More updates

So we are in the stretch run of the last few weeks before I am officially a student again, at least for another eight or nine months. Yes, I am nervous.

Last weekend I saw an amazing concert in the Progression Nation Tour. The show was headlined by Dream Theater. I saw Dream Theater about two years ago and their setlist and performance was a little weak. Dream Theater plays a different setlist every time they play. I was also distracted by a couple of rowdy drunks in front of me which hurt the experience. This show was phenomenal. The setlist was amazing and there were many moments of "holy fuck," with their musical performance. I was also impressed with Dweezil Zappa's band, Zappa Plays Zappa. He's an amazing guitar player and has an incredibly talented band with him. His keyboard and saxophone player, Scheila Gonzalez is mind blowing.

This week I will attend a going away party for a friend named Miriam who's leaving Canada for the homeland of Ireland. Will be sad to see her go.

Rochdale Rhymes and Readings is back September 3 with RC Weslowski, Joe Dewar and Robin Richardson. The day before that is Toronto Poetry Slam's Story Slam at the Boat, also featuring RC Weslowski. Rochdale Rhymes and Readings, as always, happens at the Regal Beagle at 335 Bloor St. W., 8 p.m. with pass the hat admission and an open mic.

Rochdale Rhymes and Readings

A quick note for Rochdale Rhymes and Readings. We'll be having a spoken word extravaganza on June 4th. Featuring will be Toronto's Gypsy Eyes, Truth Is..., and New York State's Nolan Guiffre. Admission is pass the hat, as always, and there is an open mic. 8 pm, Regal Beagle, 335 Bloor St. W.

I also want to plug May 26th, because I'm reading at the Art Bar with Matthew Tierney and Kate Braid. The Art Bar is Canada's longest running weekly poetry-only literary series. It is quite a prestigious honour to be offered a reading there. It's at Clinton's, 693 Bloor St. W., at the corner of Bloor and Clinton.

Upcoming Rochdale Rhymes and Readings

On Oct. 5 Phoebe Tsang and Valentino Assenza will feature at Rochdale Rhymes and Readings at the Regal Beagle, 335 Bloor St. W. I'm excited as both are fantastic writers. Phoebe Tsang is a page poet, but often commits herself to reading her poetry from memory. Her work is quite impressive and worth listening to live. Valentino Assenza is often considered a spoken word poet, but has published three chapbooks, and in my opinion, is more of a page poet than a performance poet when in comparison to many of the spoken word poets in Toronto. He's performed very well on the spoken word/slam scene. Personally, I think it's because the poetry he brings is so good. He needs not to yell, speak fast, etc. Audiences just connect with him and his honesty.

RDRR is tomorrow night!

Though technically seeing as it is after midnight, RDRR is tonight. Tonight we will be featuring Molle Dorst and Amanda Hiebert, two amazing spoken-word artists. Generally at Rochdale Rhymes and Readings we only have one spoken-word artist and a page poet. But I'd already booked Amanda and decided I really wanted Molle to have a spot before she went back to Kingston to finish her grad school work and seeing as RDRR is taking a break until September, now was the time. So if anyone does read this blog and is into spoken word, performance poetry or "slam," RDRR goes down July 20, 8 p.m. at the Regal Beagle, 335 Bloor St. W. That's in the old Rochdale College building beside the Bata Shoe Museum, by St. George subway station. There's an open mic and admission is whatever you throw into my fedora. Hosted by yours truly, Mike Lipsius. And if anyone who reads this was at the Toronto Poetry Slam on Friday, please tell me who won. I had to leave part way through the second round.