Still Undead & Rockin'

I poked the Bookmark entry to see if this blog was still takin' up space out here. Sure enough, it is. Roughly 34 months since my last post. Time is fun when you're having flies, or something like that. One of my last posts was from May, 2011 regarding the Grand Opening of Rock U. Today my avi is wearing one of the Rock U tanks Twisty made, kind of my default uniform since I'm not in much anymore.

Most of you know that one of my partners from Rock U, Injure Rogers, passed away on December 24, 2012. I still am finding it hard to come to terms with that. I'm always finding music I'd like to share with her. The last post before this one was to mark the sudden passing of Kelvinblue Oh, a man who personified the Blues. Injure was the personification of the punky Rock chick, tough as nails & sweet as honey. Loyal to a fault with great taste in music. She was also one of the success stories, someone who had found her true RL love through SL. I had planned to go out West to visit her & Dom that Fall, but my work situation changed & I lost all my vacation time. I got paid for it, but that's not the same.

Folks, you can't take too many vacations. Once again, my work sitch is changing, this time into totally uncharted territory. Yay, another check & no vacation. FML. Last real vacation I had was 2009, and that was the first one in 10 years. Yeah, I took time off, but never a true vacation. The end result is exhaustion from lack of sleep & the constant stress of everyday life. Even my doctor said I needed a vacation. I asked him if he was gonna pay for it. People are often amazed that the French drink heavily, smoke, and eat rich foods yet have a low incidence of heart disease and other stress-related ailments. One of the primary reasons is that they prioritize taking a vacation. Damn near the entire country is closed during August.

So yeah, back to the title. I'm still collecting music & making new discoveries almost daily. I spent last Summer DJing car shows and got a lot of compliments. Having an encyclopedic music collection comes in handy. I really miss my SL sets, but things are so unpredictable now it's not worth the effort. We had started a remodeling project here, and my studio was disassembled. All the music & instruments as well as most of the equipment is in storage. Then another load hit the fan......  yep, project is on temporary hold. Meanwhile, I'm trying to change RL careers. Wish me luck. I look at it as an adventure, but it is time-consuming.

I did do an anniversary set at SR with Guen, and I suppose I should pop in & do another set soon. I have enough gear left to do that. I just don't have everything at my fingertips like before. Or my external mixer, pro mic, etc. Lil had me talked into helping out at a club she was working at, then she just poofed before I got a chance. Ack. If you read this far, thanks. I promise to Rock U soon!

Kelvinblue Oh passes

A great musician and great friend, Kelvinblue Oh, passed away in the early morning hours of 14 July. He was a fixture at FFH, playing monthly for over 2 years. In RL, his name was Kevin Navy and he really was "The Real Deal". Since FFH closed down, I had only been able to go hear him a few times but he was shredding the fretboard as always. The last time we talked at length, he told me he was taking a sabbatical from SL, preparing to move to Germany to be with Gwyn in RL.

Kev made it there, and resumed playing in SL, pleasing Blues fans everywhere. In fact, he played a set the day he died. Kev left us too soon, but he died happy, died doing what he enjoyed, playing the Blues. His music will go on, and I can definitely say he left his mark on the world.

They had a nice memorial for him at Blues & Brews, with DJs playing his tunes and several SL musicians doing a set. Kev touched everyone who ever heard him, and I'll miss him for sure. I never had a chance to book him into Rock U, but B&B plans to have a tribute every Sunday at 4PM, which was his regular set time. So next time you hear the Blues, think of Kev.... he's up there jamming with Jimi & SRV now.

I really need a TARDIS

Just realized I hadn't posted in damn near 2 months. No idea where the time went, suppose it got sucked into a wormhole by a stray bit of antimatter. Work has been hectic, to say the least, recently. I'm constantly amazed by the level of incompetence shown by management. I really have a hard time believing people can be that clueless and somehow manage to survive. Where's Darwin when you need him?

Rock U continues to grow steadily, folks are finding us through word of mouth. We've added some fantastic new DJs recently, so if you haven't been by in a while come check it out!! As always, the calendar is the place to find the most up-to-date schedule information.

I spun at SL8B last Tuesday, but canceled my usual Thursday & Friday sets due to scheduling conflicts with reality. I also did a Relay benefit at The Twisted Joint this past Sunday. I'm back with a vengeance this week, lots of new tunes in the queue, and of course no repeats!! Sometimes it's hard to believe I've been doing this for so long.

Oh well, seems my brain has had enough for tonight, just wanted to get a post up to let ya know we're still kickin' it loud at Rock U, and I'm still the Freakiest DJ in the galaxy!! I'm at Rock U Thursday 4-6PM SLT/7-9PM EST, and The Friday Freakshow is 3-6PM SLT/6-9PM EST Live at The Twisted Joint and at WitchezBrew.

Rock U Rocked You!!

