Speakeasy at Will's

Feb. 28: The Badonkedition

2012-02-09T15:55:00.000-08:00

First things first, because it's a damn short month: Note the date. Yep, Speakeasy is a week later in February - not the usual 3rd Tuesday. Adjust that schedule accordingly. Why? Man, you ask a lot of questions. Look, kid, there are things known and things unknown and in between is the Speakeasy. We comes like a thief in the night, you know? Just look for the tip on the dresser and we'll see you when we see you.

Anyway, it's good timing. You'll have a couple weeks to shower off all that perfume and sweat from Valentine's Day ... just in time for us to get you all dirty again. Because despite all the poetry, we're a pretty focused bunch. And what we focus on specifically in this most flowery of months ... is Ass. For February, Speakeasy gets right to the heart of the holiday, or at least its center of gravity. Yeah, we've done the sex theme before, but this is different. (Really it is.) We're asking our writers to meditate on that swinging pendulum of desire - the human posterior, fountain of inspiration for artists from Mozart to Sir Mixalot. Will it be romantic? Maybe not, but it might be educational. And we think that's a pretty big "but."

- Tod (is totally not running out of themes)

Jan. 17: The Doghouse Edition

2011-12-26T13:45:00.000-08:00

Your host is writing this in December, too early to have any resolutions for the new year. Certainly too early to feel shitty about not keeping them. But this ain't my first rodeo, so I can tell you that sooner or later, I will smell bullshit on these rosy expectations. When are we doing Speakeasy in January? The 17th? Oh, yeah. More than enough time for a few impulsive decisions and late-morning regrets.

So here's my gift of advice to you as the new year rolls in, all shiny and smug with possibility: Start your apologies early. Hell, it might be the last chance you have. Ask anybody in AA - you gotta say you're sorry before you can move on. And you may as well do it at Speakeasy, because our theme for the month will be Apologies. (Unless you're in AA, then you should probably stay well away from Will's Pub.) Writers in January are invited to give us their tales of regret. Of shame. Their done-somebody-wrong-songs, their screwed-the-pooch sestinas. "Love means never having to say you're sorry?" Riiight. Come to Will's on the 17th and get a full night of rebuttals for that moldy little chestnut.

Christian Drake

One thing we ain't the least bit sorry about, though, is booking our featured poet for January: Christian Drake. Nationally, Christian's got more than enough cred for our little one-horse reading. A dangerous presence on national slam poetry teams from California to Massachusetts, his interests and inspirations include man-eating tigers, very large trees and period sex. Not good enough for you? We've also got Christian to thank for the semi-bi-wheneverannual Toast-Off competitions we've been conducting here at Speakeasy and the Orlando Fringe. Ample reason to give him a raucous welcome back to the stage at Will's.

Dec. 20: The Gimme Edition

2011-11-29T17:57:00.001-08:00

Here at Speakeasy, we have most definitely taken sides in the War on Christmas. Santa vs. Jesus? Not only does our boy have a significant weight advantage - he's got a philosophical one as well. Under Santa, the world is an orderly place: Be good, do homework, brush teeth, get loot. Repeat yearly. What other force could keep a country full of sugar-bombed youth in line? Certainly not the complicated ethos we had to grind through a whole other day of school on Sunday for. At their core, the shysters and politicians of this land have not made a pact with Satan. They've forsaken the one they made with Santa.

But it's all the same carrot hanging out there, right? Greed. And Gordon Gekko's mojo is not only the prime mover for every hour of overtime since Sears-Roebuck first hung a wreath - it's the theme for Speakeasy this December. Come all ye faithful writers, and let the only thing you share on Dec. 20 be your tales of Scroogely splendor. Well, that, and a decent tip for Bartender Bob. Let's not get out of hand.

But if you are in the giving mood (Santa forbid), then how's this for a party: This Speakeasy will also be our first ever White Elephant Bookshelf Bash. Got a book you need cleared off your shelf? Wrap it up, bring it along and add it to the pile. Every one of our readers will get to pick their own gift from under the tree, and believe me - your host has been stocking up some damn good books, from the rare to the ridiculous.

That's 9 p.m. Dec. 20 at Will's Pub, boys and girls. Belly up for a night that will ensure you sleep right through those three pesky ghosts.

