Ground Zero Public Spaces

So I have been saying I would post some pictures of the different areas of Ground Zero.  I have a few of the venue itself now and am only posting a few here so I don't overload your computers.  I also have a whole lotta pictures you can see on my Flickr account.  Pictures I take at Ground Zero events will be posted on Flickr so please keep checking back there for new ones.  There are also other Second Life pics there that have nothing to to with Ground Zero.. but I am only buying one Flickr pro account, so there ya have it.  :D

Here are a couple of overhead shots. 

In the foreground of the picture above, you can see the garden.  The art pavilion is in front of that and the stage is towards the left corner.  You can also see a glimpse of the hangout gazebo in the top center of the snapshot.

In this picture, the art pavilion is in the center.  Our meditation and tai chi area is to the far right and the stage and gazebo are behind the cluster of trees on the left. 

We also have a sky lounge.  As soon as I can configure it, there will be an easy to spot teleporter near the landing point on the beach.  The sky lounge is available for meetings/conferences or parties.  We are hoping to use the space as a performance venue for DJs and intimate musical performances.

 The above picture shows the exterior of the Ground Zero Sky Lounge.  The upper level under the dome is the open performance space.  We have a singles and couples dance remote set up there and can add furniture from our inventory if needed.  Below is a picture of the basic conference center setup.  We can reconfigure the furniture or add media screens if needed.

 

We have created these spaces for the use of members of the community as well as to hold our own events.  If you need a space to hold a meeting or private party, please contact us and we will do our best to accommodate you.  Even if you don't have those needs, we hope you will come to visit and relax any time.

Sister Venues

I want to preface this post by saying that I know there are many, many quality venues in Second Life.  Now that we are in the "venue business," GMetal and I have even more appreciation for what it takes to run a venue and the dedication put in by so many people.  The live music community is generally supportive of itself and of each other.  I hear very little negative commentary although I am sure that it happens. This post is not a criticism of any venue - it is a celebration of the special connection Ground Zero has to a few particular places and the people that run those places.

A brief backstory:  I started working for Gargravarr Rau (just call him Gar) at The Source in May, 2011.  I asked if he would teach me how live music in Second Life was done.  I asked him because I found The Source early in my Second Life and always had a great experience there.  He taught me how to be a host and shared a lot with me about how he booked artists and much more.  Along the way, I heard him refer to two venues, The Roof @ NYC and Idle Rogue, as sister venues of The Source.  I noticed that he did not regularly schedule events at the same time as those places.  I had attended events at both throughout my time in Second Life and also had great experiences there.  I also worked for Lingual Markus (yes, THAT Lingual Markus) at The Roof as a host for a period of time just before GMetal and I started Ground Zero.  I had the privilege of getting to know Chryblnd Scribe (it's pronounced Cherryblonde), owner of Idle Rogue, a bit by that point and have since gotten to know her better. 

My connection to The Source, Idle Rogue, and The Roof @ NYC was (and still is)stronger than my connection to any other venues because of these relationships.  When GMetal and I started this thing.. one of the first things we agreed on is that we didn't want to regularly schedule events at the same time as any of these venues.  . One of the first things we did after we got land was to invite Lingual and Gar over to our space to have a discussion about what we planned and to figure out where our plans fit in with what they were doing.  It was a great discussion that led to what we have now...  an understanding and a schedule that does not conflict with one another.   Lingual has regular shows on Mondays and Wednesdays, Gar on Sundays and Tuesdays, and we decided to have ours on Thursdays. It is easier not to conflict with Idle Rogue since Cherry and her crew frequently run events at times that are better for them (many of them are from Australia) which is typically late at night in Second Life time.  I ended up having a very similar discussion with Cherryblonde about a week later that lasted pretty much all night.  At one point she mentioned liking the idea of having places to send people each night of the week at times when there weren't events at Idle Rogue where she felt they would have a quality experience similar to the one she strives to provide at Idle Rogue.  (I am paraphrasing from a 6 hour conversation.. that is not a direct quote).  After these talks and many hours of discussion between GMetal and me, this bond was cemented and Ground Zero was accepted as part of that dynamic. 

What this term sister venue means to me:  they are the first people I turn to for advice and  I know if I need anything I can ask.. and they know the same of Ground Zero.  There have been others who have been incredibly supportive as well (especially.Alle of The Loft who I mentioned previously). but I feel like it is very true to say that I would not have felt confident to be co-owner of a venue so early in my Second Life had it not been for the mentorship of these three particular people.  The knowledge they impart and the skills they have shared gave me a great jump start.    It is a form of loyalty, yes, but more importantly it is a form of support.  I think of it like a safety net.  This support has already been manifested in so many ways, such as Gar helping us publicize our grand opening without being asked to, Cherryblonde and the Idle Rogue crew coming to our events, and so many indescribable things along the way. 


