Gigs: Worcester, Providence, Doctor Who & Club Woo
What can I say about poetry in the New England area that half of the people who read this don't already know? Not much, I am sure: it is a vibrant, legacy-driven scene filled with readings and home to many poets who are, pound for pound, better than most of the features they bring in. Most of them have been at this for a long time and they're still at this. New England poets don't "retire"...they just start new readings.
I pulled into the Woo on Sunday after fighting with a GPS for 11 hours on the road (shaved off an hour!). Coming in is always quicker than leaving at this length. Got to Sou and Bill and Liberty's a couple of hours before show time which was awesome because Sou's a great cook and I'm a great eater. Hung out some, then went to the Jumpin' Juice & Java reading. I did a strong set, but I was rusty. I let a curse word slip out in the welcome, but after that behaved myself. I did (not in order):
- Jesus, Judas and the Case of the Old Woman's Son (A Murder Mystery)
- Cthulhu Calls For Love
- I Hate Zombies Like You Hate Me
- When Your White Friend Says "Nigger" By Accident
- How To Make a Crackhead
- Spock With a Beard
- To My Molester Upon notice of His Death
- Lamborghini Hickies (Chris Brown)
I pulled the wrong version of Chris Brown. This one was TOO edited; it's the school-safe version. At the same time, it was the right length for an ending poem.
For the record, not a single one of these poems was a repeat from my previous time in Worcester in October 2006. Look here. See? Told you.
After the show Bill, Mike McGee and what was to become my new poker buddy Melinda piled into Bill’s car and went to what I’ve taken to calling Club Woo, or the Worcester Clubhouse. It’s basically a communal basement that’s been converted into a hippie nerd’s fantasy room, and apparently the poker goes down there with some regularity. Bill broke out some chips and the next thing I know we’ve played three hours of poker. I crapped out when I got too tired to continue playing, though I did keep watching until even that could not keep me awake. I haven’t played that much poker in some time, and I would be feeling it the next day.
Monday was Doctor Who day. I was skeptical about the new series and hadn’t watched any of it. It all struck me as some sort of Sci-Fi Channel crap (Stargate SG-1…really?), and I didn’t want my fond childhood memories of laying on my mother’s floor watching Tom Baker beat murderous Dalek cyborgs by pouring jellybeans down their chutes trampled on by some hack. Bill and Sou own all of the new Doctor Who stuff - even Torchwood. They told me it was good and that I’d like it. I was skeptical. Then over one of our fabulous meals - Monday lunch I think - they popped an episode in just to “show me”.
I was so wrong.
I had their DVD player running the rest of that season for the next 24 hours. I don’t know if they planned on watching, I don’t know, a holiday parade or soap operas or whatever, but make no mistake: Doctor Who and I had their DVD player hot like an Xbox 360 running a marathon.
Doctor Who is incredibly well done. Smart, contemporary, relevant. The effects weren’t overdone, but were certainly a hundred times better than the old ones. And the Dalek episode? In the underground museum? My god: they actually made the Dalek frightening. “How does a Dalek get around the old issue of stairs?” ***LEV-I-TAAAATE!*** And then, with the two last remaining members of their races(!) facing off, humanity shines through. Absolutely amazing. I will be buying them all.
Monday night Bill got me to the Dirty Gerund reading (which is one of the coolest names for a reading ever), and it’s in an awesome venue. It’s a punk venue on top of a saloon with a diner car smashed into the front of it. They only serve three things: lots of alcohol, really big burgers and an awesome sweet chili. I read:
- D&D
I've got to tighten that one up and get it a real title. I've only read it once worth a darn.
Back to the bench until you workout, bud.
After the mic there was more poker back at the Woo Lounge (I’m alternating names here until one sticks), and this time I stayed up until I cleaned everybody out. That occurred around 4 AM. As soon as I pulled all the chips into my proud chest, Mike McGee goes, “So…want to rack ‘em up again?” These people are inhuman.
I want to point out how much fun was had in Club Woo (see?): Mike McGee is, hands down, the funniest person I know. He basically just did a stand-up routine sitting down (he has little legs, forgive him) for six hours straight each night. If you’ve ever spent that much time with Mike, you know what kind of laughing that entailed. I hadn’t to date so there was a time or two when I coughed myself dizzy while laughing. Not for the sensitive, but if you’ve seen me MC you know I’m not sensitive. It was a little like coming home.
