Ventura Road Trip II
This wasn't just a roadtrip, it was an honest to goodness raid. I don't think those Venturians knew what to make of all the LA poets just showing up out of the blue and taking over their open mic. We certainly had fun. And we will definitely be back. With even more people. Ha Ha!
Highlights of the trip:
1. Everyone who is supposed to meet at Wayman's house is late. Very late. And very, very late.
2. Mani Suri gets in an argument with an asshole over a parking space and loses. The always mature Wayman rubs grape jelly on the guys windshield.
3. All the girls ride with Mani Suri. The rest of the guys stew in Wayman's car. Wayman considers rubbing grape jelly on Mani's windshield.
4. Wayman nearly runs over an entire family of tourists, who are illegally crossing the road.
5. Mani Suri is a fast driving motherfucker. Leaves Wayman and the boys behind somewhere in Malibu. Wayman, feeling that his manhood is being tested, breaks many laws and speed limits to catch up.
6. Somehow, he beats Mani Suri there and feels manly. Although, no one else notices or cares.
7. We find Zoey's. Which is a lovely place. One of the classiest looking poetry venues we have ever seen. The place is packed.
8. Phil Taggart gets things rolling with his intros, but is temporarily blinded when Wayman, who is sitting in the front row, takes his photo.
9. The features, David Oliviera & Marsha de la O, both wow the crowd with top notch readings. Wayman was especially enamored by Miss de la O, who had a voice that sounded like a martini tastes - sexy with a bite.
10. Lloyd (aka Sirios), used to going to hip hop poetry events, doesn't know that academic poetry audiences don't shout, "What!?!" and snap their fingers in the air when they like what is being said. It is funny to see the reaction of some of the poets on stage.
11. Unfortunately, the official litrave camera goes on the fritz, so Wayman makes a mad dash through downtown Ventura looking for camera (unsuccessfully) and misses most of the beginning open readers. Fortunately, since most LA poets sign at the bottom of the list, he gets to see all the litravers perform.
12. Thaine, who is becoming a performance artist before our very eyes, does a sad piece about "shaving." Shrep shrep shrep.
13. The beautiful and bountiful Charlotte O'Brien does a wonderful piece about motherhood called, "Milk."
14. Frankie Orange Superstar then wows everyone with her razzilin' dazzilin' pizzazz. Gettin' brighter and brighter, baby.
15. Mani Suri reads "The Writer's Block." The man looks like a poet. Acts like a poet. Talks like a poet. But, we now all know, he is actually a frustrated race car driver.
16. Lloyd brings out some hip hop poetry. I imagine for some of the people in the room it is the first time they have heard something like this. They seem to really "dig" it.
17. Atom Balm is a cabaret star! And I mean old school cabaret. The dangerous kind. Like back in 30s Berlin. The kind people still write books about seventy years later. So watch out!
18. Wayman Barnes tries to win the hearts of all the pretty women in the room by doing a piece about cannibalism. It doesn't work.
19. Kwame James (sometimes known as Q) actually wins the hearts of all the pretty women in the room by doing a piece about a goddess. Wayman takes notes.
20. Someone decides that we haven't had enough poetry, so we head back to Hollywood for Chromosome X.
21. All the girls hop into Wayman's car and he takes off like a fast motherfucker, leaving Mani and the boys behind. They stew in Mani's car. He considers rubbing grape jelly all over Wayman's windshield.
Zoey's Café
451 E. Main Street (in the 'El Jardin' courtyard) - Ventura
(805) 652-1137
http://zoeyscafe.com
for more information call: (805) 672-1756
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