nevermind

Mashed Poetics was a great show. We got to the Cottage Bistro around 9pm, just as the audience was leaving from the comedy show that was in before us. I arrived with Helmi, who drove out from Whonnock to attend the show. She is awesome! Friends Cathy and Terry arrived soon after.

The band, Lithium (Trevor, Clint and Keith), did a great job of performing all of the songs from the Nevermind album. The poets were everything I had hoped they would be - strong, individual voices expressing so many styles and points of view. Duncan Shields opened with a tribute to Kurt Cobain's life and art, inspired by "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Kimothy Shaughnessy got us all to shout, "I'm having a sex change!" in response to "Come as you Are." Nora Smithhisler and her partner (sorry, forgot his name) performed a duet love poem about lovers' dust motes in the bed, inspired by "Breed." Andrea Daniels' surreal response to "Lithium," refracted the tone and spirit of Nirvana's life and lyrics. Warren Dean Fulton ended the first set with a harrowing account of a violent, true abduction story, with a peripheral connection to Nirvana, then recited a short sound poem generated with the help of William S. Burroughs inspired software. Warren says that WS and Cobain corresponded. After the break, RC Weslowski broke our hearts with his take on "Territorial Pissings." Amnesia Jane Smith revealed her playful and dangerous inner monster in response to "Drain You." Su' Cormier's rewrite of "Lounge Act" reminded us of our own stalker moments. CJ Leon flung artful disdain on "Stay Away." Zacc Jackson made a poetic statement on "On a Plain" by not showing up. For a finale, 7 Dollar Bill (Sean McGarragle and Chris Gilpin,) linked Gene Roddenberry and the holodeck to "Something in the Way." Lithium gave us a seemingly coincidental 15 minute blank time then revealed the hidden track, playing us out with the last song of the evening.

My own piece (response to "In Bloom") went over the way I hoped it would. My heart was pounding from the music and my own apprehension about performing something not in my usual style, but I like that experience better than playing it safe. Once I got past the tongue-gymnastics of the second stanza, I knew that I was okay, and I got into the mood of the poem and performed it as well as I knew I could. The audience response was good.

This Mash Up idea is wonderful. Next one is RUSH in January. I won't miss it.

question: can you believe all of the wonderful things under the sun?

mompoet - glad to have a sleep-in morning, and time to reflect on last night