The official blog of Mike Geffner's Inspired Word NYC open mic/performance series that happens every week in downtown Manhattan, featuring the best spoken word artists, spoken word poets, singers, musicians, comedians and storytellers. Upcoming open mic event info; pics, words, videos from past open mic shows; current news in the performing arts, open mics, poetry, spoken word, comedy, music, and storytelling.
This year's Slam Master Jam winners - 5 of the Tri-State's most dangerous slam poets, Omar Ion Holman, Big Mike, Peter Seaton AKA Rain Maker, Robert Rosa AKA Quote, and Christine-Jean Blain - battle it out for $500 in prize money, a feature spot in 2012, and bragging rights to The Inspired Word's 1st Slam Master Jam Championship.
Hosted by 3-time HBO Def Poetry star Gemineye.
1st Place - $300 (plus a feature spot for 2012 and included in the 2 year anniversary show on Jan. 6)
2nd Place- $100
3rd Place - $75
4th Place - $15
5th Place - $10
*****
The Combatants:
Christine-Jean Blain
*****
When: Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011
Where: One and One Bar & Restaurant (downstairs Nexus Lounge)
76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
Manhattan, NYC
Phone: (917) 703-1512
Amber & Bonnie Tamblyn Go BOOM: A Mother-Daughter Evening of Explosive Poetry, Music & Foul Language @ Mike Geffner Presents The Inspired Word, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011, One and One Bar/Restaurant, Nexus Lounge, Manhattan, NYC. Hosted by Nathan P.
Amber and Bonnie rocked the house. Got a standing ovation and called back for an encore!
Amber Tamblyn is a Venice, California native. She has been a writer and actress since the age of nine. She was nominated for an Emmy, Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award for her work in television and film. In 2005, Simon & Schuster published her debut collection of poetry Free Stallion. In 2007 she won the Locarno Film Festival award for Best Actress for her work in the film "Stephanie Daley," in which she starred opposite actress Tilda Swinton. She most recently appeared in FOX's television show "HOUSE" and in Danny Boyle's critically acclaimed film, "127 Hours" opposite James Franco. She will next appear in Horton Foote's "Main Street" opposite Colin Firth. She is most recognized for her work as Joan on the CBS television program "Joan of Arcadia." She is the producer of "The Drums Inside Your Chest," an annual poetry concert (thedrumsinsideyourchest.com) and the nonprofit, Write Now Poetry Society (writenowpoets.org). Her second book of poetry and prose Bang Ditto (Manic D. Press) was released last Fall. She writes for The Poetry Foundation and lives in NYC. For more info, please visit http://www.amtam.com/.
Bonnie Tamblyn is a Californian singer/songwriter. She has written over 60 songs and released four albums, including the most recent Winter Wind. She performs with her daughter, poet and actress Amber Tamblyn in a vaudevillian variety show that encompasses beautiful harmonies, comedic Hollywood horror stories and lots of booze.
The Inspired Word presents HBO Def Poetry superstar Shihan + singer Jazzmeia Horn + Welsh poet Rhian + 15-slot open mic open to all kinds of artists.
Hosted by Def Poet Gemineye.
*****
Shihan is undoubtedly one of the most dynamic spoken word artists of our generation. He made seven appearances on HBO Def Poetry and is the first and only poet to have a poem named “Download of the Week” on iTunes. He was the National Poetry Slam Champion, twice National Poetry Slam Finalist, and has been featured on a variety of media outlets, including NBC, Oprah Winfrey's Oxygen Network, Al Gore's Current TV, Nike Battlegrounds, Reebok, Adidas, NBA, CNN, Artisan Films Belly DVD, Complex, Billboard Magazine, several national commercial spots, five national tours (including the Tony Award Winning Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry Jam International Tour) and two upcoming Spoken Word documentaries (SP!T and the sequel to the 1997 cult doc Slam Nation, Slam Planet). His ability to transcend cultural and generational boundaries has made Shihan a much-sought-after talent.
With a name like Jazzmeia Horn, she was obviously born to be a songstress in the great tradition of America's classic music, a throwback to the days of Ella and Lena and Nina and Billie. With a voice so irresistibly smooth and grounded in the utmost respect for the vocabulary of the song, she'll take you on a luscious journey down memory lane. "I approach a song with moral and reasonable certitude that lies within my voice," she says. She has performed at such notable New York City jazz clubs as Fat Cat, Miles' Cafe, and Dizzy's, and has been a Downbeat award-winning vocalist three years in a row. For more info, please visit http://www.theartistryofjazzhorn.com/.
Rhian is a poet, singer and songwriter. Her first collection of poems Clueless Dogs is due to be published by Seren in February 2012. Rhian's pamphlet Parade the Fib, (Tall-Lighthouse), was awarded the Poetry Book Society Choice for autumn 2008. Rhian has been published in the Times Literary Supplement, Poetry Review, Arete, Stand Magazine, the Spectator, Poetry London, Poetry Wales, Planet and the London Magazine.
*****
When: Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011
Where: One and One Bar & Restaurant (downstairs Nexus Lounge)
76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
Manhattan, NYC
Phone:(917) 703-1512
Doors open for open mic sign-up @ 6:30pm
Show starts @ 7pm
Cover Charge: $10
NO AGE LIMIT.
Please join us on Tuesday nights as well for our all-open mic nights! Same time, same place!
The Inspired Word presents The Mighty Third Rail (the dynamic combination of poet Darian Dauchan, bassist Ian Baggette, and violinist Curtis Stewart), plus special guest Mark Grist from the UK and our amazing 15-slot open mic open to all kinds of artists.
