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.
NYC's hottest open mic in one of NYC's hottest performance venues - The Inspired Word @ the newly renovated Parkside Lounge!
Age limit: 21+ (Must bring valid ID)
When: EVERY Monday Night
Where: The Parkside Lounge http://www.parksidelounge.net/
317 E. Houston Street
Manhattan, New York 10002
Time: 7pm
This Monday hosted by award-winning singer/songwriter Sylvana Joyce and featuring singer/songwriter Jessica Rowboat.
Sylvana Joyce
Jessica Rowboat
Full backline. Honky-tonk piano (feel free to bring your own keyboard). Cool stage. Comfy cabaret-style seating. Cheap drinks, including the Bailout Package (shot of whisky + 22-ounce beer) for only 8$.
Early Bird Special:
ONLY $6 for solo performer or audience member + 2 FREE non-performer friends if you buy your ticket at least 3 days prior to event night. Limited Availability. No transfers or refunds.
***1 DRINK MINIMUM INSIDE VENUE PER PERSON***
Produced by the long-running Inspired Word open mic series, which has featured Grammy winners, American Idol finalists, Golden Globe Award winners, Obie Award winners, Emmy nominated actors, and HBO stars, The Inspired Word open mic is open to ALL types of performing artists - comedians, musicians, storytellers, singers, poets, fiction/nonfiction writers, playwrights, spoken word artists, performance artists, dancers.
25 slots, 7 minutes apiece for anything spoken, 8 minutes for singers/musicians (if you have backing tracks bring them on either mp3 player or smartphone).
A warm, supportive community of artists. Real crowds. And a great place to network.
This is a very popular open mic. We STRONGLY suggest you purchase a ticket in advance to guarantee a performance slot.
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Directions
By Subway: Take the F to Second Avenue. Go up the 1st Avenue stairs and head East on Houston Street.
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Produced by Mike Geffner Presents The Inspired Word inspiredwordnyc.com
The following is our official schedule/event page links:
EVERY Monday Night - Open Mic @ Tammany Hall, 152 Orchard Street, downstairs lounge, Manhattan. 7pm start time. 21+ age limit. http://mondaymictammany.eventbrite.com
EVERY Tuesday Night - Open Mic @ Funkadelic Studios (inside Chinatex Building), 209 West 40th Street (near 7th Avenue), 5th floor, Manhattan. 7pm start time. No age limit. http://tueopenmicnyc.eventbrite.com
EVERY Wednesday Night - Open Mic @ COFFEED LIC, 37-18 Northern Boulevard, Long Island City, Queens. 7pm start time. No age limit. http://coffeedopenmic.eventbrite.com
3rd Friday EVERY Month - Erotica Open Mic @ The Gallery at LPR (Le Poisson Rouge), 158 Bleecker Street, Manhattan. 7pm start time. 21+ age limit. http://eroticaopenmicnyc.eventbrite.com
4th Friday EVERY Month - We Heart NYC Writers + Open Mic @ The Gallery at LPR (Le Poisson Rouge), 158 Bleecker Street, Manhattan. 7pm start time. 21+ age limit. http://weheartnycwriters.eventbrite.com
3rd Saturday EVERY Month - Poetry Slam ($1000 in year-end prize money)@ Funkadelic Studios (inside Chinatex Building), 209 West 40th Street (near 7th Avenue), 5th floor, Manhattan. 7pm start time. No age limit. http://newyorkpoetryslam.eventbrite.com
Looking for special open mic in Manhattan? It's the New York City Open Mic Joint @ the very cool Funkadelic Studios smack in the middle of midtown.
Produced by the long-running Inspired Word open mic series, which has featured Grammy winners, American Idol finalists, Golden Globe Award winners, Emmy nominated actors, and HBO Def Poetry stars, this open mic is open to ALL types of performing artists - comedians, musicians, storytellers, singers, poets, fiction/nonfiction writers, playwrights, spoken word artists, performance artists, dancers.
25 slots, 5 minutes apiece.
Hosted by the too-cool-for-the-room Nathan P.
