Music Review: Onehempcat Oldrich @ Puss ~N~ Boots

Second Life Live Music Review
Written by Enniv Zarf (RL: Paul Kwo)
Metaverse Music
Onehempcat Oldrich
Puss ~N~ Boots

Continuing my new artist type day of reviewing music I stumbled on Onehempcat Oldrich's guitar music concert. Onehempcat real name is Mike Majesty and has been playing in real life for over twenty years. Sounds promising here at least.

The best part of hearing Onehempcat is he just plays the guitar, electric guitar, and doesn't pretend to be a singer just to draw more people. And he's fantastic with his sound too and great at what he does.

Unlike the other solo guitarist I've reviewed here who plays more acoustic world or latin music, Onehempcat plays rock style instrumental music which I think is definitely a treat. I think I've had about enough of singers, way too many. I say trust your music, let it speak. If it's good, the good people will know and will come to you.

All of Onehempcat's music are...

...originals which really isn't that common in Second Life. Most musicians tend to do both covers and originals so it's very admirable to hear someone who trust his music enough to only do his and do them fantastically. It can be scary sometimes especially when they are all instrumental that you wonder if people are going to be interested in hearing them and stick around.

According to his profile, his backing tracks were all done by a good friend of his back in New Jersey where he lives. I hope this doesn't bar all the New Yorkers from going to his concert. But at the very least you wouldn't have to actually to be in New Jersey. Well for me I am an Angelino (Los Angeles), so New York, New Jersey are both good to me.

Onehempcat's music has a great rhythmic flare that really grooves along. His guitar speaks very well over the solidly laid backing tracks. The music are all very well put together and he really got his stuff together. The balance between everything and the sound choices of the backing tracks were all very effective.

When he does a pure solo on his trusty electric guitar, he is just a delight to listen to. His harmonies are refreshing, and he is just so laid back strumming along. Nothing is labored, everything is enjoyed just the way music should be.

The venue Puss ~N~ Boots is an interesting place for music. It's fascinating to actually see the different types of venues people come up with. The place has metal structure with stain glass windows by the ocean. Looking at an environment really does change the way you hear someone's playing. I would imagine if Onehempcat played at a smaller enclosed space the exact same works would have a totally different feel here. It's relaxed and loose and open here and it's like I was taking a walk down Venice Beach and stumbled on a pretty cool musician playing at a small amphitheater. There's a few people sitting at the nearby cafe tables listening and a few passerby taking a few minutes of their busy life to enjoy a tad bit of good instrumentals on a Thursday afternoon.

Onehempcat is a wonderful instrumental alternative especially for those of you who are totally uninterested in acoustic instruments playing classical or classicalesque (like me - I'm shunned by the elite classical community and unwanted by the rock music world) music. His electric guitar instrumentals are a great way to spend a relaxing afternoon where you just wanna lay back and unwind. And best of all you will never have to worry for him playing out of tune, cause it's pretty darn hard to do that on the guitar. Well Onehempcat is just good all the way around and I would definitely recommend him to everyone here.

Second Look Music Review: Thumper Boucher @ Red Rock

Second Life Live Music Review
Written by Enniv Zarf
Metaverse Music
Thumper Boucher
Red Rock
Original Thumper Boucher Review

This is the first second look I have been invited back to by a musician whom I didn't give the most positive review at first. So here goes...

The first time I reviewed Thumper was at Golden Horn where he was performing his funk style music. My thought was his music was good, very good, but his singing was not.

Thumper sent me his notecard telling me what happened that day, where he pretty much was having the worst day ever and I happened to stumble upon that. So Of course I am going to give him a second hearing. Now admittedly he did tell me that his singing isn't his strong suit to begin with, he's no singer. And so when he was having a bad day, his singing was the first thing to go completely berserk.

He also mentioned that he does a lot of visuals for his concert that was not at the other concert since he was having major real life technical issues.

So I teleported into his concert at Red Rock at 6pmSLT. I couldn't make his other concert time. Just as he said this concert had a lot of visuals that went along with his music. He also sang less too and played more. So this time it is definitely different then the first one and it's definitely much more enjoyable then the first despite the minor imperfection of his voice.

I won't spend the whole time talking about his singing cause there's really a lot more to Thumper then that so I'll just get it out of the way. His singing is definitely stronger then the other day, but there are still some minor intonation issues. This is especially apparent in his lower register where at times is a bit shaky. Though I have to say when he sings all the higher stuff, he's much more on and sounds pretty good when he is. I don't think Thumper is a bad singer, I just think he spends all his time with his instruments and mixing everything else he just hasn't fully 100% polished his voice. Thumper knows he's not a singer and this time it's much more minor and small enough that I can look the other way and enjoy the rest of the concert and everything else that's there, and there was a lot of things there. That's except for his piano/vocal rendition of Seal's "Kiss from a Rose." Well a lot of his bad singing has to do with when he's trying sing those soft stuff with that airy voice. He just doesn't have that in his voice. It only works when he sings solidly without trying to do all that falsetto and airy sound. It just comes off...well I'll just say...wrong. But when he screams and yells and sing with power, he's great! Breath support people, breath support!

Thumper's concerts are a complete experience with both original sounds and visual effects for every song. There are a good amount of variations that goes with his beats and funky harmonies that makes it work well enough to forget the minor vocal issues he has. Today he sounds definitely even better on all his other instruments. It totally is a different performance and one where I felt he was relaxed and comfortable and enjoying the performing himself. I can definitely hear the difference. We all have off days, and that's precisely why I offer the musician a second look. But hey I gotta keep them on their toes and not tell them what I'll review to make sure they deliver every concert just as good as their best one so you can enjoy them too!

I have to say I am really feeling his music and his sound. I really do like what he has to offer with his whole guitar and visual. He rezzed out a giant robot playing a huge drumset, and also a volcano at one point that was spewing lava. I do absolutely agree, why not make our Second Life concert experience something that's truly immersive. Though it is about the music, but it can also have everythign else that goes along with it. Thumper has a good bit of both.

Of course there are the purist out there who thinks all that razzle dazzle is just not right, and it takes away from the music. Lucky for Thumper I'm no purist cause if I am, I wouldn't be in Second Life. So kudos to Thumper for trying something different and giving us a visual experience too.

Thumper's visuals today really does create a fun atmosphere to enjoy a concert in so if you are planning to throw a cool looking party with some funky music that's well produced (since Thumper mixes all sorts of sounds into his music) and impress your friends a little with that, I think you may be able to consider Thumper. He does have some wonderful sounds and excellent music. His sets are very well produced and has great production value. But if perfect singing is what you are looking for, Thumper then isn't right for you.