KZOO POETRY SLAM-CAST

It’s part one of round one of the 2004 Kzoo Poetry Slam Semi-Finals with guest host Dawn Saylor.

The Kzoo Poetry Slam hosts Columbus Ohio and Minneapolis Minnesota for a Midwest Poetry Slam League bout. 

Here’s the second half of Nick Fox’s feature recorded in February 2004. . . except NO NICK FOX, JUST THE OPEN-MIC.

Featuring at the Kzoo Poetry Slam in February 2004, Nick Fox is the founder of the Flagstaff Poetry Slam, and MC’ed  the National Poetry Slam Finals so many times he was bestowed the moniker, “THE VOICE OF GOD”.

This week’s show, recorded in 2004, is all feature, no filler, when Detroit poet Kahn Davison take the stage. . . OK, there’s a little filler right at the beginning when I lay down the rules of the slam before Kahn does the sacrificial poem. 

The second half of Drachen Birch’s feature, plus a couple poems and a few tunes from Charlie Burgess . . . Recorded on December 23 rd 2003. 

Recorded on December 23 rd 2003. We open the show with Tracey Smith and Philip Miller and the ghost of whiskey past. Then it’s on to our feature poet, two time Kzoo Slam Team member, the sardonic satirical sweaty-toothed-madman of the Kalamazoo Poetry scene, Drachen Birch.

Part two of the show recorded on Veterans Day 2003, Scott Woods and Kimberly Brazwell drive all the way from Columbus Ohio to feature at the Kzoo Poetry Slam.  

Recorded on Veterans’ Day 2003, Andy Burd recites (from memory) his 25+ minute Rudyard Kipling-esque poem about a fictional Vietnam Veteran struggling with the aftermath of his experience.

The feature is 2000’s Individual National Poetry Slam Champion, Shane Koyczan. . . There's no open-mic and no slam in this episode. . . It’s all feature, no filler. . . and it’s a little longer than usual.

Four time semi-finalist at the National Poetry Slam with a MFA from Western Michigan University, Katie Daley stops by the Kzoo Slam with all of her imaginary friends.

Four time semi-finalist at the National Poetry Slam with an MFA from Western Michigan University, Katie Daley stops by the Kzoo Poetry Slam to take us to school.

Your host is taking the rest of 2024 off, but here are some bonus best-of poems for the holidays.

It’s an all musical episode this week with feature performer Criselda Perez and friends. . . with a couple tunes from Charlie Burgess thrown in.

Co-founder of the Denver poetry slam and member of six national slam teams, Katie Makkai features at the Kzoo Slam in 2003. Followed by some post-slam open-mic.  Learn the history of the Denver Poetry Slam from Katie on the Mile High Poetry Slam Podcast https://www.blogtalkradio.com/milehighpoetryslam/2017/07/28/episode-17--kate-makkai

Vancouver folk-hip-hop-poet-musician, C.R. Avery features at the Kzoo Poetry Slam in 2003.

Eirik “Big Poppa E” Ott  (NPS 1999 championship team member, HBO Def Poetry Jam performer, and self-proclaimed “Wussy Boy”, returns for his second feature at the Kzoo Poetry Slam in September of 2003.  

In part two you’ll hear the last poet of the slam, Eitan Kadosh, and Chicago poet Joel Chamara’s feature set from the summer of 2003.

Recorded in the summer of 2003, we kick things off with a head-to-head challenge slam between Todd Bannon and Beth Bullmer.  Dan Stevens volunteers to host the slam and our feature poet, Joel Chmara, performs the sacrificial poem.

Looks like we ran out of recording space on the disc at this show, but we managed to record a great open-mic session and the beginning of the slam. Hopefully the second half of Marya Summers’ set is still waiting to be discovered in the Kzoo archives.

Recorded in August 2003 a week after the National Poetry Slam, Florida poet Marya Summers features, plus a head-to-head summer challenge between Sarah V. (aka Sarah Lawrence) and Chris Bullmer.

Two features for the price of one. First, Grand Rapids poet and member of the 2003 Kzoo Slam Team, Greg Bliss. Second, Chicago poet Greg Gillam’s feature at the Kzoo Poetry Slam, recorded in July of 2003. 

The final instalment of the 3 rd Annual Kzoo Summer Slam Invitational (AND OUR 100 TH EPISODE) hosted by Karrie Waarala. This time the poets are playing by MPSL (Midwest Poetry Slam League) rules; teams were drawn at random the previous day.  Some teams created new multi-voice poems, others borrowed poets from rival teams to perform their team pieces . . . So, it’s pretty much anarchy.  

Karrie Waarala is the master of ceremonies for the second night of the 3 rd Annual Kzoo Summer Slam. This time the poets are playing by Midwest Poetry Slam League rules and the teams were drawn at random. . . Though they were allowed to borrow poets from rival teams to preform multi-voice poems. . . So, it’s pretty much anarchy.

Karrie Waarala is the master of ceremonies for the first night of the 3 rd annual Kzoo Summer Slam. Poets from Chicago, Ann Arbor, and Minneapolis journey to Kalamazoo for two hot summer nights of poetry shenanigans.