A warm, supportive community of artists. Real crowds. And a great place to network.
*****
When: EVERY 2nd Friday of the month
Where: Funkadelic Studios http://funkadelicstudios.com/
335 West 35th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenue), 3rd Floor
New York, New York 10001
Phone: 212-696-2513
Time: Doors open for open mic sign-up @ 6:30pm, show starts @ 7pm
Cover charge: $10
Guarantee a slot with an advance payment online via Eventbrite:
For almost 20 years, Funkadelic Studios NYC has been the place for all types and levels of musicians to jam and practice their art. The New York rehearsal space has seen it all, from a band’s first practice, to major label acts preparing for a European tour! Indie-folk, jazz, hip hop, rock, blues, country, electro, you name the genre, it’s been practiced at Funkadelic.
The Inspired Word's Music Box Open Mic @ Funkadelic Studios NYC is a hot new open mic series that takes place the FIRST Friday of EVERY month in midtown Manhattan.
Hosted by singer Sylvana Joyce (of Sylvana Joyce & The Moment).
20 slots, 8 minutes each (not including set-up).
We welcome bands, singers, musicians of all types.
Complete backline with full drum set and cymbals. And pro audio recording capability.
For almost 20 years, Funkadelic Studios NYC has been the place for all types and levels of musicians to jam and practice their art. The New York rehearsal space has seen it all, from a band’s first practice, to major label acts preparing for a European tour! Indie-folk, jazz, hip hop, rock, blues, country, electro, you name the genre, it’s been practiced at Funkadelic.
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By subway, take the A/E/C to 34th Street at 8th Avenue or 1/2/3 to 34th Street-Penn Station at 7th Avenue.
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Singer/Songwriter Sylvana Joyce is the lead vocalist of the award-winning alternative rock band Sylvana Joyce & The Moment. She began writing songs at age 5 and grew up listening to opera, classical music, and Romanian folk music, some of which were composed by her late grandfather, a well-known songwriter in Romania. Her music later influenced by Jim Morrison, Nina Simone and Bob Dylan, she attended conservatory at Boston University and in the summer of 2010 founded Sylvana Joyce & The Moment. Her band has toured the Northeast and has received wide recognition from the indie scene. They’ve performed at Boston’s Berklee Performance Center and NYC’s Bitter End, Studio @ Webster Hall, and Knitting Factory, and have won the 2012 Battle of the Bands (hosted by Unregular Radio) and the 2011 MENSA Category for iStars Talent Competition. You can find Sylvana Joyce & The Moment @ http://www.sjandthemoment.com and http://www.facebook.com/sjandthemoment.
Our music-only open mic debuts @ Manhattan's Funkadelic Studios in November.
So far, we've come with the following names:
Croon & Toons Music Mic
Perfect Note Music Open Mic
Music Box Open Mic
Musiq Box Open Mic
Muzik Box Open Mic
Sound Off Music Open Mic
Perfect Pitch Music Open Mic
High Note Music Open Mic
Soundz Magic Music Open Mic
Sound Proof Music Open Mic
Backline Music Open Mic
Jam Session Music Open Mic
Music Jam Open Mic
Cool Vibez Music Open Mic
Please tell us which one you like best or if you think you've come up with something better let us know.
Our shows will be every 2nd and 3rd Tuesday of the month and open to ALL types of artists, taking place on the second floor that has floor-to-ceiling windows on all sides (offering a uniquely gorgeous view).
The Inspired Word Presents the 9th annual show of Poetic People Power, featuring founder Tara Bracco and poets Erica R. DeLaRosa, Andy Emeritz, Frantz Jerome, Jonathan Walton, and Justin Woo.
Poetic People Power was founded by writer Tara Bracco in 2003 to create an ongoing project that combines poetry and activism. Each year, Poetic People Power commissions poems about social and political issues. This year, Poetic People Power is presenting a new show titled "The Revolution Will Be..." and it focuses on what protest and revolution means today. Inspired by recent world events and the Gil Scott-Heron poem "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," poets will creatively explore this topic and share their new work with the audience.
