every Wednesday night at 8 * open mic, featured poet, poetry slam * 738 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Mass.
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The Cantab Lounge: Latest News
Friday, August 27, 2010
At last! This past Wednesday, our long wait was rewarded with a feature from longtime regular Christopher Kain. Mixing his own voice with that of a few guest readers, Christopher treated us to just a taste of his one-hundred-poem oeuvre, Twentieth Century Limited. Our semi-final slam was won by Adam Stone, who defeated Sam Teitel and Patrick S. for the chance to slam at the September 8 season final.
Next week: the immensely prolific Ohio poet Louise Robertson swings into town for one night only! We'll close the night with the second semi-final slam: Megan, McKendy, Anthony C., and Chad.
Thursday, August 19, 2010It was another fine night for poetry at the Cantab last night, as we welcomed New Jersey's tenderhearted and not-as-awkward-as-she-claims Nicole Homer to the feature stage. Our slam was won by out-of-towner Chad Anderson, who edged out Mill City's Z just in time for everyone to catch the last train.
Next week: Christopher Kain finally features to celebrate his new book! We'll also have the first of two semi-finals in the 8x8, with Patrick S., Adam Stone, Sam Teitel, and Black Angus qualified to slam.
Thursday, August 12, 2010Last night, we welcomed back the 2010 Cantab Slam Team from their semi-final finish at the National Poetry Slam with the best feature we could drum up: that's right, Patricia Smith was in the house for one night only, and, as usual, she brought the house down! Patricia read excerpts from her Motown manuscript, including some challenging form work that's sure to have open mic readers fighting with edits for months to come. Our very own DJ Muse ended the night with an impromptu Motown dance party, fabulously kicking off our new season of features.
Next week: we continue our August trend of amazing women with New Jersey's Nicole Homer. We'll also finish off our speed slam series with the last 3-/2-/1-minute slam in the 8x8.
Saturday, August 7, 2010It was standing room only at the Cantab this past Wednesday for the feature from Nicole Terez; the team might be out of town, but stories of her amazing performance and craft echoed all the way to the National Poetry Slam. Our first 8x8 slam to qualify to try out for the 2011 Cantab Slam Team followed the feature, and was won by newcomer Anthony C. over open mic regular Christopher Vaughn.
Meanwhile, out at Nationals... The Cantab team ranked second in their Thursday bout, and qualified to compete in semi-finals last night! We didn't make Finals tonight, but you can check out our MySpace blog for all the details.
Next week: our feature will be Patricia Smith... 'Nuff said. Show up early if you want to get in, folks.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010Cantabbers! We're proud to annouce that the Cantab Slam Team won our first bout last night! We've got another prelim to go on Thursday, but we are enjoying being the number-two-ranked team in the nation for today. Check out poetryslam.com to keep up with the details of how everybody is doing, or read the SlamMaster's blog (warning: longer than 3:10) here.
Friday, July 30, 2010As you may have noticed, there was hardly room to move in the Cantab this past Wednesday; so many people came out to share their work and support the slam team! Simone Beaubien, Carrie Rudzinski, Omoizele Okoawo, April Ranger, and Adam Stone laid down an hour of poetry for the feature, and the venue laid down more love than we know how to pack to Nationals.
The list of people to thank is too long to print here, but a few major contributors come to mind: DJ Muse independently produced and pressed our team CD, and James Caroline, Brian S. Ellis, Erin Jackson, Michael Quigg, and Artie Moffa staffed the whole open mic to give the team the night off. Thanks, too, to all of you who bought chapbooks, t-shirts or CDs: all of you helped to raise enough money to fund the team's trip to St. Paul!
You can follow the team's progress at the official National Poetry Slam website; we'll be bouting on Tuesday and Thursday night. And, don't forget: there's a great show planned for next Wednesday! Nicole Terez Dutton will be holding down the fort while the team is out of town, and there'll be a speed slam to qualify for the 2011 slam team tryouts.
Thursday, July 22, 2010It was especially warm and wonderful at poetry night last night, as we welcomed NYC poet Jon Sands for a special early-bird workshop, then his fabulous feature. He had us smiling so hard our faces hurt, then went in for a few sad sucker-punches that were so tender we couldn't help but forgive him. In the speed slam, Manchester poet McKendy elminated Hampshire poet Christina Beam in the final round. What a super night!
