We are all too familiar with that feeling. Our avis become leaden; each movement seems a struggle against some unseen force, infecting even our chat boxes that spew out words to the barest of trickles. This frustrating Second Life experience is summed up by just three letters: L-A-G. Crowding of avis in one single sim is one major cause of the lag problem in SL, no doubt about it. Logically, what we’d want to avoid are the crowded, laggy sims as our avis pursue the many splendors to be found in this metaverse called SL. However, there are some in-world spots which defy this logic, and standing out among these is Frank’s Place Jazz Club.
There are many SL jazz clubs, that’s for sure. But Frank’s is a phenomenon, a hard act to follow. TP in anytime of day or night to this club and chances are great that you’ll be greeted a canopy of avatar names all vying for air space by the bar and on the dance floor. The only place that could perhaps rival Frank’s Place Jazz Club as a 24/7 avi draw is Sweethearts Jazz which likewise has a certain charm all its own.
To male or female music aficionados, needless to say, the magnetism at Frank’s come from the love ballads of the “Ol Blue Eyes” himself, Frank Sinatra. For Sinatra-style jazz buffs, hearing the classic pieces in the mold of Grammy winner “Strangers in the Night” and such concert staples as “My Way,” “Angel Eyes,” and “One for My Baby,” should certainly be reason enough to brave the crippling lag at Frank’s. Add to the Sinatra magic some kindred renditions from such legends as Nat “King” Cole, Sammy Davis, and Dean Martin, as well as standards from contemporary artists, and the awesome alchemy in Frank’s magnetic music is indeed complete.
But there’s more to the music expertly play-listed by live DJs at Frank’s Place which maintains an exclusive online radio stream available even for those logged off from SL. For many habitués of the jazz club, its music produces a “magical spark” that kindles many romantic relationships or friendships, bonds that can easily bloom with the relaxed ambience, close dance, and light chat-box banter at the sim. For some too, the ladies in particular, simply being there is joy enough, an opportune place to flaunt an acquisition of the latest in fashion, many of which can be grabbed within camming distance from the Galleria at Frank’s.
It can be said, hence, that Frank’s Place Jazz Club has become one of the centers of gravity for avis in SL because this sim is a virtual catwalk for some of the finest in SL haute couture. That it is strictly a formal ballroom, of course, enables Frank’s to build on this reputation. Zealous, but courteous, hosts constantly remind the club’s patrons on the place’s dress code—discreet IMs go to the lady whose gown may be too short or to the gent whose skewed sense of formal wear is coat or tux and threadbare jeans.
In the final reckoning, it is this strict but familial discipline that makes Frank’s Place tick. To be at Frank’s means more than partaking of some of the highest standards in music and fashion. Being at Frank’s is likewise an occasion to commune with some of the kindred souls and spirits in SL. As the familiar voice-over at the jazz club always says, “When you’re at Frank’s you’re with family.”