NOTE: This event was produced many months ago, before Friday's sad news of the passing of Mr. Scott-Heron. May he rest in peace.
Of past Poetic People Power shows, audience members have said:
“Moving and inspiring.”
“It moved me to tears.”
“So good. Presented intelligently.”
“A powerful and moving experience.”
“I loved it. So many inspired voices.”
“This is a beautifully organized event and an amazing concept.”
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ARTIST BIOS:
TARA BRACCO is the founder of Poetic People Power. She has been featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, Time Out New York, The Huffington Post, and MSNBC.com. Her non-fiction writing has appeared in Cosmopolitan, American Theatre, BUST, Clamor, and Brooklyn Rail. She has performed her poetry and spoken about art and social change at colleges, festivals, theatres, and poetry venues. Tara has received awards from the Puffin Foundation and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. She is a Fellow at the Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership.
ERICA R. DELAROSA is a performer, director, activist, and educator. She is a co-founder and performing member of Mahina Movement, a performance trinity and production company. She has directed several productions and facilitated numerous artistic workshops in the New York and Texas areas. Speak the Fire, Mahina Movement's first CD, is available now. More info at mahinamovement.org.
ANDY EMERITZ has been performing as both a poet and musician since 1995. His writing has appeared in The Good Apple Literary Magazine and on nerve.com. Andy has performed as a musician in venues throughout NYC. He holds a BA in Political Theory from Cornell University, where he studied poetry and narrative writing under James Farrell and Dan McCall.
FRANTZ JEROME has performed at many venues including P.S. 122, Summer Stage in Central Park, the Nuyorican Poets Café, Dance Theatre Workshop, at various schools, and on BET. He was a featured poet in the publication Off the Subject: The Words of the Lyrical Circle of The Brotherhood/Sister Sol. Frantz has shared the stage with Sekou Sundiata, Baba Israel, Lemon, Full Circle Production, Universes, Project 2050, and many others. He is also a member of the spoken word group The Peace Poets.
JONATHAN WALTON has published three books of poetry: My Release, The Second Verse, and Legal: The First 21 Years. He has taught creative writing workshops at all levels including work with the National Foundation for the Advancement of Arts and the Department of Juvenile Justice. A graduate of Columbia University, he is the NYC Urban Project Director for InterVarsity. A sponsored artist for World Vision, Jonathan aims to bring holistic social justice to the forefront of America's consciousness. More info www.nycurbanproject.com.
JUSTIN WOO is a poet, theatre artist, and DJ. He has performed at universities and theatres in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and D.C., including the 2007 NYC Fringe Festival and the Tony Award-winning Crossroads Theatre. He has collaboratively created several multidisciplinary spoken word theatre pieces, and is currently working with Insurgo Stage Project and the Spoken Word Almanac Project to create two new shows.
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When: Thursday, June 2, 2011
Where: One and One Bar & Restaurant (downstairs Nexus Lounge)
76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
Manhattan, NYC
Phone: (212) 598-9126
The Inspired Word Presents "Shimmying the Spoken Word: Sensing the Sensual" with Sugar Shack Burlesque, featuring some of New York City's most original artists - Dame CuchiFrita, Jezebel Express, RunAround Sue, Advocate of Wordz, Jo Boobs, Jonny Porkpie, John DeVore, and Madame K.
Plus, a 12-slot open mic (open to ALL types of artists, but pieces MUST be geared toward our theme - something sensual about the senses).
Don't miss out on this uniquely hot, sensory-titillating night.
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On the menu, a positively delicious evening delving deep into the senses:
Dame CuchiFrita- TASTE (working with Advocate of Wordz)
Jezebel Express - TOUCH (using her own work)
Madame K - SMELL (using her own work)
Jo Boobs - SOUND (using her own work)
Jonny Porkpie - SIGHT (using his own work)
RunAround Sue - SIXTH SENSE (working with John DeVore)
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BIOS:
A self professed chameleon, Dame Cuchi pushes the boundaries to morph into characters. Coming from an indigenous culture where nudity is shunned, she often felt out of place. Her belief in storytelling through shedding the exterior, is a scintillating response to growing up in the shadows of Dutch Colonial repression. Watch the memorable moments as Cuchi The Grease Monkey honors her sensual side where she invites the audience to get in touch with their inner "peeping Tom" in Little Red Corvette. In X-Files government conspiracy can only be proven plausible by disrobing to her very basic accoutrement.
