boston progress radio

with the exception of one month, for three years, every second friday has transformed a tiny bookstore into a magical haven of shared energy—stanzas, lyrics, melodies, rhymes, dances, visuals, fragmented thoughts, reciprocation and appreciation, have been transferred between bodies and spirits.

so i thought it would be fun to take a short look back, in order to look forward.

the bookstore, east meets west, opened october of 2004, with just a small table full of independent apia CD’s and chapbooks. only open on saturdays, the store served as a clubhouse of sorts for boston progress members to catch up, crack jokes, and build together. having an actual physical space available and seeing the potential of our space, it was only natural to program an open mic… but what shape it would take or how it would be actualized, no one really could tell. up to that point, only a few people have actually passed through the threshold of the store and wandered into our world.

in a boba tea spot in the back bay, at a monthly boston progress meeting, the open mic began to form an identity. after several suggestions (ginger-bred, mic-a-saurus rex), vinh the kid said after only a second of thought, east meets words, and the open mic had a name.

first open mic, we had the synchronous fortune of having not just one, but two members of 2 tongues, anida yoeu ali and marlon esguerra, in the northeast. it seems only fitting to have them be the first to bless the open mic as our first co-features. flash forward a year, we had regie cabico telling stories of mini-wooden-penises from men in barrels while humping a stool as a make-shift lover. in between and following, beautiful features from nyc, philly, the bay, LA, minnesota, toronto, chicago, jersee, and locals—all have graced the space.the list of open mic-er seem to be just as illustrious with local poets, musicians, freestylers, youth, passer-byers—all have come thru the space and shared…

to now. we don’t even have to worry about having folks come through… without fail, open mic nights become packed. and the unheated bookstore warms with body heat, which is the only thing that can keep you warm during the cold cold cold boston winters.

on a personal tip, the open mic has opened gates internally, like nothing has before. it’s not just learning the audience banter as a host, or getting over awkward insecurities as an open mic-er, or being brave enough to read from dusty journals as a feature, but i’ve learned that the more i can let go of… speak my mind and heart about, the more room i have to grow… i’ve learned to be open, unguarded—even if just for a few minutes—shed walls and free little pieces of my thoughts with the people. i’ve learned in a deep way the power of words… the unlocking of held breathes i usually choke back, releasing spiritual self into the physical world. even now, three years later, once a month, i still get nervous as i open my black book of secrets and with a shaky voice read out. but i’ve started to see many others, other unidentified poets and writers looking forward, raising their voice at the open mic. in the most obvious way, the open mic was a monthly session to meditate on the state of your union. where would i be if i didn’t have that space… i can’t even begin to assume.

looking back, we realize the open mics really wouldn’t be anything without everyone who supports–reads out on the list, listens in the metal chairs, claps their hands to the beat, yells words to rhyme about, and who shouts—ohhhhhh yeah. so it seems only right to have our three year anniversary feature be east meets words—a super mic of sorts. each and every participant—open mic-ers and audience alike—are the feature.

oh, the only month we did not hold the open mic at east meets west, was august 2005—when boston hosted the 3rd apia spoken word summit. but i guess even then, one can see the community and family showcase as open mics, so yeah, then for three years, boston progress has hosted an open mic, each month… and we’re still holding it down. solid.

Tags: Boston Progress, Commentary, Open Mic.

 

 Interview with Justine Ok [10:36m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Justine is an r&b singer songwriter who’s got a *wicked* set of pipes. She’s also part of the group Xtacy Xport. If you haven’t heard her on the stream, you can check her out at her site www.simplyjustine.com. I sat down with her after her set at the EMW open mic last month for a little jibba jabba.

Tags: Interview, Open Mic, Podcasts.

Back in the early days of Boston Progress Radio, Delia noted the gender imbalance of the artists on our station. (Yeah, I know that was only a few months ago, but sometimes it seems like we’ve been doing this forever.) It seems as though there are far more male artists than female artists. That is kind of a shame. Also shameful is the fact that we have only a single female blogger contributing to Boston Progress Radio. Maybe, Asian boys are just more opinionated? I don’t think so. Right here, I’m reaching out to all those female-identified heads out there who have some opinions about AA or PI arts, music, or spoken word. At Boston Progress, sharing your stories in your own words is more important than writing a Peabody-award winning piece.

Today, to help balance the imbalance, I’m adding music from four female artists.

Read more

Tags: News, Online Radio.

It’s October already and the year is winding down. This month’s open mic featured some new faces as well as some familiar faces. The show began with two first time Open Mic performers, Taz and Patrick. Taz performed his rap and Patrick introduced us to himself by bringing a refreshing vibe to the Open Mic with his enthusiasm. Giles returned to East Meets Words by performing two pieces, one was Untitled and the other was entitled “Mousetrap.” L.I.F.E. composed of Joey B and Febo made their second performance illustrating the power of “Words” further showing that they will be a force to be reckoned with. Andy followed up by performing a piece that involved the audience’s participation. Theresa was next as she read a piece from her book and Jill followed Theresa by performing a song with the guitar. Charles performed one of his recent pieces and Victor closed out the Open Mic with his signature freestyle accompanied by Giles on the guitar.

This month’s feature on East Meets Words was Justine Ok, a singer/songwriter and recent graduate of the Berklee School of Music. Accompanied by Tony on the piano, Justine opened the segment with the cover of “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys. With the audience’s help (mainly from Patrick), Justine performed her own song “NO.” Justine then followed up with “It’s Too Late” and “Fed Up.” She closed the show with “Snowflake.” It was refreshing to have Justine Ok at East Meets Words because she was not a spoken word artist but rather a singer. She sang with passion and one can tell that that she had a lot of fun.

Tags: Open Mic, Recaps.

 

 Justine covers Alicia Key's "If I Ain't Got You": Play Now | Play in Popup

Justine Ok (who goes by simply Justine) was the East Meets Words October feature, last Friday, October 12th. I can’t believe it’s already October. Here’s a clip from her set, a rousing cover of Alicia Key’s “If I Ain’t Got You.” Take a listen and look out for the interview, coming later this week.

Tags: Podcasts.

Please come out to the October East Meets Words Open Mic sponsored by the Boston Progress Arts Collective on October 12, 2007 at the East Meets West Bookstore at 934 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA. Justine Ok of Xtacy Xport is featuring. Cover charge is $3. Please bring your writing and your poems to share too. This is and always will be an open mic.

Also, stop by and check out the new art by Wen-ti Tsen and Tri Quach that will be up at the East Meets West Bookstore.

Tags: Open Mic.