S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D....a review

There have been many who have stated that "the game is to be sold, not told", which in most circles is true. But here, I would be remiss if I didn't help build up and only tore down. So, here's my nugget for the day: Some works are to be performed as if you are having an individual conversation with someone...but only using prose...similar to how songs are used in musicals. Dialogue and storyline are moving along, they just happen to be singing it. Your audience should feel as if they are being spoken to individually. This is key for your "performance". There are some who get in front of a mic and sound as if they're reporting the news....and then there are some that don't need one. This brings me to our artist in review, S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D.


Hailing from Georgia (see Jawjuh...Decatur,ATL shawty!!), this sister traveled here on Greyhound. Having taken that trip from 'Skegee many a time, she already had my attention. We found out about this as she addressed the crowd before her set. We found her personable and direct as she asked us to "take off our cool". Having a good personality, being "real", "honest" and "real honest" will definitely get the listener's ear....not to mention bringing a tambourine up to the stage with you.

Stepping away from the stage and literally into the audience to begin her set, she began her first piece with a song, "Fatherless Child". Her take on women who manipulate their children in attempts to manipulate the father was refreshing. Her use of humor, frankness and wordplay kept us engaged. Having never heard her (I had but my memory is not what it used to be), I was impressed. I equate it to a cook who when knowing what ingredients to use, adds a little something not on the page...and its not a regular measure. (see pinch of this..dash of that.) After her testimony of conquering some vices, her next poem was a bit of a slice of life on what it's like to get over getting over. This blues song required a bit of audience participation. Much to my surprise, a willing audience assisted THROUGH THE ENTIRE SONG. We found ourselves laughing at her and then ourselves at how when trying to get past one thing, we often get behind another. She ended which an ode to black love; not about making love or infatuation but appreciation of love and what it takes to stay and remember when times seem against us both.
I spoke briefly with her afterwards and found her to be the same person I had just witnessed on stage. And that, my friends, is The Sound Of a New Generation Believing In Realized Destiny indeed.

STOP THE MADNESS!!!

Do you know what kills me??? When poets, so called HOT TO DEATH ass artist pull out the paper and say "I can't remember none of my pieces..." and then proceeds to attempt to read and as you guessed they jack that all the way up too. I mean damn, first off you probably don't have but one or two poems so why don't you take the time to commit that malarkey to memory it adds so much more professionalism to your presentation. Yet then again if its wack no amount of rehearsing or memorizing is going to assist this Charmin or Angel Soft worthy work come out any easier. It frustrates the hell out of me when new poets get on the mic and proceed to spew an overabundance of one line ad libs just to receive some type of acknowledgement or undue praise from the audience.Leaves me thinking is this a poetry venue or a very bad rap concert?! Yet this poet is not to be upstaged by the one who attempts to foist audience participation pieces and I hate them (the pieces) because I'm desperately trying so hard to focus on when I'm suppose to say whatever asinine phrase you're trying to get me to spit, I'm sorry I meant regurgitate, that I fail to listen to the lyrical content or lack there of in the so called poem that I feel cheated. I mean seriously we did not pay our money to come in and spit your piece for you . Why are working for you this feels like slave labor because now I feel pressured to do it and if I don't everyone around me, so called refined and cultured patrons, are looking at me like "WHY YOU AIN'T BEING SUPPORTIVE, THIS IS HOT TO DEATH (clearly not)!!" I'm thinking well "DAMN" I am still sitting here digesting this muddled mess of audience cadence filled participated lack luster dullness aren't I, so quit your whining and let the Hickory Dickory Dock one liner Jeezy ad lib wanna be crayon scribble on over sized lined tablet copier (because you're no Spoken Word Artist) finish so I can BLINK!!!! Look this is almost like playing football people. Any coach worth his salt has reviewed game tape after tape of game footage and has perfected his technique so that his team comes out and wins or at least plays one hell of game. Some of you NEW and OLD poets should do the same, go back and watch some clips of some of the greats that came before you. Watch some clips of some successful not so famous poets, some elders or anyone other than yourself that has style, presentation, technique, interesting subject matter and most of all SKILL . Then perhaps it will assist you into getting out of that vortex of unpoetical sludge and from that point forth helping you to be deemed as A SPOKEN WORD ARTIST and not a sheep or loquacious puppet that resembles The Sandman....seriously time to STOP THE MADNESS!!!!