Jo Weldon is the Headmistress and Founder of the New York School of Burlesque, and quite likely the most recognized burlesque instructor in the world. Internationally renowned as burlesque personality Jo Boobs, she's rounded her heels on stages from Coney Island to Sydney Harbour. She was recently voted one of the Top 3 Burlesque Performers in the World. She's taught thousands of women (and men!) to twirl tassels, and has conducted performance workshops producing some of the most respected new performers in burlesque. She's the winner of such exotic titles as Best Bump N Grinder, Best Teacher and Mentor, and Biggest Cougar in Burlesque! She has worked with performers from Leonard Cohen to Spinal Tap, and has been featured on television shows from CBS Sunday Morning to Gossip Girl. She's taken it off in the grimiest strip clubs and at the most esteemed venues, including The New York Public Library, and has performed and headlined at dozens of festivals all over the world. She is Co-Director of Education at The Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, and conducts the Master Class in Burlesque at Coney Island USA. She has released three acclaimed how-to burlesque DVDs, and her book The Burlesque Handbook, with a foreword by Margaret Cho, was released by HarperCollins/ItBooks in 2010.
Miss Jezebel Express is a New York-based burlesque artist, teacher, producer and dance choreographer. Jezebel holds a BA in Dance Choreography from the University of Iowa, and has been awarded State of Iowa, University of Iowa, Department of Dance and Newfoundland Arts Council grants for her artistic work. Jezebel co-produces Glitter & Gin, a gender-bending burlesque-theatre extravaganza and vintage fantasy jazz party The Champagne Riot. She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and Amor y Sexo, as well as in the Village Voice, The New York Daily News, NEXT Magazine, The New York Press and The Washington Examiner. Jezebel is a faculty member at the New York School of Burlesque, and currently performs at various venues around New York City, as well as nationally and internationally at festivals and private events.
Often called "The Moving Violation" and "The Make it Happen Girl," RunAround Sue currently produces and performs regularly with her company Sugar Shack Burlesque in NYC, Brooklyn, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Washington DC. She has had the honor of performing at the New York Burlesque Festival, Slipper Room, Starshine Burlesque, Sweet and Nasty Burlesque, The Jalopy Music School, Ars Nova, Galapagos, Public Assembly, The Living Theatre, The Palace of Wonders, and many other enchanting venues on both coasts and on both sides of the Mason Dixon line. Miss Sue has a background in performance and first appeared on the stage in a mother's day play presented by her kindergarten class. She played the little girl. She also spent many years developing the runaround part of herself through long and varied road trips during which she would say things like, "Can we stop by Memphis today?" and "How about we head North?" Eventually, she hightailed it to the big city where her sense of southern hospitality soothes many a broken heart. Find out more about her on her here http://www.sugarshackburlesque.com/
John DeVore is a playwright, editor and blogger. His plays have been performed in New York, Chicago, Vancouver, London and Edinburgh DeVore has written for The New York Times, Maxim Magazine, Comedy Central and CNN.com. He has been heard on Sirius Satellite Radio and been seen on FOX News, CNN, MSNBC, G4TV and CBS.
Papers, stages, mics, unfair parking tickets, chastity belts - the Advocate of Wordz rips them all! This Bronx native has been fashioning the English language and teaching kids how to talk their way out of detention for a decade now. He is the creator of HipHopPoetry.com, a founding member of El Grito De Poetas and the host of the "Open Room" at the legendary Nuyorican Poets Café. He is also a cast member of the "Lose Control Comedy" troupe and performing poet for Lincoln Center's "Meet The Artist" series. Wordz has toured the country and his work has been featured and/or written about in El Museo Del Barrio's "Speak Up! Speak Out!" series, PBS, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, San Jose Mercury, Orlando Sentinel.
