What a day…despite some unexpected schedule changes and a few little SL glitches (perfect for SL10B, don’t you think?), it was a lovely day at Ce Soir Arts and the celebration got underway. Due to RL intrusions (we all know about those), Russell could not make his scheduled reading. We are always saddened to miss even a moment of his beautiful work, but we certainly understand when RL calls. Besides, he will be in to sing on Thursday and read next Tuesday, as usual. So – at first – we just let that hour pass…

As the kick-off event for our leg of the SL10B By Us celebration, the simply stunning music of JordanReyne Deezul filled the castle with her trademark sound. Ethereal Celtic melodies sung in her beautiful and versatile voice wafted over a rhythmic base of industrial sounds to bring us more of her special brand of musical magic. Absolutely perfect for the theme of REVOLUTION, JordanReyne‘s music is larger than life. Even in it’s quieter, tender moments, it’s powerful stuff indeed! Dark themes of social and personal upheaval are woven throughout this marriage of cutting-edge electronica and industrial folk noir. With her newest album all but ready to mail out (28 June), JordanReyne is poised on the precipice of her craft, ready to take us all further into the intelligent beauty of her work. If you’ve not ordered your copy, run – do not walk – to BANDCAMP and grab The Annihilation Sequence. Do it now and don’t look back. It’s a masterful piece of musical history as this talented and innovative artist continues to astound. BRAVA JORDAN!

Inspired by Jordan‘s set (as we often are), Mireille and I decided to throw something extra in and see how it went. What a cool surprise we had in store! We sent out a few notices and dove into an hour of French Revolution poetry – with a smattering of some from the Romance era that followed on its heels. We had planned to do this, all along – at some point – but were just taken by the day’s events and decided that now was as good a time as any. That’s how REVOLUTION works – we just get to a point and act. At first, there were only a few in the theatre seats, but by about half-way through, there was a very nice group who had gathered. We were exhilarated and further inspired by this gathering and we read on… There will be more about this in a coming post, as we plan to do it again. Suffice it to say at this point that there was a little Jane Austen, some Keats, and a bit of Wordsworth to enjoy, for the influences of the French Revolution rang throughout the Romance period. We have much to say on this as it forms the base of our inspirations for Ce Soir Arts. I could go on, but…more on that later…

How to follow such a stellar day? What on earth could we do to put a definitive wrap on it? The music of QUANTAMIS NAVARATHNA, of course! Quantamis helped us celebrate SL10B with glorious music – covers and original songs that ranged from love ballads to tales of magic and wonder (with a little blue note that he slipped in!). This music touches the heart, and his flawless guitar-playing provides a lovely ground for every song in his romantic repertoire. His artistic versatility makes his set a lovely adventure as he shares a beautiful blend of acoustic folk, soft rock, alternative, Spanish classical and Renaissance romance. That hint of Texas charm infuses the whole with a certain je ne sais quoi that is very pleasing indeed. PERFECT for Ce Soir, Quantamis poured it on and it was a fabulous time enjoyed by all.

We thank everyone who came to enjoy with us as the celebration of SL10B continues! Get yourselves over to the big bash and seek out other local celebrations such as ours. A lot is happening on the grid and after ten years of virtual adventure, there’s a grand future that lies ahead. Let’s grab this energy and focus and go for it. Happy Birthday, SL!