NONGE SHIPMAN "Heartfelt"

by tracy serra

The other night I found my way to Z's Music Club to see Nonge Shipman. I was a bit late so I TP'd in right as he was starting.

When I arrived, Nonge was performing “Come What May” accompanied by his Acoustic guitar. After a short ‘Thanks for being here tonight’ Nonge performed “Walk on” then followed up with an original song called “Angels Fly”.

His billing says he is 32 and located on the east coast of the US and while new to the Second Life® music scene, is not new to playing or performing. Nonge has been singing 'since he could talk' evidenced by a strong voice blending well with his guitar playing. His bio says he has been playing guitar for seventeen years.

Nonge loves working the crowd and did so when launching into “Chemical Dreams”. I felt this song showed his mastery of the guitar. He next performed another original song called “Around” and then did a wonderful cover of “Hero” that had me melting.

Nonge gave us a little insight into his early Second Life® life when he spoke about going from being a DJ to a live performer. This lead to a parody song about Second Life® called “House of the Pixel Sun”. Another original song called “No Accidents” followed. I liked the way Nonge moved from song to song while taking a bit of time to interact with the crowd. He introduced most songs before performing which was good for someone like me who might not be up-to-date with the newer songs and groups. His set continued with “Make a Memory”, “Questions”, “Lighting Crashes” and a Tom Petty cover, all of which I sat back and enjoyed. He finished with “Wonderful Tonight” dedicated to his Second Life® partner as they celebrated their 14th month anniversary.

If you like a solid acoustic rock sound, with rhythmic driven music, catchy vocal lines, and heartfelt lyrics, spend an evening with Nonge Shipman.