Ms. Karen Lee (aka Madame K) began her career on the Broadway stage and around the globe, titillating and educating audiences to the delightful pleasures of the senses through song and dance. She now spreads her message throughout the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, where she has become the 'Queen of Burlesque', after the sensational BURLESQUE FOR BOOKS event at the Lenox Library with Sugar Shack Burlesque. Ms. Lee is a featured dancer/ MC of GYPSY LAYNE, the Berkshires first home grown burlesque troupe, as well as an actor, choreographer and owner of PILATES CENTRAL. Madame K is thrilled to be bringing her country flair to the city air with her muse and musical genius (and accordion) Ms. HEATHER FISCH, also a force of nature and burlesque pioneer in those parts. These two delectable divas conspire to inspire your desire,to squeeze and tease, to move and groove, to shake and bake, and create. To thine own self be true.
Jonny Porkpie, recently awarded the title of "Best Naked Impresario" by NY Press, is the co-creator, producer, and writer of Pinchbottom Burlesque ("Best Burlesque" in NYC -New York Magazine, The Village Voice, called "daring, funny, imaginative, and titillating for all tastes" by the Sunday Telegraph UK), and of Grab My Junk, an internationally-franchised bump-and-grind game show. He is one of the first-ever recipients of the "Most Innovative" award from the Burlesque Hall of Fame, and has taught burlesque across the country and around the world, from NYC to Seattle, and as far away as England and New Zealand. He is the author of the burlesque murder mystery "The Corpse Wore Pasties," (Hard Case Crime) which Publishers Weekly described as "witty and telling."
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When: Thursday, May 12, 2011
Where: One and One (downstairs Nexus Lounge)
76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
Manhattan, NYC
Doors Open: 6:30pm
Cover Charge: $15
Must be 21 years of age or older. Please make sure to bring ID.
In honor of Earth Day,The Inspired Word presents GreenPiece: Eco-Activism in Poetry, Music, & Prose - a star-studded fundraiser for the non-profit organization Rock 'n Renew http://www.rocknrenew.com/10/
Hosted by the wonderful actor/comedian/TV personality John Fugelsang.
Featured artists: Performance poet/multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter Ngoma Hill, musician Roderick Romero, Jarabe del Sol of The ReadNex Poetry Squad, the Strike Anywhere Performance Ensemble, singer/songwriter/ pianist Justin Baron, actress/performance poet/climate change activist/filmmaker Shetal Shah, husband-and-wife duo Lythion Music, The Glazzies band, musician Sean Lynam, and spoken word poets Caroline Rothstein, Ceez Liive, Nathan P., Alysia Harris, Natalagé Davis, and Jonathan Walton!
100% of the proceeds go to Rock 'n Renew.
Rock n' Renew will be providing green door prizes and green trivia winner give-a-ways throughout the night.
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Did you know that each gallon of fuel releases 20 pounds of carbon dioxide into the air?
Did you know that approximately 5 million tons of oil produced in the world each Year ends up in the ocean?
Did you know that the amount of wood and paper we throw away is enough to heat 50 million homes for 20 years?
Did you know that over 40% of all tropical forests have been destroyed and another acre is lost each second.
Did you know that more than 100 million Americans live in urban areas where the air is officially classified by the EPA as unsafe to breathe?
Please join us on this special night and MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
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When: Thursday, April 21, 2011
Where: One and One Bar & Restaurant (downstairs Nexus Lounge)
76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
Manhattan, NYC
Phone: (212) 598-9126
Doors Open: 6:00pm
Minimum Donation: $20 (though you're certainly welcome to give more).
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HOST BIO:
John Fugelsang is an actor, comedian, writer and television host. He’s performed at The US comedy Arts Festival in Aspen and the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal. Film and TV credits include Coyote Ugly, Somewhere in the City, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Providence, Becker, Lifetime’s “Two Cups of Joe,” America’s Funniest Home Videos, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, McEnroe and Bullseye for CNBC, Beyond Belief, Watercooler for TVGN, American Classic for VH1 UK, Paul McCartney’s Live Town Hall and George Harrison: The Last Performance for VH1. Other TV credits include over 20 appearances on Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher and regular stints on HLN’s The Joy Behar Show.
