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Live Music and Album Party at SL6B

June 27, 2009 – 6:11 pm

Netroots Nation at SL6B

Netroots Nation in SL has a booth at SL6B this year! SL6B is Second Life’s 6th birthday celebration, which takes the form of an expo covering 20 regions in SL and showcasing the work of over 300 exhibitors. The festivities officially run through June 29th, but the exhibits are open until July 6th to give everyone time to explore.

Last January, Revpaperboy Boozehound and a bunch of like-minded musicians who are members of Netroots Nation in Second Life put together an album compiling some of their favorites among their own performances, and named the result “The Revolution Will Be Streamed.” The album is available as an MP3 download from Amazon.com and on U.S. and Canadian iTunes, and proceeds support NNSL.

Live Music and Album Party!

On Sunday, June 28, we’re celebrating “The Revolution Will Be Streamed” with live music and an album party at our booth in SL6B. Zathras Afarensis will be performing his “Zumbro Valley” from the album and several of his other favorites, and we’ll be streaming the album itself. Join us from 3pm - 4pm SLT for dancing and music!

The Revolution Will Be Streamed

Roisin Hotaling | NNinSL | Comments (0)

A Soldier’s Peace, A Documentary Premiere in Second Life

June 19, 2009 – 3:03 pm

(Courtesy of Zathras Afarensis)

To date 4,311 men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces have perished in a 6-year war on foreign soil in Iraq.

For many of us, the ever-increasing count of American and Iraqi dead has been a central fact driving our political lives since it became clear that Bush was intent against all reason on pursuing a preemptive misadventure in Iraq. It is what drove us to the blogs, to march and to protest, to speak out.

For those in Red States, where opportunities to voice opposition with any real effect have seemed too few and far between, few examples of principled dissent have been more inspiring than that of Sgt. Marshall Thompson, who–on his return to Utah from a year in Iraq as an Army journalist–undertook to walk the state’s length to talk with everyday Utahns about war and peace. The award-winning 2007 documentary A Soldier’s Peace by Kristen and Marshall Thompson chronicles his remarkable 500-mile journey into activism.

Netroots Nation in Second Life and Virtually Speaking are very proud to announce the Second Life premiere of this simple yet powerful film.

The image above is of the Iraq War Memorial the NNSL team have built on Netroots Island in Second Life, with one simple, unadorned marker for each fallen son or daughter. Although the virtual land, the markers, and the Arena exist only as binary digits in a database and pixels in phosphor, the effect of “walking” through the memorial display is powerful and sobering.

The memorial is right next to Netroots Nation Arena, where we will be showing A Soldier’s Peace at 5:00 pm PDT on Saturday, June 20. So we invite you not only to see the film, but also to arrive early and walk through our memorial, a labor of love in its own right. Following the film, Daily Kos’s own CS Kendrick (known to some of us CS Kappler, one of the hosts of the Second Life interview series Virtually Speaking), will interview Marshall Thompson, after which, in our usual Second Life style, we will retire to one of our favorite SL hangouts, the Lonely Yak, for live music and a DJ.

Thompson’s own solitary labor of love was met with official resistance before it even began. From Atkinson on Film’s review of A Soldier’s Peace:

Upon learning of Thompson’s plan, state officials initially insisted that he must obtain a permit for his walk, then not only did these same officials deny his application, but also told him that if he started on his roadside walk, he would be arrested “because his walk would have no purpose” (i.e., akin to a vagrancy charge). His attorney father-in-law, collaborating with ACLU lawyers, persuaded the Utah Attorney General to permit Thompson’s peace walk rather than face litigation on violation of his First Amendment rights. The AG capitulated, and Thompson set out, with one friend, early on a rainy morning, October 2, 2006, with his backpack and rain slicker.

For more information about the film, visit its official website at A Soldier’s Peace, and to find out more about our co-hosts, visit Virtually Speaking.

If you hope for an end to this war, if you pray for peace, we hope you will join us in Second Life at Netroots Nation Arena.

Roisin Hotaling | Activism, Exhibitors | Comments (0)

Netroots Nation 2009 is Fast Approaching!

May 11, 2009 – 12:24 pm

When our elderberry leafs out and begins to block the path through the yard, it isn’t just time to sharpen the pruning shears; it also means summer is right around the corner, and with it, Netroots Nation! This year, the progressive community will descend on Pittsburgh for the fourth annual Netroots Nation conference, taking place August 13-16, 2009.