Next week: the send-off feature for the 2010 Cantab Slam Team, where Simone, Carrie, Oz, April and Adam will present a special one-hour show, stuffed with all the work they're packing to Nationals. They'll also have product for sale, including the latest team chapbook! Remember that it's a special $5 cover this Wednesday to help fundraise to get the team to St. Paul!
Thursday, July 15, 2010Thanks for another great night at the Cantab, folks! After an exciting open mic, we enjoyed spotlight features from the Boston Youth Slam Team, who leaves for L.A. this week, and Seattle-via-Smith-College poet Sara Brickman! Our main feature, Jacob Rakovan, rocked the house for a solid half-hour with his thoughtful and carefully crafted work. Finally, our two-person slam was won by Megan Thoma, who pulled away from Ed Wilkinson in the final one-minute round.
Next week: NYC slam sensation Jon Sands, with another open speed slam to follow. Jon's also offering an early-bird workshop before the show. Follow the link to RSVP to Jon via email to hold your spot in this limited-space workshop!
Thursday, July 8, 2010This heat wave just doesn't stop, poetry fans: last night, we hosted a hothot team poetry slam at the 'tab, featuring teams from the Hampshire County Slam Collective, the Lizard Lounge, Providence, Rhode Island, and Portland, Maine! The big winner in this Nationals-style 4x4 team match was the team from Portland, who showed off their range of humor and heartbreak to take top honors! And, as if that wouldn't be enough for you, we also have to thank Dutch poet Nyk de Vries, who stopped by for a quick visit... And blew our minds with a great spotlight feature.
Next week: "sociopathic show pony" (yup, you read that right) Jacob Rakovan. We'll also have an open Speed Slam.
Saturday, July 3, 2010What a great night at the Cantab, folks! Marty McConnell and Tristan Silverman worked hard the whole night for us, starting with an early-bird workshop, staying to cheer on our open mic, then with a one-hour double-feature that held the audience spellbound until the last T. Special thanks to Jason Bayani, who visited us for just one night from the Bay and graced us with a great spotlight feature.
Next week: we'll have our second of two NorthBEAST Regional slams. Teams from Portland, Maine, Providence, Rhode Island, the Hampshire County Slam Collective, and the Lizard Lounge will slam off for bragging rights and National Poetry Slam warm-up!
Thursday, June 24, 2010It was a fabulously packed night at the 'tab last night; a warm welcome goes out to all our new readers who tried out the mic. Our feature, Nick Fox, brought us an astounding range of work --not to mention many useful facts about mules! The slam was won by newcomer Black Angus, who defeated McKendy in one of the wackiest one-minute final rounds yet.
Next week: we'll have a one-hour feature set from Marty McConnell and Tristan Silverman! The double-feature starts around 10:00, but if you can't get enough of these amazing Chicago slammers, check out their special workshop event before the Cantab. There's no slam this Wednesday to accommodate for extended feature time, so please be prompt if you want a spot on the open mic.
Thursday, June 17, 2010It's time to ease into summer at the Cantab: lots of first-time readers and a few summer-only guests turned out for the open mic last night. Our feature was Jamaal "Versiz" May, a Detroit poet who showed us great range in both his performance and page work. What a treat! Our slam was won by Sam Teitel, who defeated Danielle Reed, a DC poet visiting for the week.
Next week: longtime slammer Nick Fox brings us a full feature! We'll close the night with another summertime speed slam.
Thursday, June 10, 2010What a Wednesday at the Cantab! A packed house turned out for much-loved local Christopher Kain, scheduled to bring us a feature of his Twentieth Century Limited project... Unfortunately, Chris was called away at the last minute by personal emergency! Word from the poet's Facebook page is that all is on the verge of returning to normalcy. Send him your good thoughts; we'll be sure to reschedule his feature as soon as we can.
Extra thanks to Billy Tuggle from Chicago and Sharyn Wolfenbarger from Seattle, who filled in on the open mic with a couple of spotlight features. We finished off the extended open mic with a speed slam, where Danny Balel fell to Adam Stone in the final round.
