Five local poets will take the stage Saturday for a unique performance at the Rockwell Ballroom for Woosh Kinaadeiyí’s Summer Showcase.
The annual event — which takes place Saturday at 7-9 p.m. — will feature live music accompaniment to poetry performances. Poets Erika Bergren, Austin Naawéiyaa Tagaban, Cate Ross, Lily Hope and Christy NaMee Eriksen will take the stage to perform original poetry to the accompaniment of local musician Jacob Pickard, who has crafted scores for each poet’s performance.
“We’ve been experimenting with adding musical accompaniment to poetry for a couple years now and in fact at every open mic and slam we have what we call our one man house band, who’s there with his guitar and drum kit and variety of mixers,” Eriksen said in a Wednesday phone interview. “(Pickard) is kind of always experimenting with adding different musical textures to poets’ work.”
The summer showcase is one of the group’s bigger events of the year. It doubles as a fundraiser for Woosh Kinaadeiyí’s monthly events, which include writing workshops, retreats, open mics and poetry slams.
The group formed in 2010 when Eriksen and a friend, both local activists and poets, felt a need for “shared spaces for artists whose voices didn’t have a place in mainstream literary spaces,” Eriksen said. “… The heart of our mission has stayed the same to really promote diverse voices.”
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at Hearthside Books, Kindred Post or online at bit.ly/wooshtickets.