Oh yeah: playing poker against Melinda? TOUGH. She just blows smoke in your face and stares you down, all cool. Intense, but then, we WERE playing for a six dollar pot.
The next night was Providence and the Got Poetry reading. I’d done this reading before, but it was years ago in a different venue. It’s a smaller venue too, but the room is there for you, son. I did an interview for Mike’s podcast, then enjoyed the open mic, then did my bit. I switched my list up some here (again, not in order):
- Molasses Swamp
- To the High School Thug That Broke Into His English Teacher’s Car
- Braille in the Time of Miracles
- Jesus, Judas and the Case of the Old Woman's Son (A Murder Mystery)
- Cthulhu Calls For Love
- I Hate Zombies Like You Hate Me
- When Your White Friend Says "Nigger" By Accident
- How To Make a Crackhead
Tight, stronger. Good set. Good times, and I even got a little shopping in across the street.
Again, no repeats from my 2006 appearance, here.
I then hit the road for Columbus about 10 PM for 12 hours of asphalt hell. Of course, it was more than 12 hours. I had to stop a few times to get real sleep. So I ended up getting home about 3 PM I think…about 17 hours of road time. When I got back I basically showered, ate, then ran off to Writers’ Block to MC the open mic.
We had a great time Wednesday night, and the features - Doc Luben and Lindsay Miller - were great. If I was as good as she is when I was her age, I wouldn’t know ANY of you people. And Doc? When I saw Doc at NPS this past August I was thinking, “I got to get this whole Tucson team in Columbus!” Fortunately, they had plans of their own and we worked it out.
Wednesday at open mic I read:
- The Magic Cotton Wand of Freedom
I changed the vocal style on this one, slowed it down a little, and I like it.
I also riffed some changes into it to make it punch and relevant without its typical introduction. I like it again.
So now I’m back, with a day off today, and fighting headaches and weariness. Like most long trips alone, they take their toll. This time, it was well worth it.
Thank you, New England! I’ll be back in that area briefly in the spring when I feature at Lizard Lounge in Boston for the first time. Well, New York and Boston, but NYC isn’t New England. Dates are set here.
Next gig: The Green Mill on the 20th. Got to get ready for that one too. You know how they do.
I pulled into the Woo on Sunday after fighting with a GPS for 11 hours on the road (shaved off an hour!). Coming in is always quicker than leaving at this length. Got to Sou and Bill and Liberty's a couple of hours before show time which was awesome because Sou's a great cook and I'm a great eater. Hung out some, then went to the Jumpin' Juice & Java reading. I did a strong set, but I was rusty. I let a curse word slip out in the welcome, but after that behaved myself. I did (not in order):
- Jesus, Judas and the Case of the Old Woman's Son (A Murder Mystery)
- Cthulhu Calls For Love
- I Hate Zombies Like You Hate Me
- When Your White Friend Says "Nigger" By Accident
- How To Make a Crackhead
- Spock With a Beard
- To My Molester Upon notice of His Death
- Lamborghini Hickies (Chris Brown)
I pulled the wrong version of Chris Brown. This one was TOO edited; it's the school-safe version. At the same time, it was the right length for an ending poem.
For the record, not a single one of these poems was a repeat from my previous time in Worcester in October 2006. Look here. See? Told you.
After the show Bill, Mike McGee and what was to become my new poker buddy Melinda piled into Bill’s car and went to what I’ve taken to calling Club Woo, or the Worcester Clubhouse. It’s basically a communal basement that’s been converted into a hippie nerd’s fantasy room, and apparently the poker goes down there with some regularity. Bill broke out some chips and the next thing I know we’ve played three hours of poker. I crapped out when I got too tired to continue playing, though I did keep watching until even that could not keep me awake. I haven’t played that much poker in some time, and I would be feeling it the next day.
Monday was Doctor Who day. I was skeptical about the new series and hadn’t watched any of it. It all struck me as some sort of Sci-Fi Channel crap (Stargate SG-1…really?), and I didn’t want my fond childhood memories of laying on my mother’s floor watching Tom Baker beat murderous Dalek cyborgs by pouring jellybeans down their chutes trampled on by some hack. Bill and Sou own all of the new Doctor Who stuff - even Torchwood. They told me it was good and that I’d like it. I was skeptical. Then over one of our fabulous meals - Monday lunch I think - they popped an episode in just to “show me”.
