| POETRY CURRENTS | |
Gaaahh!! What happened to the quiet life? The last three weeks have turned into show city up here, and it's not looking to stop soon.
POETRY AFRICA 2001
Catherine Kidd, Jack Beets and I were doing a show in a basement club (called Upstairs) when in walks Sheri-D Wilson, back from of all places South Africa (!) -- O Africa, where the spoken word is still queen!
Sheri-D had been on an intense 10-day poetic tour of all the fabulous torn parts of that country, all part of “Poetry Africa 2001.” Sponsored by the University of Natal at Durban, this festival featured everything from mass readings to high school poetry tours, and brought poets together from Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. Isn't that just about the whole world?
Sheri-D had already rocked Montreal on the 20th of May with a memorable set at the Casa, and back from Africa she carried all the excitement of why a lot of us get into this business, for the sway and power of words awakening in our heads, the way sounds and images can carry so much magic.
WORDS & JAZZ
This month marks the beginning of the Jazz Festival in Montreal, and celebrating the Casa's 1st festival of jazz, the Words&Music show will be exploring the Beat connection between poets and jazzmen. In the late 50s this meant improv, where poets and players would listen for the phrase they were about to create. This Sunday, June 17th we'll get improv 2001 style with Montreal's queen of language a la carte, Alexis O'Hara. This is her last Montreal show before a summer-long tour which will take her to stops in over 30 cities.
On hand to make the music will be keyboard monster Jesse Levine, playing with two Exploding Head Band alumni, André Asselin (double bass) and Will Glass (percussion). Leading off the show at 9 pm sharp is vocalist and (amazing) guitar player Kenny Smilovitch. Vincent Tinguely will be there with a new chapbook (only 10 days old, just a baby really), as will sax master Bryan Highbloom and a “Three Poet Contest of Language in the Round” by Kaie Kellough, Jason Selman and David Neudorfer. This three-poet feature threatens to be the best of the night.
As the show moves on, the jazz band will be warming up and after that the floor will be open for we don't know what. Call it the intersection of language and sound, of Alexis and jazz. No one, not even the players knows who will say what, or when they'll say it, or what music will haunt them into saying something new. At the Casa, 4873 St. Laurent, Montreal. Sunday June 17th. $5 at the door and the doors open at 8 pm. For more information, email the poets@wiredonwords.com.
MONTREAL FRINGE FESTIVAL
Meanwhile the Montreal Fringe Festival is in town, bringing the weird, the wonderful and the dramatic together at venues around the city: “Over 350 performances by over 65 companies from Montreal and around the world crammed into 10 days of frenetic organized chaos. Wrestlers and Puppets, Drag Queens and Mind Diddlers, Comedy, Drama, Dance and Music. Whatever your tastes you’ll find it on the Fringe!”
GRIMY WINDOWS
A new variety show entitled “The Grimy Windows Variety Showcase” has been happening at Hurley"s Pub, 1225 Crescent Street, on the second Monday of every month. The last show, June 11th, featured Catherine Kidd and the Paterson Brothers, among others. The next one, July 9th, features Bryan Highbloom and Ian Ferrier (hey wait a minute, that's me!).
ONE DOWN, ONE CLIMBING UP IN TORONTO
Sadly the Bite! poetry show at the El Macombo in Toronto closed down last month, but like a phoenix from the ashes poetry has reappeared in a new show sponsored by a poet named OmahaRising. Called Poetica, it's a weekly thing, and takes place at Relaxo Lounge, 300 College Street in Toronto. The place is a Mexican restaurant downstairs, and the series really seems to have taken off. It presents an open mike and feature acts as well, and last I heard features were booked well into September. The last featured performer was Regie Cabico from NYC.
The Casa Words&Music show takes the month of July off, but that's no reason not to come to Montreal, as the Jazz Fest is flying and the heat is firing up all that libido that stayed indoors all winter. Astonishing how many people can check out how many people on one street. Vive le printemps!
