Droppin The Stream

https://harlowsblog.wixsite.com/droppingthestream/post/clairede-dirval-surfside-hideaway-20-05-21 

• Jase

Clairede Dirval @ Surfside Hideaway - 20/05/21

This morning started off much like any other, and as I was waking up and looking out the window of my new office and thinking about what I needed to do today, it jumped into my head that I had finally reached the day I was going to blog Clairede Dirval!  The day turned from "normal" to excitingly special in the blink of an eye.

My good friend, Tone Uriza (see my previous blog for him at Seduction Blues) had introduced me to Claire a couple of weeks prior, and I had caught the tail end of a set and then chatted with her for a while afterward. She's a wonderfully down to earth person, full of humour and warmth, and she's been entertaining audiences in SL since 2008.

I went to see her at Surfside Hideaway, one of the longest running musical venues in Second Life. Founded in January 2009, owned and operated by Desirae Beaumont, Surfside has become known for promoting excellence in live performing artists. It's a unique venue, providing a gorgeous tropical setting for live performances, private parties, beach and surfing aficionados, and lovely gardens and romantic private settings to dance and romance in with someone special.  Watch out for the dancing bear and the shark making it''s way through the legs of the dancers!  See more about Surfside in our Venues Section of the blog.

Claire and her drummer and harmony singer, ChoctawRhea, were streaming from "The CatNip Studio" (an RL location), where kitty producer/engineers Bootsie Fang, Frankie, AshCat and Brickle make sure that the sound and studio conditions are optimal for every set.

They got us off to a great start with Old Town Road ...  a perfect warm-up tune and one that helped me get my things together and focused on what turned out to be one of the best sets I have heard yet in SL.

Claire can belt it out and hit those sweet highs and growly-good parts too, and had me tappin' my foot from the first bar. Her vocals are second to none. Her pitch and power are amazing.  and the harmonies these two pros produce are perfect. The set was made even more perfect as Harlow managed to find time to TP over for a few tunes before having to reluctantly attend to RL matters.  

As we moved along through the set and got to Larkin Poe's "Trouble In MInd" I was still in awe at how she can belt it out. She backs it all up with great rhythm guitar done live with each set and her tone is lovely, with clear ringing sounds filling the air. Claire mixes that work with the sweet melodies sung with her impressive voice and takes no prisoners giving you the goosebump-rush that keeps your feet moving.

The driving tempo of Elle King's "Ex's & Oh's" kept us dancing and smiling with that fun tune, and when she slid into "I'll Be There for You" by Bon Jovi it was the perfect tune for a couple to catch up on a little quality time which continued through "What Are You Listenin To" by Chris Stapleton. Not a miss anywhere here. Her dynamics, range, pitch, playing... it's all right on, with power when she needs it. Claire can deliver anything she needs to, anytime she wants.

I LOVED this set, and when she pulled out the "bluesage" for Sam Cooke's "Long Time Comin' and she dug waaaaay deep down for those heartfelt vocals, OMG! it just made me wanna grab Harlow around the waist and follow this chick around!    

Sheryl Crow's "You Dont Bring Me Anything But Down" and then "The Thrill Is Gone" showed that Claire can take a tune and make it all her own, just by singing the first note, and when she started playing the familiar chords and intro to "Breakdown" by Tom Petty for her final number it was clear she can pay tribute where it is due.

Thank You So Very Much Claire!  This was an OUTSTANDING set, worthy of the highest praise!  And Thanks to Chocktaw for drums and harmonies that stepped up and were the perfect compliment to everything that Claire did. Thanks also to Vasantasena Lamatia for clarifications and additional info used in this blog.

And last but not least, Thank You Desirae Beaumont and Gια вeαυмoɴт for such a perfect venue to experience it in.