"iNTREPiD," aka Jonathan Clarke Sypert, receives a critique from Selah Geissler, left, Kealoha, Melvin Borja and Travis Thompson during a workshop for the 2004 HawaiiSlam competition held at Revolution Books.
Poets to vie for slots
on HawaiiSlam team
THREE minutes.
Five hundred people packed into the performance space at Studio 1, most of them ready and waiting to be entertained (more on this later).
One empty stage.
One mic.
TWELVE OF the best spoken-word poets Honolulu has to offer will square off this week, with four slots on a team representing Hawaii at the 2004 National Poetry Slam up for grabs.
Adele, Melvin Borja, Josh Echemendia, Selah Geissler, Rebel Girl, iNTREPiD, JME, Lumenz, Hawaiian Ryan, Travis Thompson and Whitney all beat out fields of up to 20 entrants per night to qualify during the last six months of "First Thursdays" competitions.
Four of those finalists are returnees from last year's inaugural HawaiiSlam team, although they, along with the contest's founder/promoter/coach, Steve Kealoha Wong (who from now on wants to go by his middle name only, thank you very much), will have to prove themselves again during three rounds of competition tomorrow.
"I'm just as nervous as everyone else," says the Makiki resident. "I set up a system such that everybody has to play, including me."
THAT SYSTEM is a dream come true for Kealoha, who first organized the poetry slam in April 2003 with the "ultimate vision" of sending a local team of poets to compete on the mainland. A year later, that vision is becoming a reality.
"The first month, I think we had about 300 (people)," he said. "From there, it just kept growing and growing."
The last few months have seen crowds averaging about 500 people, with more new faces showing up each month. As more people hear about what's going on at Studio 1, they've stopped by to listen to the original poetry, view the work of local artists and even get a massage.
Not only have the spectators progressed from a small group of die-hard enthusiasts to more of a mainstream crowd, but the quality of poetry being presented is improving due to the frequency of performance that comes from having a regular venue.
"I'm totally stoked on that," said Kealoha. "This is their first way of getting the stuff they've been writing in their journals for years, this is their way to get it out now, their public forum."
WHILE ALL the finalists have creative backgrounds as writers, musicians and the like, not all are stage veterans.
The most recognizable of the poets has to be 104.3 XME morning show host Hawaiian Ryan, who has spent a decade as a radio deejay, musician and stand-up comic. The "First Thursdays" stage is his latest outlet.
Others, like iNTREPiD and Rebel Girl, are recognized for their involvement in other aspects of Honolulu's club culture. And then there's Selah Geissler, who had never performed her poetry in front of an audience before entering (and winning) her first "First Thursdays" competition last year.
"All 12 are super talented," Kealoha said of the finalists. "They all came through and ripped the mic at one point in time over the past six months."
Tomorrow, five judges randomly selected from the audience will determine which three participants are cut from the competition at the end of the first two rounds. During the third round, the six remaining finalists will perform one last piece before four are selected for the 2004 HawaiiSlam team.
The event also serves as a fund-raiser for the winners; proceeds from the door will be used for travel expenses when the team leaves for St. Louis in August.
"Hopefully, at the end of the night we'll have enough to send a team up," said Kealoha. "(It's) all about raising the money to get up to nationals."
KEALOHA WANTS to make one request for those planning to attend any of the monthly "First Thursdays" events. That is, if you're paying admission to a poetry slam, don't waste it by settling in at the bar and talking story with friends.
"We tend to be getting a little bit more noise from the bar," he said. "It's a distraction, and we're working to solve that problem.
"It kind of defeats the purpose of coming in the first place, doesn't it?"
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