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Since about 2005 I’ve been on a long journey, to prove to people that YES SECOND LIFE does have Great Music…and it seems these days, with all the different viewers and new users it just keeps getting harder and harder to find.  I received a notice from a popular group about a meeting in Second Life, with some of the Lindens possibly showing up….I received the notice several times, because they stressed HOW IMPORTANT THIS WAS…I arrived (after several hard core crashes) about 20 min after the time it started. There were several people standing around…and after several minutes they finally said “Meetings over, we’re in skype”…which means ??? The meeting is in skype and why wasn’t that announced, OR the person is in skype and just Too Busy to let me know…as a participant and interested musician….eventualy the person (not a linden) said “With someone else”……which makes me think WHY Was this message SO important to get out, if the meeting didn’t last more than….20 min? TOPS!   and the person that sent the Numerous messages, was no where in site. The One Linden that was there, didn’t seem to notice anyone else coming in, and the group messages showed a couple Messages of IT HAS STARTED BUT NO ONE IS HERE…….

That’s only ONE of the things we like to discuss in Second Life. THe meeting was to be about EVENTS Listings etc….music, diff tracks on music….must not have been that important.  And Music…ONCE in awhile I get a nice advantage to be able to listen to different music from different countries around the world.  Although I must say it is Most difficult … considering the current MESS that Live Music Events is, there are so many categories in one file….hardly efficient… yet it is how I check out music…since I have no intention of following EVERY Musician I like, there aren’t enough groups for that NOR do I want the spam…SO I use live MUSIC events, that’s what it’s for!  There are also several MASSIVE groups out there, Independent Musicians and Live Music Enthusiasts, both have been around almost as long as Live Music has been around. I was there when Live Music Just started..back in 2005.  THere were about a half dozen or so of us at the time……  Now, to find a Live MUSICIAN..is almost impossible.   Sooooo I’ve heard the 14 yr old on Karoke, I’ve heard the bathroom singers, the happy singers, those that NEVER play in Real life, those that do both, those that think they can sound just like Celine Dion, those that do country, folk, blues, humor .. i’ve heard it ALL, I truly have…..and my ears favor that one instrument and that one voice, but I LOVE some of what i’ve heard w ith backing tracks…and DJ’S!!! I know a fantastic dj who plays guitar as well as tells us the story behind various songs and styles, he is  brilliant!!! ( Christopher Lung aka Chriscloud loon in SL )…..

…So about 6 years ago (i took one year off) I started Naked AcoustiC Sessions, which is a showcase for Original Musicians…a very relaxed atmosphere where a songwriter/musician can experiment with their new material, tell the audience the story behind it, share some insight….even some Question and Answer moments are embedded in the conversation and music.  Some musicians do a cover or two because of the importance to the song….as it represents the story at hand…..And lately I’ve been looking into other aspects of Naked Acoustic…Naked COmedy, Naked Poetry, Naked Art….etc….giving US the audience and insight into the Mind of these talented souls….

I do this for a few reasons….Because I LOVE THE ARTISTS that perform at Living Room #13 for the Naked AcoustiC Sessions, and I love the vibe, the good ‘juju’ they bring, the melting pot of fans flowing from one musicians to another, the community that happens…. I don’t have dance balls, I don’t have games or exploders, because Naked Acoustics isn’t about anything BUT the Musician…and that is it. It’s not about the venue (although the venue completely focuses on music and art) it’s not about what kind of clothes people wear, or how many prims they wanna lag around with them, it’s NOT about managers or hosts..it IS about the musician. In fact, managers and hosts are encouraged to ONLY shout the artist out ONCE in the beginnng and ONCE in the end….for an hour set…..it’s just respect for the chat and the ambience that the Living Room #13 has always prided itself in.   Forcing Midnight is your best viewing experience…. Living ROom #13 Many of the Musicians that perform at Living Room have approached me to perform there, and almost every musician has asked to come back! Each week, someone new is added to the rotation, and there are 30 min sets and one hour sets….Some weeks we have a Large number of Fantastic Performers and some weeks we have a minimum of 4….My favorite part is, exposing different artists, to other artists, and to attract new fans to each various artist that steps up on that stage. It goes well, the feedback is wonderful and I continue to look forward to sharing my passion in music with other music lovers!!!  You can peek at the updates and musicians on FacebOok  http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_189287457767333 The Naked AcoustiC Sessions updates on this page often!!!

