Phil Setner @ Ann's Place of Grace 08/02/2023

One the of wonderful things about being old (in two lives) and forgetting stuff (in two lives) is that I get a chance to discover "new" singers I've heard dozens of times, but not this decade. These are particularly enjoyable with a friend reminds me of a name somewhere in the dim recesses of my brain. Today, I was lucky enough to discover Phil Setner at Ann's Place of Grace. If you haven't been to Ann's Place of Grace, I can tell you that it is a warm, welcoming, yet elegant ballroom. The decorations change every month. I was there for the last day of Winter and I'm looking forward to catching a show. Ann is the perfect hostess. Her class and style are paired with a warm and generous heart. While Ann would never consider embarrassing a guest based on dress, I can tell you, being part of the elegance of Ann's Place of Grace will enhance your experience. Ann's intans, found at the 4 corners of the dance floor, have a variety of dances including Frankee & Angie, Becoming, BehindDance, Dance IV, Danve V, Eclipse, EternalFlame, LikeTheSun, Love Dance2, Magic Dance, Slow 10, Slow 8, Slow Sensual, Waltz, Boogie Nite. The two large diamonds at the front corners of the stage serve as tip jars for your support of this excellent venue. Some years ago, I used to catch Phil Setner shows quite regularly. In the ebbs and flows of SecondLIfe, I was reminded today that I hadn't made the effort to hear this incredible singer in far too long. I'm happy to report Phil has only improved over the years since last his voice filled my speakers. For the ladies in the crowd, Phil has a pronounced Scottish accent, think Sean Connery meets Frank Sinatra. Today's show started of with "My First, My Last, My Everything" by Barry White. While this is a phenomenal song, that Phil did exceedingly well, I pondered for a brief moment, how many of us are able to describe the one we are with that way. First, Last and Everything? My pondering did not last long as Phil's version of "You Stepped Out of Dream" by Frank Sinatra snapped me back to the moment, and what a moment it was. Couples swaying slowly as he crooned a song of adoration. Phil's song list includes hits from multiple decades, including the Chris Rea tome about the never ending story of heartbreak most of us experience, "Fool if Your Think Its Over". Did I mention he is a master of many genres? Well, listening to Phil cover the Garth Brooks song "If Tomorrow Never Comes", removed any doubt from my mind. And coupled with some events last month, reminded me to ensure the people around me know how I feel about them. After the beautiful moment of reflection on relationships Phil provided, he brought us back to the sunny side of that subject with another Frank Sinatra version of a pop hit from the 70s "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life". I would think its possible, even if exceedingly difficult, to be a crooner in SL and not sing Neil Diamond. With "Play Me" Phil showed why he is among the top male singers in SL. I hope he has a great Valentine show lined up and I hope you get your tickets early. One of the "standard" songs I use to, in my mind, compare male singers is Sting's "Fields of Gold". For the little I know of music (remember I do this for the curves ;)), this song seems to challenge some people. Not so Mr. Setner. He sang this with the kind of control one would expect from such a staple of the SL music world. Its always dubious to sing break up songs in a venue filled with couples dancing. Fearless Phil showed us how this is done with "Words" by The Christians. Glancing around at the couples, I did not see anyone moving apart, proving Phil knows his audience better than I do. The song, quite honestly, took a while to percolate in my mind. Reading the lyrics after the show, I realized how empowering this song is and made a point of adding it to my picks. I commend Phil's version of "Love My Life" by Robbie Williams to you. Phil's next song reached again into bag labelled "Songs From Rad's Misspent Youth" and pulled out something I hope we can all relate to "I've Been In Love Before" from Cutting Crew. His last song from this wonderful evening was "Postcards From Heaven" by Lighthouse Family. And with that, this magical evening, of elegance, ended. Look for Phil Setner around the grid and if you are lucky enough to catch him at Ann's Place of Grace your evening will be enchanting (I can assure you mine was). Phil was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and still lives there today, he started singing later on probably in his teens but never really in front of anyone. It was not until he was in his twenties he started to sing in front of people and then it was just close friends and family. Most of his singing has been done online and Pal talk was the first program he started to sing on, as he got used to it he improved my setup and also the quality of sound and started to record a few tracks. He joined Second life in 2008 and within about 3 months he was singing live at a number of venues although not to a lot of people, but he enjoyed it all the same. My love for the oldies he got from his mother and father's new year parties, all his aunties and uncles would come to the house. His mother had a lovely voice and always enjoyed singing.