Entertainment: The Live Music Club "Folkcafe"

For the lovers of live music events Edy Rau's "Folkcafe" in the German Grid is a Number One address to visit. Edy Rau is an old lad in the virtual worlds and started his virtual career way back in Second Life. But the best would be to let him tell his story by himself. The "Hyperzette" visited him and helped a bit by asking a few questions.

Hyperzette:
In the German Grid you host the venue "Folkcafe". Can you tell the readers what the "Folkcafe" is all about ?

Edy:
The "Folkcafe" is a free and non-commercial Online Music Project from musicians for musicians and their audience. It aims to promote musicians in a bigger scope than just local.
New musicians who never performed in Open Sim as well as known SL musicians enter the stage in the cafe.
The project was founded in 2006 in Second Life, but over the years it became an independent Open Sim project.
After some grid moves it finally found its home in the German Grid due to the fact of a stable and secure server technic, which is very important for such events.
The Ambiente of the club is the one you can find in English "Barns" or American "Country Music Halls". Explicitly no Club - or Disco Style.
The visitors of the "Folkcafe" are from all over the Hypergrid and there new ones coming to visit almost daily.
Lately new visitors are coming, who had no contact to Second Life or Open Sim before.
The "Folkcafe" is also a 24 hour meeting point. One will find chill corners, a gallery ( with paintings by Benoni at the moment), a jukebox with a music selection, a fully animated stage, a fleamarket with newbie goods, a "Beergarten", a Garden Cafe and the Viewing Platform Lollywood. An instrument store is in refurbishment.
You can have a scenic flight, a shuttle bus service a ferry and much more. Actually there is no time to be bored even when there is no concert.

Hyperzette:
Are you a musician and do you perform in your own club ?

Edy:
Yes I am and making music in the recent decades. I played in different groups and as a solo guitarist with my own program. Because I am not a singer, which may be important when playing online, I  only play in jam sessions. Sometimes I play some songs from my new RL solo program to good friends of mine.
My own musical activities are mainly in RL projects. Because of the number of musicians involved it is difficult to stream those into the virtual world.
I am working on a way together with a friended music duo to get it realized. But RL music comes always first to me.
See:
http://www.reverbnation.com/edyrau?profile_view_source=header_icon_nav
https://www.facebook.com/edy.rau
https://www.facebook.com/edy.rau.music
http://www.rauprojects.eu/edy/

Hyperzette:
Do you have other clubs in this or other grids ?

Edy:
No, the "Folkcafe" is work enough !


Hyperzette:
Is it only folk music you offer or other music genres as well ?

Edy:
Folk, Blues, Indie, Bluegrass; Newgrass, Jazz, Songwriters. The "Folkcafe" is open for almost everything.
Mainstream, Techno and Disco rather not but exceptions prove the rule.

Hyperzette:
Can you name a few artists who performed in the "Folkcafe" ?

Edy:
Some in alphabetical order from memory:
Acoustic Project 65, Babba Ballyho, Barakademi Barzane, Harizen, Laralette Lane, Lenny McCloud, Niles Compton, Mr. (Wolem) Wobbit, Pillowfish, Ope Beattie, Roger Paul Loon.

Hyperzette:
Visiting your Club, one often reads the name "Radio Nettetal". What is that all about and how do you cooperate ?

Edy:
For the live concerts we do cooperate together with "Radio Nettetal". This has the following advantages for the musicians:
- the concert is broadcasted to several hundreds listeners outside the "Folkcafe"
- The German GEMA and GVL  regulations are met by "Radio Nettetal". So musicians can play coversongs.
For further info see:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Radionettetal/
http://www.radio-nettetal.de/

Hyperzette:
Does the "Folkcafe" have a program and if where to find ?

Every first Wednesday of a month Roger Grandjean broadcasts his "Abstruses Dasein" in German language. It's something different, it's philosophical tinted with own music titles in between and to be heard on "Radio Nettetal".
Every second Monday of a month at 20:30 CET  11.30 am pdt friends of the "Folkcafe" meet for a chat about culture, interesting regions or other subject matters in a cozy atmosphere with live music.
For the future we plan on every second Wednesday a month to have a Jam Session and an open stage. But for this we have to get the technic ready first.
Every third Wednesday a month we have a live concert with RL musicians or already known SL musicians in cooperation with "Radio Nettetal".
And every fourth Wednesday a month our "housegroup" performs: "The Fabulous Wailers" with their licensed original "Wailer Tribute Show".

We do have a summerbreak for the live events in August til mid of September. Roger's broadcast and the chat ususally are going on and the "Folkcafe" is open 7/24 of course.

More infos to be found :
http://www.folkcafe.de/
http://www.folkcafe.de/login.htm
https://www.facebook.com/folkcafe

Newcomers and Hypergrid visitors are always welcome.

Furthermore you can subscribe the Newsletter at http://www.folkcafe.de/
Beside that every visitor gets four linked posters which will renew themselves latest after 10 hours when rezzed on own region.

Hypergrid:
From our time together in Second Life I know that you have build instruments. Are you still building instruments, what kind of instruments are those and how can one get those instruments ?

Edy:
In the past I have build a lot of instruments, but unfortunately I do not have the time at the moment. The store on the region is currently under refurbishment. But in the near future the instruments will be on offer again.
Enquiries can be made at any time. Instruments for live concerts are in stock.
Regular performing musicians in the "Folkcafe" who are looking for a reliable location for their Hyperverse activities may rent a little parcel in the adjacent region "Folkdelta" for free. I will support and teach them in the streaming technic.
We do have a studio at "Folkdelta" with a teststream to get familiar with streaming.
Due to special scripts it is possible for musicians from the hypergrid or to rehears in the studio or to perform in the "Folkcafe" without being a group member.

The Hyperzette:
Any plans for the future ?

Edy:
We plan to have a Jam Session and an Open Stage every second Wednesday of a month. It's a matter to get the new technics running smoothly.

Thank you very much Edy.

Interview partner for the "Folkcafe" : Edy Rau
For the "Hyperzette": zaphod Enoch


Destination:
German Grid Region Folkcafe
login.germangrid.de:8002:Folkcafe