He received the award for “Outstanding NYC Monologist” at Lincoln Center from the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs. He’s been a contributor to CNN, FOX News, CNBC, NPR, Air America Radio, and FOX News radio, and has performed for American Troops on their humanitarian mission to Haiti.
He is currently developing a screenplay about Black Site Prisons for Inventure Films, writing a book about Christianity and Politics, and recently wrapped roles in the independent features “The Whole Truth” opposite Elizabeth Rohm and Eric Roberts and "Price Check" opposite Parker Posey. He is the son of an ex-Nun and a former Franciscan Brother/history teacher. He lives in New York City and Hollywood, CA.
ARTISTS BIOS:
Ngoma is a performance poet, multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter and paradigm shifter, who for over 40 years has used culture as a tool to raise sociopolitical and spiritual consciousness through work that encourages critical thought. For further info, please visit http://www.ngomazworld.com/
The Strike Anywhere Performance Ensemble will perform an excerpt from SAME RIVER, their interview-based piece about water issues and the controversial natural gas extraction process known as “fracking”. Strike Anywhere is comprised of world-class jazz musicians, modern dancers, and actors. Performers collaborate through an ensemble-based, improvisational process to create politically-charged, original works that address socially-relevant issues.
Roderick Romero’s latest work is a collaboration with musician Laurie Anderson for the Novartis Campus in Basel Switzerland. He has designed and built over 30 Treehouses on four continents. Clients include- Sting, Donna Karan, Julianne Moore, and Val Kilmer. His band (with wife Anisa), Sky Cries Mary, has recorded over 12 albums and has toured throughout North America and Asia. In 1994 Sky Cries Mary was the first band to broadcast live on the World Wide Web. They then went on to play the Conan Obrian Show and the John Stewart Show.
Stepping to the stage in his trademark suit, cufflinks and fedora style hat, poet Nathan P. became the poster child of style, grace and class on the slam circuit in early 2000. With a voice that resonates bass, the sound of his words were as captivating as his words themselves. This talent and stage presence enabled him to become a Nuyorican Grand Slam Finalist in his very first year on the circuit. He ultimately became the host at the Nuyorican Poets Café for seven years. He's been in two off-Broadway productions: “Be Beautiful” and “An Evolution in Reinvention,” produced two books of poetry: “Madness” and “The Colors of My Mind," appeared on numerous CD’s, most notably his solo project “Chalklines on Black Asphalt." He is Special Guest Host of The Inspired Word and starting in June the Host of The Inspired Word's Tuesday Night Open Mic Joint.
Caroline Rothstein is a spoken word poet, nonfiction writer, and multimedia journalist. She is a member of the 2010 Nuyorican Poet's Cafe slam team, which placed second at 2010’s National Poetry Slam. A member of the Intangible Collective, she has been performing and competing around the United States for a decade.
Shetal Shah is an actress, performance poet, filmmaker and educator. As a P3 poet-activist for seven years (poeticpeoplepower.com), guest poet at Lincoln Center’s La Casita festival and avid fan of Mexican food, she’s thrilled to be part of GreenPiece! Shetal currently works on climate change issues with the Bolivian Embassy and Nord Sud XXI.
Alysia Harris is a wordsmith. She is a student at Yale University pursuing a PhD in linguistics, and a two-time national spoken word champion. She also appeared on the HBO Documentary Russell Simmons Presents:Brave New Voices. She has performed with Saul Williams, Buddy Wakefield, Anis Mojgani, Rita Dove, and Elizabeth Alexander.
