Bend's First Slam Team Is Set

Last Wednesday's gig was an intimate and impressive display of local spoken word talent.
Scores were tight but a clear preference emerged from the audience.
Taking positions on the team are:

Rook
KP
Jonathan
Robert

Skye and C. Vance will share the "alternate" position.
hmmmmm.

So what's next?
A Lot of possibilities but nothing solid yet.

Nationals are a big zero for Oregon teams. (yeah, PSI finally mailed me my "poetic liscence. Uh, thanks, but I really was just hoping to bring a team to Nationals...maybe next year.)
However, since none of us made it through the arcane system of PSI...
Us Oregon Slam Masters are thinking maybe we'll just have an all Oregon Slam. Stay tuned, we're working on it.
Also, I'm in contact with the Chico Youth Slam team...and a group of high school age kids nearby...so we might host a little "Bend verses" session in June.
There is also the mysterious West Coast Championship that has vanished into cyber space but threatens to re-emerge? We are ready.

So keep in touch it could heat up fast.

The Final Showdown!

Press, Poets, and VIPs!!!!

I know that my email and phone lists are not complete, so help me out and pass this on to those who need to know!


Have you looked at the moon lately? Its starting to fill out...

Here it comes: The Final Showdown.

This is the Slam that will determine the Bend Poetry Slam Team.
This is the performance poetry event of the year for Bend, the Slam we have building toward for almost six months. This is the Slam that will launch Bend into the big world of performance poetry regionally and nationally. So come out and show your support for local artists dreaming of the big time! Its Spring time people, let's get serious and have a party! Poetry IS the language of LOVE!

Wednesday, May 17th
8pm
The Grove
$3

The following poets have qualified and we hope to see them there:
So here is who will be in the Final Showdown:Johnathan, KP, RW, Rook, Dust Might (Robert), Mr. E, Sky, Dan, and C. Vance.

Last month we had some great One Hit Wonders, and there is plenty of room for some more at the Finals. So, if you've been holding back, this is your chance! Get up and take the mic!

info and contact @:

www.myspace/jayhooray.com

jayhooray@gmail.com

WOO HOO!

JayhooRay!

Final Qualifier Results!!

Alright this is what you need to know about who is qualified for what and why!

But first, a brief comment. Last Wednesday was excellent. The quality of performance was amazing as was the variety. Big thanks to the poets. Spoken Word is alive and well in Bend.

And here is what came of it.

Final Results:

1st Robert (Dust Might)
2nd Jen (and it was close)
3rd Johnathan (never wants to sign up, always goes home with $$$)
4th C. Vance (his best night yet)

but all second round points count toward qualifying.

So here is who will be in the Final Showdown:

143 Johnathan
110 KP
88 RW
82 Rook
79 Dust Might (Robert)
67 Mr. E
61 Sky
58 Dan
57 C. Vance

That's nine, and for those of you who care about such things, it is also very much a who's who of Bend Poetry Slam. I guess that is what you would expect from a process like thus huh? For those of you who wonder how this list was put together...well, everyone else who could be on the list only performed once...and thus has significantly lower points totals. So the natural break occured at the level of more than one round performed. Ta da. I will contemplate opening a few slots up in final for folks who could only make one round...maybe.

What this means is that the Final Showdown is going to be hot. And hopefully will have some onehitwonders.

peace,

J

The Final Qualifier!

Here it is kids, your last chance to the big dance!

Tonight is the final qualifier round. Looking at the little math I have in front of me, it is going to be interesting. A lot of folks have a good opporutnity to nail down their ticket to the finals.

It's gonna be good stuff.

See you there!

Round Three Results

Woo HOO!

Round Three was excellent...kinda like the old days...

Big Props to the Poets
Big Thanks to the People who came out.

Here are the Results:

1st Place: RW (again!) 43
2nd: Rook (again!) 42
3rd: Galadriel (yeah girl!) 39
4th: DustMight (say what!?!?) 37

I got a fussy kid in my lap so the long term results and opinions will be commin'

The Slam Master Blogs

Don't worry, I'm not going to do very much of this. But it is Tuesday and I'm excited. So I go to this page. I don't know why, just becuase I made it...and it is kinda cool...and I'm curious to see if anyone will ever post anything.
Maybe it seems like I do this for my own ego. I mean I do get to be Jayhooray. And this is my only current claim to fame. But I became Jayhooray before I started the MC thang and I can feed my own ego just fine. superstar in my own private movie
No, I do this for the...the...the art. I want to make something and the thing I like making the most is things that get other people to make things...get it? I make the Slam happen, poets make the poetry, that makes people happy, that inspires other poets, they perform...its sweet. And Bend gets a little more art --which it needs. So the main thing that matters to me is if it matters to you. If there even is a you? Are you out there?
Because poets reading poetry for other poets is good...but it is masturbation. Of course poets are gonna listen to other poets, especially if they are your friends, or peers...of course you turn your self on and know all the great tricks... But poets reading for poets is the paradigm I want to break-- it is why I quit poetry even though it put me through college.
So what I want to know is if anyone actually visits this blog. And I'm not going to pay for a counter and I'm not smart enough to install one!
So post.
All you have to do is leave a little nameless "I read this."
I just want to know

And Now a Word from the Slam Master

Actually, this will be a number of words...

Hey kids, here is the crazy lowdown for what's up with the Slam Series. As you may have heard me bitching about...no matter what I plan, the Slam is and organic expereince that requires flexability, yada yada yada. So the points series may require some "adjustment" later but currently looks like this:

I have taken the finalists from the two rounds and added their scores (from final rounds only) together. Now some wierd things happen because some poets have been in both rounds and other just did R1 or R2. And that is ok. There are two rounds to go and so far it looks like the top 16 points earners will qualify.

Winners from Round 2 were:

1st RW (45)
2nd Rook (40)
3rd Johnathan (36)
4th KP (34)


So, Going into R3 here are the standings

Johnathan 78
KP 74
RW 45
Rook 40
Mandie 40
Ted 36
Scott 35
Sky 28
Esteban 24
Dan 23
Trella C 22

Round 3 could change a lot and still leaves openings for the finals for any newcomers who make it to the last round. Also worth noting, scoring during the last round, last month, was brutal so if you are wondering what's up with some of those low numbers...yeah people got upper 30's in the first heat and 20's in the second...ouch. Buth with two months to go there is a lot of shakin' to be goin' on!

And finally a micro rant: I know last month we were competing with the olympics and all but sign up was kinda thin...and the audience showed up pretty late. ok, it is what it is, and it is still one of the best art events in Bend...BUT if I get fewer than 8 poets, I'm really going to have to seriously question if this is gonna fly. And we are going to have to raise some $$$ to compete at Nationals. So if you are into Slam you got to help me get people into the Slam! The buzz must BUZZ and the Words must be spoken! See ya there!