I was so wrong.
I had their DVD player running the rest of that season for the next 24 hours. I don’t know if they planned on watching, I don’t know, a holiday parade or soap operas or whatever, but make no mistake: Doctor Who and I had their DVD player hot like an Xbox 360 running a marathon.
Doctor Who is incredibly well done. Smart, contemporary, relevant. The effects weren’t overdone, but were certainly a hundred times better than the old ones. And the Dalek episode? In the underground museum? My god: they actually made the Dalek frightening. “How does a Dalek get around the old issue of stairs?” ***LEV-I-TAAAATE!*** And then, with the two last remaining members of their races(!) facing off, humanity shines through. Absolutely amazing. I will be buying them all.
Monday night Bill got me to the Dirty Gerund reading (which is one of the coolest names for a reading ever), and it’s in an awesome venue. It’s a punk venue on top of a saloon with a diner car smashed into the front of it. They only serve three things: lots of alcohol, really big burgers and an awesome sweet chili. I read:
- D&D
I've got to tighten that one up and get it a real title. I've only read it once worth a darn.
Back to the bench until you workout, bud.
After the mic there was more poker back at the Woo Lounge (I’m alternating names here until one sticks), and this time I stayed up until I cleaned everybody out. That occurred around 4 AM. As soon as I pulled all the chips into my proud chest, Mike McGee goes, “So…want to rack ‘em up again?” These people are inhuman.
I want to point out how much fun was had in Club Woo (see?): Mike McGee is, hands down, the funniest person I know. He basically just did a stand-up routine sitting down (he has little legs, forgive him) for six hours straight each night. If you’ve ever spent that much time with Mike, you know what kind of laughing that entailed. I hadn’t to date so there was a time or two when I coughed myself dizzy while laughing. Not for the sensitive, but if you’ve seen me MC you know I’m not sensitive. It was a little like coming home.
Oh yeah: playing poker against Melinda? TOUGH. She just blows smoke in your face and stares you down, all cool. Intense, but then, we WERE playing for a six dollar pot.
The next night was Providence and the Got Poetry reading. I’d done this reading before, but it was years ago in a different venue. It’s a smaller venue too, but the room is there for you, son. I did an interview for Mike’s podcast, then enjoyed the open mic, then did my bit. I switched my list up some here (again, not in order):
- Molasses Swamp
- To the High School Thug That Broke Into His English Teacher’s Car
- Braille in the Time of Miracles
- Jesus, Judas and the Case of the Old Woman's Son (A Murder Mystery)
- Cthulhu Calls For Love
- I Hate Zombies Like You Hate Me
- When Your White Friend Says "Nigger" By Accident
- How To Make a Crackhead
Tight, stronger. Good set. Good times, and I even got a little shopping in across the street.
Again, no repeats from my 2006 appearance, here.
I then hit the road for Columbus about 10 PM for 12 hours of asphalt hell. Of course, it was more than 12 hours. I had to stop a few times to get real sleep. So I ended up getting home about 3 PM I think…about 17 hours of road time. When I got back I basically showered, ate, then ran off to Writers’ Block to MC the open mic.
We had a great time Wednesday night, and the features - Doc Luben and Lindsay Miller - were great. If I was as good as she is when I was her age, I wouldn’t know ANY of you people. And Doc? When I saw Doc at NPS this past August I was thinking, “I got to get this whole Tucson team in Columbus!” Fortunately, they had plans of their own and we worked it out.
Wednesday at open mic I read:
- The Magic Cotton Wand of Freedom
I changed the vocal style on this one, slowed it down a little, and I like it.
I also riffed some changes into it to make it punch and relevant without its typical introduction. I like it again.
So now I’m back, with a day off today, and fighting headaches and weariness. Like most long trips alone, they take their toll. This time, it was well worth it.
Thank you, New England! I’ll be back in that area briefly in the spring when I feature at Lizard Lounge in Boston for the first time. Well, New York and Boston, but NYC isn’t New England. Dates are set here.
Next gig: The Green Mill on the 20th. Got to get ready for that one too. You know how they do.