Lythion Music is the husband and wife duo of James Harrell (composer, producer, multi- instrumentalist, engineer) and Ilyana Kadushin (singer, songwriter, producer, performance coach). Together they have been composing and producing music for television, theater, film, studio and live performance for the last ten years. In addition to their music, Ilyana is widely known as the narrator for Stephenie Meyerʼs “Twilight” series audiobooks. Other projects include: scoring music for Nickelodeon Television, Becoming Natasha, True Body Project, Being Bold, The Deep, God Loves Me Best, and Separate, But Equal, the upcoming documentary they scored and co-produced about the Mississippi photographs of Henry Clay Anderson which will be on display at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC. Lythion has performed for Wildlife Federation benefit raising money for animals affected by gulf oil spill. For more info, please visit http://www.lythionmusic.com/.
Ceez Liive is a recognized teen spoken word artist/poet. She has been featured at the Nuyorican Poet’s Café, Madison Square Garden, The Chicago Theater, The Saban Theatre and several other venues throughout the United States. Ceez won second place in the 2009 Knicks Poetry Slam and is a member of both the 2009 Urban Word Slam team and the 2010 Philadelphia Team. Her show “Ma Heels” premiered in December of 2009 in Dance Theater Workshop and was featured in the 2010 Hip Hop Theater Festival. She’s made appearances on WQHT Hot 97 and Kiss FM in New York City reciting poetry. The New York Times, The Bronx Times and The Daily News have written articles on her. In January of 2011, Ceez’ first feature film “Gun Hill Road” premiered at The Sundance Film Festival. Her talent to weave words and mesh experiences to educate and entertain makes her an up and coming performer to watch.
Singer/songwriter/ pianist Justin Baron is a Pennsylvania native. A blend of soul, rock, jazz, pop, indie and classical define Baron’s music. As a child, he casually accomplished prodigious renditions of Debussy, Bach and Beethoven. Using his uncanny ability to seamlessly fuse different genres, Baron quickly joined the Philadelphia singer-songwriter scene.
Sean Lynam got his start fronting Chicago ska band A Girl Named Craig and, years later, formed alt. rock band, Speak Her Language. Following impressive releases from both bands, Sean has since emerged as multi-talented and well-rounded solo artist. Influences from Elvis Costello and Jackson Browne help in defining a sound that's uniquely his own; Lynam has made appearances on Mancow's Morning Madhouse and Q101 (chicago's #1 Rock station), executed a number of successful Midwestern tours, and opened for bands such as Nas, Motion City Soundtrack, Allister, The Toasters, Matt Nathanson, and Punchline.
Jarabe is a member of The ReadNex Poetry Squad, a group of four artists who perform underground Hip Hop and Spokenword Poetry. Together they have blazed over 300 stages across the world and have also made over a dozen television appearances. As artists, educators and activists, they seek to alleviate ignorance by tackling various issues including, but certainly not limited to, race, gender, politics, history, social injustice, gentrification, poverty and segregation.
Jonathan Walton is a spoken word performer raised in the rural town of Brodnax, Virginia, who attended Columbia University and was mentored in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. The publishing of his second book (The Second Verse) prompted him to go on tour raising money for children in Northern Uganda and soon after he became a member of Poetic People Power and justice and poetry were fused together forever. Since 2006, Jonathan has been a member of World Vision's Speaker's Bureau and an Sponsored artists advocating for children around the corner and around the world. Now as the New York City Urban Project Director for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship he aims to create catalytic programs that will develop volunteers and students with the character and capacity that can change the world.
Natalagé Davis, a member of the 2010 Urban Word Poetry Team. She has frequently competed locally, and over the summer, participated in the 2010 Brave New Voices Festival in Los Angeles, where her team clenched the title due to her perfect score on her poem "Colors" in the final round, becoming the National Teen Poetry Team Champions. In her poem "Colors" she recreates a plea to an absent mother whose favorite color she has never known. Davis beseeches her mother, who loved “on a grayscale,” to allow Davis to be “the color that makes you smile. There is Technicolor lin- ing the inside of my elbows,” she continued. “So hug me, mom.” She was recently featured on the HBO special presentation, “Brave New Voices 2010,” a seven part series chronicling the teams journey through the festival and the final slam.
