It’s a good week to be a Cantabber, folks: despite a travel snafu for our Dallas-sourced feature, a hearty crowd turned out for the open mic and geared up for a great-quality open poetry slam! It’s been all-themed-slams-all-the-time around here since last September, but if you think that means we’re out of practice, you should guess again. A full line-up of eight competitors, some wily slam veterans and some first-time readers, took the stage with metaphors in hand and starry dreams of the $25 prize in their eyes. At the end of the night, there was much rejoicing in awarding top honors to Mugs Myers, who took the final round over surprise returnee Jamie Nelson. Both finalists qualify for our upcoming National Poetry Month slam series (details forthcoming, but they’re gonna be good).
Also, we are hella grateful for the extra-special capper for the night: after traveling for a grueling and discouraging twelve hours, genuine professional Wayne Henry arrived just in time to catch the last round of the slam, and graciously agreed to perform a poem to finish the night. If you caught it, you are way mad at a certain national bus company right now for messing with his originally booked feature, but we hope you’ll catch him at Slam Free or Die on Thursday, February 7, for his full set there.
Next week: folks, a dreadful pseudo-holiday looms, but never fear… The Cantab knows exactly how to handle such ridiculous matters. On Wednesday, February 13, we shall be proud to celebrate a NO ROMANCE open mic (seriously, don’t bring it, do. not. do. it) and a Lovers vs. Leavers themed poetry slam. Come for the no-romance bingo cards created by Cassandra de Alba, stay for Zeke Russell pitting optimists vs. cynics in an all-star poetry slam. Best February ever!
Boston Poetry Slam Online