Posts Tagged poetry

OC Fine Arts League pictures from July 24th, 2009

You can read the review by clicking below: (or simply scrolling down a little!)

Ocean City Fine Arts League Poetry Open Mic Night

Here’s the four beautiful photos from Friday, July 24th, 2009 at the Ocean City Fine Arts League Poetry Open Mic!

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Karen Bruno reads an emotionally charged poem about marital abuse and divorce.

3767375671 5729bcd823 OC Fine Arts League pictures from July 24th, 2009

Host Bud Cole explains the rules of the open mic.

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Poets Alma Pesiri, Barbara Brenner, Karen Bruno, Bud Cole, and Jonathan Caracido prepare before their performances.

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Barbara Brenner recites some of her favorite poetry to the guests of the League.

And don’t forget! This was Josh Gager’s first assignment. You can read more about Josh in his intro post linked below:

Joshua Gager is the secret JerseyMic intern

There are also higher resolution versions of those photos. Email me if you are interested.

 OC Fine Arts League pictures from July 24th, 2009
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 OC Fine Arts League pictures from July 24th, 2009

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 OC Fine Arts League pictures from July 24th, 2009 OC Fine Arts League pictures from July 24th, 2009

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Ocean City Fine Arts League Poetry Open Mic

The Ocean City Fine Arts League, soon to be known as Art on Asbury, is a quaint little art gallery nestled right in the heart of Ocean City (located at 608 Asbury Avenue). Paintings, sketches and photographs hang neatly on the walls, and the din from the street outside can be heard as a muffled whisper through the front door.

Every fourth Friday at 7:30 pm, the League hosts a poetry-only open mic, run by a man named Bud Cole. He is a genial, lighthearted sort of fellow, with a friendly disposition that puts the mind at ease.

3767375671 5729bcd823 Ocean City Fine Arts League Poetry Open Mic

Bud Cole, the host of the Ocean City Fine Arts League open mic

According to Cole, the Rules of the open mic are simple: everyone gets a turn, then everyone gets another turn. No destructive criticism, and everyone must have fun. Oh, and nothing, absolutely nothing, is taboo. No one will ever find a closed door at the League, though young children probably shouldn’t be included on the guest list.

This no-holds-barred attitude allows for the expression of many topics ranging from racism to political satire, spousal abuse to true love. Expect emotions to be shown. Expect laughter and tears, but most of all, expect people. Expect people telling stories through poetry. Whether through haiku, free-form or sonnets, the people who frequent this event feel comfortable enough to open up and tell those around them what they’re thinking.

We’re here to give the poets a chance” remarked Cole when asked what the motivation behind the open mic was, “it’s about the poetry.”
There’s even a professional poet in attendance; Ray Garman, author of the book Crossing Waters, makes regular appearances at the open mic, sharing both his own poetry and that of his favorite poets.

That’s another thing: the poetry recited doesn’t have to be original. It’s perfectly acceptable to read works penned by other authors. In fact, when I went, one woman recited several haiku written by her daughter living in Arizona.

The gallery is a small one, but the crowd that gathers there is welcoming, providing a great environment for any poet, especially those who are more up-and-coming than others. There’s seating for fifteen people, give or take, and a handicap-accessible bathroom in the back. All in all, this place is a pretty neat venue, definitely worth the trip if you’re in the area.

(Great job, Josh, on your first article at JerseyMic!)

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Alternative Soul at on July 2nd, 2009 in EHT, NJ (pics and video!)

shop31 300x136 Alternative Soul at on July 2nd, 2009 in EHT, NJ (pics and video!)

Pratt's Hill of Beans in EHT, NJ

Here are pictures and video from Alternative Soul at Pratt’s Hill of Beans on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009. If you need a refresher course on what “Alternative Soul” is all about, you can check the JerseyMic.com review:

Alternative Soul at Pratt’s Hill of Beans in Egg Harbor Township

Last night, Alex Siniari was the guest host for Alternative Soul:

3683871320 9c26da1cb9 Alternative Soul at on July 2nd, 2009 in EHT, NJ (pics and video!)

Alex Siniari was the guest host

(Usually the host is Ray Tyler)

 Alternative Soul at on July 2nd, 2009 in EHT, NJ (pics and video!)