Next week: Jamaal "Versiz" May comes to see us from Detroit! Line up for books and hugs from this engaging, sincere, and talented writer. We'll close the night with another open speed slam in the 8x8 series.
Thursday, June 3, 2010Another hot night at the Cantab, folks: both literally and figuratively! The venue was packed for a high-quality open mic, followed by famed slammer Taylor Mali's feature. Taylor took us through a selection of old and brand-new work, touching on at least one classic and making some new ones in the process. Our first speed slam of the season was won by Patrick S., who defeated Artie Moffa in the final round.
Next week: it'll be a star-studded night in the Cantab, with at least one out-of-town spotlight feature and lots of regulars coming out of the woodwork to see Christopher Kain release his new book! We'll also have the second of our summertime speed slams.
Sunday, May 30, 2010Summer is here, folks, and you know what that means: it's team slam time at the Cantab! This past week, the teams from Manchester, Lowell, and Worcester slammed off against the hometown heroes. The 2010 Cantab Slam Team took top honors at home, but not without great competition! A special shout-out goes to all the poets who traveled to compete, but especially the Lowell poetry slam, who will send their first team to Nationals this year.
Next week: the man, the myth, the legend... Taylor Mali! We'll also start our Summertime Speed Slam series, featuring 3-, 2-, and 1-minute rounds in our traditional head-to-head format.
Friday, May 21, 2010As promised, wackiness ensued at the Cantab last Wednesday when traveling poet RC Weslowski rolled in with his bag of tricks. Obscene and hilarious by turns (or was that simultaneously?), RC brought us a taste of the bizarre side of the Northwest. Wow! The head-to-head slam, almost equally bizarre, was between semi-final champs Patrick S. and Omoizele Okoawo. Oz took the season championship in four rounds, closing out the spring 8x8 slam series.
Next week: it's our first NorthBEAST Regional Warm-Up Slam of the year! Come see the teams from Worcester, Lowell and Portland, Maine face off against the home team for bragging rights. It'll be a real Nationals-style 4x4 match, with a special guest host TBA. See you there!
Friday, May 14, 2010This past Wednesday was one of our rowdiest nights in memory at the 'tab! A jam-packed open mic covered two hours of surreal (or near-surreal) territory, complemented perfectly by the feature from Seattle's Matt Gano. Matt drove us to distraction with his clever rhythms and fabulously unusual language, keeping his patter to the minimum and his poetry to the maximum, just the way we like it. The night was capped off by a rambunctious three-man slam with semi-finalists Kevin Spak, Omoizele Okoawo, and Trevor Byrne-Smith. Despite surprise new work from Trevor and valiant effort from Spak, Oz befriended the judges early with his weird, whimsical, and whiskey-soaked style, taking top honors and the $25 prize.
Next week: you thought this Wednesday was wacky? Wait until you get to hear RC Weslowski, one of slam's finest wranglers of the unexpected. Expect this Vancouver poet to pull no punches and leave no conceptual stone unturned. Our night will finish with a season final slam between semi-final champs Patrick S. and Omoizele Okoawo.
Friday, May 7, 2010Ah, the comedown from National Poetry Month... It can be a tough transition, but feature Denise Jolly eased us into May oh-so-delicately last night with her sweet and sometimes quietly brutal narratives. Once Denise was through breaking our hearts, we mended them with a head-to-head slam between Melissa Newman-Evans and Patrick S.; Patrick's clever and surprising humor won out in a best-of-three, advancing him to the season championship in a few weeks.
Next week: Seattle poet, storyteller, and world traveler Matt Gano swings by on the northeast leg of his big tour! We'll also have the second of two semi-finals in our 8x8 Champion of Champions series, with invited slammers Kevin Spak, Sam Teitel, Omoizele Okoawo, and Trevor Byrne-Smith.
Friday, April 30, 2010It tooks us three nights of slams over more than a month to do it, folks, but we have finally selected the 2010 Cantab Slam Team! After the final three rounds of poetry, the finish was as follows:
Congrats to our top five poets, who will represent us this August in St. Paul! Special thanks, also, to our many die-hard helpers who made all this slammig possible: Sean Conlon, Brian S. Ellis, Maxwell Kessler, Artie Moffa, and Michael Quigg, to name just a few of our incredible hosts and staff. Thanks, too, to our hard-working judges and delightful audience. The team already has plans to do you proud!