Not everyone can travel to Pittsburgh, but you don’t have to miss out on the party. Netroots Nation also occurs in Second Life, running concurrent with the conference in Pittsburgh. You don’t even have to leave the house, and you can still connect with like-minded folks from around the globe. In addition to live streaming sessions from Pittsburgh, there will be Second Life-only events and interactive events between the two gatherings. Bring your avatar to Netroots Nation Island, participate in the discussions, dance to the spinnings of DJs Dano Bookmite and Zathras Afarensis, and visit the booths of Etopia and Jackson Street Books.

Don’t have an avatar? Join Second Life, then join the Second Life group Netroots Nation. If you get started now you’ll have time to get up to speed on the unique opportunities in Second Life before the conference. Check out the schedules at Cafe Wellstone and Virtually Speaking and choose some events to attend. You’ll find lots of friendly folks ready to help with avatar customization, places to visit, and how to get around in the virtual world.

Netroots Nation in Second Life is organized by a dedicated team of volunteers, and is supported by contributions. To donate, click the link on this website or drop by Netroots Nation Arena in world and add some lindens to one of the donation jugs. We’re in the throes of planning right now and welcome additional volunteers, too!

And if that isn’t enough, you can follow us on Twitter and join our Facebook group! See you in Second Life!

Roisin Hotaling | For New Residents, NNinSL, Netroots Nation, Official Stuff, Second Life | Comments (3)

The Revolution Will Be Streamed

February 21, 2009 – 10:22 pm

The Revolution Will Be Streamed

ON SALE NOW!!!

The Revolution Will Be Streamed

The MP3 album is finally available on Amazon and on U.S. and Canadian iTunes.

A killer collection of 14 tracks of folk, funk, rock, salsa, dance pop and country, The Revolution Will Be Streamed is a cooperative effort by musicians and political activists coordinated by RevPaperboy Boozehound, with a lot of help from a lot of people.  The entire album will be streamed for the next few days on Radio Woodshed.  After that, you can go to the Amazon site and listen to free samples. And if the Radio Woodshed stream is down, you can go listen to the it at Jesus’ General’s joint (His inner Frenchman did the cover art).

All the money raised from the sale of the MP3s, available now at Amazon.com and iTunes,  will go to support Netroots Nation in Second Life.   Netroots Nation in Second Life makes it possible for hundreds more to attend the convention online by streaming the various speeches and workshops in Second Life. The massive Second Life effort run simultaneously with the real life event also affords the opportunity to do the sort of networking the convention is intended to foster.

Liner notes

As the famous anarchist “Red” Emma Goldman may or may not have said: “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be in your revolution.”

There are few things more popular in Second Life than music and dancing. After all, in a virtual universe, we are all young and fit and we can all dance like the genetically cross-bred children of Martha Graham, Fred Astaire, Alvin Ailey, Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson and Gypsy Rose Lee. But while we dance, we talk, and as often as not, we talk politics.  And you can’t dance without music, whether it’s the hot salsa of Los Gatos, the sunny folk-funk of Richard Maynard-Langedijk, the brooding, country-flavored power-pop of Calliope’s Radio or even the off-beat satirical stylings of Billy Bob Neck — it’s all here.

The proceeds from this album will go to aid Netroots Nation in Second Life in its efforts to support progressive politics through online activism, networking, advocacy and work on behalf of progressives running for elected office. We are grateful to the artists for the donation of the their inspiration, creativity and hard work. And to you, the listener for contributing to this worthy cause.

Special thanks to all the artists who contributed, Gen. J.C. Christian, Jillan McMillan, Jane2 McMahon, Rocky Torok, Michele Mrigish, Jackson Street Books, and all the regulars at Cafe Wellstone, the Lonely Yak and the Red Zeppelin.

The Revolution Will Be Streamed
1. So Glad - Richard Maynard-Langedijk
2. My Strange Love - Brian Lillie and the Squirrel Mountain Orchestra
3. Super Evil - Spoon Spatula
4. Arianara - Los Gatos
5. Hank Paulson’s Blues - The Black Tie Martini Club
6. Gimme a Job - the Extras
7. Jesus: The Anti-Rap - Billy Bob Neck
8. Endless Night - Richard Ainslie
9. Zumbro Valley - Zathras Afarensis
10. One More (Land of Beginning Again) - Katherine King Segal & Charlie Brown
11. Watcha Gonna Do? - Golgotha
12. Rachel’s Song - Scott & Michelle Daiziel
13. Samba Do Sueno - Pete Siers & Los Gatos
14. Darker, Longer - Calliope’s Radio

Who is on the album? Who are these wonderful, talented and generous people who have given their time and creativity (and royalties) up for good cause? I’m glad you asked.

