And The BONK! Rolls On…-BONK! 7

By Lisa Adamowicz Kless

This month’s installment of BONK! snuck up on me, but it was a happy surprise. Time got away from me; it seemed like I was enjoying all the vibe, atmosphere and downright fun of BONK! 6 only a couple of weeks ago. Then Saturday rolled around, and it was time for another evening at Blueberries Café. Art, friends, coffee and food is always a winning combination for me, so after a quick jaunt from Kenosha to Racine, I was in the café door and ready to be wowed (as I knew I would be).

Spoken word performer and writer Dasha Kelly was the first artist up. There was no denying BONK! co-founder Nick Demske’s excitement as he introduced her. Kelly is from Milwaukee, is an advocate for spoken word performers and writers, founded the Stillwater Collective, and had copies of her CD and book available. She’s also been called one of the top ten up and coming Midwest writers. Nick’s excitement was quickly making a whole lot of sense. Stepping up to the front of the audience, Kelly began telling what, at first, seemed to simply be a personal anecdote. It seamlessly segued into a spoken word piece though, keeping me and the entire audience engrossed. Kelly’s delivery of her pieces was infused with a fantastic energy, and the imagery was incredibly rich. There was a mixture of the earthly and the ethereal; bold descriptions and metaphors that took the listener on a ride up through the heavens and right back to the ground. Another nice aspect of Kelly’s work was that while there was definite realism present, it was tempered with a sense of hopefulness. No surprise to me (or probably anyone, at that point), Kelly walked offstage to the sound of enthusiastic applause.

Poet Stephen Kalmer III was the next performer. Kalmer is the current moderator of the Root River Poets, and has been a member of the group since he was seventeen years old. Beginning by saying, “My name is Stephen, and I am a practicing poet”, he got laughs from the audience, then launched into his poem “Twelve Steps of Poets Anonymous”. Humor was a big part of Kalmer’s reading. He used a few props to add a little punch to his poetry: his own “poetic license”, as well as a few wardrobe changes. The range of subjects he covered varied too; politics, death, social commentary and the experience of being a modern poet. It was a special treat when he called Nick Demske up to perform one of his own poems. After Demske’s high-spirited recitation, Kalmer ended with his own unique take on the subject.

For the third act, musician Chris Marvin took it back to basics. Armed only with his guitar and a striking voice, he started things off with the song “Passenger”. I was impressed with the facets of Marvin’s singing. The smooth and subtle quality of his voice belied the strength and high energy level he could achieve. It was forceful, yet balanced out by a gentleness that kept it from being overpowering. Between songs, he spoke about the dichotomy of his lyrics. Some were happy, some were sad, but Marvin said that he felt that both of those are beautiful and a part of life. “Moment Worth Forgetting” delved into the darker spots. The lyrics came from the real life experience of a friend who lost his parents in an accident, and Marvin’s reactions to that tragedy. His last song of the night was a love song that started softly but built to an impassioned intensity. Marvin seemed to be genuinely humble and appreciative, at one point remarking how great it was to be there, performing among other artists. That humility and gratitude is a wonderful combination, especially when one witnesses how talented he really is. As he thanked the audience and set down his guitar, the one thought in my mind was that I really need to add his music to my collection.

Comedian T.P. Lucas helped bring the evening to a close. Lucas has “been in the comedy game on stage and off since 1990“, to quote his MySpace page. He also has a full service entertainment company that works with clients in the Racine area and nationally. Lucas had been booked at another show and was running late, so he was put on the spot when he had literally just walked in the door and had to go right up to do his set. He didn’t seem rattled at all though, and went right into his routine. Moving quickly from one subject to another, Lucas had a great mix of local riffs and commentary on everyday life: family, divorce, dealing with health challenges, road rage, big industry, and more; everyone could find some issue they could relate to. When the dance hall that adjoins to Blueberries began playing their music loud enough to interrupt his set, he rolled with it, using it as more fuel for his routine. Ending the night with laughter was a great way to go!

If you haven’t been to a BONK! performance yet, I can’t imagine why not. It’s only a short drive to Racine, it’s free, it’s fun, and it’s packed to the rafters with extraordinary talent. On top of all that, Kenosha’s own Matt Specht is another creator of the series. Next month‘s show is on Saturday, May 23rd at 6 p.m. Two poets, a musician, and a funk group are scheduled to perform. Don’t miss it—I know I won‘t.