Meanwhile, back at the ranch... More poetry! Our feature this coming Wednesday will be Seattle/SF poet Denise Jolly, followed by the semi-final slam in the 8x8 series. Those who missed your chance to read on the open mic during the last few weeks will be glad to hear that we're returning to our usual two-hour open mic set.
Thursday, April 22, 2010It was another barnburner of a slam last night, folks! When the smoke cleared, the standings were as follows:
Welcome back, poets! After taking a week off for CUPSI, we returned to our regularly scheduled reading with Karen Finneyfrock from Seattle. On tour to support her new book of poetry from WriteBloody, Karen brought us everything we love best about poetry, performed: smarts, sass, sex, and a little sadness. What an incredible feature! To close the night, we took a week off from slamming and instead watched a great slam promo spot put together with photos from Marshall Goff and music from our own DJ Muse. It was a stellar night all around, and a great way to celebrate the very middle of National Poetry Month.
Next week: our team selection extravaganza continues with the Cantab Team Selection Semi-Finals! Twelve poets (listed below) will slam off in two rounds to see who makes the April 28 Finals. Yowza!
Thursday, April 1, 2010Once again, Cantabbers, we have survived the biggest poetry night of the year! After a lightning-fast open mic, fourteen poets took the stage to jostle for qualification and positioning in the Semi-Finals. At the end of the night, twelve poets had made the cut:
Poets in bold have until Wednesday, April 14, to announce if they wish to advance to the April 21 Semis. An empty slot due to a drop-out will be filled by the next placing poet in the above list.
Meanwhile, next week... THERE IS NO CANTAB SHOW ON APRIL 7 DUE TO CUPSI. Don't come looking for poetry at the Cantab next week: go to the preliminary matches at the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational instead! The full schedule (so far) can be found here. We'll be back on April 14 with featured poet Karen Finneyfrock.
Thursday, March 25, 2010Holy glorious poetry night, Cantab! As usual, our open mic showcased a good number of regulars and first-timers, including a few travelers from across the pond. We'd already heard so much good work when our feature, Mindy Nettifee from Long Beach, took the stage. What a powerful and delicious set she delivered, giving us time to savor every careful turn of phrase; watch for her new book on Write Bloody this May. After Mindy's set, a pleasantly tipsy April Ranger hosted the four-person Last Chance Slam. At the end of the night, Simone Beaubien took the win over Scripture. Simone takes the last slot in next week's Prelims --and you can catch Scripture at the Lizard Lounge semi-finals later this spring.
Next week: it's the biggest slam of the year! Twenty-one poets have qualified for the Cantab Slam Team Preliminaries, the first of a three-night series to select our slam team. Attending poets will slam off in a two-round session to see who advances to semi-finals. There is a $5 cover charge for this show to help raise funds to send the 2010 Cantab Slam Team to the National Poetry Slam.
Qualified to slam next week: Maxwell Kessler, Kevin Spak, Vinh Hua, Megan Thoma, Steve Subrizi, David Wayne, Georgie Delgado, Michael Monroe, Charley Pope, Sean Conlon, April Ranger, Carrie Rudzinski, Adam Stone, Melissa Newman-Evans, Patrick S., Erin Jackson, John Survivor Blake, Sam Teitel, Omoizele Okoawo, Trevor Liam Byrne-Smith, and Simone Beaubien.
Thursday, March 18, 2010It was a sexy, springy St. Patty's Day at the Cantab last night, folks, and kicking off the highlights was Joyce Lee, spotlight feature from California. Joyce brought us a selection of the entertaining erotica she's been riding on her cross-country tour! Our feature, Megan Thoma brought her anticipated spunky charm, building a set of poems both known and new for our listening pleasure. Finally, the oh-so-full slam came down to a nerve-rattling tie-breaker between Scripture and Trevor Liam Byrne-Smith: Trevor walked away with the win, the ten dollars, and a spot in our March 31 prelims.
Next week: Mindy Nettifee from the O.C. comes to us straight from the Bowery for her first full feature at the Cantab. We'll finish out the night with the Last Chance Slam, an eight-poet open event for the final spot in the Cantab Slam Team Preliminaries.