Richard Maynard-Langedijk
This singer-songwriter-guitarist-producer, who has been a stalwart at the Hillside music festival, operates out of a fortified compound in Guelph, Ontario.
Brian Lillie and the Squirrel Mountain Orchestra
Brian Lillie is a folksinger from Ann Arbor, Michigan who has been playing guitar and writing songs for over 20 years. He has performed in everything from loud, weird rock bands to sufi-inspired dance groups, but his first love has always been simple, heart-felt acoustic music. Other works include Rowboats and Good Luck Fire Chief
Spoon Spatula
Better know in Second Life as Spoon Dastardly, the most dastardly spoon in Spoontown and King of all cutlery. “Super Evil” is about a terrified pedestrian walking through dark city streets while fruitlessly attempting to project the false image that he, himself, is dangerous.  Written in Hollywood, CA, in 1994 as part of a collection of songs about Los Angeles.
Los Gatos
This Michigan-based Latin Jazz quartet has a pair of albums to its credit: “Cats Got Your Tongue” and “Insight”. Los Gatos plays weekly at the Firefly jazz club in Ann Arbor as well as in numerous music festivals. They have been together since 1997. “Samba Do Sueño” was originally released on Insight and the previously unreleased “Arinañara” was recorded at the Michigan Jazz Festival in 2007. Check them on video here
Black Tie Martini Club
Lead by Second Lifer and podcaster extraordinaire Caleb Bullen.  Sadly, the astounding podcast which can be found here or on itunes, is on semipermanent hiatus, though the management is still throwing fans an occasional bone. Thankfully, we still have the archives.
The Extras
Terrific Canadian band from back in the day, best known for their paean to contraceptives “Circular Impressions” — more can be learned here and here.
Billy Bob Neck
A fine upstanding conservative Christian man who’s Hour of Being Good is a beacon in the darkness for us all.
Richard Ainslie
A mysterious man of mysterious talents who intends to keep it that way.
Zathfras Afarensis
Network geek? Raconteur? Rootsy, eclectic Second LIfe DJ with a KT Tunstall fixation? Minnesota-born folk singer and occasional songwriter? Guilty, on all counts.
Katherin King Segal and Charlie Brown
Katherin King Segal is a singer-songwriter from New York who is now based in Los Angeles. She teamed up with veteran studio guitarist Charlie Brown for their 2006 album Land of Beginning Again. And she is very understanding (we hope) about rookie producers who spell her name wrong.
Golgotha
Goth-tinged rockers featuring Second Lifer NTropy Sellers, “I’m not sure who this band is but they have great shoes.”
Scott and Michelle Dalziel
Amazing husband and wife team who are much in demand musically in both first and Second Life. The fresh and soulful sounds of Scott and Michelle’s voices, combined with their high energy performance, memorable and meaningful songwriting, and instrumental finess, put them in a category all their own. Said to have more sound than two people should be allowed, they cannot be confined to acoustic the Rock or Folk genres, as they continue to branch out intoThey R&B, Jazz, roots, and Blues. The duo were Kerrville Folk Festival finalists in 2004 and 2007, and they were selected as a featured artist of the month in 2008 by Folk Alley, one of the leading genre radio stations. Their 2007 CD, Thinking Out Loud, hit #12 on the International Folk charts.  They are also very understanding and forgiving of rookie producers who spell their name wrong in liner notes (we hope).
Calliope’s Radio
Formed in mid-2006, Calliope’s Radio is the dazzling product of many musical backgrounds, stories and styles.  With Dana Komer’s soaring vocals fronting a dynamic band, Calliope’s Radio recounts haunting, beautiful and instantly classic musical stories.  These Kitchener-based musicians are capable of capturing the audience with everything from Joplin-esque and Sheryl Crow alt-rock infused hooks to aching country-steel ballads, reminiscent of the Cowboy Junkies.  Calliope’s Radio is melody at its finest.
Special thanks to RevPaperboy Boozehound for putting this album together
Jillan McMillan | NNinSL, Socials | Comments (0)

Thank you

January 26, 2009 – 5:13 pm

Our Inauguration Celebration was a big success!  Thank you to everyone who attended; the best part of the day was sharing the moment with the more than 130 people gathered together to watch President Obama take the oath of office.

We had a fantastic write up at New World Notes - check out photos and interviews from Netroots Island.  Also, IllClan Animation Studios posted a great video report of the Inauguration here.

A special thanks to all who helped bring the event together: Michele Mrigesh, Jane2 McMahon, Shinigami Kayo, Roisin Hotaling, Trouble Streeter, GenJCChristan Homewood, Rocky Torok, Dano Bookmite, Vex Streeter, BookemJackson Streeter, Skal Paulse, SmittyGal Torok, Zathras Aferensis, Hypatia Eames, Aerik Forager, Moose Griswold, Witchy Whitfield, Spoon Dastardly, Dimawa Capalini, Sinsaber Holgado, Marisela Bouchard, Spokane Skytower, Gamma Infinity, and countless others who lent a hand, offered moral support, and donated Lindens.

