Breaking News Entertainment & Arts Poetry slam and rock bands mix matches, light up The Loft in Atlanta | Poetry slam and rock bands mix matches, light up The Loft in Atlanta |
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What do you get when you mix a poetry slam with rock music? A funky-shut-yo-mouth-good time! Yeah, you heard me! A funky-shut-yo-mouth-good time!
I t may still have been ice-cold in New York City, but here in Georgia, “To Whom”, “Three5Human”, and other contesting poets were a bona fide bonfire on the Center Stage at The Loft in Atlanta. Prior to this concert, I had not heard any of these acts, and had only a passing familiarity with their names. Though not the best example of advance research, at least I arrived with an open mind and only a few expectations. Needless to say, those expectations were exceeded far beyond my imagination. From music, to poetry, to the food & drinks bar, as well as the about-to-be-famous “Silver Carpet” — yes, yes. . .they made up the Silver Carpet thing because according to one of the organizers, "Poets should not be thought of as a side show or background music, they are the forefront of great song lyrics and the root of memorable Hip-Hop, so they deserve to be celebrated too!" I couldn't have said it any better!  Trina from Three5Human “Three5Human” were the first ones to take the stage. They tore the place up of course with a sound that they describe as "Rock with a lot of Soul” performing songs from their current CD “A Swig from the Acid Bottle,” as well as other favorites from their collation. The music itself is on the fringe of my interests, but that was not an issue, thanks to the performance of their lead singer, Trina. Her stage presence and personality goes far beyond the stage, and her sizzling tunes brought out the cheers, hurrays, and applause from the audience. With their tight harmonies, the cohesive sound of “Three5Human” stilled the audience, and for those of us who were not in the back of the room gabbing with our pals, it was a magical hour.
 To Whom on Stage with lead singer Nick Chahwala “To Whom” took the stage for the second hour of the evening with as great a punch as “Three5Human”. “To Whom” has played with various artists ranging from Ludacris to Hoobastank and gained national attention after stellar performances at Lollapalooza and placing first in the Coors Light Battle of the Bands. More important than even the music, “To Whom” seemed to really enjoy themselves on stage. They radiated loud happiness from the microphones and equipment stands. It was contagious! It streamed from the notes and chords. If they could have play all night, they probably would have. They were like a perpetual energy machine. Yes. There, I’ve said it. “To Whom” broke the second law of thermodynamics. They were an escalating hyperbole. They were one hell of a show.  Hosts-(R-Tommy Bottoms & L-Queen Sheba) with graphic designer Mark Willey on the Silver Carpet infront of the Twisted Tongue banner
T his night was intensified and heightened mainly by the electrifying energy emanating from the lovely hosts — Queen Sheba and Tommy Bottoms. For those of you who haven't heard about these guys, you may be interested to know that Queen Sheba was the 2007 National Poetry Champion. As one of the most dynamic artists in the industry, Queen Sheba consistently does what the average artist pines over — deliver. On the other hand, HBO Def Poet Tommy Bottoms is proving himself to be one of the most prolific spoken-word artists of our time. A recent transplant to Atlanta, he has a unique ability to appeal to both the college graduate and the high school dropout alike. His gritty delivery, witty punch lines, and well-developed concepts are not only brilliant, but destined for mainstream appeal. Combining the verbal dexterity of Jay-Z, and the intellectual capacity of Dr. Cornell West, Tommy is a crowd favorite at cafés, open mikes, and universities around the country.  The winner, 'Q' from North Carolina And then came the moment we'd all been waiting for...the midnight Poetry Slam with 10 of the hottest poets you’ve ever seen from around the Country — battling it out for the grand prize of $1,000! In cash! Call it battle of the words, or word boxing, the heat could not have been hotter. “’Q’ Quentin” from Charlotte, North Carolina, took with him every cent of $1,000. Oh! and not to mention that he only beat “Archie the Messenger”, who came in second with a (0.1) mark. Dang it! I mean, Kudos ‘Q’! I can't quite tell if most of the audience members were there for the rock concert or the poetry slam. What I do know is that the crowd was clearly impressed. If you get a chance to see any of these artists, be it the bands, the poets, or the hosts, I recommend you do. Whether their music is your thing or not, they put on a good show. My ears are still bleeding beautifully from the show. The author of this piece can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |
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