Thursday, March 11, 2010The Cantab was packed to the gills last night for our second annual CUPSI Warm-Up! In honor of the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational (a.k.a. College Nationals) coming to Boston this April, we invited the NorthBEAST college teams to slam off at the Cantab. At the end of a riotous 4x4 team slam, the dust cleared with Hampshire College at the top, followed by Emerson College, Brandeis University, and CUPSI rookies Berklee College of Music. All four teams showed off some exceptional writing and performance, and we know they'll do us proud at the big show!
Special thanks also go to two-time world slam champion Anis Mojgani, who brought us a short spotlight feature and also sacrificed for our slam. Don't be a stranger, sir!
Next week: Providence-via-Chicago organizer/teacher/poet Megan Thoma, master of the tender and obscene, and the mildly horrifying and gut-wrenchingly hilarious. We'll also hold one of our last two open slams to qualify for team preliminaries.
Thursday, March 4, 2010Last night, the fabulous Laura Yes Yes brought us a warm and wonderful set, filled with a few ghosts, a few pop songs, and a whole lotta sexy introspection. Her charisma and well-crafted work left us reeling... But we recovered in time for a full (and stacked!) poetry slam. Every one of the eight poets came ready to rumble, but at the end of the night, it was Oz left standing, defeating New Hampshire's Ryan McLellan for one of the last remaining spots in the March 31 team preliminaries. Whew!
Next week: CUPSI is coming! This April, Emerson College will host the College Unions Poetry Slam (better known as College Nationals). To help get us geared up, we'll be hosting the CUPSI Warm-Up, a 4x4 team slam featuring Emerson, Hampshire, Brandeis, and Berklee. Come get a taste of the big show that's coming to Boston!
Thursday, February 25, 2010What a terrific night at the Cantab! We had a short and intense open mic, welcoming a good number of strong first-timers to the stage, and also hearing some great new work from many of our regulars and irregulars. The venue was packed in anticipation of a great slam, and our nine slammers did not disappoint! After four rounds, the top poet of the night, who will represent us in Philadelphia this October, was Carrie Rudzinski! Our final standings:
- Carrie Rudzinski 28.8
- Kevin Spak 27.9
- Megan Thoma 27.7
- April Ranger
- Charley Pope
- Patrick S.
- Erin Jackson
- Sam Teitel
- Michael Monroe
Congratulations to Carrie, and thanks to everyone for putting on a world-class show! We'll be back next week with our usual open mic, a feature from Berkeley poet Laura Yes Yes, and one of the last few open slams to qualify for the 2010 Cantab Slam Team.
Thursday, February 18, 2010Our crowd was back in full force this week to see David Winter, a one-time regular who disappeared to parts west to earn his MFA. It was wonderful to hear how his work has grown --and watch his complex and carefully crafted work surprise and delight our many newer regulars. The open slam was a six-poet affair, topped off with Sam Teitel finally netting a win against the hard-working Angel Aviles, who came to us all the way from New Paltz to slam!
Next week: it's the World Qualifier Finals! Nine qualified poets (that'll be April Ranger, Erin Jackson, Carrie Rudzinski, Charley Pope, Kevin Spak, Megan Thoma, Sam Teitel, Patrick S., and Michael Monroe) will slam off for the chance to represent the Cantab at the Individual World Poetry Slam this October. There can be only one! Special $5 cover tonight to raise money to send our poet to the competition.
Thursday, February 11, 2010Snow? What snow? Thanks to all our die-hard regulars and brave first-timers, who dared to leave the house during last night's embarassingly below-average storm. Fortunately, Erotic Poetry Night blew in exactly as advertised: a little bawdy, a little awkward, and with a whole lotta dirty talk from our fabulous open mic poets. Special mention goes to Christopher "Vicious Puma" Kain, Al Gundy for his uncharacteristic piece of nerdy, nerdy "filth," and April Ranger, who brought us a deliciously sexy mini-set to fill in for our missing spotlight features.
Our lone scheduled spotlight, Stephen Meads, was gracious enough to fill the feature slot with a full set at the last minute. He brought us a great selection of heartbreak, titillation, and straight-up weird-ass erotica --including a few pieces he wrote just for our venue. Thanks, Stephen!