Jillan McMillan | Diary | Comments (0)

Celebrate the Obama inauguration

January 10, 2009 – 5:12 pm
Netroots Nation in Second Life Inauguration party

It’s the dawning of a new day and we’re throwing a party!

Netroots Nation in Second Life is celebrating the historic inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20th.  Join us on Netroots Island as we mark this historic event in American history, honor those  who helped make it happen, and celebrate the victory of hope.

Schedule of Events - all times listed are PST

8 am - 1pm: Live streaming of Inaugural events
Netroots Main Arena - SLURL
Netroots Annex Arena - SLURL
1pm - 6 pm: Live music from some of Second Life’s best performers
Netroots Main Ballroom -  SLURL
6pm - late: party at any of 3 inaugural balls on the Netroots islands
Red, White, and Blue Formal Ball - SLURL
Americana Ball - Blues, Americana, Country music - SLURL
USA Rave - Techno, hip-hop, 80s  - SLURL
In addition to the streaming and music, we will have art displays and information about President-elect Obama throughout Netroots Islands.
Jillan McMillan | NNinSL | Comments (1)

New performer added!!

December 18, 2008 – 11:00 pm

**Edit:  Kelvinblue Oh has been rescheduled for 5pm**

Netroots Nation in Second Life is thrilled to add another live performer to our Music Marathon line up.  The amazing kelvinblue Oh will be performing at 4 pm 5 pm on the ballroom stage.

**Website**
http://www.myspace.com/knavybluesontherun

**Youtube***
You can view movies of Kelvinblue Oh playing in Second Life on this page:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=kelvinblue+Oh

It ain’t the blues if you ain’t paid the dues.” Born in 1953 in Houston, Texas, Kevin got his first guitar when he was 9 years old. But Kevin’s epiphany came one day when his father grabbed his guitar, wanting to play. Then he took a bottle and started playing slide and when Kevin heard that, He told himself, ‘Man, that’s what I wanna do.’ And it’s what I’ve been doing since.” From his very first band , Blues on the Run, to his incarnation in the virtual world of Second Life as solo bluesman Kelvinblue Oh, Kevin has been faithful to his music, earning him the the title “The Real Deal” from a loyal and still growing army of fans. Kevin came under the spell of some of the greatest influences like Albert Brooks, Jimi Hendrix, Lynnyrd Skynnrd and ZZ Top-style.” From the early 1980s, Kevin earned a name as a guitarist of the unique Zydeco sound. Through that decade and the next, Kevin would play guitar in several Zydeco bands, even touring England. From 1991, he spent five years with Step Rideau’’s Zydeco Band, with whom he played several US cities and cutting three CDs. A friend invited him to try out what was then a still little known virtual world on the Internet. “I came in, but there werent many ppeople there, so I left,” Kevin recalls. About a year later, he decided to give it another try and returned to find Second Life the phenomenon it is today. The friend, Jenzza Misfit, “helped set me up and then let me play and I’ve been doing so ever since.” While much about Second Life, including the live music scene, is about experimenting and pushing the limits, Kevin, or Kelvinblue Oh, and his beloved Fender Strat, Miss Blue, have proven that even in this virtual world, it is still soul that counts. From lowdown roots blues to boogie woogie to flaming covers of his idol Hendrix, Kevin has become a real star in Second Life, which has allowed his honest performances and down home humor to instantly connect him with an international audience that knows and holds on to real talent when they see it. And most everyone who watches him knows his many original songs by heart and “sing” along with him. It isn’t unusual either for someone in the audience to say they’re jamming along to Kevin on their own guitars or keyboards or some other instrument in RL or real life. Kelvinblue Oh, international music star.

Jillan McMillan | NNinSL | Comments (0)

Netroots Nation in Second Life Rocks the Inauguration!

December 16, 2008 – 7:21 pm

NN in SL inaugurationMark your calendars for January 20th as Netroots Nation in Second Life joins the celebration of the historic inauguration of President-Elect Barack Obama.  We are having a day long party on Netroots Island in SL featuring live music, art, and live streaming of the Inauguration.  We will post more details in upcoming days.

But first…..

Saturday, December 20th is an all day music marathon at the Netroots Nation ballroom to raise funds for the Inaugural bash and for our other upcoming Netroots Nation in Second Life activities.