If you would like to donate to my project, which requires a generous amount of donations for the production of my upcoming CD as well as the maintenance involved in keeping this site running, my stream, broadcasts, guitar maintenance and fees that come along with the stream rental and music update….You can do that on the EVENTS 2 Page…..This site is undergoing changes and soon the Donation button which is used for CD sales as well as art…and of course simply because of your support will be better located.

Again, word of mouth is free, and the more you tell people what you hear and like about my passions of music and art, the bigger the web we live in, gets….So thank you!!!!!!!

ART is here…and I will continue to add to it!

http://suzenjuel.com/organic-style-art-for-sale-100-usd-shipping-included-original-art/

How do I even begin…First I’m just very grateful for so many things happening with the direction of my  music. I’ve learned, over time, that the BAR SCENE is a lot of fun, but it never was my style. One of my favorite places I’ve performed, was Eddies Attic in Georgia and I’ll tell you why, because it was focused on the Musician and their Original Works. This is so very very important to what I do…tell stories, lyrically charge up, create images, cause something to stir around.  So meanwhile, back here in Minneapolis, there are places I’ve played like The Loring Bohemian Cafe, and The Fine Line Music Cafe etc…All focused on the music, the musician, the art of it all.

As I have always loved this type of performance, I’ve still been getting bookings in local bars and also through my travels to other parts of the country. As the evolution of my career turns and twists, I’ve met some amazing musicians…. Steve Kimmel being one and Steve Crooks, being another, that I have had the pleasure of performing with, in my own home not all that long ago. Both such seasoned and accomplished musicians and both such an honor to perform with.  Since this, Steve Kimmel who also works with Heart of the Beast Theater has been generous in giving me two tickets to a show near the end of March, where I will have the honor of doing a very short performance.

The University Avenue Project

has been kind enough … due to the request of Wing Young to perform a 30 min set

at the Dancers Studio in St. Paul! 

REALLY looking forward to this, since I was asked to do this, a couple weeks ago.  One of the photos, featured my song “Don’t Let it Die”…in a series that Wing Young had featured in St. Paul, on a 40×40 foot billboard, along with other local musicians from the Twin Cities, and considering how many brilliant minds reside in this great city, it’s an honor to have been chosen.  If you are from the area, I hope you find a chance to make an appearance. I will be performing at 5:30pm….

I’ve been collaborating with musicians still, and still have several works in progress with Boris Van Luger that I’m looking forward to completing.  I am currently working on my latest CD as well….although funds are necessary, this is also a work in progress.  I do accept donations to help fund the release, the hard copies as well as getting the digital copies heading in the right direction, iTunes, Amazon etc…these things are not free. I would love to get into a studio at some point, and also I’m dealing with two very slow computers, and hard drives that are filling up very quick with the higher quality recordings I am doing in my home studio. I’m also paying for my website as well as my stream, so that I can broadcast. My guitars both need the frets redone and a few minor adjustments to keep them in good working order.  For those of you that have donated, you are such a wonderful help in contributing to what I Love Doing and what I have an insatiable desire to continue doing. Keep it coming, every thing has a place with my passion in life, and everything is in dire need of upgrades and repair from time to time.  You can donate anytime, just by going to my website Suzen JueL . We are also working on membership benefits, to those who care to do a monthly donation…I’ll keep you posted on that!

Secretly, someone informed me that I was a ‘preferred musician’ on the Second Life Grid. Now truth be told, I forget myself, often, and often feel frustrated with where my  music goes sometimes and where I perform. I was pleasantly surprised to find I was listed as ‘one of many favorites’….as well as 9 other FANTASTIC Musicians….it’s not a contest and it’s not about who is BEST, it’s just about being a favorite, for whatever the reasons may be. For example, I LOVE Grace McDunnough, one of the other favorites, according to the poll Hamlet Au who has been covering the SL Music Scene since I can remember.  Took me back to some of our first interviews, over 5 years ago!  SO if you get a chance to check the article out (linked on Hamlets name) and you’re feeling the love, feel free to give me your THUMBS UP!!! I appreciate all the support I get from my fans, and feel free to pass it on to your friends, I’ll never have enough fans, but I will always be grateful for everyone of you, your support has always been well taken and so much appreciated!

