Powerful Poetry Slam Finals Thrill Fans At The Aeolian

A packed house at the Aeolian Hall on Friday night, were treated to an emotional journey of laughter and pathos, at the London Poetry Slam Finals. At stake was a place on the on the 2018 London Poetry Slam team, and a trip to the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word.

The evening was divided into two segments, with a musical interlude in between. Ten Slam poets got two opportunities on the stage – one in each segment. Their tales varied, their topics broad-reaching – many with a common theme of hard self-reflection, and all with the gift of some brutal honesty.

Event organizer Holly Painter, was also the evening’s emcee. Funny, thoughtful, and always keeping the show moving, Painter is a master as the Pied Piper of the event. Her witticism and enthusiasm are not only inspiring, but contagious. An obvious veteran of many Slams, Painter has harnessing the enormous energy of the crowd down to a science. From her queues to the audience to “Show The Love,” to the proper emotional response to some of the gripping stories told on stage, she sets a tone that guarantees that the evening is both entertaining, and thought-provoking.

Ten poets qualified for the finals through a series of events leading up to Friday’s finale: Eric Trudell, Alan Leangvan, Inali Barger, Michelle Grove, Catherine Moore, Brittany Renaud, Spencer Reid, Libby Campbell, Michael V., and Chris M.. Typically at a Slam event, there is an emphasis on, “the points are not the point, the poetry is the point,” but Friday night’s event was slightly different, as the group of ten needed to be weaned to five for the national slam competition in October. So while the points DON’T really matter, they did have to be tabulated to choose the Slam team.

A synopsis of each Slam poem would be inappropriate. There is a privacy, despite the public setting of the Slams, an inner sanctum, that facilitates each Poet mustering up the courage to reach deep down inside of themselves. Poetry can be a very moving experience as it is, but when you add a performance element, it seems to make each “ck” sound harder… each “shh” sound more soothing… and each individual story… a most personal revelation of self. It is something to behold, not be told about.

After a round of Slams from each of the ten contestants, Richard Gracious from Mountain of Wolves put on an unplugged acoustic set before the poets took the stage again. His energetic, lively vocals filled the Aeolian Hall as he had fun with the audience and sang about things that he said he knew about. ” Like, “Drinking.” And “Drinking”. And there might be another about “Drinking.” Richard joked that he loved the audience snapping their fingers, but he was afraid ‘they were all going to yell out a score of “5” when he was done.’ But as he strummed his guitar passionately, and his melodic voice filled the unique acoustical chamber that the Aeolian creates, nobody yelled anything but, “Bravo!”

The second set of the Slam was even more powerful than the first. Ted O took the stage and set the bar for the round with an incredibly humorous slam that made quips at things like “Rule 34” (look it up, you’ll laugh). He primed the audience for the next round of soul-searching.

There were some incredibly moving Slams again in round two. It was a voyage through human awareness that many of us sometimes manage to push out of our minds. The tough things. The hard things. The prejudices. The tribulations of youth. The pain of being different. All of them told by the recipient. Or the sufferer. There’s an incredible catharsis that comes from hearing someone else’s pain. Even if it’s just the solace that you’re not alone in the world with your troubles and your own tribulations.

No Slam opened minds more than eventual Grand Slam Champion Eric Trudell’s, “A note to my 16 year old self, from my 16 year old self.” Chilling. Inspiring. Frightening. Revelational. The audience snapped along, but were often paralyzed, as Eric wove his magic, and dumped his soul on to the stage at the Aeolian for all to see.

As he exited stage left, cries of “You did it,” rang from the crowd; Eric himself said, “I did it.” An obvious acknowledgement from all in attendance, that this young man had just given something of himself, that most in this world just do not have the courage to give.

It was powerful.

It was humbling.

It was everything that makes a London Slam Poetry event, such an ethereal experience.

Editor’s Notes:

Thanks to the London Arts Council for supporting London Poetry Slam.

Congratulations to the team of five poets that were selected on Friday night, Eric, Inali, Chris, Alan, and Brittany, who have now qualified for the London Slam team that will compete in Guelph in October. London Beat will be doing a follow-up piece this week with Holly, about the five team selections, and what’s next for all of them.

London Poetry Slam website