Standing in front of the lone microphone on a
darkened stage, a bespectacled woman takes a deep breath before facing her audience and unleashing a torrent. The syllables spill from her pursed lips at almost indecipherable speed and the audience leans forward in the dark to catch up. The ear struggles to make sense of words stripped of their contextual meaning before conscious thought ceases and the rhythm takes over.
It’s Tuesday night at the Bowery Poetry Club (BPC) and the weekly poetry slam has just gotten underway. The performers anxiously wait for their moment in the spotlight; five short minutes in which to reach a discerning audience using only vocabulary and an unshakable rhythmic feel. Ranging from
rhythmic soliloquy to jarring rant, the night’s
performances burst with immediacy and passion, at times drawing cheers from the crowd and at others, falling nervously short of their target. These poets, 3rd generation beatniks, are progenitors of an artistic
tradition that has become marginalized in this society of specialization, market niches and genre boundaries. The worlds of poetry, jazz, hiphop, comedy and cabaret converge nightly at the Bowery Poetry Club, creating the type of artistic environment that fosters the best minds of a generation.
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Standing in front of the lone microphone on a
darkened stage, a bespectacled woman takes a deep breath before facing her audience and unleashing a torrent. The syllables spill from her pursed lips at almost indecipherable speed and the audience leans forward in the dark to catch up. The ear struggles to make sense of words stripped of their contextual meaning before conscious thought ceases and the rhythm takes over.
It’s Tuesday night at the Bowery Poetry Club (BPC) and the weekly poetry slam has just gotten underway. The performers anxiously wait for their moment in the spotlight; five short minutes in which to reach a discerning audience using only vocabulary and an unshakable rhythmic feel. Ranging from
rhythmic soliloquy to jarring rant, the night’s
performances burst with immediacy and passion, at times drawing cheers from the crowd and at others, falling nervously short of their target. These poets, 3rd generation beatniks, are progenitors of an artistic
tradition that has become marginalized in this society of specialization, market niches and genre boundaries. The worlds of poetry, jazz, hiphop, comedy and cabaret converge nightly at the Bowery Poetry Club, creating the type of artistic environment that fosters the best minds of a generation.
A brainchild of poetry guru Bob Holman, BPC opened its doors to a poetry-starved world in 2002. Holman, credited by many as a founding father of slam poetry, envisioned the club as an artistic mecca where musicians, writers, painters and the general public could congregate to appreciate each other’s craft. The club quickly gained a devoted following from a large cross section of the NYC art community due in no small part to the club’s inviting air,
reasonable prices and adventurous booking practices.
Ranging from jazz, ska and punk to hiphop and afrobeat, music acts at the BPC are as eclectic as they come. “Artists are given a timeslot,” says general manager Matt Lydon, “and we leave it to them to
create the shows.” This democratic booking practice has helped BPC to establish itself as a hub of creative music, a place where the artist is free to use the two hour time slot in the way they deem fit. In addition to these various music slots during the week, every Tuesday night features the “Open Ear” music series, curated by Stefan Zeniuk. This forum has become one of the highlights of BPC’s weekly schedule in the time since its inception, with acts like Will Holshouser’s trio, Myk Friedman and J. Granelli’s V:16 bringing in fans to the club late into the night this month.
The club’s lively calendar of events is a cultural barometer for NYC’s art scene. Evenings commonly start with readings by one or more writers or with an open mic session led by local or visiting poets. Unlike the poetry classes many slept through in high school, these performances are spirited, adventurous
gatherings that focus heavily on the works of 20th and 21st century artists. Amateurs and seasoned pros (Amiri Baraka was a featured performer in August) take the same stage every night to hone their craft in front of devoted audiences and the occasional heckler. Singer/songwriters, jazz acts and the occasional rock band perform throughout each week.
The club, located at the corner of Bowery and Bleeker in a non-descript 19th century brownstone, has become a beacon in a rapidly changing
neighborhood. The Bowery, once home to drifters, starving artists and low-income renters, now sits at the epicenter of New York’s rapidly gentrifying
downtown. On the two-block walk from the subway, one can’t help but notice the ongoing war, apparent in the juxtaposition of seedy bars and shelters with sprawling high-rises and Starbucks franchises.
Already a staple of the NY scene, Bowery Poetry Club has established a rich legacy in the short time that it’s been open and continues to widen its artistic scope. Bowery Arts and Science, Ltd., a non-profit organization started in conjunction with the club focuses on “education, outreach and technological
pursuits”, while new programs like Study Abroad on the Bowery offer students certificates in applied
poetics under the tutelage of renowned writers and artists.
~ Matthew Miller
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