the merc...its white hot
slamming at the merc...
the Merc is the home of the denver slam team (the #1 team in the nation). i want to give love to the slam team members present- soweto, ken, katie, last night shelle and I got to do our thing on their stage. simply amazing. they kick off their night with an hour or so of the house band...yea...the house band that has been doing it for eight years. this band plays behind any poet who wants to do a piece. it is an experience both good and not so good...but an experience nonetheless. then at precisley 7:30 the two list are set out-the open mic and the slam list. first of all you can only be on one of the list, secondly the slam list only has eight slots (yeah just eight slots first come first serve). ken arkind the host took care of us, kinda gave us the nod when he put the list out (he made sure we got on it). and we were thrilled....until we (i found out) that andrea gibson was going to be in the slam. if you don't know andrea gibson check with know 13...it was already a hot slam list with the denver coach and longtime slam team member paulie lipman...the boy is cool as a fan and hot at the same time.., ian was a crowd favorite and for good reason he had words, passion, and that special thing that the good ones have...and then there was the kid...denver's 16 year old phenom...the boy was scary...it was like he was channeling old souls... i interrupt this program to bring you a slammaster confession- i am going to steal ( i mean incorporate a number of things that i saw in their show into neo soul's slam show; 1. at 2:50 seconds the timekeeper raises their hand then the audience raises their hand to help the poets, 2. the host gets name, occupation, and silly question answer from the judges (personal and cool), 3. the audience encourage the poets that are stumbling on words...by snapping their fingers... 4. for each successive round it is low to high with one exception the high score gets to choose where they want to go (needless to say Andrea chose last each time)and the fourth one i gotta give some thought to.
i skipped over the open mic...sorry it was nice; mental note (actually written note), if you go to the merc you can probably do two pieces during the open mic. but i would recommend the slam... gotta run and get some grub...i will do a recap of last nights slam...holla, miss ya'll
the Merc is the home of the denver slam team (the #1 team in the nation). i want to give love to the slam team members present- soweto, ken, katie, last night shelle and I got to do our thing on their stage. simply amazing. they kick off their night with an hour or so of the house band...yea...the house band that has been doing it for eight years. this band plays behind any poet who wants to do a piece. it is an experience both good and not so good...but an experience nonetheless. then at precisley 7:30 the two list are set out-the open mic and the slam list. first of all you can only be on one of the list, secondly the slam list only has eight slots (yeah just eight slots first come first serve). ken arkind the host took care of us, kinda gave us the nod when he put the list out (he made sure we got on it). and we were thrilled....until we (i found out) that andrea gibson was going to be in the slam. if you don't know andrea gibson check with know 13...it was already a hot slam list with the denver coach and longtime slam team member paulie lipman...the boy is cool as a fan and hot at the same time.., ian was a crowd favorite and for good reason he had words, passion, and that special thing that the good ones have...and then there was the kid...denver's 16 year old phenom...the boy was scary...it was like he was channeling old souls... i interrupt this program to bring you a slammaster confession- i am going to steal ( i mean incorporate a number of things that i saw in their show into neo soul's slam show; 1. at 2:50 seconds the timekeeper raises their hand then the audience raises their hand to help the poets, 2. the host gets name, occupation, and silly question answer from the judges (personal and cool), 3. the audience encourage the poets that are stumbling on words...by snapping their fingers... 4. for each successive round it is low to high with one exception the high score gets to choose where they want to go (needless to say Andrea chose last each time)and the fourth one i gotta give some thought to.
i skipped over the open mic...sorry it was nice; mental note (actually written note), if you go to the merc you can probably do two pieces during the open mic. but i would recommend the slam... gotta run and get some grub...i will do a recap of last nights slam...holla, miss ya'll
posted by B fran | 9:22 AM
3 Comments:
Damn!! I wish y'all had a video camera to record the sights snd sounds. What an experience the two of you are living. We will live it vicariously through your blogs and miss you both tremendously.
Just so you don't forget you suck !!!
The question I have is when are the authorities gonna catch up with you and Mishelle (what are you two the poetical Bonnie and Clyde). Anyway be careful, and thanks for blazing the trail for Neo-Soul/TBP.
You are an inspiration (despite your teams sucking) and you are a wonderful giving person. I am on my way to work, but yesterday I found a Richrd Pryor cd Tweety gave me, and I thought of hanging in your loft, and eating chicken. And thinking of the very first time coming over your house, how you got pizza and we ate and practiced and you played "Love Jones" over and over. I mean it blows me away to know how far we have traveled. One day I told you it all came from bad directions and you stated that things are not done by accident, that God has a plan. Ok enough of that and back to our customary insults, in case you missed this previous post:
You suck, and the Hikings suck also, matter of fact your Teams with the exception of (ND) all suck. Matter of fact your teams suck so much they should be called a Succubus, I am re-naming sucking teams in your honor. When I think of things that suck and are terrible I wil immediately think of your teams, I will think of BFran's list of horrible teams and relish the thought that my mentor has the worst choice in teams !!!
Peace, Blessings, get home safely and remember you suck.
Humbly submitted,
The Simon of Poetry
My friends
My friends are the greatest things since sliced bread
My friends are the illest rough neck crew on the block
So goes the typical sentiment when people speak of their friends
As for me, my friends are flawed, they bleed when you cut them, they cry when you hurt them, they sometimes say things that I don’t understand
You see some of my friends are writers, and they write like it’s essential to their living
They create worlds and dissect thoughts as if they were laser tipped surgical knives slicing through veins to unclog mental arteries
I have traveled the world over via their words, I have died, and been resurrected in 10.27 seconds
I have sat blindfolded in a chair waiting for my lover
Been broke, and only had five shots to make one
I have been entertained, skewered and placed in positions that were totally unattainable
But they are still my friends
You see, they accept my blunders, chastise my failings, reward my success, provided shelter when needed
When I have children I will pray that they have friends like mine
People who have so much dirt on each other they could blackmail each other
That my seed enjoy life like my friends, they live life like my friends, and they exhibit the same pride like my friends
Shadrach, Mechach and Abednago were models of friends; I mean you can’t get any closer than being in a fiery pit going to your doom and surrounded by friends
Whodini had a jam about Friends and asked, “How many of us have them, the ones we can depend on”
If they knew me they would know my friends created a crew of writers, guided by a Hustler and his life partner
They would know that some of my friends know guys who were looking for that good stuff from here to Harlem
That my friends sing with Mojo and sometimes nod as they Page Dr. King
See my friends encompass so much via a piece, heck they are so good that one burned and made the whole world Choke as she told them to bury her ashes outside of bookstores when her days are done
We partied with a world-class sprinter as we house partied with spoken word cats from the whole region
Left them desperate for more verses from the R.P.M. when we step to mike’s people always going just look at them
We negotiate through shark-infested venue’s leaving lesser cats shook
Left them all believing in one thing, that my family is made up of my friends
I am just trying to keep pace with you travelling poets; I can adapt to the changes as long as we aren't supposed to do our thing at altitude. I haven't lost any w8 and am asthmatic! (P.S. I don't want anyone to inherit yet!)
With regard to the slam, I like the last change--no cumulatives in the second round. It insures that the participating poets to have more than one strong piece.
Shelle--remember it is about the poetry not the points. Your poems are fire!
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