World renowned poet to make stop in Norwich on Monday
Submitted Photo
NORWICH – Three-time world champion spoken word artist/slam poet Buddy Wakefield is making a stop in Norwich on Monday as a part of his ‘A Choir of Honest Killers’ Tour.
“If there were a national hall of fame for slam poets, Buddy would be a first round inductee,” said Richard Bernstein, Norwich High School English teacher, poet and published author.
Slam poetry has been defined as the art of performance poetry. It it commonly a competitive presentation of multiple artists who are then judged based on various components, with an emphasis not only on the poetry itself, but how it is conveyed to the audience.
In 2004, Wakefield won the Individual World Poetry Slam Finals, and the International Poetry Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands that same year — a festival where Wakefield performed amongst the national champions from seven European countries.
In 2005, Wakefield won the International World Poetry Slam Championship.
Wakefield has been featured on ABC Radio National, HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, National Public Radio, and was signed to musician Ani DiFranco’s record label Righteous Babe Records. He’s a published author through Write Bloody Publishing with books including “Gentleman Practice” and “Live For a Living.”
Wakefield has taken the stage at more than 2,000 venues worldwide, yet is no stranger to performing in Norwich.
It was in 2006 when he first came as a performer at the Chenango Arts Council.
Due to popular demand, Wakefield returned the following year to headline the Colorscape Poetry Slam.
Wakefield returned to Norwich in 2015 as a part of his ‘Riled Up and Wasted on Light’ world tour, where decade-long fans filled seats and new fans were won over.
Norwich resident and fan Jennifer Mazzarella said, “I saw Buddy Wakefield 2 years ago at The Blarney Stone Pub. I didn't know what to expect and I was blown away by his raw talent. His ability to spin words with such emotion and humor is incredible. We are so lucky to have such amazing artists in our small town.”
This year’s stop in Norwich follows a TEDx Talk Wakefield is doing at SUNY Geneseo.
Per a press release from the Chenango Arts Council, “In the spring of 2001, Buddy left his position as the executive assistant at a biomedical firm in Gig Harbor, WA, sold or gave away everything he owned, moved to the small town of Honda Civic and set out to live for a living, touring North American poetry venues through 2003. He has not yet stopped.”
“Having spent most of his career based in Seattle, WA, now claiming Los Angeles, CA as home, Buddy has been a busker in Amsterdam, a lumberjack in Norway, a street vendor in Spain, a team leader in Singapore, a re-delivery boy, a candy maker, a street sweeper, a bartender, a maid, a construction worker, a bull rider, an incredibly slow triathlete and a facilitator at Quantum Learning Network,” read the release. “He loves peanut butter, power napping, chopping wood and Vipassana meditation. Wakefield is an actor, a writer, elated son of a guitar repair woman, wingman of Giant Saint Everything and pays attention.”
Wakefield is an author at Write Bloody Publishing and an original Board of Directors member with Youth Speaks Seattle. He is published internationally in dozens of books with work used to win multiple national collegiate debate and forensics competitions.
“Wakefield, who is not concerned with what poetry is or is not, delivers raw, rounded, disarming performances of humor and heart,” read the release.
The performance will be held in the Martin Kappel Theater within the Chenango Arts Council on Monday, March 6, 2017. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Local entertainment is set to begin at 6 p.m. Wakefield's performance is slated for 7 p.m.
Tickets are $10 general admission, $8 for those 18 and under and are available for purchase at the door or pre-sale online at ChenangoArts.org, BuddyWakefield.com or by calling the box office at 607.336.ARTS.
Fan and opening musician Nick Andrews said, “He (Wakefield) comes on hard with strength, bringing light to the bad with laughter and love that could make any person see it. His hope is immeasurable.”
This pop-up performance was made possible by generous community sponsorship in conjunction with The Blarney Stone Pub of Norwich and the Chenango Arts Council. For more information visit buddywakefield.com.
NORWICH – Three-time world champion spoken word artist/slam poet Buddy Wakefield is making a stop in Norwich on Monday as a part of his ‘A Choir of Honest Killers’ Tour.
“If there were a national hall of fame for slam poets, Buddy would be a first round inductee,” said Richard Bernstein, Norwich High School English teacher, poet and published author.
