Musician's Spotlight: Norris Shepherd

(this is an article I wrote a few months ago for the journal that folded...did I mention yet? GO SEE A SHOW!! ;)))

Friends of mine are well-accustomed to hearing me go on-and-on about the awesome live music scene in SL. Once I discovered that first performance, I was hooked, and my SL experience transformed. Every single time I log on, I begin with "Search" --> "Events" --> "Live Music" as I hungrily scroll down for my favorites. At the top of my list of favorites (damn the 25 group maximum) is the most talented farm boy/singer/song writer/homemade wine enthusiast you are ever going to meet in any Life, and that's Norris Shepherd.

According to his bio, Shepherd is a RL New Brunswick, Canada farmer who plays "an eclectic collection of songs including folk, pop/rock, Canadian indie and alternative, and sticks in a few original songs on occasion." Such a description, however, does not capture the magic of a Norris Shepherd show. The first thing you'll notice, besides the sexy, gravely voice and easy laugh, is a very imposing avatar wearing denim overalls, but no shoes. This outfit has become Shepherd's trademark, and if you become a member of his group, "Norris Shepherd and his Sheep Dawgs," you'll get a set of overalls absolutely free! I asked Shepherd where the overalls came from. Turns out that story is closely linked to how he ended up playing music in SL in the first place.

Like most of us, Shepherd heard a story in the news about SL, and curiosity brought him to the Grid. And again, like most of us, it took him much trial and error to find his niche in SL. He tried car racing, basketball, and even the club scene. The trouble was, he didn't enjoy the clubs, "the superficiality, the shallowness really drove me nuts" especially given his profile honestly states "A simple farm boy..." Tired of the club scene, Shepherd decided, on a whim, to see if there were pub-style venues that might cater to a different crowd. In that search for a pub, he found a listing for a live musician.

Upon rezzing (arriving) at this first show, he didn't realize it was truly a live performance--as in a real human being plugged into real sound equipment playing in real time. He laughed to himself that people would pretend to play live music in SL. Then, he got his audio adjusted and experienced live music for the first time in SL. That artist was another SL great, Harper Messmer, and as Shepherd listened to him perform, he found what he'd been missing in SL.

Shepherd's real life musical background includes being a self-taught guitar player, singer/songwriter, and garage band member. His experience in front of an audience was most often playing at parties while everyone gathered round to listen and make requests. However, because of his isolated RL locale, he'd not played guitar in nine years simply because he had no audience to play for. But the more shows he attended in SL, the more his desire to perform was rekindled.

His transition from audience member to artist began a year ago this month when he played an open mic party with a rented mixer and mics. Truly, that was only the beginning. These days, you can find Shepherd playing at least two or three shows a week. Most exciting for his fans, he's just released his first recorded song online. The track, "Sidekick" can be downloaded for free at http://www.norrisshepherd.com/Sidekick/Sidekick.html As for what the future holds, Shepherd intends to concentrate on his originals, with more recordings to come.

Shepherd loves playing in SL. His set list comes from songs he likes rather than songs he thinks are popular favorites, and his assumption (quite right, by the way) is that if he's having a good time, that energy carries over to the audience. "I want to have fun, and I want people to feel at home and welcome at my shows." He said one of the greatest compliments he hears is when someone says, "I saw you were playing tonight and was glad to see that. I had a rough day, and I really enjoy going to your show." Shepherd said heartfelt words such as those are one of the reasons he loves playing in SL because it gives him the chance to play for an appreciative audience, put a smile on someone's face, and make someone's bad day a little better.

Oh, and the overalls...a gag gift from a friend who knew exactly how much Shepherd disliked the vibe in the club scene--the same club scene that sent him in search of that pub--that allowed him to hear Harper that first time. Shepherd donned those overalls in the middle of a gig one night, and he hasn't taken them off since. Lucky for us, he keeps on playing in SL.

http://www.myspace.com/norrisshepherd