Gil Scott Heron was a famous lyricist who preached about poverty and injustice in America, about searching for truth and the value of education. With his words, he inspired many to join in the pursuit of equality and defined hip-hop as it is today.
He reminded us the revolution would not be televised. Considering Eastern Michigan University is fifth in the nation for its slam poetry, it’d be a shame to miss a chance to see what could be the next generation of great revolutionaries spitting its poetry first hand.
Poetry Society collaborated with Campus Life and brought you Lyric Lounge on Thursday. The venue boasted a “very electric atmosphere,” in the words of Poetry Society member and performer Gabe Green. The place was decked out with food, dim lighting, a DJ bumping hip-hop like A Tribe Called Quest, Lupe Fiasco and Common, rap like Drake and Kanye West, among slow jams and R&B. The chill vibe coming from the DJ booth only served to strengthen the voices of the spoken word performances.
The Lyric Lounge is “one of the few events that allows students to express themselves through the arts,” Poetry Society president Ivory Harris said.
According to Green, “Tonight there’s going to be a lot of key performers, a lot of secret diary writers who wouldn’t have any other time to [perform]. This is their venue to do it. We’re always trying to come with better pieces than last time.
It’s really about giving them a show but also saying something that can change somebody’s life. What you say could be instrumental to someone. They’ll see you. They’ll remember what you said.”
The performances ranged from love poems to political messages, sweet and sexual metaphors to hot bars. A notable spoken word piece came from Tiran Burrell, who performed a piece called “Letter to Autumn,” which touched on topics of abortion, past love, life and human growth.
Another hard hitter was “A Birthday Note for Robert Minger,” which was a Facebook wall post from a current boyfriend to an ex- boyfriend dedicated to revealing a revenge plot. Garments were tossed with a heated frenzy and flooded the stage for Atlas’ cipher, which illicited hooting, hollering, claps and snaps all around. The stage welcomed singers, rappers and lyricists that spit poetry, spoken words, rants and monologues.
“It’s more than the performers, it’s the audience, it’s the vibe created by the community,” Green said. “That’s what makes it hot. Every month is always packed to capacity. It was ridiculous how many people were there.”
The event is so popular, in fact, that it needs wristbands for crowd control.
The Spit List only has room for 25 performers so come early and sign up. It floats through the crowd before the show starts, open for anybody who has enough courage to get on the stage, and usually fills up by 8.
Burrell is a four-year member of the Poetry Society and also a host for this Thursday’s Lyric Lounge.
“I went to my first open mic and it was so nice,” Tiran said. “I liked being exposed to poets and poetry. It helps with your writing ability and your public speaking. The poetry society is more than just an organization, it’s like a family.”
The Poetry Society is what Green considers, “One of the best non-Greek organizations on campus because there are so many great events and so much campus involvement.
Since we’re as active as we are, we’re more than just performers, more than just writers; we’re active members of the community.”
The Poetry Society held a school supply drive that helps a high need community receive the tools it needs to keep children educated.
“Every event we do a drive,” Harris said. “All donations are delegated to different volunteers, who deliver the supplies to elementary schools in Detroit. This keeps the students happy and prepared for school. The Lyric Lounge is free, but donations are encouraged. There’s also a donation drop off in every dorm from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday.”
Be on the lookout for the showcase they’re preparing for January called “The Color of Drums,” which has a reputation of packing out Pease Hall.
If you’re interested, the Poetry Society holds meetings on Sunday afternoons at 5:30 p.m. in room 310 in the Student Center.
It offers writing workshops, performance workshops and fundraising for events. Green encourages those who are curious to “Come check us out.”