So you may be asking what prompted this post?  Yesterday afternoon, Lingual IMed me and asked me for a copy of the Ground Zero graphic and our official landmark.  When I asked what he was up to, he said he was making a landmark board to display at The Roof.  While this is something Cherryblonde had mentioned to me during that marathon all nighter, I didn't expect Ground Zero to be included in it right away.  When I made it to the place last night for part of the shows, this is what I saw:

[The one that is here between the Ground Zero board and The Source board is a landmark giver for Hotel Chelsea.  This is an amazing music and art location in Second Life run by Enola Vaher.  They have many galleries and she has live music on occasion in the lobby.  I recommend this place as well and you know how to find a landmark!]

In and of itself this landmark board may not seem like a big deal to some.  But to me it means the world and is symbolic of the generous support that has been shown to Ground Zero by her sister venues.  I now have what I need to create similar landmark boards at Ground Zero and will be doing so as soon as I decide on how to display them. 

I have said it before.. I feel that the live music community in Second Life is vibrant and generally supportive of one another.  The sisterhood that Ground Zero shares with The Source, Idle Rogue, and The Roof @ NYC really helps us to be better able to step up to be part of the community as a whole.

Well.. damn...

Although I am sure this is by no means unique, this story made me sad...   the end of another something that I heard amazing things about but never got to see.  I will go today before it is gone.  *sigh*

Music business musings

Hi readers...

The more I have gotten into talking to people about music and music business, in both virtual and non-virtual domains, I have had a few thoughts.  I share them with you here because I am interested in dialogue about these things.  Please understand... I have some understanding of the music business, but I have not been actively engaged with it in about 15 years and I am very fully aware that things have changed a lot since then.  One of the things that keeps coming into my mind is that the large "record label" does not seem to be as dominant as it has in the past.  With the ability for independent artists to produce, distribute and promote their materials via the internet, there seems to be significantly less dependence on the big business side of things which really allows a variety of great stuff to be available.  The flip side is that pretty much anyone has the same capability to get their stuff out there regardless of the quality.  There's nobody to vet the quality before it goes on the internet for sale.  So then the issue becomes how do people who are making music get others to hear what they are doing in the sea of stuff that is out there?

I guess there is another issue... how big do some independent artists *want* to be?  In Second Life, I see a lot of what we do as venue owners as offering up the virtual equivalent of a local bar, a coffee house, or even a house party.  I am not referring to the look of the venue, I am more referring to the vibe that we get from attending the shows.  The musicians in Second Life play for audiences that rarely are more than 50 at a time... sometimes more like a dozen but usually somewhere in between.  So what's the motivation?  Several people, including my friend Zak Claxton, have said something to the effect that it is nice to be able to play without having to add the extra time of going to a venue, setting up, tearing down, etc.  There's also the opportunity to gain a worldwide audience.  I made the assumption that almost every musician in Second Life was using the platform as a stepping stone to "bigger, better things."  I have come to realize I was mistaken. And that realization has prompted me to want to spend some time learning how the music business in general and more specifically the music business in virtual domains (including but not exclusive to virtual worlds) actually works and is treated by those who participate in it.

As an aside of sorts:  I mentioned Zak's website above.. he has a blog on his website where he writes about his gigs and he also writes a few entries here, here, here, here, and there about various music business and SL topics.  There are many more posts.. I recommend his blog in general.


I am interested in dialogue.. or references to other blogs or websites... or whatever.  Look me up in world, send me an email, make a comment here... any and all options are welcome. :D

8 days in!

We are opening day +8 at this point.  What a ride so far!  The opening night was amazing, with Dragonfly, AMForte, and PT Beardmore performing. We had a lot of people come by throughout the night and we were thrilled to have each of you come by.  Special thanks to GarGravarr Rau of The Source... He advertised our opening through a myriad of outlets and we greatly appreciated him doing so.

Joel Eilde of Dragonfly had so much fun playing on Friday that we had him back on Sunday for brunch.. complete with coffee and chocolate donuts.  Tuesday, we had a fantastic show with The Follow. It was an amazing time with a big stage, great music, and fireworks!

I would like to mention here our featured visual artist, David Weiner.  Those who have been to Ground Zero have had the opportunity to see his work on display in our art pavilion.  His work is for sale at Ground Zero, at The Roof @ NYC and at his main in-world gallery at Club Hydraxis.  His work is also available for RL purchase through his website at http://www.weinergalleries.net/ .   Please  consider a purchase.. his work is really great!  And he mentions Ground Zero on his website  ((thank you))

We are also very appreciative for the ongoing support we have received.   Alle, who runs a sweet venue called The Loft gave us a shout out in her blog which is a fun read all the way around!.  She is a sweet lady and great support.  Thanks for the mention  :)


We have some fun things in the works.  If you happened to find the blog before the website and not the other way around, here's the link to our website which also has the venue calendar.  Please check it often.. things change from time to time  http://sites.google.com/site/groundzeromusicandart/home

Leadups and New Spaces

So the last time you heard from our intrepid adventurers, they had just been griefed and were trying to get things ready for the opening... and then... things got even better....