- Tod

Nov. 15: The Household Edition

2011-10-31T13:29:00.000-07:00

Home: It's where the heart is, and your couch, and your porn. It might be a mansion, or a cardboard box. If you're an idealist in New York, it might be a spot on the street with a thousand other people. If you're an American in 1492, you might even have to sail across a whole ocean and steal it from some prairie arabs. In short, ain't nobody can tell you where yours is.

So hey, why don't you tell us? On Nov. 15, Speakeasy challenges its writers to invite us in. Take our coats. Throw us a cold one from the fridge, and tackle the subject of Home, whatever that may mean. Who needs the second-hand drama of the Thanksgiving table? For a couple hours at least, let's hang our hats at Will's Pub and create a little of our own.

One thing we've learned from Thanksgiving, though (and every single Speakeasy) - nothing loosens the tongue like a little booze. So we're kicking off this month with another round of your host's favorite drinking game, the Toast-Off. See eight of Orlando's glibbest guys and gals face-off in an increasingly blurry game of competitive toasting. If you haven't seen one before, either at Will's or onstage at the Orlando Fringe, trust us: you're in for a good time. No celebrity judges this time, boys and girls. Just eight drinkers versus a loud and opinionated audience. Moo hoo ha ha.

Your host, on the other hand, will still likely be drunk. I'll be competing in Orlando's second Literary Deathmatch on Nov. 13 against the likes of Kat Dixon, Rachel Kapitan and J. Christopher Silvia. If you saw the inaugural LDM at Urban ReThink, you know there's no good reason not to come to this one, people. Hit the link and get your tickets toot suite.

- Tod

Oct. 18: The Monstrous Edition

2011-10-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

Well, so much for the original idea for this month's theme. I don't know about the three of you reading this, but it's been kind of a weird October so far for your host. And though I don't have any Halloween plans, I could really use a decent mask.

Because that's really what we're rolling down those costume store aisles for, right? A rental on the new you? A role you don't even have to play that well because hey, it's only for one night? We let our inner child float up to the top of a gutful of booze to shout that catchphrase we actually believed back in the day. Then we vomit him onto the sidewalk and stagger home in our Ninja Turtle shell. (Or for you downtown ladies: Our "sexy" Ninja Turtle shell.)

Oh hell, where was I going with this? Heroes? No. Monsters. That's it.

For this all-hallowed October Speakeasy, our writers are invited to hold forth on the subject of Monsters. Fun fact that you pagans already know: Despite the glut of Casey Anthonys and Donald Trumps that will choke Orange Avenue this year, Halloween was actually invented to drive away the ghosts and goblins. But here at Will's Pub, for one night, on Oct. 18, we're giving them safe harbor. Give us your tales of scaly abominations, of moonlight transformations. Step up and hit that mike with a Godzilla howl. And oh yes, hit the bar as necessary. Nothing like a night like this to get rid of the pain of being a man.

- Tod

Sept. 20: The Blue Collar Edition

2011-08-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

September, huh? Enjoy that Labor Day, then. One day of freedom from the firm and inappropriate grasp of the Man. One day without the clock ticking away those seconds to Friday like little whip cracks in your ear. How's that hot dog taste now? Like despair? Try some horseradish.

Then try a little Speakeasy. On Sept. 20, we invite our writers to take on a subject that has it coming: Work. Follow the lead of that great labor organizer Johnny Paycheck, take that job and shove it ... right down the ear-holes of our overworked audience. Sex, violence, alien life? All those things are great inspiration for writing, but unless your name is William Shatner, you don't spend 40 hours a week plus overtime doing them. So let's get together at your favorite bar and mine and do what folks do at a bar: Bitch about our jobs. You probably shouldn't invite that hottie from human resources this month, though. Just a tip.

- Tod

Phoreshadowing phootnote: School in August, Work in September ... Well, I wonder what we've got lined up in October for Halloween? Hmm. Hmmmmm. Hm. Shrug.

I know what we've got planned in November, though.

Aug. 23: The A+ Edition

2011-08-01T20:26:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's great to be an adult. Especially that particular week in August, when the future leaders of our country pause in their masturbations, sigh, and drag their pimply knuckles out to the bus stop to absorb whatever droplets of wisdom their teachers can squeeze from the stone of the education budget.

