Corvallis Poetry Slam

new poetry slam in town

2008-03-05T19:31:00.001-08:00

It's been since June since we had our monthly slams at Iovino's. I've recently found out that there is a new poetry slam in town. Check it out!

open mic wednesday June 6

2007-06-05T20:02:00.001-07:00

Hey folks!

The monthly open mic at Iovino's is this Wednesday (tomorrow)!

Open Mic
Wednesday, June 6
starting at roughly 9:00
Iovino's Ristorante
downtown, 1st and Washington
music, poetry, spoken word, performance art welcome!
drink specials!

I know for you students its dead week, but take a break! Come and enjoy!

Michael

poetry slam wednesday - Theme is SEX: Sponsored by MARS

2007-05-14T14:05:00.000-07:00

Hey folks!

Wednesday is our monthly poetry slam at Iovino's - but this month, there's a twist!

MARS (Male Advocates for Responsible Sexuality) is sponsoring the slam this month, bringing in prizes and advocating for sexual awareness.

So the theme of this month's slam is SEX!

Please come, share some poetry, get some good cheap drinks, and read or hear something naughty. ;)

Pints and Poetry Slam
Wednesday, May 16
Iovino's
1st and Washington ST, Corvallis
sign-up starts at 9:00
slam will begin at roughly 10:00

Hope to see you there - it should be a fun night!

Michael

open mic at iovino's on wednesday

2007-05-01T10:20:00.001-07:00

Hey folks,

Our monthly first Wednesday of the month open mic is tomorrow!

Iovino's Open Mic
in the new condo building on 1st and Washington
Downtown, Corvallis
sign-up starts at 9:00
open mic starts at 9:30

Please come and share some music, poetry, performance art, spoken work, or whatnot.

Attendance has been down at the open mic, and this is the test to see whether we should continue it. So show up and show support for local art. There's drink specials, too — great incentive!

See you there,

Michael
http://pintsandpoetry.blogspot.com
pintsandpoetry@yahoo.com

PS. Don't forget about our amazing Pints and Poetry Slam in two weeks on Wednesday, May 16. It should be amazing - MARS is co-sponsoring, and the theme is sex. HAWT.

poetry slam wednesday @ Iovino's

2007-04-16T15:13:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

Pints and Poetry is having the monthly poetry slam at Iovino's this Wednesday!

Sign-up 9:00ish
Slam starts 9:30ish

Please come, share in some poetry, spoken word, drink specials, and fun! Iovino's is located on first street downtown in the new Condo building. There will be an open mic between rounds as well.

See you there!

Michael, your slam mistress

poetry slam wednesday @ Iovino's

2007-03-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

Hey kids!

It's that time of the month again. Come to the Pints and Poetry Slam

Wednesday night
March 21, 2007
@ Iovino's on first street (in the new condo building)
sign-up will start at 9:00
and the slam will start somewhere around 9:30

There will be drink specials, so come on out for a crowd!

(I'll be in New York City, but Colin, my wonderful co-host, will put on a great show!)

Michael
http://pintsandpoetry.blogspot.com
pintsandpoetry@yahoo.com
http://myspace.com/pintsandpoetry

open mic on wednesday

2007-03-04T13:46:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

Join us for our monthly open mic (first wednesday of the month) at Iovino's Ristorante on 1st Street in Corvallis (first floor of the new condo building on the Riverfront). Sign-up will start around 9:00, and we'll get things going around 9:30.

Open Mic
Wednesday, March 7
Iovino's
9:00 pm

Hope to see you there!

Michael
pintsandpoetry@yahoo.com
http://pintsandpoetry.blogspot.com
http://myspace.com/pintsandpoetry

thanks everybody

2007-02-22T00:47:00.000-08:00

Thanks everybody for the amazing night. Iovino's new location is amazingly awesome and so gorgeous! I can't believe it. The crowd tonight was huge, and there was so much energy and fun. I'm so excited for the Corvallis scene right now. Keep it real!

Billy Tuggle Cancelled, but the slam is still on

2007-02-21T08:23:00.000-08:00

Billy Tuggle emailed me this morning and let me know that because of over-booking and greyhound problems, he won't make the slam tonight, which you know, sucks. But the slam is still on!

Iovino's is now located in the new condo building (I'm not sure of the exact address) on 1st street downtown, just a few blocks south of its old location.

The slam is going to be tonight, Wednesday, February 21 - as usual, sign up will start at about 9:00, with the slam beginning a little after 9:30. There'll be an open mic as well!

admittance is free, and drinks are cheap!

Hope to see you there!