Ray Tyler is normally the host

Last night had a lot more poetry than it normally does. It was a great mix up and definitely enjoyable. It makes the sets more interesting by constantly changing your expectations. The order of the night went like this:

  1. Ray Tyler – original poems
  2. Sammy Stiles – original music
  3. Darren Palmer – original poems, including “What For, Darfur?”
  4. Barry Aishton - instrumental guitar
  5. Lolita - original poems
  6. Stan Schwertly – cover music
  7. Alex Siniari asked about “weekly gripes” and “things to be thankful for” in the same question!
  8. Ondrea Siniari - original poems
  9. Jeff Sharky – comedy
  10. Rebecca Numchick – cover songs by Melody Gardot
  11. Saii Nixon – original poems
  12. Alex Siniari – original songs
  13. Doug “Dirty Hands” – original rap. “Jesus”, “Oh No”, and “Yeah yeah”. VIDEO BELOW!
  14. Sarah Bucknam – “You are my sunshine

Without further ado, the Flickr photostream:

And finally, a video of “Dirty Hands” rapping a new original, (assumingly) titled “Jesus”

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Interview with singer-songwriter Alex Siniari

DSCN1868 1 Interview with singer songwriter Alex Siniari

Alex Siniari

This is the first in our newest category “Interviews with NJ Artists”. This is with local arist & singer-songwriter Alex Siniari, recently highlighted in the Philadelphia Inquirer with his Father.

So how long have you been playing guitar?

I’ve been in love with the guitar for a long time but our most recent affair has been the only time we’ve ever taken each other seriously. My Father played in a band back in his younger years and later on in life, he had a friend named Paul Leka, he and his band (Steam) wrote a song that became famous some time ago. Ever heard, “Nah nah nah, hey hey hey, goodbye!”?  That guy. Anyway, he gave me a guitar when I was a boy but I didn’t have the sense to practice. I used to think strumming the strings open was a song. After a while, I lost interest completely and forgot about the guitar all together. I would tell people I could play because I wanted to so badly but I had no idea. I’d try to play here and there but had no clue.

How long have you been writing songs?



After flirting with the idea for a long time I finally bought my Ibanez and started trying to write songs. I never learned to read music and I still haven’t but at some point something clicked and music started to make sense to me. I still can’t sit down and write a song after a feeling or concept intentionally, it just has to come and I have little to no control. The song writes itself through me and I dig that, but often people don’t understand why I don’t write about myself or even get what I am singing about. I clearly remember telling my friend, JY that I could do this, I could write songs and play out. He is an incredible drummer so we’d jam here and there and I’d work up the nerve to play in front of people. I wrote one complete song with lyrics, that I have since completely forgotten, and a few instrumentals that either were lost to my poor memory or later developed into songs I play now, like “Free” and “Hand Over Mouth”. Free was the second song that I wrote, then came “So Far” so I’ve been writing somewhere around the two year mark.

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Pictures from the Gregorio’s Market open mic on Wednesday, June 4th, 2009

gregorios may1309 001 300x225 Pictures from the Gregorios Market open mic on Wednesday, June 4th, 2009

Outside of Gregorio's Market in Mays Landing

Here are pictures from last night at Gregorio’s Market! In case you haven’t read about it, you can check out the overview of the Gregorio’s Market open mic.

Sarah Bucknam is the host of the Gregorio’s Market open mic in Mays Landing.

 Pictures from the Gregorios Market open mic on Wednesday, June 4th, 2009

Sarah Bucknam, the host of Gregorio's Open Mic night

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Alternative Soul on Thursday, May 28th, 2009 (EHT Open Mic)

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Pratt's Outside

Here are some pictures from Alternative Soul, hosted by Ray Tyler at Pratt’s Hill of Beans in EHT, NJ. Held on Thursdays, this EHT open mic was one of the first reviewed by JerseyMic.

Alternative Soul Open Mic in EHT, NJ

Alternative Soul is getting larger and larger! And there’s no surprise: this Thursday was their first year anniversary of Alternative Soul. Congratulations to Pratt’s Hill of Beans and Ray Tyler for keeping such a wonderful night for everyone to enjoy!

We stopped by to support the open mic on its one year anniversary. (Not everyone that was there is pictured). So this time we’re going to use a Flickr slide show.

Alternative Soul on May 28th, 2009

Dan Ruiz sang one of his own originals, which you can watch below:

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