Yes, it's back to school time - both for them and for us. For August, the writers of Speakeasy will be challenged to tell us what they learned in school. For those of us that are still there, this should be a cinch. (Your host can barely remember it, but he's not exempt.) So sharpen up those No. 2's, Poindexter. Give us your financial aid tragedies, your tales of classroom boners - hell, this would even be the time to break out your old high school journal. A blackboard will be provided that you may show your work. Or dick drawings.

And let's not forget: This month, Speakeasy is appropriately tardy. We'll be the fourth (NOT the third) Tuesday this time, owing to a music booking at Will's. Ah, getting bullied by shouty dudes with guitars. Takes me right back to 6th period.

- Tod

July 19: The Karaoke Edition

2011-06-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

Let's face it, y'all: Spoken word people are frustrated singers. Not many of us grew up bouncing on our bed, lip-syncing Gil Scott-Heron or Maggie Estep (not enough of us, anyway). So here we are, years later, no roadies or groupies ... but at least they're listening to the words. Right?

But let's put on our big boy pants and acknowledge the inspiration, shall we? For July, we're doing what all great musicians have done since before Elvis: Stealin'. Specifically, we're stealin' J. Bradley's gimmick and doing poems and stories about a song. See, J's working on a book where each poem is based on an Afghan Whigs song and ... what? J. Who? Get over here and get to know him, then come back. Try and keep up, people. Jeez.

Anyway, easy theme, right? Pick a song. Write a little something about what it means to you, where you were when you first heard it. Re-arrange/riff on/fuck up the lyrics. Sound like fun? Get on over to Will's Pub on July 19 at 9 p.m. to taste our musical fruits. (Cue fart noise.)

June 21: The Housebroken Edition

2011-06-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

Your host has never been a dog person. Or a cat person, or anything, really. I'm really more of an uncle about pets - I love other people's animals, and they seem to like me, but I've lived with enough roommate's critters to know they're an awfully expensive route to affection. Beats a strip club habit though, and at least they'll sleep with you afterward.

Still, animals can tell us a lot about ourselves. They're one of the few tangible examples of unconditional love (well, dogs are) and they're how a lot of people first learn about death (my first and only gerbil once crawled into my mini-billiards table and never came out, sob). And so it is that the theme for June is Pets. This is either going to be a particularly hilarious or heartbreaking Speakeasy; probably a little of both. You know how we do.

Bonus: For the second month in a row, we've got someone I think is going to be a mighty fine feature performer. Teacher and poet Robert Walker will be joining us for an extended set, riding high off the publication of "The Bouyancy of It All," his debut collection. His rockstar credentials are enhanced by the fact that he's bringing his brother along to back up his set on drums. Not bongos, you useless hippie. Real man-size drums. But hey, he already had us at "bouyancy." Need a little more convincing? Solid interview here with Walker, including some samples of his poetry.

So it's settled, then? 9 p.m.-ish this Tuesday, June 21? Splendid. We'll see you then.

- Tod

May 17: The Playtime Edition

2011-05-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

This just in from our researchers at Speakeasy Institute: Winning is not actually everything. Matter is composed of bajillions of tiny objects flying around, frequently bumping into bigger objects and exploding, or "losing," thereby delivering energy to the universe. Losers are filling the hungry bellies of winners in the jungles, or sinking into the earth to to be squeezed into the oil we need to more effectively operate our winning machines.

Long story short: Games are important, and that's why games are the subject of our Speakeasy for May. From Rock-paper-scissors to Call of Duty, Marco Polo to that thing we do where we pretend not to sell weapons to bad guys, everybody plays. Poets and writers are invited to sign up for the open mike and give their take on games and gamers of every rank and flavor. Level up on May 17 at Will's Pub (where else?) around 9 p.m. Free as usual.

Bonus plugs! Your harried host will be reading his short stories at the first ever edition of There Will Be Words on May 10 at Urban ReThink. And - 24 hours after this month's Speakeasy - it's the kickoff of the Orlando Fringe Festival, featuring Tod's Poetry Smackdown and a special edition of the Toast-Off on the outdoor stage. And be sure to drop by the Poetry Vending Machine, where plenty of Speakeasy regulars will be marinating in beer throughout the Festival.

