ALEX PARSONS "Down Home Rock"

by julieanne rau

Twenty-three Second Life® performers have a star on Gia’s "Walk of Fame"; Alex Parsons is one of them. Having a star on the walk means you have performed more than once at Gia’s Fashion Cabaret. Alex has been performing since he was nine years old and being the front man for several bands over the past few decades he knows what is expected. As I watched and listened, I could tell Alex is old school, keeping it at a rock level. He’s comfortable with the crowd and takes the time to read what others are saying and react to them. Basically, he is a crowd pleaser.

.Laughing and joking in between songs he appears to be comfortable singing songs like "I smell sex" by Nirvana, albeit 2 octaves lower than the original. Alex struggles slightly with the higher notes and compensates by not singing at the same tempo of most songs. Personally, I prefer when an artist does this as it gets the best out of them on each song. Clearly his Nirvana song was the best of the night for me. I would have to admit that my biggest problem was trying to find out what song Alex was singing. Most of the time he never introduced the song by name and this left me wondering half the time, ok maybe most of the time, what song that is? It could be just me but my suggestion would be more song introduction by name and artist, or promote you if it’s an original.

Songs from Matchbox 20, Bob Schneider and Inxs are feathered in his one-hour show. His laughing is infectious as he interacts with everyone and works well at the venue where the owner was encouraging the crowd to try and make him laugh. This makes for an overall good experience as the hour show passes quickly. Perhaps it passes a bit too quickly.

Twenty-four people crowded onto the SIM to watch Alex but at its maximum were fifteen people there at one time. I think that live music is one of Second Life's® greatest assets for its members where usually a cover charge is requested in any other live real life music venue. Here is where I can not only listen to great music but I can also interact with the performers. Live music in Second Life® is more than just listening to music; it is a way to understand the performer as well. Something I hope never dies. I wish you all the ability to come to a live performance and witness this for yourself.

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Bottom line, it may be a generation gap that I’m suffering or maybe its just first impressions but I wasn’t melted away but I wasn’t turned off either. I think he is the type of performer that I need to see a few times before I can give an honest review. I’m going to seek him out again and maybe try not so much to analyze the music, as try to enjoy it for what it is. Down home Rock!