Made up of members Peter Landi on lead vocals and guitar, along with Gabe Burford on bass, The Glazzies are a band that tries to make every performance and recording of themselves as energetic and raw as possible. With some of Peter's main influences being Dinosaur Jr., The Vines, and Nirvana, The Glazzies sound as if their music would fit more in the decade that Peter and Gabe were born in. "Remember the name The Glazzies. A& R executives will soon be fighting to sign the band." - Page Six, New York Post
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Rock 'n Renew is a non-profit focused on delivering the most effective environmental education possible to students of all ages through partnerships with today’s most popular musicians. Rock 'n Renew utilizes the power of endorsement and interaction with today’s most important musical artists -- a process that delivers mind-opening relevance to this critical subject for students who are often physically and culturally removed from the need to protect and restore the environment. Rock 'n Renew raises money to support both its scholastic programs and three ecology action sites. The ecology action sites exemplify Rock 'n Renew's core mission, while serving as destination learning centers and replicable models for the local action projects that students are encouraged to pursue. Rock 'n Renew works to connect students curriculum to these local community projects in an effort to repair local food systems and ecosystems.
Mike Geffner Presents The Inspired Word's 1st EVER Slam Master Jam for Poets, Spoken Word Artists, and Storytellers!
This is the first leg of 5 Inspired Word slams in 2011. The winners of the first 4 slams will be eligible to face off in the championship finals in Dec. for $500 in total prize money: $300 (+ paid 2012 feature spot) for 1st place. $100 for 2nd. $75 for 3rd. $25 for 4th.
Go in!
DISCLAIMER: No $$$ prizes awarded for THIS leg of the 5-leg series.
When: Thursday, March 17, 2011
Where: One and One Bar & Restaurant (downstairs Nexus Lounge)
76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
Manhattan, NYC
http://www.oneandoneny.com/
Phone: (212) 598-9126
Doors Open: 6:30pm
Cover Charge: $10
Must be 21 years of age or older. Please make sure to bring ID.
*****
20 slots, three rounds:
First round - 20
Second round - Top 4
Third round - Top 2
Strict Guidelines: 3-minute/one-poem limit each turn (plus a ten-second grace period; if the poet goes over time, points will be deducted from the total score), must be original work, must be a different piece each round (so MAKE SURE you bring THREE pieces).
Of the scores the person receives from five judges, the high and low scores will be dropped and the middle three get added together, giving the person a total score of 0-30. The highest scores in each round advance.
Mike Geffner presents The Inspired Word, featuring Sean Patrick Conlon, Rico Frederick, Jani "Bomba" Rose plus a 10-slot open mic!
When: Thursday, June 24
Where: One and One Bar & Restaurant (downstairs Nexus Lounge)
76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
Manhattan, NYC http://www.oneandoneny.com/
Phone: (212) 598-9126
Time: 7pm (open mic signup starts at 6:30)
Cover Charge: $10
Must be 21 years of age or older. Please make sure to bring ID.
*****
A talented writer and compelling performer born and raised in rural Virginia, Sean Patrick Conlon is a dedicated student of the page and a firm believer in the power of spoken word. As a poet, his constant devotion to both the craft of writing and live showmanship has fast earned him a reputation as being one of the hardest working and most original artists in the spoken word community today. He's the current Intangible Collective Grand Slam Champion and also the workshop coordinator for LouderARTS. To find out more about Sean, visit his site @ http://www.thevanishingman.com/.
Rico Frederick, a self-described "Trini farm boi'" turned graphic designer turned national slam poet, is the current Grand Slam Champion of LouderARTS as well as a three-time Nuyorican Grand Slam Finalist and three-time Urbana Grand Slam Finalist. He freely admits to loving Gummy Worms and pistachio ice cream.
Jani "Bomba" Rose is Nuyorican poet and performer born in Spanish Harlem and raised in the Bronx who began writing at the age of seven. She went from the public school system to an elite manhattan private school overnight where she developed a love for Plath and Method Man. She is an Acentos Fellow, the host of the Latina Empowerment series and founder of Poetry for the People and spends all of her time making stuff, reading, writing and taking care of her four sons.. To find out more, visit her site @ MusingsandScribbles.com.