Michael
pintsandpoetry@yahoo.com
http://pintsandpoetry.blogspot.com

chicago's billy tuggle next wednesday

2007-02-13T11:06:00.000-08:00

So, slam kids,

It's been a long time. With winter break and Iovino's moving, we haven't had an event in a few months. But it's time to start back up again!

Iovino's is now located in the new condo building (I'm not sure of the exact address) on 1st street downtown, just a few blocks south of its old location.

Our next slam is going to be Wednesday, February 21 - as usual, sign up will start at about 9:00, with the slam beginning a little after 9:30.

And this month, we've got feature poet Billy Tuggle!

"I am a force-sensitive karmadelic, Rastafari, Auquarius, B-Boy, activist, mentor, conductor of the subway conection, do my own stunts and stay crispy in milk. I am a vocalist, spoken word artist and, occassionally an actor. I am a performance poet who has appeared in films, competed in the National Poetry Slam and performed in theatres, clubs, galleries, museums, and streetsides all over North America. Join me at www.billytuggle.net for a complete HipHoppers guide to the galaxy. Check the Book of Voices on http://www.e-poets.net... Since the Fall of 2004, I have been a member of the Chicago arts collective PolyRhythmic- www.polyrhythmic.org- and co-host/organizer of Mental Graffiti, the 'Go's second longest running poetry slam."

admittance is free, and drinks are cheap!

Hope to see you there!

Michael

slam Wednesday! featuring Katz!

2006-11-12T22:20:00.000-08:00

Hey folks!

Pints and Poetry Slam is having its last slam of the 2006 calendar year. Help us close the year out right by attending our monthly poetry slam:

Pints and Poetry Slam
Iovino's Ristorante
126 SW 1st Street
Wednesday, November 15
sign-up starts at 9:00
slam begins at roughly 9:30

And this month's feature is Katz of Athens Boys Choir. Katz featured last November and was amazing! He's been on tour with Ani DiFranco and many others. You can check him out at:

http://www.athensboyschoir.com/

I hope to see you there! And, of course, prizes will be handed out as usual!

Michael

open mic this wednesday!

2006-10-30T08:24:00.000-08:00

Hey folks,

Iovino's is holding its monthly open mic this Wednesday:

Iovino's open mic
poetry, music, performance art
first Wednesday of the month
9:30 pm
$2.00 beers, $3.00 wells
126 SW 1st Street
Corvallis

Hope to see you there!

upcoming features!

2006-10-30T08:22:00.000-08:00

So, we've confirmed Katz of Athens Boys Choir to come on November 15, and Billy Tuggle, also known as Karma Threesixty, for February 21.

slam wednesday!

2006-10-17T00:45:00.000-07:00

october feature

2006-09-27T14:31:00.000-07:00

Our feature for October is Jamie Kilstein, who was on the NYC Urbana team. Jamie's done the "cliché quit my job get a car thing" and is touring this year.

If you live in Seattle, Jamie will be featuring there on October 17, and then coming to us on October 18 before going off to Denver.

Here's some blurbs about Jamie:

"Jamie Kilstein is amazing. Incredibly impressive. He takes on big important issues with humor, heart and balls."
-James Frey, author of A Million Little Pieces, #1 New York Times Best Seller

"Kilstein's hilarious performance proves that when it comes to saving the world from itself, mockery is the sincerest form of warfare."
-Josh Kilmer-Purcell New York Times Best Selling Author of "I Am Not Myself These Days: A Memoir"

"Jamie Kilstein defies taboos in a muckraking fashion. His Cometry is a combinaton of Lenny Bruce, Allen Ginsberg and Audre Lorde. He's not for the fainthearted."
-Bruce George, Co-Founder of HBO'S Def Poetry Jam

"Jamie Kilstein has taken over the poetry slam I have never seen anyone go so far, so fast."
-Taylor Mali, SlamNation 4 time Slam Champion

"You're a funny fuck."
-Doug Stanhope, Comedy Central, The Aristocrats

"No. To be an honest, the samples on myspace were not in line with the things that we normally book. Our goal is to bring inspiring, often politically charged performances to the students. I felt the samples were more about anger and thick with needless cynicism." Ronnie Stephens (Arkansas Slam)

"Self-assured, Stylish, and very funny."
-Mark Doty

poetry slam tomorrow (9/20) at Iovino's

2006-09-19T10:30:00.000-07:00

Howdy Sportsfans!

Summer is winding down and fall is here! And guess what: so is Poetry.

Come to the first anniversary poetry slam (wow, we just started last September) at Iovino's tomorrow!

Details:

Pints and Poetry Slam
Iovino's Ristorante
126 SW 1st Street, Corvallis
sign-up starts at 9:00
slam at 9:30
3 round slam with prizes!
open mic between rounds

It should be an exciting night. Students are flooding back into town, and it looks like the rain is returning as well. Come celebrate spoken word with us!