In all my years as a Musician, from pulling in a great income, to falling apart at the seams of my guitar strings…I’m beginning to see, at the point I am in my life…that the Virtual Gigs are a BONUS as far as earning at least half of what you’re worth, if that. However, at the point I’m at in my physical world, the one that surrounds my back yard, alleys and local flavors, I am again…..working on my new Emerging from the ashes of taking over a decade off…..to raise a family…so to say.

So in the past few weeks, I’ve done several local, live shows…in St. Paul and Minneapolis, for virtually nothing.  I’ve cancelled Virtual Online shows, in order to take the exposure to the local scene. I’ve been paid a total of $17.00. Yeah…for over 3 hours of performing!!! Maybe because I’m ‘again…new’….perhaps because I am solo, and no longer use a band (too much of a pain in the ass, to worry about anyone, other than myself)….So in my Studio, I sit in my Pajamas, guitar in hand, a cold drink on my desk…perhaps a burning cigarette (if it’s autumn)…and a Muse that tends to never sleep for days, or sleep for too many days, leaving me feeling useless, when I can’t produce new images, be it Paint or Lyrical Grooves…… Read more

I was a nervous wreck, the few days before hitting the stage at Wild Tymes . This Bar is MADE for live music…the tables and chairs are facing the stage, in nice little scattered corners, big comfy booths and a Wild Outside Cafe, right in downtown St. Paul!  . . . I started my drive to St. Paul early, because after 3 years of chatting with Tom, from the Whiskey Sournotes it was high time I met the man! So I finally got there…for those that know me, I have a CRAPPY Sense of direction, and Tom ended up meeting me at a gas station a few blocks away, since for some reason…my google maps was off…or I was… We sat in his apartment, in wooden chairs, across from each other with the perfect table, sharing some beers…our guitars in our hands…Tom is a Crooner…the kind of music, that no matter how the world might look to you or how down our lives can get….it’s instant happiness .. like christmas in a can, like Frank Sinatra sitting at the table…..it was incredible.  After a few hours….we got in our cars and I followed him to WILD TYMES and we had enough time for a quick bite…..Wild Tymes has a sandwhich with chicken and cucumber with this absolutely to DIE for dressing on it..with sage in it and feta cheese…WOW my mouth was dancing!!!   He introduced me to some other musicians…one who had a sweet cane that he used to walk with…..of course, my BATON twirling years (don’t laugh) came rushing back and I quickly found out after a half a dozen twirls…that it just wasn’t like it was, when I was 8….the cane went flying and as I picked it up, I hear a quiet applause from another table. I’m thinking ‘Ooo cocky eh?’ .. and as I turned to look….16 years came at me like a freight train as two room mates of mine from the past…sat there, looking Fantastic!!! I think I hugged them for half a moon….Eli and JoeL. Eli left for New York to pursue his acting many years ago, we said our goodbyes and his former room mate and I shared his old place, for a bit…they have not changed much over the years, Eli now an Instructor for Theatre …WOW!!! Both of them happily married with beautiful families….My head was spinning!!! Read more

I don’t even know where to begin, as once again I realize it’s been a bit of time since I’ve updated my blog. This often happens when life takes over and I get blissfully and wickedly wrapped and caught up inside it. I have spent the past 3 weeks preparing for one of the biggest events in a long time… the Urban Arts Event. http://www.urbanarts-tc.com/ which I was chosen to participate in. 30 Local artists were selected, some had 10 pieces involved, some had one, I had submitted 4 pieces and they chose 3 of them. Pretty great odds, but still, I was blown away and a nervous wreck!!! I had some amazing support from family and friends and people I’ve never even met, until that evening.  I arrived there early and I had asked Joe (one of the coordinators) if I could help and he put my friend and I to work right away. I was more than happy to be helping, as it gave me a first hand look at most All of the art that would be on display. Major amounts of space were used and hundreds of art work hung from various pieces of wood. After about an hour I finally got to my 3 pieces and we set those up as well, directly adjacent to the Jazz Band…which was the best ear candy I’ve had in a long time! The event began at 7PM and went to 1PM. I had come with a friend who offered to join me, however she wanted to leave early and said she would gladly bring me back to her place, and give me directions back so I could just hop in my car. Well, I’m a big hot mess when it comes to driving in unfamiliar territory, so to my major disappointment,  my safest option was to call it a night. Unfortunately I really didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye or thank you to anyone….it was just ‘time to go’….I swallowed my disappointment and decided it’s time to get a GPS, because the only person one can truly count on, is oneself. Lesson 1 was gladly learned and it feels really great to just rely on my own self.

