Charles Stock
The Poetry Club held its quarterly performance, Dope Metaphors, on Thursday evening in The Hub. The performers ranged from musicians singing melodies of love and loss to slam poets reflecting on identity with a focus on race, gender, sexuality, language, and more. As heavy as it sounds, Dope Metaphors provided a casual, yet accepting and supportive, atmosphere.
An audience of over 50 peers snapped their fingers to respectfully show their appreciation and understanding following lines and stanzas that resonated with them. The crowd was as involved as I have ever seen at a live performance, applauding and cheering on nervous performers or filling intermissions with jokes or stories of their own.
It was clear that any participant, performer, or audience member need not be a poet to fit in. Everyone was welcome, including individuals seeking entertainment, companionship, or a stress-free night out by means of poetry, music, and laughter.
As positive as the group was, the content of the poems were still deep, personal, and meaningful. The audience listened intently to every word of the heartfelt and passionately written pieces. A sense of supportive camaraderie preceded each poem and song which helped facilitate the uplifting environment.
After each artist finished, a resounding applause echoed through the venue. Each individual, whether poet or audience member, brought with them an open mind and an understanding for vulnerability and empowerment, resulting in an optimistic and entertaining evening.
To conclude the evening, three members of the poets club performed to A-ha’s “Take On Me.” Despite being announced as a singing performance, it was soon revealed that none of the members knew the words to the verses.
Instead, the performers danced on stage and hummed the rhythm of the song while occasionally chiming in a few words here and there as they recalled them. The choruses came and went with more and more members of the audience joining in each time.
Near the end of the song, the audience sang, laughed, and cheered in unison. The togetherness brought on by the seemingly large mishap encapsulated the essence of the evening and stood as a testimony for the Poetry Club’s spirit.
All in all, Dope Metaphors provided a platform for poets, rappers, and musicians alike to come together and support one another as well as give perspective, insight, and enjoyment to all who came. The whimsical nature of some poems and the deep existentialism of others was embodied by a line from one of my favorite poems of the night: “Everyone always asks ‘Where is Waldo?’ No one ever asks ‘How is Waldo?’”
Dope Metaphors happens only once a quarter but the Poetry Club hosts open mics at the Coffee Collab in Isla Vista regularly. They also hold weekly meetings where anybody is invited.