Cheers,

Michael
http://pintsandpoetry.blogspot.com

MIKE MCGEE on Wednesday!

2006-08-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

CORVALLIS POETRY SLAM
Wednesday August 16
Iovino's Ristorante
126 SW 1st St, Corvallis
sign-up starts around 9:00
slam starts around 9:30
featuring MIKE MCGEE

Here's some stuff to know about Mike:
2006 Independent World Poetry Slam Champion (iWPS)
2006 San Jose Poetry Slam Individual Champion
2004 San Jose Grand Slam Champion
2003 National Poetry Slam Individual Grand Champion
2003 San Jose Grand Slam Champion
2003 San Francisco Grand Slam Champion
2002 Had a girlfriend
http://www.mikemcgee.net/

Hope to see you there: come read, listen, drink! Tacky and/or cheap and/or weird-ass prizes, of course, will be given out!

Peace out,

Michael

so, i meant to post this long ago

2006-08-11T11:32:00.000-07:00

TOMORROW, SATURDAY, AUGUST 12:

the first-ever
ALL-OREGON SLAM!
Featuring an open mic and teams from Corvallis, Bend, and Eugene!
Next Saturday evening, August 12th, at the World Cafe on 4th & Blair [in Eugene]- we're starting the show at 8pm sharp!
This is an all-ages venue with great food, beer & wine and we're throwing this party out on the patio. $3-$5 sliding scale.

AND on Sunday, August 13th - the very next night - come to Sam Bond's for a feature from the winning slam team and a HAIKU SHOWDOWN!

News for Eugene:
THE HAIKU SHOWDOWN IS NOW A MONTHLY EVENT! Yes, it's true, so now you have no excuse for not writing poetry! This will also be an opportunity to bring some more national features to Eugene to perform for y'all. Sam Bond's will host a Haiku Showdown on (more-or-less) the second Sunday of every month. Here are some upcoming dates: Aug 13, Sept 17, Oct 22, Nov 12 & Dec 10. Unleash your inner NINJA!

poetry in your bones?

2006-07-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

Do you have poetry in your bones? Do you need to get it out? Scream it out? Read it to an audience? Or just listen to some great poetry!

Well, here's the gig!

Corvallis Poetry Slam, vol. XI (if I'm counting right)
Iovinio's Ristorante, 126 SW 1st St
Corvallis
Sign-up starts at 9:00
Slam begins roughly at 9:30
Come and share poetry, listen to poetry, judge if you want
And hang out!

Some kickass (cheap) prizes will be awarded, and there will be an open mic between rounds!

See you there,

Hugs,

Michael

***

And, thanks to Marietta in Eugene, upcoming:

And coming up SATURDAY, AUGUST 12th: THE ALL-OREGON SLAM at WORLD CAFE

This is the first of its kind, folks! Teams from Bend, Corvallis & Eugene get together to rock the mic at a beautiful, all-ages venue in the Whitaker. Open mic for all to kick it off. More info to come.

We're following this event up with a Sunday night event at SAM BOND'S featuring all three teams, plus another HAIKU SHOWDOWN.

Celebrate the Solstice with Pints and Poetry

2006-06-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Help us usher in the summer with some Pints and Poetry
Slam at Iovino's on Wednesday.

Wednesday, June 21
Pints and Poetry Slam
Iovino's Ristorante, 126 SW 1st
Corvallis
sign-up starts at 9:00
slam begins around 9:30

Prizes will be awarded, and I hope to see as many
people there as possible! Show this town that poetry
doesn't die when school's out! (and let's celebrate
school being out!)

Cheers!

Michael

Wednesday Night Results!

2006-05-19T10:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks again to everyone who came out to the slam last night, and also very much thanks to our awesome feature Eric Darby, who was, well, awesome. The winners from last night were everyone (I'm such a hippy), but the one who took home prizes were:

1. Dekk (Naked Santa)
2. Dialek (Toad the Wet Sproket CD)
3. Lloyd (some old ass 80's cassette)

so congrats to them! I guess next month's feature will be our very own Slam Team, so stay up and look for announcements about that. Thanks to everyone again for making our simple little slam at Iovino's one of the coolest things happening in this town.

Peace, Pints, and Poetry!

Colin

Poetry Slam Wednesday featuring Eric Darby

2006-05-14T17:02:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Please come to the May poetry slam, Wednesday, May 17, at Iovino's to slam poetry, see Eric Darby perform, and have a blast!