Well, last Thursday we had the Grand Opening of Rock U.....and it seriously kicked ass!!! A whole bunch of folks crawled out of the woodwork, people I hadn't seen in ages....the music was awesome as always, and the build was complimented by everyone. During the sets, we added some new Staff, worked on the schedule, the usual. We have a web calendar so you can check event days & times.

Only open 4 days a week for now, taking it easy. Like every club, we have a need for hosties, so if you or anyone you know wants to host the best music on the Grid, let one of us know. The variety & excellence of the music is matched nowhere else....if you haven't checked Rock U out, make sure you do!!

New Venue Opening 5 May 2011

Rock U: The University of Rock & Metal officially opens its doors on Thursday, 5 May, 2011.

Ever since the Funeral Home closed, folks have been telling me how much they missed it, and that I should reopen. 10,000 clubs on the Grid, but none has the musical excellence & variety of FFH. I really wasn't looking to get back into the club business, they are a lot of work. A couple weeks ago, Injure Rogers got hold of me & Oz and proposed that the 3 of us get together & open a venue. We had a little Staff meeting about a week ago to talk about themes, etc. and came up with The University of Rock & Metal.

One of the saddest things I hear in SL clubs is the same, lameass corporate dreck that you can hear on any given FM station. Freakheim's motto, "It's All About The Music", is more than mere words, it's my mission in life. There is so much excellent music that most people never get the chance to hear. I opened Freakheim so I could play whatever I wanted, whatever I discovered that totally rocked, without worrying about playlists.

I'm not the only person who feels that way, and two people who have rocked with me from the beginning are Oz & Injure. We're out to make sure that the best music in the Galaxy gets heard...new bands, obscure bands, indies, SL artists, whatever....a lot of the old FFH DJ crew is joining us on Staff, so if you miss the musical excellence & variety from FFH, you'll get it at Rock U. To date we have Blitz Berliner, Guen, Martina, Bane, Twistmy & Vanguard joining Oz, Injure & myself.

Come on by this Thursday 5 May & check out the awesome build, (once again a scratch build by Kaedy), and rock with Oz from 2-4, me from 4-6 & Injure from 6-8. Poke the sign by the door for a group invite or ask one of us and we'll get ya enrolled!!

Friday Freakshow 25 March 6PM Eastern

Well, it looks like I'm at least able to remember to blog biweekly...I must be having fun, because time is flying by....already near the end of March, we've had a Supermoon, a few days of 80 degrees, pollen coating everything...Spring in the South!!! I'm just glad it stopped freezing, though it's still a possibility. It's so nice to not need a coat, to be able to dress comfortably & not be cold. Looks like the Abominable Snowmonster socked Toronto & the Northeast, they will have to fight harder to be free of its icy grip.

So yeah, the brain is thawing and I actually had a theme for last week's show. This week, nothing came to mind, so I filled the hopper with stuff I've picked up recently, old favorites, familiar tunes, and new indie tunes. Gonna have a free-for-all & see what sticks. If you've been listening for any amount of time, you know that I feed off of interaction, and steer the show while in progress. I did a set last Saturday completely on the fly, loading abut 3 or 4 tracks ahead and it absolutely rocked!!

It's really easy to get into the chat, just head over to WitchezBrew, click the "chat & listen" tab, and follow the instructions. If you're inworld, come catch me live at The Twisted Joint. Either way, 3 hours of the best music in the Galaxy is on tap, and Freakiness guaranteed!!! 6-9PM Eastern Daylight Time, 3-6PM Pacific Daylight Time, Friday, 25 March 2011.

Freakshow Time Again!!!

Yep, no matter how hard the forces of Darkness try, they cannot keep Friday from coming...and Friday means it's time for the Freakshow!!!! Hope you've all had a chance to check out the new chat, see instructions below if ya need hints. Come on over to www.witchezbrew.com and take part in the Freakiness!!! Or, if you're inworld, I'm live at the Twisted Joint!!! 6-9PM EST/3-6PM PST Friday, 11 March 2011.

Lots of new stuff in the queue, and of course your rockin' favorites. I'm busy as hell all week long these days, so I need the rockout as much as you do!! Still looking for new bands to promote, so if you're in one, or know of one, get the tunes to me and if it rocks, I'll spin it!!

Read a news story today about a Canadian hockey player...a PROFESSIONAL hockey player...who was upset at the ferocity with which he had been checked into the boards. The league decided the foul was not severe enough to suspend the offending player, so this wuss complains to the POLICE!!! This is the equivalent of running home & telling your mommy. I mean, come on!! This is HOCKEY FFS!!! If you can't take the checking, get the hell off the ice!!

And I thought our pro jocks were bad...we have real live ex-cons out there playing in the NFL & NBA, if you foul them I seriously doubt they're gonna file a police report. Might kick your ass in the parking lot....or steal your girlfriend.

Anyways, enough chatter. Come on out & catch the Freakiness and start your weekend off in style with the best music in the Galaxy!!!