Things I like about my Second Life: Komuso Tokugawa

Maybe it's like a first kiss: one of those things that lingers on in my mind, held closely amid an after-the-fact and imagined rosy glow...

The first live performance I ever attended in Second Life was a Komuso Tokukawa gig on the beach in Barney Boomslanger's awesome Lummerland. I heard about the event from my HermitGuild friends, and like many of the new experiences I have to come to look forward to in-world - I could not imagine why anyone would want to actually LISTEN to music in the metaverse. There was so much to explore! Not to mention a live music gig - what was up with that?

Well, after riding the Lummerland train, and crashing a few times on my way to the beachhead because of the number of folks on the sim for the event (an unfortunate and common occurence when he plays, I've come to learn...), I arrive just in time for Komuso's first song. This rockin' red robot avi takes the stage with his teeny buds: Beto san and Basso san... Ok - I've been seeing lots of strange stuff in here so far...

Then I get it: here's a regular guy, he's having a ball playing for us, chatting us up just like we were all really there just like an old friend in the neigborhood pub. Nothing artificial or contrived about it. And then I get something else: we are all really there. I was partying on the beach to great tunes with new, really great friends. This was the first time I had an integrated, "presence" experience in my then oh-so-wee Second Life.

I also recall a time he showed up at one of Tinkar's weekly "Girl Punk Hour" events. There were only 4 of us there: dancing and enjoying the tunes that Tink was serving up. In the course of the friendly chat we had with him, I learned that he was a totally approachable, down-to-earth guy. I'm not sure what was more suprising - seeing him pop-in at Tink's, or the fact that he was not an aloof celebrity after-all!

In the many times since then that I have attended Koumso gigs, I have never been disappointed. He consistantly delivers an authentic, foot-stomping, gritty performance that rocks the house, or beach or laboratory or deck or wherever else he happens to be playing. Although I've not kept close track of this, he seems to have gigs scheduled many times every week. And he consistently attracts some of the biggest, most diverse and interesting crowds I've ever seen in-world. In fact, his gigs have become one of my favorite avi snapshot opps.

This is Komuso shakin' his own little pixel butt to the sounds of another artist at the Quantum Labs last weekend. No pretenses - please!


So... here's to you' Komu! You rock my metaverse, and do it every time. You're my favorite in-world musician... and one of the things I like best about my Second Life.


Keep up with Komuso and see where he's playing next at http://music.sonicviz.com/