Jim's Coffeehouse Open Mic in Elyria (7 August 2008)
On Thursday 7 August, Geri and I checked out the music and poetry open mic session at Jim's Coffeehouse in downtown Elyria. A cool place with good people and plenty of talent on display.... We were happy to see our friends Dianne and James Borsenik there as well.
You might recall my tripod issues in Sandusky the prior week. This time my tripod was on hand and perfectly fine - but I ended up having camera issues (can you say operator malfunction?), which prevented me from catching Dianne's and my performances on film. Fortunately, I did catch some of the other local talent.
The following 3-minute video includes minister and poet Dan Samms paying tribute to Emily Dickinson's Hope, Jimmy Pearson (of the band Starting the End) playing part of one of his original songs, and Jim's Coffeehouse's very own poet-in-residence (and event organizer) Carrie Slone sharing one of her pieces. I wish I could show you even more.
Jim's Coffeehouse holds these open mic sessions the first Thursday of every month at 7 p.m., and you're invited. If you'd like to perform, contact Carrie at 440-284-1444 or show up by 6:30 to register. Yes, their coffee is amazing (I like the Blue Moon) - but so are their tea, chai, fruit smoothies, sandwiches and pastries. Jim's Coffeehouse hosts lots of other artistic events as well. They have free WiFi. And they're quickly becoming the place to hang out in Elyria. If you're in the area, please check them out.
Jim's Coffeehouse
2 Lake Avenue
Elyria, OH 44035
440-284-1444
www.jimscoffeehouse.com
You might recall my tripod issues in Sandusky the prior week. This time my tripod was on hand and perfectly fine - but I ended up having camera issues (can you say operator malfunction?), which prevented me from catching Dianne's and my performances on film. Fortunately, I did catch some of the other local talent.
The following 3-minute video includes minister and poet Dan Samms paying tribute to Emily Dickinson's Hope, Jimmy Pearson (of the band Starting the End) playing part of one of his original songs, and Jim's Coffeehouse's very own poet-in-residence (and event organizer) Carrie Slone sharing one of her pieces. I wish I could show you even more.
Jim's Coffeehouse holds these open mic sessions the first Thursday of every month at 7 p.m., and you're invited. If you'd like to perform, contact Carrie at 440-284-1444 or show up by 6:30 to register. Yes, their coffee is amazing (I like the Blue Moon) - but so are their tea, chai, fruit smoothies, sandwiches and pastries. Jim's Coffeehouse hosts lots of other artistic events as well. They have free WiFi. And they're quickly becoming the place to hang out in Elyria. If you're in the area, please check them out.
Jim's Coffeehouse
2 Lake Avenue
Elyria, OH 44035
440-284-1444
www.jimscoffeehouse.com
Groovy!!! shy giving you the PEACE SIGN...
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Thanks, Shyloh! Right back atcha!
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Did you read at the open mic? If so what was the poem?
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Yes, I did... but I accidentally hit a button on the camera when I was getting up to read - paused it, while I thought I was recording... so I didn't make it onto the video.
I started with a haiku, then read Foggerel , Rapists , and John Cage Engaged and Uncaged .
It was a PG-13 venue (with a lot of teens present), so I kept it as "clean" as possible.
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I am sorry for not commenting on some of your previous blogs and such. Dealing with some things will e-mail to you later my friend. But, had to come see this one! Loved it and wish I could come sometime to check it out!
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Thanks, Kimberly! I'm glad you stopped by, and I hope everything's going well for you. Peace....
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Neat video - you put a bit of time into this.
Thanks for exposing us to more voices.
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Thank you, Lady! I'm still learning the video editing software - should get better with it in time. Having a bit of fun with it at least....
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I liked the Vultures poem... made me think about people picking through my stuff when I'm gone... hmm.. not sure I'd like it.
Nice mini... nicely done... must be hard doing the videos... looks like man hours involved in cleaning things up and organizingthem , and then pimping it out, etc...
Very cool though. Gives a nice idea of the variety of things you can do...
Awesome Mr. Crisis....
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Thanks, Chris!
Carrie read a couple others I like just as well - I kept changing my mind about which one to use in the video.
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Nice, and Jimmy was really good.
Nothing like the sound of a good voice,
good lyrics and the sound of acoustic git.
Vultures? Ah...Gives me an idea for
another write!
Thanks JC for sharing...
Did you really "accidently" hit the record button? ;(b)
~HU
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I did!
Jimmy did several solo numbers and was then joined by his band for a couple. I was impressed - he even covered a Ben Folds song as well as Ben himself, but with a unique flavor.
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how many poetry venues you hitting a month now?
i know with me, hitting all the places in cleveland i did all those years got me to the point where i was no longer appreciating what i was hearing due to hearing the same folk read the same poem at various venues.
i like the idea of your in-house upcoming monthly readings. lady and i are trying that here.
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I can see how that would happen. I've been trying to mix it up a bit, see some new venues (like Sandusky , Huron , Elyria, and South Euclid ) - and when I've repeated venues this month (like Mad Rose and the Lit) I've tried to go for ones where I'd see a featured reader I hadn't seen before (like Ben Gulyas and Michelle Krivanek). There were a couple of folks I was happy to see feature more than once (like T.M. Göttl and Chris Franke) - but in those cases I tried to bring a different dynamic to the reading by filming the goings-on.
I haven't gotten to the point where I'm weary of hearing the same poets do the same pieces - some pieces I get more out of after I hear them a second or third time (of course I've only been around the scene for a few months, as opposed to your few decades) - but I have worried that folks might tire of hearing me do the same pieces. So I've been both digging out a few old gems and especially trying to write more new stuff lately. As time permits....