The weekend went by far too quick in the cities, my friend and I spent a lot of time near St. Anthony Main in the cities…she’s a huge history buff and enjoyed filling me in on all the spectacular sights I saw, my camera in hand as I snapped photos, ate amazing food, had some great beers, some great laughs, and really great people watching!!! Being near the water has always been where I feel the most at home, as I was raised in a city that was surrounded by water (Upper Michigan). On Sunday Morning I went to pick up my art, thanked Joe (he and April Erickson..both amazing artists, were the coordinators for the event along with a couple other talented souls who also displayed their art)….I couldn’t thank them enough, and explained to them in so many words my quick departure…gratitude is key in my life, and leaving people without thanking them is not my forte…it’s not what I do.

Coming home was an incredibly welcoming experience, my art in the back of my car, next to my guitar….I had run into my very talented friend MJ Kroll who has a House Party this weekend (see my calendar) and asked if I would like to be a part of it….OH HELL YEAH…this girl knows how to rock the best of them. So a gig on Saturday Aug. 21′st…I hope if you are local, you can make it!! Also on Sept. 16th I will be performing a show at BAR FLY… information here… https://tickets.aftonshows.com/SuzenJueL You may purchase your online tickets there.  And while I’m at it, here are a few BIG DEALS that fans can do … to support an artist. POST the event on your myspace/facebook/twitter. Give people flyers to the event, word of mouth is so necessary. When You purchase the tickets for the show….you will be given fliers to hand out…post one at your job, your apt.building…anywhere. It’s SO Easy and well, I can’t do it all by myself!

This is the time of year, my soul soars and my emotions run strong and steady. I’m so aware of every thing that I see, and the core of my soul, is NEVER wrong. However, I have learned, not everyone is ok with my observations,…sometimes I hit the nail on the head so hard it makes my own head spin, not to mention the head of those around me. Knowledge is power though, and those that truly know me, know my soul. I have sadly learned….not everyone has the compassion to deal with such realities and well, that’s ok, I just don’t have any room for the ignorant of the world…they drain me with their need for constant explanations of themselves and their constant need to for petty attentions. I have also learned…in the most amazing beautiful way, I am CRAZY about the world and even though the people I sometimes surround myself, are often large disappointments, there are so many beautiful things around me…how could I possibly allow the black tar attitude of some, to ever stain my view…No way.  So today, as I’m feeding the birds, a hummingbird lands on my finger….perches there and drinks the  nectar I just poured. The sun rose today and the earth turned golden, the sun is brilliant and warm on my skin, my mother loves me with no conditions, my husband is my best friend ever, and would defend my honor come hell or high water and as each day goes by, I adore him more and more.  NOpe…the world is far from perfect, but it’s perfectly normal to me.

I am still submitting my art to local art shows, and my music to local venue’s. If you are local (FRom the Twin Cities Metro) feel free to pass my links along. But More than ANYTHING ELSE….As a great musician once wrote.. “Don’t let nobody drag your spirit down!!!”  For every one bad egg in your life, there are 11 more that are good, and don’t you ever forget it!!! Sometimes birds can still fly with tattered wings, sometimes babies laugh when we cry, sometimes the sting of the bee is what cures you.

Spread your heart….be compassionate…be loving….and never criticize what you don’t understand, because under that buzzing mound of stingers and bees, is the sweetest honey…and only those that dare prepare themselves for it, will ever know it’s sweetness.

PS . for those wanting Pickles from me….Let me know, I’ve got quite a few jars made!!! Sorry,but it’s not free! All ingredients are from my garden. Dill pickles…garlic, fresh dill…sometimes tumeric and curry…..You pay the shipping and donate what you want to…I’ll mail them to you  (juelresistance@gmail.com  for paypal deposit…put in your note PICKLES)

Wrote this song out of a general perception and point of view on how people tend to look at an artist…lots of word play…recently recorded song…thought I’d experiment with a recent video…ya know…maintain and all that lol Looking forward to your feedback! suzenjuel.com for Calendar and updates

Filmed at Rumours and Innuendo on April 30th 2010 suzenjuel.com Untitled #13

a live performance I did of Roadmap. This song can be found on my Untitled #13 CD on suzenjuel.com