Details:
May 17
Iovino's, 126 SW 1st Street
Corvallis Pints and Poetry Slam
sign-up 9:00
slam starts at 9:30
featuring Eric Darby
wonderful prizes for those who compete

Come celebrate poetry in Corvallis, celebrate spoken word, and have fun!

Some info on Eric Darby:

http://www.ericdarby.net/

Eric Darby is a nationally-recognized writer and performance poet, currently based in Boston, Massachusetts. He has competed in an Individual World Poetry Slam and four National Poetry Slams, representing both Ann Arbor, Michigan, and, more recently, Boston's Cantab Lounge. At the 2004 NPS, he finished in the top 20 out of over 300 poets. In 2005, he advanced to the Individual Poetry Slam Finals, marking him as one of the top seven poets in the competition.

Hope to see you all on Wednesday!

Michael

Mike McGee to feature in August

2006-05-14T16:58:00.000-07:00

I've known this for a while, but keep procrasting on this blog.

Mike McGee will be featuring in August, which is über exciting. He rocks, trust me!

we're on myspace now!

2006-04-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

Pintsandpoetry on MySpace

April Poetry Slam featuring Selah Geissler

2006-04-18T23:58:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Vol. 8 of the Pints and Poetry Slam is Tonight!

Wednesday, April 19th
Iovino's Ristorante
126 SW 1st St.
Corvallis
Sign up begins at 9:00
Slam starts around 9:30

Our feature for tonight is Selah Geissler. Here's some info about her:

...three time grand slam champ at First Thursday's in Honolulu - the largest registered slam
...HawaiiSlam team member since 2003 - competed in the NPS semi-finals in 2005
...co-host of re:verses, a monthly event featuring poets followed by an open mic and, once in a while, we slam
...performer for GirlFest Hawaii 2004 & 2005, an annual womyn's festival benefit
...host of hawaii's first GirlSlam during GirlFest 05 -- we featured Rachel Kann, Bridget Grey, Andrea Gibson and Mush
...scheduled to perform for GirlFest Bay Area 2006 at Berkeley
...give free writing and expression workshops at a drop-in center for homeless teens on the island
...affiliated with Youth Speaks, Hawaii Chapter -- free poetry workshops for teens and a monthly teen slam
...featured in "HawaiiSlam: Poetry in Paradise," a documentary on Hawaii's first team at nationals

She's pretty rad, and it should be a fun night, as usual. Hope to see y'all there!

Michael

---

P.S. I'll promote the following poetry events in Eugene as well:

2nd EUGENE POETRY SLAM PLAY-OFF ROUND THIS SATURDAY!

The top poets from the 2006 Slam Season compete to see who goes on to the FINALS in May:

SATURDAY, APRIL 22nd - featuring Selah Geissler

HAIKU SHOWDOWN
SAM BOND'S!
Wednesday, May 3rd - more info to come...

JOHN DOOLEY FEATURES & SLAM FINALISTS ROCK THE OPEN MIC!
TSUNAMI BOOKS!
Thursday, May 11th - more info to come...

EUGENE POETRY SLAM FINALS
TERRITORIAL!
Saturday, May 13th - you already know...

pictures from way back when - february slam

2006-03-18T18:12:00.000-08:00

Because my computer has been screwed up for a while, I'm just now getting to posting these pictures from the February slam:

Emily S!

Steve R!

certification and tentative national team

2006-03-18T18:01:00.000-08:00

Now that we've had six slams, I certified the venue! I haven't sent in evidence yet, as I'm not sure to do that digitally, but I emailed Nationals and asked them how to send in evidence, so when I hear back from them, I'll do that.

On Wednesday's Slam, the following people garnered top five honors and compose the national team for Corvallis (dependent upon acceptance):

Brian D
Eric N
Mike P
Michael F
Julia S

I've got to run - so busy - but I'll post more later!

EDIT: I just emailed in our evidence!

Pints and Poetry in the news

2006-03-18T17:37:00.000-08:00

Check out the Corvallis Gazette-Times article:

Tables became communal property and the bar was lost in a sea of standing guests at Iovino’s Ristorane on Wednesday night, as the restaurant was packed to capacity for the Corvallis Poetry Slam finals.

For the past six months, local poets have braved the stage at Iovino’s to share their words, or sometimes shout them, sing them, warble them, whisper them, weave them. There aren’t many rules in a poetry slam, other than a time limit, and a panel of judges whose words, and scores, the poets must abide by.

