Category: Cantab recaps

Recaps from the Boston Poetry Slam @ the Cantab Lounge's weekly show.

Cantab Recap for Wednesday, August 12, 2015

What’s better: assuming that the Cantab-powers-that-be totally knew it was World Elephant Day upon booking Jess Rizkallah’s feature? Or imagining that it was just the wildest, sweetest, luckiest, most synchronicity-stuffed feature selection in the calendar? Holy ker-wow, the brilliant and vulnerable and ass-kicking and, yes, elephant-invoking Jess Riz brought the house down at the Cantab …

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Cantab Recap for Wednesday, August 5, 2015

You wanted hit slam favorites? You wanted new surprises? You wanted a surreal group piece, heartstring twang after heartstring twang, and a surprise cover to finish the night? You got it, Cantab! Our team brought the fire and the craft to their one-hour set last Wednesday, and we are so proud to have them representing …

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Cantab Recap for Wednesday, July 29, 2015

This past Wednesday was one awesome night at the Cantab– and we aren’t just saying that because the air conditioner was back in commission. NYC poet Aziza Barnes absolutely rocked the house with an all on-page, all super-smart, all all-powerful set of beautifully crafted work touching on the familial, the sacred, and the mundane. Although …

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Cantab Recap for Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Okay, so we can agree that poets don’t need tragic things to happen to create great work… But, in the case of Ariel Baker-Gibbs’ farewell feature last night, both the open mic and the feature herself rose to the occasion with sweetness, sadness, and the snark we’ve come to love and expect from Ariel’s presence. …

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Cantab Recap for Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Yes! Yes! Yes! Robert Lashley came to see us this past Wednesday, and he brought down the house at the Cantab on the very last stop on his marathon tour. Sure, his work is incredibly solid and surprising, and, sure, his banter and performance were off the charts– but we know that one of our …

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Cantab Recap for Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Remember January, Cantabbers? That whole month when you were waiting, begging the calendar to turn to July? You probably didn’t even know that Jason Bayani was going to be our kickoff feature for this month, but boy-o, was that worth waiting for: Jason swung by New England for a whirlwind four-venue tour with our Wednesday …

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Cantab Recap for Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Hot dang, poetry people! We kicked off the 2015 Summer of Slam with a bang this week as FIVE teams slammed off at the Cantab Lounge in our first of two regional matches. The five-team format is actually precisely the show structure for the semi-final round at the National Poetry Slam, so audience members got …

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Cantab Recap for Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Ahh, sticky summer in the sticky basement of the Cantab, folks. What more could a poet want? Actually, poets always want more: so it was a good thing we had the very excellent Emily Carroll in the house this week, laying down one perfectly crafted line at a time. This hard-working organizer and bar server …

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Cantab Feature for Wednesday, June 10, 2015: World Qualifier Finals

BPS logo (square), by Gary Hoare.

Final night of the Boston Poetry Slam World Qualifier: eight finalists from the May 13 Speed Slam fight for one coveted trip to the Individual World Poetry Slam. $5 cover tonight to raise funds to send the winner to the competition in Washington, D.C.

Cantab Recap for Wednesday, June 3, 2015

What an incredible week at the Boston Poetry Slam, folks! We kicked off Wednesday night with a stellar open mic, including a spotlight from the enchanting Tolonda Henderson of Washington, D.C. Our headliner was the much-anticipated Jeffrey McDaniel, of course, who gracefully met and exceeded all expectations, shaking up even the most cynical poets’ concepts …

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