April 19: The Unnatural Edition

2011-03-09T19:57:00.000-08:00

Holy crap, do we have a lot of people to thank for this past Speakeasy. Great crowd and consistently solid readers, not least of which were our last-minute guests from Burrow Press. Special thanks to Ryan Rivas, Jana Waring and Gene Albamonte for dropping by. We'll be seeing them again, with any luck. Little taste of what you missed? Head over to Jana's blog for the full text of Gene's offering for The Divine Edition.

Bit of a long breather between Speakeasies this time, owing to an early week for March. Plenty of time for you to tackle the theme for April, then: Man vs. Nature. Thanks to Arnie Ellis and Curtis Meyer for this one, in which we turn for inspiration to that mother of all mothers ... Gaia. Like most moms, she has her hot flashes, occasionally smothers us and has an amaaaazing rack.

No, wait. That's your Mom. Anyway. Earth week or no earth week, April 19 is the day to show that bitch what's up. Writers are challenged to address the theme of conflict against the natural world. What animal would you most like to fight? What fast-food franchise would best serve the rainforest? You get the idea. And to really rub it in, you should go ahead and write your piece on a dead tree.

April 19! 9:30! Will's Pub, where else?

-Tod

The Divine Edition

2011-03-02T21:17:00.000-08:00

Good Lord, it's been a long time between updates. And speaking of the Lord ... Speakeasy comes at you a week early this month with The Divine Edition. March 8, the monthly theme is religion. Why? Hey, the last few themes (sex, murder) have been something everybody can agree on. Let's get something in there that might start a war or two, shall we?

In the meantime (or post-time, in case I end up sleeping on this blog for another month), feel free to send in any pics from Speakeasies past, or even poems and stories if you don't mind throwing them out there. I'll post 'em up and we can all see how they look in the cold light of morning.

Keep on,
Tod

Speakeasy Holiday Toast-Off

2010-12-08T20:27:00.001-08:00

Drinking? Sure, it's OK. But this, oh my children, is America (fuck yeah). And there is nothing that can't be improved on with a little healthy competition. So it is that Speakeasy presents it's perennial holiday favorite: The Toast-Off. On Tuesday, Dec. 21 at 9:30 p.m., eight of the funniest patsies your host could find will engage in a competitive toasting match. No, not the toast you eat with eggs. The kind you do with a drink in your hand.

This ingeniously stupid idea was first thunk up by touring poet Christian Drake, and it involves a little improv, a little poetry and a lot of hangover. Competitors will face off head-to-head, composing on-the-spot toasts to a variety of subjects pulled out of a hat. The funniest/cleverest/poignant-est toast wins, as decreed by our panel of celebrity judges. Best of three goes on to the next round. Do the math, and this adds up to a lot of drinking, both for our competitors and for the crowd that happens to be toasting along. We'd tell you how much fun this was when we did it at the Fringe Festival last May, but we don't remember a goddamn thing.

Tuesday. Dec. 21. 9:30 p.m. Free. No excuses. There may well be the usual open mike later, pending consciousness.

Team-Up week!

2010-07-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

The advantages of attending the National Poetry Slam are manifold. A whole week of rad poetry. Radder poets. Booze. Honor. Glory. Booze. There's just one downside: It's expensive as a motherfucker.

Your host is a three year veteran of this little circus, and he hasn't forgotten about that part. So it is that he'll be inviting his teammates in the Orlando Slam Poetry Team to knock y'all out with their best poems next Tuesday. And they'll have copies of the exclusive 2010 team chapbook available for sale, so you can in turn knock us out with kindness. Come see Kendra Corrie, Curtis Meyer, Ronin, Shannon Kortbek and yours truly pull out the stops. Yes, there'll be a sign-up for the open mike as well. Admission free as always, but bring a little extra scratch if you'd like a chapbook. It's quality stuff, and helps a broke-ass team represent your burg.

9:30 pm! Tuesday July 20! Will's Pub!

And! If you've got any steam left that week, hop across the street to the Peacock Room on Thursday, July 22 at 9:30 pm for a Masquerade Ball benefit for Emotions Dance Company. Their next show in October is a "Poetry in Motion" collaboration with J. Bradley, Curtis Meyer and Tod Caviness. Screw suffering for art - give us purty gals dancing to our poetry! Get a preview of that sort of thing at the benefit show, featuring drinks, costumes, and spoken word by the aforementioned cool people.