I love writing about the venues - and even when I repeat a venue, I always seem to meet and hear someone new and interesting during the open mic or the pre- and post-reading socializing. But by the same token, writing about every venue I attend can become a bit tedious. It's gotten to the point where any time I attend a reading, folks expect that I'll write about it and some may be disappointed when I don't. It gets to where I don't attend a reading sometimes because I know it will add to my lengthy list of things I need to catch up on. Right now, I still need to do the Sandusky open mic video (2 weeks overdue), the Deep Cleveland reading (9 days after the fact), and the Literary Cafe (3 days later). All were excellent happenings I was thrilled to be part of and eager to blog about.... But If I go to all the readings I want to go to, and then write about them (and do them justice), I will never get anything new written or get anything else accomplished.
Another issue: I'm able to do as much as I've been doing because I'm largely unemployed - but that's not a state I can maintain forever unless my writing and web work can generate more money (then again, I don't do it for money - I think doing it for money can ruin it - but it would be nice to do it for the joy and art and still support yourself with it). I want to continue heading to Cleveland and other sites a couple of times a month. But gas money can sometimes be an issue - and I feel a bit guilty about running up all these miles, contributing to our environmental problems. Plus winter will be coming. All of these are factors in why I'm looking for closer venues for good poetry - and setting up my basement for readings. Having freedom of expression and my musical equipment at hand are other considerations. I mentioned in my Low Kay Shun (Fuck Censorship) blog that the venue in Lakewood where I debuted it did not censor. But they've since decided they must censor since they feel not doing so is costing them business. At another venue, folks introduced me as John because they feared my name Jesus Crisis "might not go over well." In my basement, I won't have to worry about such issues. Plus I hope we can create a bastion for underground (pardon the pun) poetry in the alleged nether world on the western fringe of Cleveland, and give others in the area a place where they can freely express themselves creatively. I feel very much a part of Cleveland, which is only about 25 miles east of me, and where poetry is so alive - so I will head into the city for readings and keep up with folks as much as I can, but it won't be at the breakneck pace I've grown accustomed to the past couple of months.
Crap! It seems that my comment is longer than my blog.
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That's nuts man - that the Lakewood venue would worry about losing business from a single night. I woulda thot Lakewood more liberal. Wonder what they'd do to Ginsberg or d a levy, ya know? And what about all the business they're gaining from the poets who are there that evening?
And I'm really dismayed to find out that someone was afraid to introduce you as JC. Man o man. What pussies.
Everyone wants to protect everyone else, which means controlling the freedoms of other people.
Good for you for setting up a local venue.
Anarchy!
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I agree with you totally, Lady-- I am surprised at Lakewood for being so darn conservative about language. Words, for godssake, in a bookstore. I mean, isn't that the point? But when I talked with her, the owner, although very apologetic, seemed genuinely frightened at the thought of customers turning away-- because of us poets. You know how dangerous and rowdy sitting around, reading our poems can be, lol!
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It's a god damned shame.
Maybe if they offered more than ten books of poetry for sale, the poets would buy something to make up for it. We bought something every time we were there anyway. Plus my blogs were a bit of free advertising for them. And they only had to live with us for two hours one dead night a month. I guess I understand their position - sometimes you feel you need to do what you need to do to survive. And they seemed like good people. I hope their business thrives. But it's also unfortunate, disappointing, and a bit of a load of shit.
They'll play it safe with "traditional" faves like Emily Dickinson, Socrates and Jesus Christ - instead of supporting the living poets. Ironic, since Dickinson, Socrates and Jesus were "despised and rejected" in favor of the "traditional" work from which they'd broken free. I'm reminded of d.a. levy's words about the dead poets having all the support they need. Feed the living.
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Well, that's what really tripped my trigger... the fact that the bookstore would cave in to the people wanting dead poets, rather than being supportive of live ones. We may not be "famous", but I'd say we sell as many poetry books per store as the "classic" poets do. I mean, how many Dickinson or Yeats books has any one person bought lately? And yet, I've bought the books of almost every live poet I've heard read. We need to be supportive of each other, and we need to keep the art of poetry alive. With the bookstores trying to kill us off, it looks like we'll have to turn to the bar venues to survive. Something ironic there....
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I debated with myself whether or not to write about it on my blog - because I didn't want to deter folks from supporting an independent bookstore. But obviously, the owner's relying on folks other than us poets to support the store anyway. And how independent, how free can they "really be
Man
Really
How free in the land of the penny pinch
And the US Mince
And poetry turned know-it tree
Or no-it tree"
And while I'm quoting my own poems:
"Her friends Whore and War are welcome anytime
But if you see Kay
Tell her no way!
She can't come."
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I misspoke above. I'm actually very much employed, working well over 40 hours a week, and I rarely take a day off. You might even say I'm gainfully employed - there's a whole lot of gain, but little of it monetary.
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When I started going to readings I went to every single one I could possibly attend. It took a couple years for me to start wearing out.
There's always something new to learn, some new way to unpeel the ear.
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I love that phrase: "some new way to unpeel the ear."
Am writing it in my journal....
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I totally empathize with your camera issues. We had Shannon's third birthday party on Sunday. I took one picture and the camera died. I love to take pictures, but I decided to just enojoy the moment and let it live in my memory. It's under warranty, so we took it back to the store. We should have it back in a week. Problem is, we are leaving for Mexico tomorrow. Rather than bring the very expensive Nikon, we bought another Nikon digital.
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I've gotten so accustomed to digital now, I don't think I could tolerate dealing with film again - for better or worse.
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