New Group Fosters Stand-Up Comics in Second Life®

Tuesday, 11 November 2008 03:20

When Astrin Few, the founder of Live Music Enthusiasts (LME), wanted to connect musicians with Second Life® venues and fans, he simply created a group with that purpose. Established in 2005, Live Music Enthusiasts now boasts over 3,000 members with the shared goal of participating in the Live Music experience in Second Life®.

Ten minutes prior to the start of a performance, musicians and venue managers simply open the LME group chat window and post the current event, reaching hundreds of members online. As a result, dozens of interested and available people flock to the venue with a click of the mouse and join the audience.

As a member of LME, I recently opened the group chat to announce the start of a performance at Molaskey's Pub. At the same time, someone announced a comic taking the stage at a venue. In response, another member asked, 'Does he sing while he is making jokes?' The tongue-in-cheek comment was directed at the focus of the LME, being for musicians, not comics.

That was not the first time I noticed LME being used for announcing live comics in Second Life®. Albeit they both are live performances on a stage with a live audience in Second Life®, they are two separate genres of live performance. The conversation carried on for several minutes in LME chat and later in private chat. Stand-up comedy in Second Life® is just starting to emerge, but without the same kind of boost from a group as the musicians have, it will likely stay underground. There is no doubt, the comics of Second Life® need their own association.

Live Comic Enthusiasts was established following that conversation. Based on the successful model of Live Music Enthusiasts, Live Comic Enthusiasts (LCE) will connect comics, venues and fans of comedy in Second Life®. Second Life® has a comedic nature, with outlandish avatars, scenery and situations. It makes for a richer online experience. Live Comic Enthusiasts will attempt to share that extraordinary experience.

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