Hosted by 3-time HBO Def Poetry star Gemineye.
*****
BIOS:
The Mighty Third Rail, aside from being a clever riff on that special train-track rail that shocks the ish out of you, aside from being a metaphor in politics to avoid controversial issues, is also a three-man trio that mixes the elements of Hip Hop poetry, beat-boxing, violin and bass. From poetry cafes to colleges to concert halls, whether it's jamming at the legendary Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Joe's Pub, The Brooklyn Academy of Music, or performing at the prestigious Lincoln Center, The Mighty Third Rail always delivers. The band features the dashing Darian Dauchan on vocals, the indelible Ian Baggette on bass, and the courteous Curtis Stewart on violin. With daring vocals, booming basslines and a vivacious violin, this bold, urban collective creates politically challenging works that push the boundaries of Jazz and Hip Hop to define the next generation's voice. Their album's Classic and Death Boogie are now available on iTunes.
Mark Grist is a spoken word artist and English teacher based in the UK. He became Poet Laureate of Peterborough in 2008 and Chief Bard of the Fens in 2009, as well as becoming the Edinburgh Fringe’s Slam Champion in 2010. He writes for a range of publications and is the resident poet for Young Writers’ magazine as well as writing a weekly column for Peterborough’s Evening Telegraph. He’s been on three National tours, performed in The House of Commons, and has appeared at a range of music festivals including Glastonbury and Latitude. His hour long spoken word show “Dead Poets,” which explores the relationship between hip hop and poetry, has been touring nationally for the past two years and has notched up over 150 performances to date. His new spoken word show, “Shetland Boy,” which details life growing up on the most Northern Island in the UK, is coming to The Edinburgh Fringe in 2011.
*****
When: Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011
Where: One and One Bar & Restaurant (downstairs Nexus Lounge)
76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
Manhattan, NYC
Phone:(917) 703-1512
Doors open for open mic sign-up @ 6:30pm
Show starts @ 7pm
Cover Charge: $10
NO AGE LIMIT.
Please join us on Tuesday nights as well for our all-open mic nights! Same time, same place!
HBO Def Poetry Star Beau Sia @ Mike Geffner Presents The Inspired Word, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011, One and One Bar/Restaurant, Nexus Lounge, Manhattan, NYC. Hosted by Gemineye.
Spoken word poet Beau Sia has toured Europe and the U.S. and was one of the true superstars on HBO Def Poetry. He authored the poetry book A Night Without Armor II: The Revenge as well as the spoken word CD's Attack! Attack! Go! and Dope and Wack. His work also appears in numerous anthologies including Bum Rush the Page: A Def Poetry Jam, and he has appeared in several documentary films, Slamnation, Slam, and Race is the Place. He was featured in the 2000 ESPN X Games and on Hardball with Chris Matthews, Last Call with Carson Daly, Showtime at the Apollo, The Today Show, and The Tony Awards. His film career expanded to include Hitch, with Will Smith, and The Manchurian Candidate, with Denzel Washington. He is one of the original cast members in Def Poetry Jam on Broadway, a 2003 Special Event Tony Award Winner.
This event was funded in part by Poets & Writers, Inc. with public funds from New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.
HBO Def Poetry Star Oveous Maximus @ Mike Geffner Presents The Inspired Word, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011, One and One Bar/Restaurant, Nexus Lounge, Manhattan, NYC. Hosted by Gemineye.
Oveous Maximus is a recording artist who fooled everyone into believing he was a poet. He grew up in the Bronx and Washington Heights exposed to the richness of jazz, soul, hip hop, and Afro Latin music. An honorary member of the world-famous Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Oveous shares his own brand of "rap & spoken word." He became a National Poetry slam finalist three years in a row, is a multiple time winner at the Apollo Theater, has performed on the hit series HBO Def Poetry, starred in the film SP!T, and has recorded music with Grammy Award winner Louie Vega. Has released two critically acclaimed albums and is about to release his 3rd studio album, which he wrote and produced entirely himself. For more info, please visit http://oveous.blogspot.com/.
Actor/Playwright/Poet Rock Wilk @ Mike Geffner Presents The Inspired Word, Thursday, Aug. 18, 2011, One and One Bar/Restaurant, Nexus Lounge, Manhattan, NYC. Hosted by Nathan P.
An actor, playwright and poet, New York City's own Rock Wilk is also a socially and politically charged vocalist and an accomplished multi-instrumentalist. He creates all of this art while riding the subways of NYC. Along with being a Nuyorican Poet's semifinalist and 2010 runoffs qualifier for The Nuyorican's national team, Rock also was recently a featured performer for Amnesty International at an event for human rights.
He has worked as a studio and touring background vocalist for many years, most recently singing with the legendary Patti LaBelle and contributing vocal and horn arrangements to the Grammy Award winning Les Paul compilation album, LES PAUL AND FRIENDS. Rock's music can also be heard on such TV shows as MTV's "The Real World" and "Making The Band," among others.
He is currently developing his play, BROKE WIDE OPEN, a one person show, which was presented in July of 2010 at undergroundzero, as part of the Playgroundzero Festival at PS 122 in Manhattan. In September of 2010, BROKE WIDE OPEN was also mounted as a 3 week, 12 performance workshop at The Medicine Show Theatre, also in NYC. Rock is currently touring BROKE WIDE OPEN all over the United States. BROKE WIDE OPEN will also be presented as part of The Camden Fringe Festival in London, England, in August of 2011.
