Wandering through Second Life I chanced upon the virtual Hotel Chelsea and was immediately impressed with the scale of building, the quality of the build, it’s myriad rooms, and simple but imposing presence. (Since then I have compared some details of the real life Chelsea Hotel in New York City with this replica and find the recreation is staggeringly accurate – even the lift breaks down, just like the real life lift).
I decided to rent a hotel room for a while and noticed the tag above my head proudly announced me to be a ‘Chelsea Bohemian’. Google educated me:
“Bohemian: A socially unconventional person, especially one who is involved in the arts.”
Okay. I can live with that. I like to think of myself as a little unconventional and I do want to support musicians and artists.
Making my way to the foyer I ventured outside to wander the streets surrounding the hotel. Wow! So many art galleries! Where to start? I was distracted by a group notice (being a ‘Bohemian’ has its perks) which alerted me that Rose Drop Rust was about to perform at the “El Quijote” and it was free. Where was El Quijote? I wandered back to the hotel and saw an awning with ‘El Quijote Restaurant’ branded on it just a few steps away from the hotel foyer.
Inside I found an enormous room with a stage on which an avatar was playing the piano and soulfully singing the old standard “Summertime”, no doubt the aforementioned Rosedrop Rust. The room was dotted with a number of people, some dancing as couples, many swaying alone and one diminutive bug eyed, chain smoking, lizard like blue creature grooving smoothly across the dance floor. This creature warmly welcomed me to the venue and checking the profile I discovered her to be Shyla, the Super Gecko, the host. In addition, she is an accomplished poet of note.
Meanwhile, Rosedrop Rust had changed from piano to guitar and was singing his heart out to a rollicking and idiosyncratic version of “Sympathy for the Devil”. I listened to all his set, impressed at his talent, professionalism and infectious enthusiasm. A large noticeboard close to the stage alerted me to upcoming live music events and also weekend poetry readings. I made a mental note to drop in and to also explore the neighboring galleries and shops.
My first day was warmly welcoming and somewhat of a revelation, and there’s clearly a lot to discover.
Join me?