RIK ON ROCKING IN THE FREE WORLD

When he wasn't keeping track of the latest and greatest SL events for NWN, Rik Riel hit a club in New York's Tribeca district to catch an ambitious mixed reality concert put together by longtime in-world DJ  and impresario Nexeus Fatale.  Rik's review is decidedly, well, mixed:

"I'll have to think about how a projection of an SL environment into a real world space could be done in a way that enhanced the experience for the RW audience... I have to say it was a bit distracting seeing the avatars dance on the plasma screen monitors while also attending to the flesh-and-blood musicians playing their hearts out onstage."

I have to say, this is also my impression with shows that incorporate SL-in-RL: given the choice between participating fully at the event or gawking at Second Life, the audience almost always chooses the latter. 

A few months ago, for example, I co-hosted a Creative Commons mixed reality party held at an Internet music start-up, and was amazed at how quickly all the Mission District hispters stopped chatting and dancing to stare at the projection of SL on the wall.

This isn't an absolute hurdle, however, I just think the appropriateness of integrating SL varies from band to band, depending on the kind of stage presentation they're aiming for.  As it happens, I caught a great live show of SF cult band I Am Spoonbender last Friday (my pals the Cook brothers were guest musicians), and the band already incorporates a lot of multimedia in their show, with the performers often receding in the background so the audience can concentrate on the music and the video clips being shown on the screen above them.  An act like that would make for an ideal marriage with the metaverse.

Anyway, check out all of Rik's insights (including pictures) here.

Comments

[Alastair Chamerberlin]

wow...I have heard about seeing SL on a larger screen. that must be incredible!! totally like a window into another world.