Joining Aunt Flo

2010-05-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

Change! Anticipation! The Speakeasy embraces those things. So it is that we're going monthly as of May. Mark your calendar for the all-new date on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at Will's Pub. Next one up is Tuesday, May 18.

The new casual schedule not only gives your host's liver the time it needs to recover, but also affords the opportunity to make every month the big to-do it oughta be. To wit: This coming Speakeasy coincides with the coming of the Orlando Fringe Festival and therefore the Poetry Vending Machine. So! We're doing a practice run. Poets will challenge each other in the leadup to the Speakeasy, providing each other with a title and 3 words to use in their poems. See what they come up with or join in! Comment below and we'll backchannel you with all the details.

Feature time

2010-03-22T22:02:00.001-07:00

Oh, Speakeasy. You don't call, you don't write, you don't blog. Well, step off, buddy. This is a house of LITERATURE! We're busy writing world-changing shit over here. Got better things to do than catalog the contents of our navel on some blog.

OK, you got us. We've been lazy.

However! Now's as good a time as any to let you know about our feature for March 23. (Yes, that's today. Like I said, lazy.) Drop by Will's Pub at 9 p.m. and say howdy to David Keali'i Mackenzie, who'll be bringing a truckload of Polynesian-flavored poetry all the way down from Worcester, Mass. Turn your computer 90 degrees and check him out.

After that? Back again on on the 30th for two weeks in a row of open mike goodness. After that? Stay tuned. We've got news about Speakeasy-related shenanigans at the 2010 Fringe Festival, including the first ever Toast-Off on the outdoor stage.

Thor brings the lightnin'

2010-01-06T12:05:00.000-08:00

We're immortal! Speakeasy's (and Orlando's) favorite daily sketch artist Thomas Thorspecken has a dandy rendering of our humble open mike posted up on his Analog Artist Digital World blog. If memory serves, he was at Will's back in October for a night featuring the touring poets of Code Octopus. Nice work, Thor! You've captured our seedy little gathering perfectly and exposed Trevor Fraser's sordid porn addiction in the bargain.

Our poetry sucks

2009-12-09T14:27:00.000-08:00

We just recently had this knowledge dropped on us. Luckily, we've come to terms with it just in time for next week's special guest Darren Ohl! If you remember that name from Speakeasys of old, you'll want to drop by and welcome him back on his short vacation from the wilds of Oregon. If you don't remember that name, you'll just have to chew on this: Darren will be doing a special charity tribute to Glenn Beck. I'm trying to keep my expression really, really straight for that statement. If you'd like to see my poker face break down, drop by next Tuesday, Dec. 15 at 9 pm and say hi to Darren. Regular open mike takes place as usual.

And hey! In the meantime, you'll still want to hit up the Artists and Writers Pub Crawl on Saturday, Dec. 12. Your hangover should be just about settled by Tuesday so you can come and tell us all about it.

Speakeasy Holiday Toast-Off: The Rules

2009-11-29T20:04:00.000-08:00

It has rules?

Anybody who remembers the last one might forgiven for thinking not. Despite the rampant heckling, the drunken blasphemy and the general chaos, we're doing it again. The next Speakeasy Toast-Off will throw down at Will's Pub on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 10 p.m. Interested in competing? Curious about boring minutae? Here's what you need to know. The rules that follow, with a few house exceptions, are the brainchild of competitive toasting's founder (as far as we know), Christian Drake:

GRAND PRIZE: Ornate beer stein, a $20 gift certificate to Total Wine, and goodies from behind the bar at dear old Will's Pub. The top two competitors will have their bar tab taken care of for the duration of the match. There's your hook.

- Sign-ups begin at 7 p.m. - see the bald guy sitting behind the Poetry Vending Machine table at the Arte Faire, taking place prior to the Toast-Off from 6-9 p.m. We'll take first come, first served up to a max of 8 competitors. Format will be head-to-head elimination.

- Rounds will consist of three toasts on a random subject drawn from a hat. The first toaster in each round (selected at random) will have 40 seconds to come up with a toast. After he/she has delivered the toast, his opponent has an additional 20 seconds to come up with his/her own. Competitors must take a healthy swig at the end of each toast (both theirs AND their opponent's). Winner is decided by majority rule of a panel of celebrity judges; best 2 out of 3. Final round will be best 3 out of 5. The winner must finish his/her beer by the end of each round.

