BALTIMORE, MARYLAND & THE OASIS CLUB in SECONDLIFE – Diminishing the boundaries of what defines “live” entertainment The Jazz radio show “Coffee & Pajamas: Gourmet Blend” takes place simultaneously in both a virtual venue in “Second Life”, and also in a real world lounge and restaurant in Baltimore Maryland.
Oasis Island is a ‘SIM’ (short for simulation) in the online virtual world of “Second Life” (http://www.secondlife.com/) The Oasis Club - http://slurl.com/secondlife/Oasis%20Island/93/62/43/ - has hosted DJ Elfay Pinkdot's jazz show “Coffee & Pajamas” since March 2006. Now her show from inside ‘the grid’ of Second Life, will also stream out & into a RL venue: a first in Second Life and perhaps in internet radio as well.
Coffee & Pajamas Jazz Show is on the air every Saturday 8am-10am SLT (short for second life time – which is actually PST) at Oasis Island 93, 61, 43 in Second Life & it also takes place at XS, 1307 North Charles Street in Baltimore, Maryland 11am-1pm(EST).
This is a FULLY INTEGRATED EVENT in SL (Second Life) and RL (Real Life)
The Restaurant XS in the heart of downtown Baltimore is a four-floor restaurant, bar, lounge, and café, boasting a sleek, industrial design, diverse menu, and a hip, relaxing atmosphere. It is highly regarded amongst the community and known as “the place to be.” It is a wifi hotspot, has DJs 7 nights a week, and has won awards including best sushi, best breakfast, best dessert (chocolate lasagna), and ‘best multi-tasking.’
The technologically needed to bring an event from inside a computer into real life is ahead of it’s time, but readily available. It is the collective imagination of real people, living thousands of miles apart, that really makes this an interesting prospect. An event from a computer screen that is really also taking place at a Baltimore coffee lounge? Well yes, and it’s happening Saturday mornings.
Here is how it works logistically: Derrick Stewart and Constance Bard (not real names – everyone in Second Life chooses both a first and last "nick name") own the virtual SIM " Oasis Island " in Second Life. On the island there is a nightclub (Oasis Nightclub). On this "parcel" of imaginary land it’s possible to "stream" live or prerecorded radio through a simple encoding system. Elfay, sitting in her RL home in the south of France , broadcasts her performance into Derrick’s in-world club & island.
An average of 30 or more listeners, each from their respective locations, log into Second Life and go to Derrick’s virtual venue to listen to Elfay’s “Coffee & Pajamas Jazz Show”, mix and mingle with the other attendees, and dance using their animated avatars. Oasis Nightclub, part of Oasis Entertainment Group, not only hosts Elfay’s jazz show but also has a cadre of excellent DJs that bring an eclectic flavor of music every week to the residents of SL. Oasis was a joint effort in concept and design by Derrick Stewart and Constance Bard, owners of Oasis Island , and Rozzilee Cassidy the actual builder.
Doubledown Tandino is the entertainment director for XS; he broadcasts the entire event into the Baltimore venue. The virtual event is displayed on 42 inch flatscreens and Elfay’s perfectly-selected eclectic jazz is broadcast throughout the restaurant’s sound system as well.
This is all in real-time: The virtual patrons of Oasis and the real patrons of XS all experience the event as a whole. The XS crowd can see the party, hear it, ask the DJ for music requests, and even interact if they choose to bring their own laptop computers.
On special occasions, Doubledown will pick up the music broadcast at 1pm (EST) and DJ from XS, while streaming a nujazz mix set back into Oasis Island in Second Life.
“Coffee & Pajamas” already has a strong following in-world (another SL short hand for “being” in Second Life). The creators of this event (all of them DJ’s in Second Life – which is how they all met) foresee a following that will grow in Baltimore as well. If XS can generate additional real-world business, customers, & revenue from this virtual world event, then all of the concepts of business & industry will be redefined as well.
The ultimate goal, first and foremost, is to push an incredible show and allow multiple ways to experience and enjoy the presentation. The vision for Doubledown Tandino, Elfay Pinkdot, and Derrick Stewart is to blur the lines of reality through live events, music, and entertainment.
The imagination and creativity behind this concept is new to a lot of people. It combines the best elements of Radio, Karaoke, Music, Digital Audio Streaming and Real Time VR.
Elfay’s DJ talent and love of Jazz, Derrick and Rozzilee’s in-world design and artistic skills, & Doubledown’s ingenious marketing, event planning and audio wizardry; all key elements of real life work and experience that met in Second Life, and now come into place for a weekly event that is a groundbreaking success.
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To request further information, pictures of the Secondlife event, pictures of the real life, or to request an interview, please contact via email: DJDoubledown1@aol.com
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