year we are celebrating Casa's Second birthday. Only time will tell i guess :))

Shagpile (Shagpile Spyker in SL)

2008-10-31T10:15:00.001-07:00

Shaggy (Shagpile) has been doing gigs in Casa since February 2008. He was good enough to take time out of his very busy schedule to answer some questions for me.

1. Who are you and where are you from? Im shaggy, (jason vare) and im a solo acoustic singer songwriter from NE England , UK .. Geordie all the way!! hahahah

2. How long have you been playing? Ive been playing guitar now since I was around about 8 or 9 ... had a bit of a spell where i didnt play for a few years as i found other things to occupy myself.. Alcohol and Women hahahah..the worst concoction.. then got over my teenage years and picked it up again!!

3. Which instruments do you play? My first instrument is the guitar but i also play the piano, bass, drums, harps, all at different levels.. some just for fun.. I also had a few lessons on the violin at school but didnt like it so i snapped my bow and that was the end of that..

4. What was the first tune(s) you learned? Hmmmmmmmm .. thats a hard one.. long long time ago..hahha. some of the first things i learned were from easy chord books and I remember playing a lot of John Denver stuff and The Beatles .. 2 of the books i owned or picked up from somewhere really early...

5. Is your family musical? Yeah my Mother plays piano and we always had a piano of some sort in the house growing up and my Father used to repair and sell guitars and he also plays a little too!

6. Which famous musicians do you admire? Why? Bob Dylan is probably one of my favourite songwriters .. mainly for his lyrics and his scope on music.. The Freewheelin is my favourite album by the man himself.

7. Do you write everything yourself? For my original stuff I write everything.... It all gets done at the same time.. pick up the guitar .. play some chords and outcome the words...

8. Who was your first teacher? Other teachers? I learned everything by ear apart from some really early help along lessons from a guy called Paul Bambridge who i still catch up with now and then.. The first proper lesson i had was probably about a year ago from another friend called Brian Holmes.. but i only had 3 or 4 lessons and to be honest.. I dont think you really need lessons to progress with the guitar.. just a good ear for music. :)

9. Who are your favourite musicians? Groups? At the moment one of my favourite bands are The Kings Of Leon, and ACDC's new album is awesome.. Kelly Joe Phelps is one of my favourite acoustic artists .. just wish he'd come and tour the UK.. come on KJP, get your finger out!!

10. Do you perform in RL? If so where? Yes I perform lots of gigs solo as "shagpile" in as many venues as i can get myself in there.. also I perform as the singer/guitarist for a rock/punk band called "Stolen Tom"

11. How do you handle mistakes during a performance? Depending on the size of the mistake there is a lot you can get away with in live performances by just carrying on .. lots of people like to hear the music but dont really notice as many mistakes as a musician does.. Bluff ya way through it I say!!

12. Do you get nervous before a performance? Nope.. of course I used too, but once you have done a lot of gigs , it all gets forgotten about! The more gigs the more confident you become..

13. What advice would you give to beginners who are nervous? The only way to get rid of nerves in my opinion is to carry on doing live gigs..also a good tip is to play infront of whoever you get the chance too and also in as many places as you can.... the more you do it the less nervous you will get when performing..

14. How often and for how long do you practice? Practice... whats that? hahahahah - with the band I practice 1-2 times a week .. but for the acoustic music.. whenever i get a chance really!!

15. Where can people find out more about your music or keep in touch with you? Please add website/myspace details here.

http://www.shagpile.org/ - HOMEPAGE

http://www.myspace.com/shagpile69 - MYSPACE

http://shagpilemusic.wordpress.com/ - BLOG and NEWS

http://cdbaby.com/cd/shagpile - CDBABY

http://uk.youtube.com/profile?user=varesy - YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Just for fun:
¯ Person or thing you would most like to be reincarnated as? ohhh.. hmmmmmmmmmmm... JAMES DEAN ..

¯ If your house was on fire what one thing would you take with you as you ran out? (NOT a person) My taylor guitar.. its my baby!!

¯ If you were on a desert island and could take two things with you what would they be? again my taylor acoustic guitar. and a plectrum

¯ What is your favorite food and drink? oooooh marmite on toast topped with beans and cheese...

¯ If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? probably here!!! :)

http://www.shagpile.org/music/10.mp3 - Shagpile's Easy To Read

Shaggy is doing a set this Friday 7th Nov 08 @ 11amslt in Casa. If you are about make you dont miss it!! :))

Who am I? and What is Casa?

2008-10-27T15:48:00.000-07:00

Hey Everybody,

So i guess this is where i am suppose to say who I am and what I am about. Well, I am Fluffy Forwzy (in SL) and I am Fluffy in RL too (Dont ask it's a boring story lol). I own Club CasaBlanco in SL. Originally when Casa (which the club is now known as) was opened there were three owners, Me, Geoff Blanco (which is were the CasaBlanco came from) and cMunk O'Kelly.

Munk designed and built the club, Geoff was suppose to run the club on a day to day basis and I was suppose to help out a bit.....well..things didn't quite go as they should have lol. Both Geoff and Munk left SL for whatever reason and I inherited Casa. At first I had NO idea what I was suppose to do with it, I wasn't even sure if I wanted it to be honest. But with some help from friends and a bit of determination I eventually found comfortable club owner shoes lol. Casa has had its ups and downs, but its still there and it is, in my opinion, the best its ever been!

Originally Casa was created to host live music, Geoff was a huge fan of live music in SL. And that is the reason that Casa is still there today. I LOVE the live music scene in SL. And I have met some of the best people through music in SL. There is Live Music on Thursday Nights in Casa, Friendly Fire play there every week at 6pmslt, and they have been doing it for a year now! They were one of the opening acts on 3rd Nov 2007. They have also started doing a set every second week on Fluffy Friday.

What's Fluffy Friday? I can hear you ask.... Well, its .....NUTS! hahahaha - 5-6 hours of live music every friday! Each week there is a theme, people dress up, I decorate the club and madness and mayhem reigns! It really is the best fun, and i am not just saying it because i own Casa. It's fun because of the awesome talented singers and musicans who take the stream in Casa, because of the people who come every week, who arent afraid to dress up and take part! I've been calling Casa the most disfunctional club in SL for along time now, and someone said that Casa puts the FUN in disFUNctional - and really its true.

There are some awesome venues in SL, small ones and big ones, and each one is as important as the next as far as I am concerned. SL is meant to be fun, when running Casa stops being fun, then i will give it up, but until then Fluffy Friday's and Friendly Fires regular Thursday slot will continue. And if I find any reason to have a party then i will have a party! The summer and Paddys day festivals this year where a great success! and I am in the middle of planning a BIG first birthday party for Casa on 7th Nov 08.

So thats who I am and what I am about.......This Blog is also designed to introduce you to the many SL musicians and singers who have taken to the stage at Casa over the last 12 months and, hopefully, introduce you to new musicians as they join SL. With their permission I will add links to their websites/music and if i can I will add interviews with them here. So that is basically it I guess. I better go before I bore you to death, not a great way to start a blog LOL.

Take care, Seeya soon :)

Fluff