Next week: we'll feature a long-lost regular, David Winter, who'll bring us new work from his MFA program. We'll also have one of the last few remaining slams to qualify for the 2010 Cantab Slam Team.
Lastly, PLEASE BE ADVISED: Our door time has changed. To help accomodate the needs of our venue and staff, we will now open the doors and the sign-up list at 7:15 nightly. Please plan accordingly if you intend to sign up for the open mic or slam!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010A Special Message from the SlamMaster
It has been brought to my attention that there will be some kind of snowstorm this afternoon. Depending on your location or source, you may have heard we will receive anything from a light dusting to full-blown Snowmageddon. There is, in fact, a Winter Storm Warning in effect for our area until 1:00 a.m. on Thursday.
Despite the big brouhaha, we remain on for Erotic Poetry Night tonight! As always, the open mic kicks off promptly at 8:00, tonight with an all-erotic theme. We have special spotlight features scheduled, and you can expect rowdy one-off poems from many of our staff and regulars. As usual, the bar will also be slinging plenty of whiskey to keep you warm.
IF THE CANTAB LOUNGE CLOSES, we will not have a show; in that case, you can expect an email to our Yahoo! group, and another posting here. You can also call the bar itself at (617)354-2685 to reassure yourself that they are open... The Cantab is owned by old-timey New Englanders, though, so don't count on the weather affecting the venue.
Whatever you decide to do, please keep yourself warm and safe. We'll be talking dirty all night at the 'tab tonight, and we'll be back with David Winter next week.
Thursday, February 4, 2010The room was packed again for a vibrant open mic filled with many newcomers and long-time regulars, as well as a surprise visit from Denver’s Ken Arkind. The feature, Eboni Hogan from New York, stunned us with her sharp writing and powerful performance energy in a provocative set that swept us off our feet. In a three-round five-person slam, Kevin Spak took the win in the final round over Sam Teitel, after edging out Sean Conlon, Steve Subrizi and first time slammer Matt C.
Next week: it's Awkward Date Night! Officially known as the Cantab's annual Erotic Poetry Night, this naughty and neurotic event features an amazing TRIPLE FEATURE this year: we'll have spotlights from Cynthia French from Minneapolis, Stephen Meads from the Bay, and our very own Dee Taylor. Of course, we'll also have an extended open mic, showing off the sexiest work from our gritty little bar's dirty little crowd.
Thursday, January 28, 2010We had lots of new listeners out at the Cantab last night for a fabulous open, including a spotlight from Chicago's Tristan Silverman, and the following feature from the two-man duo BROWNSTAR. Pushkar and Sathya rocked the house with their comic wordplay and distinctive perspective. The all-star slam featured a sacrifice from Alvin Lau (Chicago in the house!), and a big win from Richmond's John Survivor Blake over hometown finalist Sam Teitel. What a night!
We'll be back next week with NYC's Eboni Hogan and another open slam. If you can't stand to wait that long, though, you can get a quick fix in the interim with Kate Vander Weide's recent article about the Cantab.
Thursday, January 21, 2010It was a packed house last night for our annual Speed Slam, wherein a whopping thirteen poets showed off two rounds of their finest short work. At the end of a blisteringly hot slam, the standings were:
- April Ranger 55.4
- Erin Jackson 55.1
- Carrie Rudzinski 54.7
- Charley Pope 53.6
- Kevin Spak 53.0
- Megan Thoma 52.6
- Kass 52.4
- Patrick S. 52.2
- Sam Teitel 52.0
- Michael Monroe
- Steve Subrizi
- Andy Locke
- Georgie Delgado
Our top nine finishers (in bold) advance to the February 24 finals! Everyone who slammed put on a great show, and it was especially good to see a few familiar faces return. Special thanks to everyone who came out to watch, heckle, and cheer on the poets: we've got a great start on raising the money to send our representative to the competition in October.
Next week: the clever and innovative duo BROWNSTAR swings by for a full feature. We'll have two mics on the stage, folks, so feel free to bring your group pieces to the open mic. We'll also have another open slam in the 8x8 series.