Sometimes, guest poets stop by, such as an Iowa poet who opened the poetry slam finals Wednesday with a rendition of Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl,” and commented that at a recent poetry slam in Seattle not half as many people showed up as were crowded into Iovino’s that night. read more

Pints and Poetry March 15th: "The Finals"

2006-03-06T19:34:00.000-08:00

That's right PnP heads! This coming wednesday, March 15th is the Seventh volume of the Pints and Poetry Slam at Ioviono's, and it's the Final round to determine a slam team to represent Corvallis in the National Poetry Slam Championships in Austin, Texas. This night promises to be one of the best for the series so far; we have the top five readers from the January and February slams, and we have a feature in the form of Jim Coppoc:

Jim Coppoc is an award-winning poet and teacher; a Lecturer in English at Iowa State University, where he teaches composition and creative writing; and the Special Projects Coordinator at Iowa State’s Center for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities. In addition to his many creative and scholarly efforts, Coppoc has spent most of his life exploring the many media of performance art, having worked as musician, actor, stand-up comic, network radio D.J., and performance poet. Coppoc is the author of two chapbooks of poetry and two plays, editor of the forthcoming Tens: an Anthology of SlamFusion Poetry in the Midwest, and runner-up for the 2004 Frieda Stein Fenster Award for Millennial Poetry. Coppoc’s first full-length book of poetry, Blood, Sex & Prayer, will be released by Fractal Edge Press in the summer of 2005.

The poets who qualified for the finals in the last two slams are(in no particular order):
Brian D
Nicholas
Three
Ed!!(?)
Michael
Eric
Hubb
Mike P
Daniel
Jerry

We're gonna be starting, as always, at 9pm at Iovino's Ristorante (126 SW 1st St. in Downtown Corvallis), so come eat, drink, and see some great poetry performances on Wednesday March 15th!

Peace, Pints, and Poetry,

Colin

Poetry Slam Wednesday February 15!!

2006-02-13T10:04:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all!

Exciting News! That's right: Corvallis is about to have its fifth poetry slam at Iovino's Ristorante. Details:

Slam starts at 9:30, sign-up beforehand
Iovino's Ristorante
126 SW 1st Street, Corvallis
Feature: Ray McNiece:
http://raymcniece.com/
Ray has earned a national reputation as a poet and performer for almost two decades through his solo theater pieces, his poetry and music shows, his captaining of 2 National Poetry Slam Championship teams, his "edutaining" children's shows and workshops, and his yearly country-wide tours of performance poems, stories and songs.

Ray is the author of six poetry books – Dis, The Bone-Orchard Conga, The Road that Carried Me Here, Song that Fathoms Home, and Wet Sand Raven Tracks –New Haiku, and Us? Talking Across America, two solo theatre works – Dis – Voices From a Shelter, Us? Talking Across America, two music/poetry collaborations – Mouth Music, A Rust bowl Hootenanny, and one collaborative theatre work – Homegirl meets Whiteboy -- with Shawn Jackson. He also co-edited the anthology of Contemporary Buddhist Poetry, America Zen. The Orlando Sentinel reporting on Ray’s solo show at the Fringe Festival called him “a modern day descendant of Woody Guthrie. He has a way with words and a wry sense of humor.” In a review of his second theatre work, Us? Talking Across America, the Star-Phoenix said, “His thoughtful writing combines with perfectly timed delivery to create a powerful wordscape that owes as much to jazz as drama.” He was the voice of Woody Guthrie in WCPN/NPR’s award winning radio documentary, Hard Travellin’.

This is also Corvallis' semi-finals. The top five poets from January's slam and from February's slam go to March's to determine a team. I know this is early in the year, but we're trying to get a head-start on things.

So come, slam, listen, cheer, drink, be merry!

Hearts,

Michael

i love poetry slam nights in corvallis!

2006-01-19T00:57:00.000-08:00

So, here it is, a half an hour after the fifth month of Corvallis Poetry Slam, and I just want to say that I love this town and love y'all. Tonight was a lot of fun, and...let's see. Thanks to Derek for hosting tonight and doing and excellent job, and thanks to everyone for participating!

Top five, who have buys into March's slam (the finals, to determine Corvallis' team for Nationals):
1. Brian D
2. Nicholas
3. Three
4. Ed
5. Michael

I would write more, but I have to write about Plato and Kenneth Burke before going to bed and getting up to be in Portland in seven hours. Holy fuck. So, yeah, I'm going to go write about Plato now, if I'm not too drunk.

Some last words, as said by Nicholas tonight: "Poetry here—here is alive, well, and productive."

See you in February on the 15th!!!