The party starts at 1pm with the brilliant live musical performers Pillowfish, followed by BlindBoink Parham.

After the live performances, djs Rocky Torok, Dano Bookmite, Rodolpho Teardrop, Jane2 McMahon, Zathras Afarensis, and Revpaperboy Boozehound take over and will keep the music playing until 10pm or when the last dj falls over.  We will have contests and give aways all day.  Don’t miss the party!

Join us at the Netroots Nation ballroom - SLURL to Netroots Island

About Pillowfish:

http://www.pillowfish.co.uk/

Bohemian art-folk duo Pillowfish are eclectic yet cohesive, combining folk traditions, political song, accomplished musicianship, and a distinctive delivery.

Lyrically sparkling original songs featuring Tom Drinkwater’s acerbic vocals and intricate bouzouki, and Helen Bell’s inventive violin and viola countermelodies.

“a distinctive originality … intriguing songs are twinned with constantly moving melody lines that belie the well crafted care and attention to detail at the core of the duo’s work … stimulating, inventive and rewarding” - Rock’n'Reel magazine

“immediate and markedly individual presence … nobody else on the current scene sounds quite like them” - David Kidman, Netrhythms

“Great songs, played superbly with intrepid musical skill and liveliness.” - Kath Tait

“a really great sound and terrific musical interaction” - Al Parrish, Tanglefoot

About BlindBoink Parham:

http://www.mick-martin.com/

Mick Martin is an acoustic guitar solo artist. He plays “Traditional American Folk”, music on an acoustic guitar. The styles that Mick plays include “Country Blues” and “Appalachain Folk” music. Mick has shared the stage with Sonny Terry and Brownie Mc Gee, Bill Monroe, Keith Whitley, Tom Rush, Noman Blake, Robin and Linda Williams, Barbra Mandrell, Vince Gill and many others in the music industry over the years.

As a child in Appalachia Mick Martin grew up listening to the mountain music that was a natural part if his surroundings, which is evident in his unique sound and guitar picking style - it’s true “Country Blues”. Mick’s mom was a singer. Her one sister a harmonica player and the other a guitar player and singer had played on the radio as a trio. Other close relatives who lived in the deep and rolling hills of Appalachia played the fiddle and banjo while calling square dances. Mick’s aunt ,who is 89 years old, still sings “Old Southern Gospel” music as she did in church more than 80 years ago. As a young adult Mick traveled around the country playing music, supporting himself financially by performing as both a solo act and with a band. He also has a passion for teaching and taught “ACOUSTIC GUITAR” for several years at “The Music Emporium” which is now located near Boston, Mass.

On his new album titled “Revelator” - Mick Martin has reworked old blues and jazz songs by the likes of Son House, Mississippi John Hurt, and Blind Willie McTell. Musicians of this kind are quite a rare breed today. They played with true emotion, and played because they loved to. They had no ulterior motives, no hopes of glory and fame… they played the blues.

It takes someone special, someone that has lived a particular type of life - to relate to this type of attitude and rewrite music of this kind while maintaining its integrity. Mick Martin has done just that.

Jillan McMillan | Diary | Comments (0)

Meet Netroots Exhibitors: Etopia

July 20, 2008 – 3:36 pm

Etopia Island in Second LifeHave you noticed that we have a little piece of Etopia right here on Netroots Nation Island? This is just bit of what you can expect to find atEtopia Eco-Village and Etopia Prime Plaza, inworld experiments in energy and social sustainability. Etopia is a showcase of real world solutions and a really lovely place to live, work, and visit.

Drop by the booth to pick up a great book on Etopia. This is a book you drag to the ground and read. If you are new to Second Life, do this where one of the Netroots Nation mentors can help you.

In your box of Etopia freebies, you will also find a bamboo bike. Ride this around Etopia Island or Netroots Nation Island. Here’s my little secret. I also fly this bike around my home island because I think it makes me look like the wicked witch of the West. But that’s just me.

Jane2 McMahon | NNinSL | Comments (0)

Meet Netroots Exhibitors: Librarians of Second Life

July 20, 2008 – 2:48 pm

A lot of professionals have found that Second Life provides an easily accessible venue for professional networking. The 800 Librarians of Second Life have found this. Individual libraries have buildings and hold events and training. Some even have digital and e-content and answer virtual reference questions. If the Google doesn’t know, surely an avatar librarian can help you. A global team of librarians is ready to help you any time in Second Life.

If you time it right, you may even find a librarian at the Librarians of Second Life booth at Netroots Nation in SL. Catch Sonja Morgwain, and she will help you out.

Lumi Ihnen | Exhibitors, NNinSL, Second Life, Word from Our Sponsors | Comments (1)