A new spoken word venue on south Minnehaha Avenue.
On a rainy evening on August 11, some 40 people ventured out of their homes, braved the stormy weather, crossed highways, from places as far as St. Cloud, MN to Selam Coffee Shop on Minnehaha Avenue in south Minneapolis for “Souls on Display” opening night.
Open Mic held @ 8PM, every Saturday at Selam Coffee Shop at 3860 Minnehaha Avenue in South Minneapolis.
What is “Souls on Display”, you asked? Well that is the newest Open Mic in town. It is yet another opportunity for Twin Cities (and beyond) residents to come unwind, listen to some poetry, spoken word, get serenaded by some songs, and made to laugh and forget the world is anything but great.
Among the plethora of Open Mic’s in town, “Souls on Display” is the perhaps the only one in its time slot. Saturdays are, as we all know, club nights, and as that, venues are off reach for Open Mic organizers. Well not any more!
As if they had been eagerly waiting for it, Twin Citians came out in numbers to welcome this poetic opportunity. Needless to say, when 8:15pm rolled around, the mic was full swing.
First on was a pair of cousins. With no special effect, no instruments, an okay sound system, and only one mic to share, Tyrone and Kiana Marie mesmerized the crowd with a sweet soulful piece. If not before, right then the crowd knew there was no place they would rather be. When Tyron and Kiana faded out, they walked back to their seats to a standing ovation.
With surprise guests from the Mic List, and special features that included G. (a local rapper), Isis (a local poet, or “That Renaissance Chic, as she describes herself), Kash lead singer for “Sexual Chocolate and the White Boys”, and e.g. bailey (a multidisciplinary artist), just when the audience thought it wouldn’t get any better, it did. And did. So it went through the evening into the night until the close time of 10pm came and went with people still waiting to sing and read their souls on display.
And they promised to be back again. Same place same time.
Comment