January Slam

2006-01-15T16:46:00.000-08:00

Hey poetry heads! So the January slam is coming up, and it's going to be the first of our qualifiers for the finals in March. Those with a gauranteed slot are:

1. Brian D
2. Sam R
3. Lisa T
4. Marietta
5. Eric N.
6. Hub
7. Ed
8. Three
9. Ajai

That means there's going to be three other slots for poets to get in on the slam, and maybe more if any of the poets on the list don't show. Tell all your friends, aquaintances, and random classmates and coworkers. Just be sure to get to Iovino's on Wednesday for this slam!

Additionally, I got a flyer for the event ready as well. Put one up in your English Lit class. Stick one in your Boss' office. Put one in the john. Get the word out so we can get Iovino's cracking! Hope to see you all there on the 18th.

Peace, Pints, and Poetry!

- Colin

jim coppoc to feature in march

2006-01-04T20:33:00.000-08:00

So, I just set up March's feature: Jim Coppoc. Check out his stuff.

Also, January's slam will probably start a bit later than normal (say, 10ish or so) because the Martin Luther King Jr. event held on campus by the Black Poets Society earlier that evening. I'll post more on that (or Colin will) later.

Ray McNiece to feature in february

2005-12-20T13:56:00.000-08:00

We just got a confirmation that Ray McNiece from Boston will feature at the February Slam (February 15, 2006)!

Feature for April: Selah Geissler!

2005-12-15T00:32:00.000-08:00

I just received confirmation that we have a feature for April's slam: Selah Geissler from Hawaii. Here's some of her info:

...three time grand slam champ at First Thursday's in Honolulu - the largest registered slam
...HawaiiSlam team member since 2003 - competed in the NPS semi-finals in 2005
...co-host of re:verses, a monthly event featuring poets followed by an open mic and, once in a while, we slam
...performer for GirlFest Hawaii 2004 & 2005, an annual womyn's festival benefit
...host of hawaii's first GirlSlam during GirlFest 05 -- we featured Rachel Kann, Bridget Grey, Andrea Gibson and Mush
...scheduled to perform for GirlFest Bay Area 2006 at Berkeley
...give free writing and expression workshops at a drop-in center for homeless teens on the island
...affiliated with Youth Speaks, Hawaii Chapter -- free poetry workshops for teens and a monthly teen slam
...featured in "HawaiiSlam: Poetry in Paradise," a documentary on Hawaii's first team at nationals

As far as I know, she doesn't have a website, but if I find out she does, I'll post it.

Laterz,

Michael

reflections on december "slam"

2005-12-15T00:21:00.000-08:00

So, we didn't have quite the turnout for a slam in December as we'd hoped. This is understandable, since students are on break and such, but Colin hosted an open mic, which I think went stupendously. It was totally rad, with some awesome poetry, and I think some people shared who normally wouldn't have. It was a great night overall, and I'll admit it, I'm a bit tipsy (tipsier than I should be for driving to my office to blog right now!).

Just FYI, yes, the slam is moving to the Third Wednesday of the Month! Check out the sidebar for dates and such!

See y'all for the fourth slam (since this one didn't actually count, I guess) in January. It'll be semi-finals for the finals in March. Nine slots are filled from the September and October slams (if they all show). The other slots (up to 12 total slammers) will be filled in by sign-up that night (first come, first serve). Those who are definitely slamming in January include:

1. Brian D
2. Sam R
3. Lisa T
4. Marietta
5. Eric N.
6. Hub
7. Ed
8. Three
9. Ajai

Of course, if some of thoe don't show, their slots go to people who sign up.

Those who have definite slots in February:

1. Brian D.
2. Eric
3. Mike P
4. Hubb
5. Jerry

And then filling in for slots up to 12, of course.

Top five from January and top five from February (excluding duplicates) will slam in March to make the Corvallis team! Bitchin!!!!

So, sorry tonight wasn't a real slam, but I think Colin did an excellent job of hosting an open mic, and yes, Keith, I am blogging about the slam not the day before! Yay!

negligent blogging

2005-12-14T15:32:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all!

Sorry we've been negligent on the blogging about the slam and such - what a busy quarter it's been! But it's over, and tonight is the 4th volume of the Pints and Poetry Slam! As Colin said in the previous post, come and enjoy, because this is Wes's last slam for six months (he'll be in Mexico), and he and Iovino's have been awesome in supporting art and poetry in Corvallis. So come, have a $2 pint or other drink, and enjoy or share some poetry.

Since I never posted the winners of Volume 3, here are the top five from November's slam:

1. Brian D.
2. Eric
3. Mike P
3. Hubb
3. Jerry

Those top five are guaranteed spots in the second Semi-Finals in January.

