July Slam Roundup & Slam Team
Read or join the discussion on this post.
July’s slam at the Drake Underground exploded like a blown airlock door. Guest poet Rives set the originality bar quite high with his charmingly relaxed yet utterly focused poetic intensity, but the poets that followed were up to the test, and each with their own unique voice and vision.
With just nine performers, each one hitting their marks with the ease of trained archers, we were given not only an electrifying experience, but our team for the Festival of Spoken Word as well! According to statistician and slam savant Gypsy Eyes’ notes, congratulations are in order for - in alphabetical order - Amanda Hiebert, Krystle Mullin, Leviathan, and Spencer. Congrats also to Truth Is, team alternate.
Those will be officially confirmed shortly, and final scores for all will also be posted at that time. The slams from here on in will be open to all again, so anyone who’s been waiting, August is your next chance.
Check back soon for expanded site features as well - and in the mean time feel more than welcome to respond below with any thoughts, threats, or love letters inspired by the slam. Audience participation is just as important between slams as it is during, after all.
July 23rd, 2006 at 11:04 am
Kudos, and praise for the way the slam went down. I had an amazing time, and walked away as always utterly inspired. The feature Rives completely floored me, and I raise huge congrats to Dave for being able to get him to come down. I enjoyed the culmination of intelligence, wit, and humour within the majority of his pieces, but most of all what I appreciated about his poetry was that it was consistently positive. He didn’t need negativity to raise eyebrows, he dug down deep, and came out with a lot of truth, and was completely genuine about seeing that every bad happenstance, has a good side to it.
I wish to also send out congratulations to the people that made the slam team. I know that you will do us proud, you stand together as some pretty powerful artillery, and I know you all will let fly your powerful words when it counts. Much love and congrats to you, and everyone else that celebrates poetry with the enthusiasm that it deserves!
July 23rd, 2006 at 1:18 pm
Looks like we have one hell of a team. I think poets throughout Vancouver started shivering for no apparent reason at some point yesterday… “I detect a disturbance in the force…”
Seriously, that was easily the greatest spoken word event I’ve attended since the national slams in Ottwa two years back… Nary a word out of place, nor a wasted breath… Beauty and the beast. Stone cold thrills. Straight up igneous.
I was honoured to have been the sacrifice that so obviously warmed the poetry gods (metaforces?) up to the main event (even if I did have to take a bullet or two). And especially glad to have witnessed Rives - goddam, that man is channelling something. Check him for implants!
I also want to say I’ve softened on Val’s idea of celebrity judges after last nite… it may indeed be a nice idea to have one experienced poet-performer as a judge when possible.
Thanks to everyone who was there. I look forward to more.
July 23rd, 2006 at 5:22 pm
And it was an extreme honour to host and organize this fantastic slam. Man, I was gettin all shaky during some pieces it was hard to ask for the scores from judges!
Val, thanks for the kind words and Smitty, yep, you’re right, definitely one of the best slam I’ve been to. For me, it was the love I felt from the audience that made the night a huge success. Didn’t think 140 people would crowd the Drake at a 7pm show, but hey, guess spoken word is taking off as it should.
Remember, July 25 is the 20 year anniversary of slam as an art form…raise your pens, raise your glasses!
July 23rd, 2006 at 6:06 pm
Crazy slam last night Dave et al. I had a ball from top to bottom, and our TPS team is going to be great. Can’t wait for the festival already.
I’ll have the blogTO coverage up by tomorrow morning!
July 23rd, 2006 at 9:01 pm
Stellar slam… absolutely stellar! So inspiring being amongst so many great poets! I am still laughing about 10 cow woman (and wondering how many cows i’m worth…)
Congrats to the slam team… You guys rock the house! I’m sure you’ll do Toronto proud!
BTW… Have some photos and video footage of Rives. Lemme know where to send if interested.
July 24th, 2006 at 4:38 am
It’s up!
July 31st, 2006 at 8:02 am
all these folks can really speak that shuhzit!?! awesome job awesome venue awesome show thanx mr.dave it’s all oh so poetical{attention new word by rd cumming into the lexicon)
July 31st, 2006 at 11:57 am
Poetical
adj.
1. Poetic.
2. Fancifully depicted or embellished; idealized.
Sorry dude, already in the dictionary.