Thursday, January 14, 2010Last night, we kicked off the evening with an exceptional open mic, even for the Cantab! With almost a dozen new readers on the list, plus another half-dozen out-of-town all-stars, our marathon open was a fabulous series of fulfilling surprises. Then, as if that hadn't been a great show all on its own, our feature William Evans laid down a blisteringly great set that had newcomers and jaded oldsters alike hauling their jaws off the floor and their hearts out of the crisper drawer. The jam-packed poetry slam was won by a triumphantly returning Erin Jackson, who ousted Sam Teitel in the final round.
Holy wow: there's more next week, folks! Our annual Semi-Final Speed Slam will be the feature, showcasing 2- and 1-minute poems from up to nineteen of our recent slam winners, with the top poets advancing to finals on February 24. (Check our schedule for the complete list of qualified poets.) Remember: it's a $5 cover next week to help raise money for the big winner's trip to the Individual World Poetry Slam!
Thursday, January 7, 2010Happy 2010, Cantabbers! Once again, we rang in the new year in style with an all-star line-up slamming at Boston's First Night. Big thanks to Artie Moffa, Patrick S., April Ranger, Brian S. Ellis, Adam Stone, Erin Jackson, Steve Subrizi, Sam Teitel, Casey Rocheteau, Kevin Spak, Melissa Newman-Evans, Febo, and Paulie Lipman, who, as usual, wowed the crowds and tempted many folks out to our little Wednesday night reading. Welcome, new listeners!
Then, of course, just last night, we held our first Cantab night of the year. We don't fool around kicking in the new year, either: 2009 National Poetry Slam Champion Sierra DeMulder brought us a dark and delicious selection of what earned her a spot on the team from St. Paul. Our first open slam of the year was won by Patrick S. over newcomer Brennan G.
If you weren't able to make it out last night, don't worry... We've got a great line-up ahead for the year, continuing next week with a remarkable writer and slammer from Columbus, Will Evans. We'll also hold another open poetry slam in the 8x8 series.
Last, but not least, we've got a few changes afoot in 2010. Nothing big, don't worry --we don't mess with success!-- but if you are a regular open reader, or a prospect for the 2010 slam team, you might be interested in the following announcements:
- Some of you will have already noticed that our sign-up time for the open mic has moved to 7:30. This does mean that the list is likely to fill before 8:00; if you intend to read on the open, please be prompt to the show to guarantee yourself a spot. We are usually able to accomodate all waitlisted readers who arrive by the start of the show.
- We will now announce a nightly writing prompt at our open mic! Parties with prompts to contribute are invited to talk to our bartender, Adam Stone, or email the SlamMaster at cantab@slamnews.com.
- After some discussion, our team slams will now require seven poems and take place over three nights. Dates for this year's team slams are March 31, April 21, and April 28. For format details, please see our team slam details.
- In order to accomodate the College Unions Poetry Slam (CUPSI, a.k.a. College Nationals), taking place in Boston this spring, we will NOT hold a show on Wednesday, April 7. We encourage everyone to attend the show at Emerson College!
That's it for now, folks... We'll be back next week with Will Evans. See you there!
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NEXT BIG SHOW
Wednesday, October 6
It's the annual IWPS Representative Send-Off! Carrie Rudzinski won the opportunity to represent us at the Individual World Poetry Slam this December in Charlotte. Come out on this $5 night and help support her trip to the biggest individual slam comp in the world!
THIS WEEK'S PROMPT
Write on this excerpt from Tony Hoagland's Self-Improvement:
Sometimes we are asked
to get good at something we have
no talent for,
or we excel at something we will never
have the opportunity to prove.
Often we ask ourselves
to make absolute sense
out of what just happens,
and in this way, what we are practicing
is suffering,
which everybody practices,
but strangely few of us
grow graceful in.
Did you know we have the hardest-working DJ in slam?
Visit DJ Muse at her website, DJMuse.com.
The Cantab Lounge has selected our 2010 Individual World Poetry Slam representative. Congratulations to Carrie Rudzinski, who will represent the venue this December at IWPS in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Michael Brown, former Cantab Slammaster, has moved! Please update your bookmarks to point to his new homepage, michael.brown.name.
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Questions? Email us at cantab@slamnews.com.