So, here's how forming a Corvallis Poetry Slam Team for Nationals (in August) is going to work:

The top five poets from each of the September and October slams will have automatic slots in the Semi-Final Round 1 Slam in January. The remaining slots (max of 12 poets in a slam) will be filled that night in January.
The top five poets from each of the November and December slams will have automatic slots in the Semi-Final Round 2 Slam in February. The remaining slots (max of 12 poets in a slam) will be filled that night in February.
The top five poets from each of the Semi-Final Rounds (in January and February) will go to the finals in March.
The top four or five poets from the March slam will comprise the Corvallis Pints and Poetry Slam Team! (if they want to, of course, but who wouldn't!)

We'll probably have to start fundraising for the national slam team soon because going to nationals is hella expensive, so if you have fundraising ideas, feel free to comment or email us (or if you wanna be a fund-helper, email us too!)

Oh, and Wes informed me last week that the slam will probably be moving to the third Wednesday of the month in January, but I'll post here to let y'all know for sure.

Hope to see you tonight!

Michael

2005-12-14T10:14:00.000-08:00

Alright kids! Tomorrow night's slam will be fun and awesome as usual, even if it seems like it's being done at the last minute (which it isnt). There is some bittersweetness, however, because Wes, the events coordinator over at Iovino's is leaving. This is his last onth in the states before travelling across mexico in a van with a bunch of music and recording equipment. Since it's Wes' las chance to be at a slam, I hope crazy people come out to show love and support to Wes, Iovino's and the Pints and Poetry series as a key founding force is taken away.

We'll miss you Wes.

Peace, Pints, and Poetry!

-- Colin

2005-12-01T16:12:00.000-08:00

Here's a promo flyer fr the Pints and Potery Slam Series at Iovino's. It has the upcoming dates for the next few slams, as well as a couple of projected exhibition or other kind of slam/poetry readings after the finals in March. Download it and print it out. Use it as a desktop image. Use it a Birdcage lining. But be sure to check it out.

Peace, Pints and Poetry!

-Colin

hope to see you tonight!

2005-11-09T13:38:00.000-08:00

Tonight is Volume 3 of the slam! And while Colin and I have put up some posters and sent out a few emails, we're kind of hoping on word of mouth for this baby (because man, we are so busy). But this should be an awesome show, with features Katz of Athens Boys Choir and Scott Turner. Let's show our features (and Corvallis) that there is a poetry, art, and spoken word scene in this town!

Hope to see you there! Bring some buddies, some poetry, some love of the spoken word!

In case you're interested in more info: Athens Boys Choir's Website.

See you at 9:30 at Iovino's (on First Street)

Hearts!

Michael

Volume 3 in 2 Weeks

2005-10-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

Poetry drinkers, Pint readers... er, you get the idea. Here is the flyer for Volume Three of Pints and Poetry. This promises to be a sweet show, with not just one but two featured poets! Michael pulled some strings, so you best not miss this one. It may be the coolest poetry reading in Corvallis in ever! Check it out heads.

Peace, Pints, and Poetry!
Colin

Volume 2 a Success! Volume 3 to Come! (with a feature!)

2005-10-16T19:26:00.000-07:00

Last week's slam on Wednesday was a huge success. I'm not sure how large our crowd was at its biggest, but at 11:30, with a half-hour left in the slam, there were still between 50 and 60 people in the crowd! Isn't that amazing! We had nine poets in the slam and six read during the open mic.

Top three in the slam were:

1. Hub
2. Ed!!?
3. Eric

And of course, they got fun little goodwill prizes!

Next month, the Pints and Poetry Slam becomes a little more, ahem, "professional," meaning we're going to have features! Katz, who performs as Athens Boys Choir, and Scott Turner will be featuring.

Here's some info on Katz:

“Katz has the nuance of an old soul when he does his thing. With the inclusion of class, culture, and race dynamics in transgender politics, Katz makes room for the evolution of a movement. He doesn't shy away from questioning his own community and remembers that humor broadens the most narrow minds. This self aware spoken word artist has potential to be a leader to his generation of queers and a bridge to an older generation if they are willing to listen."
-Amy Ray (Indigo Girls) July 2005

And a bio:

Katz, with his Jewish roots dressed in cowboy boots, has often hailed spokenword as “cheap therapy”. His pieces take a brave dive into a deep pool of personal, political, and sexual perspective. Katz performs under the persona of the Athens Boys Choir.

The Athens Boys Choir has toured nationally since 2003, performing with such artists as the Indigo Girls, Bitch, The Butchies, Danielle Howle, and Michelle Malone. He has also opened for poets of HBO’s Def Poetry Jam on more than one occasion. What started as a true love of writing since childhood has turned into a blissful career.

Katz uses his poetry to entertain and inform. Transgender issues are one of his hot topics and he was honored to be a part of Atlanta’s Transgender Day of Remembrance in 2004.