- Toasts must be traditional, which is to say they should begin with "May ..." or "Here's to ..." There is no time limit on the duration of toasts, but trust us on this: Brevity will work in your favor.

- No, really. Not kidding on that last one.

Anyone interested in signing up early can comment on this post - I'll save you a spot provided you show up at the venue before 9 pm. Start stocking up on hangover remedies now, true believers. See you there.

All ye faithful

2009-11-16T09:30:00.000-08:00

Saddle up! We're back in regular weekly rotation at Will's Pub, every Tuesday at 9 pm. Nov. 17 oughta be a special one: Plenty of new poems, and your first advance news about a couple worthy December events ...

- The Artists & Writers Crawl on Dec. 12. The regular artist crawls have been popularized (to your host, anyway) by Analog Artist Digital World sketcher and all-around class act Thomas Thorspecken, and this latest edition invites the writers to come along and get their muse on. To better accommodate the Speakeasy crowd, this crawl will be a bar-hop through the better dive bars of the ViMi district, including a stop at Will's. Best of all, the whole shebang is free and open to all! Get your details as they emerge at the website.

- A holiday edition of the Speakeasy Toast-Off. If you thought the regular open mike was nothing but a glorified excuse for drinking, you ain't seen shit. Competitive toasting returns to the stage of Will's on Dec. 8 with new celebrity judges and fab prizes TBA.

The calm before the brainstorm

2009-11-09T10:56:00.000-08:00

Late update, but no - no Speakeasy this week. That's right, we're taking a break (again) on Nov. 10. Yes, I know. Yes, I feel that way too. Whoa! Put down the claw hammer. Tell you what; what if I said we were scheduled every week after that straight through the holidays? Cool, right? How about if I said we have the second Speakeasy Toast-Off with fabulous prizes and celebrity judges scheduled for Dec. 15, right after the monthly Arte Faire? How's that for some sugar?

OK then. Glad we could all walk away from this without violence. See you next week!

Absence makes the heart grow fonder (and the liver stronger)

2009-10-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who showed up last Tuesday for the scattershot Speakeasy that followed the monthly Arte Faire. Y'all are diehard. Save it up - we're bumped (yes, again) next week, but will return Nov. 3.

Those lucky folks who were there may have seen sketch artist Thomas Thorspecken immortalizing your rants for posterity/police records. Neat, huh? He should have the resulting sketch and some commentary up on Analog Artist Digital World sometime in the next few days.

We missed you too

2009-10-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

Two weeks is way too long. The management's been drinking themselves silly to cope with the missing Speakeasy last week, though admittedly that's what we would have been doing anyway. Anyway: Fully recovered, you can expect spoken word as usual this Tuesday the 13th.

And dig this - the week after, Tod's pet project the Poetry Vending Machine will be a part of the monthly Arte Faire at Will's ... which just happens to fall on Tuesday Oct. 20, right before Speakeasy. Talk about synergy! Get your improv poems at the Faire from 6-9 p.m., then read them directly after. Shazam.

Oh, what the hell, ONE more plug. Also catch Tod performing at the All Hallows 10 For the Fringe benefit (that's IF you can get the rapidly-selling tickets) Oct. 16 and 17 at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center. He'll have a big long poem written specially for the occasion and the guaranteed worst costume you'll see that night.

Taking a sick day

2009-10-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

Achtung! No Speakeasy this coming Tuesday the 6th, poetry lovers. Yeah, I know. Will's Pub will still be there to welcome you (provided you've got the cover for the band), but the open mike will be taking a much-needed week off. Save up your juice for our return Oct. 13, but if you're jonesing this week, the management highly recommends you check out Di-Verse Word at Dandelion Communitea. They're a monthly event like Aunt Flo on the first Tuesday. Tell host Shawn Welcome that Speakeasy sent you.

Feature time at Speakeasy!

2009-09-24T16:16:00.000-07:00

Two big 'ol reasons to join the cool kids at Will's Pub next week:

- Our feature poet, from the wilds of Delray Beach: Casandra Tanenbaum! A whirlwind of talent, Cass is the host of the Monthly slam at Dada and was the chief volunteer wrangler at this year's National Poetry Slam. The fact that this did not drive her screaming into a sports bar for a week-long drinking binge far away from flaky artsy folk is a testament to her stamina and patience. Her poetry? Well, her poetry's a testament to that. Come show her some beer-flavored Orlando love. You will not be disappointed.

