We present the latest installment of our guide to musical venues in and around New Toulouse. This week, the popular Maison Bleu.
Mr. Holocluck Henly is well known in New Toulouse for wearing several hats beside his signature woolen beret. A model citizen by all accounts, Mr. Henly helps to organize annual charity fundraising and is a krewe captain in New Toulouse’s Mardi Gras parade, in addition to being the proprietor of Maison Bleu.
“It’s not a job if I own it, is it?” Mr. Henly began with a smile. Describing Maison Bleu, he said, “It’s a combination tearoom, music venue, and gallery featuring my own artwork, where I offer a little diversion to fellow Taloosters.”
Henly plays music from his personal collection whenever he feels like having a little soirée or when time allows. “For some special occasions I’ll draw from a century of eras and genres towards a theme,” he says. “I’m notorious for ‘music whiplash,’ but really I make disparate styles run well together.” Standard musical fare at Maison Bleu includes styles conducive to New Toulouse’s theme and spirit, such as Dixieland, jazz, electro-swing, Cajun, and zydeco.
“When I was a kid in New Orleans, we had a large department store called Maison Blanche. The name is a parody of that. And, walking through the French Quarter, there would be these vividly painted buildings with iron balconies. I wasn’t going to paint Maison Bleu pink, but blue works,” Henly explained, recalling what inspired his design vision.
When asked why he chose New Toulouse over other places in Second Life, Mr. Henly intoned with pride, “The NT people are very special, and NT is very immersive and convincing.” He added, “Really, there isn’t anything like it in SL. I have roots in New Orleans which I’ve come to be in better touch with. And many people here have similar sentiments. And I like that it allows people from other eras to walk our streets without prejudice. New Toulouse is kind of low down, but just the right depth of low down to make anyone feel welcome.”
Habana Jazz is a resident of New Toulouse and calls his mother every week.