Author Archives: Oscar Bermeo

I thought it would be a bit more in-depth but it was all I could really put together-

and that’s about that.

There is a lot on the plate right now and I knew that sooner or later something was going to have to get cut. I don’t feel that bad about it because it’s really hard to effect change on a format without being able to control the booking and I have never aspired to control the book at 13.

I have done what I wanted to do when the season began- get newer voices to go out for the slam. The crop for this year’s semi is mad strong AND we haven’t even hit the “Oh Shit! There are only three slams left!!” point that has mofos scrambling for a spot. It will be interesting, to say the least, when that happens and I am sure that some folks that I would like to see in semis will get cut but that’s the nature of the beast.

I can also look back at a Survivor Slam that was kinda what I wanted but a few snags brought the high down for me, a really cool 1-2-3 Slam and, of course, the louderCHAMP tourney which went off without a hitch.

Nationals was a mixed bag as my head space was all fucked up but I was able to pull the performance of my life and managed to bag 3rd at the SM Slam. Truth to tell, I was the happy recipient of the Slam god’s smile cuz if I had drawn first- I woulda been toast AND

since every thing in Chi-Town closes at like 2am, they cut the Slam to only 20 or so SMs- so it was between me and 12 or so other SMs waiting to get called in the last slot. A HUGE shout out to all the supporters that showed up and stuck around to root me on… I was performing for all of y’all and was happy to represent all of you on that stage.

The Scene is this- I have yelled my ass off at 13’s last bout and haven’t really spoken for the last half-hour before they called me which means that when I hit the mic it sounds like the love child of Froggy of ‘Our Gang’ and Kathleen Turrner. Third place in a big Slam like that aint bad and I’ve been able to work it into the artistic resume in a really nice way.

The high placing gave me some good confidence going into the SM meeting the next morning (Hey! Nice Job!! Good poem!!! blah… blah… blah…) and I was able to speak up on some hit that was on my mind and continued the tradition the next day at the SlamFamily meeting. This leads to one of my regrets as SM and that is thinking I could make some kinda difference in the PSi structure. All those before me told me it was an uphill battle and they were right- I can’t help but think that if my head was better I coulda done some more but that’s that now…

When I took this job it was with the understanding that I would be apprenticed under Marty and I learned a thing or two with her but when Guy came back was when I got the REAL education on how this bad boy works. I picked up more than my share of tricks from the LeCharles bag and they all paid off this last year. I am not sure what extra I can pass on to the next SM and I have no idea who that person is right now but these things have a way of fixing themselves.

End the SM chapter.

I just finished writing two of the most dumbest posts ever that are just trying to say that I had a blast hosting the last Acentos and am very proud of our poets and audience.

There is a part of me that wants it to stay at the Blue Ox forever because I am not out to deal with all these faces that come by for the spectacle and don’t care about the process.

Large crowd- Yay! Small crowd of intense listeners- HELL YEAH!

Ya know?

The thrill of the inaugural 2004 show is over and done with and I am looking forward to hearing Raina Leon’s set on the 27th and more interested to see who sticks around to hear it all.

Which Star Trek Captain are you?

Mackenzie Calhoun- You are the wild man of
Starfleet. You love outwitting oponents by
doing the one thing they wouldn’t expect from a
Starfleet ship… fighting dirty. Of course
to get away with your craftiness, you only
exist in books. Doesn’t matter, you’re much
cooler than Archer. Some people say you’re a
self righteous SOB. They might be right, but
you don’t give a damn.

brought to you by Quizilla

Before I start with the Acentos recap-

Catch me and Jessica Torres this Friday and Sunday as the Teatro La Tea at the Clemente Soto Velez Center presents the WHATS IN A WORD SHOWCASE this Friday and Sunday ($10 for adults/$5 for kids). Here is a link to the flyer. I spent Monday afternoon giving the kids a performance workshop and I was really surprised (in the best possible way) as to how focused and strong their writing was.

So come down and join us… afterwards I am thinking of hitting a dope mofongo spot that is crazy cheap and damn good.

Monday:: OK, Ima get to the bX in a sec but lets knock it out in order-

Big thanks to Viv for recommending me for this gig. Just saying that I am performing at the Soto Velez Center feels good but working with teenagers just makes it that much better.

All my Mind-Builders training paid off as the workshop was a breeze and the two hours flew by. The organizers were happy, the teachers were happy and the kids performed like mad dog- can’t ask for much more.

Shot over to 13 and was happy to see that last week’s crowd decided to stick around as we had a packed house at 7:30. Typical 13 as the Open Mic ran long, we got to be a family and sang Piper ‘Happy Birthday,’ George McKibbens rocked out in his normal style. No apologies, no excuses… his writing is hard biting and a refreshing change of pace from the ‘what will the crowd like’ mentality.

The Slam was tight and fun as a bunch of people went over the time limit, tried new shit and Celena Glenn decided to win it.

Tuesday:: Mind-Builders has been hectic as I am doing twelve things during the day and then I have to throw them all out the door when PYT (Positive Youth Troupe) starts.

I fucking love this job! Which explains why I am willing to get to Acentos at 7:31. PYT lets out at 7:00 and with all the ‘bye y’all’ and wrapping up of last minute details I don’t get out of the building till 7:10 and then I jump in a cab to the Blue Ox… and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

My confidence as a teacher has steadily improved over the last few months and the payoff was the Kwanzaa celebration last month (were six of the kids rocked out) and the workshop at Soto Velez. It’s not all bubblegum and HBO as some of the kids don’t know where they fit, some try to grab the spotlight all the time and some are getting frustrated with the rest.

I am really trying to hold on to this one group that could be writing some real world changing shit in a few months but I also don’t want to give up on the troublemakers. It’s all still new to me but I’ve been picking up quick and some of the kids love the writing classes and I was able to snatch up a stray dance student to join the writing group so I must be doing something right.

Enough of that on to Acentos… tomorrow!

testing out my new ‘insta-BLOG’ feature…

tonight:

Tuesday, January 13th @ 7:00pm

Acentos – Blue Ox Bar – Corner of Third Ave & East 139 Street

Open Mic & feature Hector Rivera of the Welfare Poets

6 Train to 138th Street Station

Hosted by Oscar Bermeo

FREE! ($5 Suggested Donation)

…all of tonight’s proceeds go driectly to the Reverend Pedro fund.

…all bullshit aside, the buzz i have been getting from people says that tonight will be a real jam packed house. i am not big on strong arm and threatening (fish handles that chore) but i am good at asking cool peeps with strong vibes, good intentions and strong poetry to drop by and lend their energy- so far, the response has been above my expectations and i am looking forward to a packe open mic which is always my goal (sad part- turning folks away but thats the pitfalls)

hector rivera is your feature and he is one of the few voices that gives me hope that hip-hop and poetry are not two separate roads that meet at the crossraods of commerce (all poetic and shit!)

…Acentos_Ver_2.0 is already for take off! catch ya latah!