The Frytown Toughs at Notes Shack Pub - 1pm Monday 13 June 2011

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Benski Korhonen and sme Resident from south-west USA are fairly new to performing in Second Life. Benski started playing in SL in January 2011 and was joined later by his brother sme.  It sme !!

Dottie and I have heard them once or twice before and enjoyed their sets in the friendly, bohemian atmosphere of The Notes Shack Pub and on Monday I was determined not to miss a chance to blog them :))

Benski on the left and his brother sme Resident

With few resources, Benski playing honkey tonk piano and their somewhat raucous or rowdy voices, they provide a brilliant hour of fun and entertainment singing a mixture of folk and pub standards and playing ragtime classics.  The repartee between the two brothers and regular members of the audience at Notes Shack Pub adds to the fun, and the sometimes rowdy, rude or sarcastic comments from the audience can embarrass, so be ready to cover your ears :))) 
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" Are you out there ?  I know you are I can hear you rezzin'  "

" Here's my brother sme "

" What ya think of my microphone sitting antics ? "

Young lady turned away embarrassed as sme perched on the microphone 

" We're kickin' off with a little bit of ragtime "

" Such happy music :)) "

" Throw that baton in the air sme !!! "

" Let's play it faster "

" I hope my avatar doesn't cramp up !! "

Krakov Letov - Landlord of the Notes Shack Pub

The Toughs continued with a very popular well-known folk song in Irish, Irish-American and British cultures already written down in "The American Songster" printed in 1845, and a staple for artists performing in Irish pubs. Wild Rover is often considered to be a drinking song but was written as a temperance song. Well there's a healthy disrespectfulness for most things at Notes Shack Pub :))


I've been the wild rover for many's the year
and I spent all me money on whiskey and beer.
And now I'm returning with gold in great store
and I never will play the wild rover no more.

And it's no, nay, never !  (clap clap clap clap)  No, nay, never no more,
Will I play the wild rover.   No, nay, never no more !
...... ..... .... ...

" Bar fight !!  Krak's always throwing his stool !! "

" He's a walking stool sample !! "

" Yay, this is awesome !! "

" Well sme what do you feel ? "

" I feel like some coffee ! "

English rock group Electric Light Orchestra's  Raining All Over The World was tailor made for Benski's slightly strained voice and honky tonk, though ELO never knew that back in 1980 :)) 

...... ..... .... ...
There's gonna be a Showdown
And it's rainin' all over the world
It's raining all over the world
Tonight the longest night


She came to me like a friend
She blew in on a southern wind
Now my heart is turned to stone again
There's gonna be a Showdown
...... ..... .... ...



Have You Ever Seen The Rain by Creedence Clearwater Revival followed on.

Benski told us that Phil Ochs is definitely one of his top inspirations of all time. Ochs (1940-76) from El Paso, Texas was a protest singer and songwriter known for his sharp wit, sardonic humour and haunting voice. He wrote or recorded at least 238 songs, mostly originals, during his brief career. Ochs never had a hit single but one from 1967 Outside Of A Small Circle of Friends peaked at number 50 on the Billboard Charts and The Frytown Toughs gave us a fine rendition -


Oh, look outside the window
There's a woman being grabbed
They've dragged her to the bushes
And now she's being stabbed
...... .....


Smokin' marihuana 
Is more fun than drinkin' beer
But a friend of ours was captured
And they gave him 30 years


Maybe we should raise our voices
Ask somebody why
But demonstrations are a drag
Besides we're much too high


And I'm sure
It wouldn't interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friends

" Phil Ochs has an amazing catalogue of songs - Heck em out ! "

Solana Python on the left here

I believe the next song One More Minute released by Californian "Weird Al" Yankovic in 1985 was dedicated to Frytown Toughs manager Solana Python who was in the audience !! 


Well I heard that you're leavin
Gonna leave me far behind
Cos you found a brand new lover
You decided I'm not your kind
...... ..... .... ...
Oh, so honey let me help you with that suitcase
You ain't gonna break my heart in two
'Cause I'd rather get a hundred thousand paper cuts on my face
Than spend one more minute with you
...... ..... .... ...

" Think he does not like me? "

" Lovely songs of hope and inspiration "

New York's post-punk band They Might Be Giants provided the next song. This combination of infectious melody with the quirky bizarre sense of humour in Dead is the essence of The Frytown Toughs for me.


I returned a bag of groceries 
Accidently taken off the shelf
Before the expiration date
I came back as a bag of groceries
Accidently taken off the shelf
Before the date stamped on myself


Did a large procession wave their 
Torches as my head fell in the basket,
And was everybody dancing on the casket ?
...... ..... .... ...

" Hehe if I ever see them in RL I would get damn drunk "

Noodlze Thorsfeld  "Noodles"

" Let's raise our glasses to our wives and girlfriends, may they never meet !! "


Tim Spencer, American singer and cowboy actor is credited with their next song Cigarettes, Whiskey and Wild, Wild Women

" How ya feelin sme ? "

" Better than I did 15 mins ago "

" You're such a lovely audience ... mm! mm! mm! "

Next came a Beatles medley starting with a heavily disguised instrumental, then Rocky Raccoon and When I'm 64 and Nowhere Man ...  great singing, great sounds on honky tonk :)))

" Yeah :)) we got an invitation to play in Durango Colorado !! "

" We find ourselves at the forefront of options "

The brothers play music together in real life too.

" Obeloinkment Wrigglesworth is certified as Krakov's mom !! "

Insane in the Membrane by american hip-hop group Cypress Hill well-known in West Coast rap was an unlikely source for their next song !!  


Who you tryin' to get crazy with ese ?
Don't you know I'm loco ?
...... ..... ....
Crazy insane, got no brain
Insane in da membrane
Insane in the brain
...... ..... ....


Nicely converted for honky tonk, still with traces of it's origins :)

" Play something fast !!!! "

And they speeded up with Basket Case by California's Green Day.


...... ..... .... ...

I went to a shrink, 

to analyse my dreams.

She says it's lack of sex,

That's bringing me down.

I went to a whore,

He said my life's a bore.

So quit my whining 'cause,

It's bringing me down

...... ..... .... ...

It all keeps adding up,

I think I'm cracking up

...... ..... .... ...

And they finished off with that beautiful song Stairway to Heaven by legendary 1960's English rock band Led Zeppelin.




What these photos don't show is how Dottie and I were splitting our sides laughing from start to finish of The Frytown Toughs set !!! :)))

This is an outstanding example of how the artists, the place and the audience complement each other so well to make for a great hour of infectious fun and laughter :))   Thanks to The Frytown Toughs and to Krakov Letov for making it all possible :))

Further information about the Frytown Toughs and many other Second Life live music performers can be found in our linked blog - HERE


Here is the SLURL to get there: Notes Shack Pub 
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