MANCHESTER, NH – There is something happening here in Manchester, something fresh and unique rumbling just below the surface. The voices of poets, writers and performers of all sorts are teasing out a literary scene in the Queen City.
Some people—including Manchester’s Jeremiah Walton, who hosts the reading series “Bards on the Rocks” at The HopKnot on Wednesday nights—might even call it “a renaissance.”
On Thursday night, “The Bards on the Rocks” joined forces with the venerable venue “Slam Free or Die” and hosted “Don’t Quit Your Day Job,” a variety show/poetry slam at The Stark Brewing Company, playing to a packed crowd.
Walton and Rebby, an organizer at “Slam Free or Die,” hosted the variety slam, but the idea to combine the variety show format at “Bards on the Rocks” with the traditional poetry slam was credited to Sam Hulsey at “Slam Free or Die.”
The format followed the model of the poetry slam, which has poets performing for judges who score each piece on a scale of 1-10. The collective scores are accumulated, and the highest scorers advance to the next round.
However, Thursday’s show added the elements of a variety show, expanding the limits of content to include stand-up comedy, musical acts and any other forms of performance art.
“We want people to experience the joy in art,” said Rebby. “It’s a small group of misfits who are not alike, but they have one thing in common that they can build off. For a lot of people, it feels like a family here.”
After an open mic reading, which was received well by the supportive crowd, seven performers, ranging from spoken word poets to stand-up comedians, competed for a first prize of $150 with $50 going to the runner-up.
Below: Don’t Quit Your Day Job Variety Show/Poetry Slam Winners Circle
The third place finishers received gift cards to The Stark Brewing Company and The HopKnot, respectively.
At the end of the night, Christopher Clauss—a poet, science teacher and self-proclaimed “geek”—whose performances blended humor, pathos and, oddly enough, rapping, took home the first place prize.
Poet Autym Hunt-Campbell, whose confessional spoken word took trauma and recovery head-on, was awarded second place.
The variety slam was judged by Alexander Ragsdale, a poet from New Jersey; Shawn Caliber, a musician and performer from New York City, who also hosts Rap Night at The Shaskeen; poet Morgan Parrish; comedian Joe Nami; and Manchester Ink Link publisher Carol Robidoux.
But the “Don’t Quit Your Day Job” was about far more than friendly competition. Walton believes that the poetry community is primed to wake up Manchester and even start what is being called A Poetry Renaissance nationwide.
“People are seeking a catharsis,” said Walton. “Everyone is collaborating with each other to create a community that is riffing off each other for inspiration. That’s the ideal.”
Don’t Quit Your Day Job Variety Show Gallery
Photos by Carol Robidoux