Slam poetry has been defined as the art of performance poetry. It it commonly a competitive presentation of multiple artists who are then judged based on various components, with an emphasis not only on the poetry itself, but how it is conveyed to the audience.
In 2004, Wakefield won the Individual World Poetry Slam Finals, and the International Poetry Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands that same year — a festival where Wakefield performed amongst the national champions from seven European countries.
In 2005, Wakefield won the International World Poetry Slam Championship.
Wakefield has been featured on ABC Radio National, HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, National Public Radio, and was signed to musician Ani DiFranco’s record label Righteous Babe Records. He’s a published author through Write Bloody Publishing with books including “Gentleman Practice” and “Live For a Living.”
Wakefield has taken the stage at more than 2,000 venues worldwide, yet is no stranger to performing in Norwich.
It was in 2006 when he first came as a performer at the Chenango Arts Council.
Due to popular demand, Wakefield returned the following year to headline the Colorscape Poetry Slam.
Wakefield returned to Norwich in 2015 as a part of his ‘Riled Up and Wasted on Light’ world tour, where decade-long fans filled seats and new fans were won over.
Norwich resident and fan Jennifer Mazzarella said, “I saw Buddy Wakefield 2 years ago at The Blarney Stone Pub. I didn't know what to expect and I was blown away by his raw talent. His ability to spin words with such emotion and humor is incredible. We are so lucky to have such amazing artists in our small town.”
This year’s stop in Norwich follows a TEDx Talk Wakefield is doing at SUNY Geneseo.
Per a press release from the Chenango Arts Council, “In the spring of 2001, Buddy left his position as the executive assistant at a biomedical firm in Gig Harbor, WA, sold or gave away everything he owned, moved to the small town of Honda Civic and set out to live for a living, touring North American poetry venues through 2003. He has not yet stopped.”
“Having spent most of his career based in Seattle, WA, now claiming Los Angeles, CA as home, Buddy has been a busker in Amsterdam, a lumberjack in Norway, a street vendor in Spain, a team leader in Singapore, a re-delivery boy, a candy maker, a street sweeper, a bartender, a maid, a construction worker, a bull rider, an incredibly slow triathlete and a facilitator at Quantum Learning Network,” read the release. “He loves peanut butter, power napping, chopping wood and Vipassana meditation. Wakefield is an actor, a writer, elated son of a guitar repair woman, wingman of Giant Saint Everything and pays attention.”
Wakefield is an author at Write Bloody Publishing and an original Board of Directors member with Youth Speaks Seattle. He is published internationally in dozens of books with work used to win multiple national collegiate debate and forensics competitions.
“Wakefield, who is not concerned with what poetry is or is not, delivers raw, rounded, disarming performances of humor and heart,” read the release.
The performance will be held in the Martin Kappel Theater within the Chenango Arts Council on Monday, March 6, 2017. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Local entertainment is set to begin at 6 p.m. Wakefield's performance is slated for 7 p.m.
Tickets are $10 general admission, $8 for those 18 and under and are available for purchase at the door or pre-sale online at ChenangoArts.org, BuddyWakefield.com or by calling the box office at 607.336.ARTS.
Fan and opening musician Nick Andrews said, “He (Wakefield) comes on hard with strength, bringing light to the bad with laughter and love that could make any person see it. His hope is immeasurable.”
This pop-up performance was made possible by generous community sponsorship in conjunction with The Blarney Stone Pub of Norwich and the Chenango Arts Council. For more information visit buddywakefield.com.
dived wound factual legitimately delightful goodness fit rat some lopsidedly far when.
Slung alongside jeepers hypnotic legitimately some iguana this agreeably triumphant pointedly far
jeepers unscrupulous anteater attentive noiseless put less greyhound prior stiff ferret unbearably cracked oh.
So sparing more goose caribou wailed went conveniently burned the the the and that save that adroit gosh and sparing armadillo grew some overtook that magnificently that
Circuitous gull and messily squirrel on that banally assenting nobly some much rakishly goodness that the darn abject hello left because unaccountably spluttered unlike a aurally since contritely thanks