A Miami native, he also finds writing inspiration from a Jewish upbringing, and a love/hate relationship with politics. A line from one piece reads “ We all got these subliminal feeding tubes, ‘cause patriotic nourishment is easier when you don’t have to chew, when the heroic value of war is fed to you….”

Of course, being a southern boy, Katz isn’t afraid to let loose and have a little fun. Singing and New Kids on the Block dance moves are known to make an appearance at nearly every show.

From a sports bar in San Diego to a sold out crowd at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City, the rhymes and rhythms of the Athens Boys Choir have struck a chord in the most diverse of audiences; many whose members claimed they disliked spokenword until the Athens Boys Choir was let loose on them. With one CD already released on Daemon Records and another one in the works, Katz/The Athens boys Choir is a force to be reckoned with.

Some blurbs on Katz/The Athens Boys Choir:

“...airing our culture's dirty laundry with their infectious, stream-of-consciousness rapping.”
- Frontiers Magazine - Nov. 2004

“No one since Ani Difrance has taken the power of the English language and put it to such good use.”
Young Gay American Magazine - Feb/March 2005

“With apologies to Alix Olson, spoken word has never been quite this good.”
- Curve - Nov. 2004

“Athens Boys Choir could be called Groundbreaking”
- Labrys - Nov. 2004

The Next Slam!

2005-10-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

That's right kids! The next volume of the Corvallis Poetry Slam, aka "Pints and Poetry, Vol. 2" is occuring this Wednesday, October 12th, at the happenin' place:
Iovino's Ristorante. It's located at 126 1st St. in downtown.

It looks like the crowd will be as lively as last time (which was huge by the way. Kudos to everyone who came out to our first slam ever!), so you may want to try to get there as close to 9 as possible to get a chance to sign up on the list. We will also be allowing open mic during the intermission, so feel free to come, even if you don't want to slam.

As always, goofy-ass prizes will be awarded to the top three poets. Hope to see you all there!

black poets society reading and thriving theatre

2005-09-27T23:21:00.000-07:00

Both of these events are on Wednesday, September 28! I thought I'd promote some other awesome activities going on here in Corvallis. Sorry about the late notice.

A. BLACK POETS SOCIETY is hosting a poetry reading at Sunny Side Up
7:30 p.m., Black Poets to read their poetry and an open mic
Donations will be collected to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina

Those reading include:
1.) Brian Dekker
2.) Brandon Grundy
3.) Emily Shulz
4.) Oktavio
5.) Sara Call
6.) Mike P.
7.) Colin W.
8.) Randa Smith
9.) Eric Noack
10.) Stephisha Walton
11.) Michael Faris
12.) Sammy Butler
13.) Ed
14.) Dr. Ingram

B. THRIVING THEATRE to perform improv at Iovino's
funny, unfiltered improv
9:30 p.m., 2 dollar beers

We Want You to Come to the Next Slam!

2005-09-16T00:03:00.000-07:00

First Pints and Poetry Slam a Success!

2005-09-15T23:39:00.000-07:00

Last night, Volume 1 of the Corvallis Pints and Poetry Slam was a huge success, with 12 poets in the competition and 7 poets/artists in the open mic, and I have no idea how many people in the crowd. We're looking forward to next month!

The top three poets of the night (walking home with some kick-ass Goodwill prizes) were:
1. Brian D
2. Sam R
3. Eric N

And here are some pictures!

First place winner Brian D, who always seems to have his hand in front of his face

Second place winner Sam R

Third place winner Eric N

Lisa T, who made it to the final round

The Prophet Mike P

Colin W, during the open mic

Derek H, during the open mic

Note: if anyone pictured does not want their picture included on this site, please email me, and I'll take it down

2005-09-14T14:54:00.000-07:00

I just returned from Goodwill Industries, where I bought super rad (okay, maybe not so super rad) cheap prizes for tonight's poetry slam. I also bought some sweet ass children's luggage to carry the prizes and the scoreboards in - some poor kids name Katie and Karl have lost out on some sweet luggage.

Here's the info for tonight:

Pints and Poetry Slam, Volume 1
September 14, 9:00 p.m.
open mic intermission
free admission
Iovino's Ristorante
126 SW First Street, Corvallis

Hope to see you there!

Announcing First Corvallis Slam!

2005-09-02T12:14:00.000-07:00

Details for the first Corvallis Poetry Slam:

Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Iovino's (on 1st Street)
sign up: 9-9:30
start: 9:30ish

Come and sign up to read or slam your poetry! You just need three poems, each under three minutes. Prizes will be awarded!

Otherwise, come to watch, chear on, or be a volunteer judge!

More details to come!