Feb 28 in review

Some night. Everyone got served cheesecake just for rolling out. I figure the now and laters and pixie sticks are all fine and good most of the time but sometimes you gotta up the game a notch, you know, be classy.
Besides, the feature was classy and the dessert should match.

After an open mic that was just plain odd and sometimes dirty, we jumped into the feature portion of the night.
DASHA KELLY (www.dashakelly.com) did not disappoint. No, not one bit. She rocked poems both old and new (but all new to this crowd) and got more than ooh's, aah's and applause; she got respect. Dasha is a writers writer, which is to say she gives substance its' due over flash and style will forgo the fireworks in lieu of giving you a great poem, a great story, some great words.
Initially concerned with how things might go with her style of poetry compared to what she had heard up to that point, I reassured her that what she did would be just what the poetry doctor ordered. The results? A standing ovation from an enthusiastic crowd.

That's one thing I love about this crowd-they are mostly 'green', and new, and raw, BUT!-they know it and moreso, they know good work when they hear it and fully understand that that is what they will NEED to hear in order to expand beyond the horizon they can see and grow as writers.

After our break for the 'meet and greet the feature/ buy her stuff' we jumped right into the slam. Folks were chomping at the bit to get going and we blasted right thru it. When the dust settled, the crowd was quite pleased and everyone went home.

With 3 slams to go, there are now 9 different people with points towards going to the grand slam in April. This means that inevitably someone will get bumped out when it's over and not get to go. Can you say "pressure"? (that reminds me, I still need to get into this damn thing)

All in all a great night.

Thanks to all who come out and realize that you can tape "American Idol" and still survive. Or better yet, when you come out to a poetry show, are you not getting the ultimate reality TV show, combined with a soap opera? Hmm, an idea is brewing.

Anyone good with painting and design and making sets, stuff out of cardboard, get at me.



Special thanks goes out to JRawls of Polar Entertainment for assisting in producing this weeks episode of Black Pearl Poetry.
For more info on JRawls, check him out at www.polarentonline.com and www.j-rawls.com