When we first envisioned the space for <<Ground Zero>> we wanted a corner beach lot, preferably west facing to take advantage of the sunsets.  But ZoHa Islands, the land company we were dealing with, did not have any available on a commercial sim.  The commercial sim aspect was also important because it allows us to have more people on the sim.  So we took a nice not-corner space on Atlantizz, a very low traffic commercial sim.   Our neighbors on the corner were very nice and owned a small club that didn't seem to have very many people attending.

So.. on Thursday, the day before our opening, I happened to be in-world to see if I could figure out what happened to our stuff and get things locked down so it wouldn't happen again.  Suddenly I noticed that the  corner lot had been emptied.  The club was gone.  And then... a for-sale sign appeared.  I frantically text messaged GMetal who was at his RL job and told him I wanted to get it.  He said "go for it" so I did.  And I started moving things.  And it didn't stop until about 2 hours before we opened.  Actually it didn't really stop until Sunday night when we relinquished ownership of our first parcel.  Actually, we are still tweaking and modifying things, particularly the landscaping.  I think it will be an ongoing process, but I am really liking how it looks.

The nice thing about getting this corner space was that we had already considered how we would use such a space so it went together very quickly.  We were able to take a few lessons we had learned from our first go-around of putting the parcel together and were able to do a few things a little bit better this time.  For example, the art pavilion, which was modified from a pre-fab building was a bunch of un-linked individual pieces on the first parcel.  This time, after it was modfied, I linked all the pieces together and made it one piece.    GMetal was able to do the same with the stage.  This means we can conceivably pick up and move things if needed, although we don't intend to do so... more importantly, now we have COPIES of things.

The layout of the space is pretty open.  When you teleport into the space, the landing zone puts you directly in front of the art pavilion and you move forward towards the music stage and the hangout gazebo.  We have the stage over the water on the northeast corner of the parcel.  It is open to the sea and I really love the way it feels.  The hangout gazebo is a comfy seating area where people are welcome to hang out before or after shows.  When we don't have shows, voice should be enabled so folks can talk to one another. On the ground on the right side of the art pavilion (as you are facing the pavilion, next to the palm tree), there is a teleport point that will take you up to the sky lounge.  The lower floor of the sky lounge is set up as a conference center.  We can add video screens if needed and everyone is welcome to talk to me about scheduling use of that space for meetings.  The upstairs of the sky lounge is open and can be used for parties, intimate shows, etc.  Behind the art pavilion, there is a tropical garden and seating area.  Next to the water at the southwest corner, there is a tai chi and meditation area. 

We hope that you will come and explore.. it's not a huge space but we are growing to love it and hope you will too.

p.s.  I will be adding pictures to this post once I can get some good ones of the space as it is right now  :)

Progress and setbacks

Our opening day is coming up... tomorrow in fact!  We are super excited about it and have been working hard to get everything ready.  Almost 500 invitations have gone out.  We have made a  lot of little tweaks and adjustments to the land to make everything look good and run smooth.  We have had a ton of support and encouragement from really great people!

Unfortunately we had a bit of a setback sometime between 8:30 and 10 pm SLT on Wednesday night. Someone came onto our parcel and tampered with a number of items.  Some got returned to our inventories and others have vanished.  It was somewhat odd... some of the subscribomatic boards and the electronic message boards had been returned to my inventory.   The stage deck and the plants that were on it were gone but the tip jars, steps and kites that were attached to the stage were still there.  (I had hoped that somehow the missing items had gotten returned to GMetal's inventory, but they did not.)  The solo dance  ball and some trees and plants had been moved.  When I discovered this well after midnight, I did a bit of exploring to figure out what had happened.  The individual had joined our group, but the members of the group do not have privileges to allow them to return items.  When I spoke to an estate manager, she told me that there are third party viewers and tools that can allow the person to bypass settings in order to grief other users.  I had a couple of friends who happened to be  on line talk me through making sure that there would be no long term effects of this episode.  I also banned the individual from the land and ejected her from the group.  I ended up IMing with the individual who denied any knowledge of the episode although I think that is untrue.  As soon as this morning came along, I let GMetal know what had happened. Unfortunately after he left, I discovered a few more items that are missing including our main couples dance ball.  I know from talking to others that things like this can happen.  I am sure that it won't be the last time as we have every intention of keeping our place free and open to the public.  I am definitely learning how to secure things and do my best to make sure that this doesn't happen again.  It doesn't make sense but I am not gonna let it slow me down.  It is just stuff and stuff can be fixed or replaced.  That being said, if you have insight into this situation or ways to avoid similar things, please drop a notecard in world or send an email to us.

In the meantime... second round of invitations will go out today and we will be spending some time putting everything back together and making sure items are locked and such.  We will be opening on time and we are still way excited about all of it.  Except the griefing.  I just keep telling myself that those people that would consider doing such things are the minority and the people that have offered support are so amazing.   I have every intention of focusing on the positive and doing my best to make sure the jerks don't have much to work with in our world.  The opening will be wonderful and we are very very excited about it!  We hope to see you all there!