Cantab Recap for Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Happy end of February, Cantabbers! Last night, as the ice chewers roamed the post-apocalyptic remains of Mass Ave., we hunkered down in the shelter of the Cantab, protected by good poetry and ample booze. Our unstoppably dynamic headliner, Doc Luben, laid down an effusive set that literally fired all the right neurons and figuratively warmed our hearts. Want to follow along with more from Doc? You can check out his tumblr, which even lists a couple more upcoming New England shows.

After Doc’s feature, our slammers took the stage for the first speed slam of the new 8×8 series! Six poets vied for a chance to survive the 3-minute, 2-minute, and 1-minute rounds of the show: the final 1-minute lightning round came down to Cantab rookie Sheldon Alexander and regular John Mortara. Both poets claimed Northampton Poetry Slam roots, but only one could walk away with the victory and the $10 prize: congratulations to Sheldon, who earns a spot in our fresh new Champion of Champions match this May!

Next week: those of you following along with our paper flier will note that we have a SCHEDULE CHANGE! Our revised feature will be National Poetry Slam Champion Regie Gibson, back to feature for us for the first time since 2008. We’ll follow up the feature with the second speed slam in the 8×8 series. Stay warm and ice-free, Cantabbers, and we’ll see you there.