Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam

Normally, I rant rather than rave, and today I’m raving, so take note. I should rave about Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo, who is a Nigerian-American poet/singer.
She gave one of the all-time best performances on a stage that I have ever been privileged to see in my life. I shit you not. I’d put her right up there with B.B. King on the list of stuff that rocked my world. Her song goes “la la la la la, but it sounds like revolution!” what a voice! what poetry!

Here’s a bit of description from iyeoka.com

“Combining her vocal talents, passion for writing and theater background, she captivates audiences with pieces that touch on a wide range of issues-love, women, culture, struggle, relationships, among many others. Iyeoka’s performance was described at the National Poetry Slam as “a conversation stopper” and a “refreshing return to the essence of good spoken word poetry.”

Sooner, rather than later. That’s when I should have attended the Lizard Lounge poetry slam. I’ve been to a lot of slams, and this one, finally, this one deserves all the hype that gets piled onto the notion of poetry slams. I got my pulse raised. I got my mind expanded. I got my five dollars worth.

First of all, the environment is a comfortable one. Yes, this slam is in a basement bar, but there is just enough “atmosphere,” or, whatever. The MC of the whole show is the saxophonist for the band, which plays alongside the open mike, so its jazz poetry, then.

The jazz is high quality and unobtrusive. These guys are really skilled at what they do. They actually play accompaniment to the poetry, even though they have never heard the poetry before. The accompaniment is appropriate to the mood, style, and rhythm of the poetry, almost lawlessly. This kind of ability can only come from skilled improvisational artists, and these guys, The Jeff Robinson Trio , they have definitely got what it takes.