Legendary Santa Cruz Poetry Slam Collective

The Legendary Santa Cruz Indie Slam is back once again! I know you’re all hella stoked to qualify for IWPS, so if you want the Santa Cruz spot, you should kill with a:
1 min poem
2 min poem
3 min poem and
4 min poem!

This time around we’re featuring Bay Area favorite Lucky Seven. Hosted by Kevin Holmes. DJ stylings by A Lowe.

The Cypress Lounge
120 Union St.
Santa Cruz, CA
View Map

8:30 Sign Ups
9:00 Show

$4 cover

Flyer

JUNE 22nd SLAM

QUICKLY – CLIMB TO THE ROOFTOPS THERE IS A FOREST THERE

oh wait, no, that was just a surreal slam poem

am I the only one that mistakes Jack Rusk’s poetry for an acid tripe

tonight we had a tough list of competitors.
In the first round we had such bay area slam regulars as
Jen G, John Staedler, and David Perez – yet local poet
Chris Harbster was able to pull the high score of the round
with an over the top love poem. In the second round
Jen G. took high score with the darkness
of the devil. Third round was a close bout
between Jack Rusk (two time UCSC grand slam champion)
Jen G, Chris Harbster, and Lyrical I (a Santa Cruz street
poet native).
Jack and Jen eliminated their competitors to go into the
head to head fourth round with very opposite styles of writing and
performance.

only to…

only to…

TIE and settle the score with a sudden death Haiku.

In the end, Jack Rusk took home the glory.
Big shout outs to the first time poets that read.
Also, big pat on my own back for getting the highest score
of the night in the third round sacrifice spot with
my new poem “Up.”

The feature, Kim Johnston
brought the house down. Her line “picking
forget-me-nots out of voodoo dolls” is still
echoing through my head.

And HER dirty haiku’s scared my unborn children’s unborn children.

JUNE 8th SLAM

WAS THAT A SITAR HERO COMPETITION or an OPENING NIGHT?

Maybe both?

We had a packed sign up list and had to turn poets away .
Their was a mix of experienced Santa Cruz local poets, Bay Area commuting Slam Poets, and new faces. The first two rounds of competition were close with poets like Dana barely missing the third round, where we hand out our points for Indie finals. Devon emerged as a clear champion by winning *every single round.* Newcomer Asha knocked out both John Staedler and poet I to take the second place with her strong lyrical voice.
The feature, a Mr. Ekhabumi, started off by stage walking and showing poets and audience members alike how to use a large space to performative advantage.
My personal favorite moment of the evening was when I (abused) the power of MC and asked if anybody in the audience wanted to buy me a drink… a nice many in the back obliged. Score one for the poets.