- It's the last Speakeasy for two weeks! It's a fact - we'll have a Tuesday off on Oct. 6, returning on Oct. 13. Get ready to pack two weeks worth of jibber-jabber into a one week-sized bag.

That's Tuesday, Sept. 29, everybody. 9 p.m. blunt. See you there.

Settling in

2009-08-14T15:32:00.000-07:00

Your host would like to take this opportunity to laugh at you if you've missed the last few weeks. We've had feature poets Lindsay Miller and Doc Luben roll through from Tuscon, a pleasant break from my endless rambling with guest-host Trevor Fraser, and a slam-bang excuse for a hangover in the first ever Speakeasy Toast-Off.

But perhaps all this pomp and circumstance is too much for you. I understand. Might be a little bit much to process on a Tuesday night. Tell you what; we'll keep it low-key and consistent the next few weeks. So far, we're scheduled straight through September every week. No breaks. No buts. No alarms and no surprises. Just good wholesome 'Merican open mike.

So bring a newbie, it's the perfect time to get your feet wet. In the meantime, dig some photos from the aforementioned Toast-Off:

Speakeasy Toast-Off: The Boring Details

2009-07-21T22:48:00.000-07:00

It's getting mighty close, kids. Tuesday, July 28 marks the first ever toasting competition at Will's Pub. Maybe the first in the entire history of the planet! Go ahead, google it, nerd. Prove me wrong.

Anyway, the hook alone ought to be enough for you spectators. Interested in signing up to compete? Allow me to dangle these shiny prizes before you:

GRAND PRIZE: Ornate beer stein and a $20 gift certificate to Total Wine. The top two competitors will have their bar tab taken care of for the duration of the match.

There's your hook. Here's the rules:

- Sign-ups begin at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 28. We'll take first come, first served up to a max of 8 competitors. Format will be head-to-head elimination.

- Preliminary rounds will consist of three toasts on a random subject. Toasts must begin traditionally, with either the words "May .." or "here's to ..." They may not necessarily be toasts TO the subject, but must incorporate it in some way. The first toaster (selected at random) will have 30 seconds to come up with a toast. His opponent has an additional 15 seconds to come up with his/her own. Competitors take a healthy swig at the end of each toast (either theirs OR their opponent's). Winner is decided by the judges; best 2 out of 3. The winner must finish his/her beer by the end of the round.

- The final round will consist of four toasts, none of which will be judged individually - judges will rule on a winner at the end of the round.

Simple enough, yes? Speakeasy open mike will follow these shenanigans. Looking forward to this one like you wouldn't believe, folks. Someone make sure to stay sober enough to remember it ...

It's alive!

2009-07-08T16:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all the cool kids who've been coming out lately! It's always nice when your host feels like he's earned his free beers.

Many, many cool things happening this month, both inside and out of Will's. As of this post, we're running Speakeasy uninterrupted through July, and there's a couple tangent events that I won't be too proud to plug here. Especially keep July 28 free, and you may want to eat a big dinner. We're gonna dry up some kegs; that's about all I can tell you at this point. There will even be some sort of literary excuse for doing so.

If you want to keep apprised of Speakeasy-related hoopla, your best bet is to look up your host Tod Caviness on Facebook. Please message me in the friend request, though - I'm picky about the invite stuff, my memory is awful bad on Wednesday mornings and them Facebook thumbnails of your face are awful small. You can also drop me an email at valis_jr at yahoo. Either way, I promise to pester you no more than once a week with event invites.

Oh, you want actual content? Sorry; I get carried away. How 'bout this snazzy flier Step Aside Butch made for us? Look for it on your finer Orlando coffee shelves and bathroom floors:

Speakeasy continues to return

2009-06-29T09:39:00.000-07:00

Orlando's booziest, kewlest and humblest spoken word night keeps on keepin' on at Will's Pub this Tuesday June 30 at 9 p.m. with their special pre-July 4 edition. Come celebrate our independence with some flagrant abuse of the First Amendment! There won't be fireworks, but there will be fire-WORDS!* Hosted by Tod Caviness.

*Tod didn't write that "fire-words" thing. He would never do that.

Hiatus, but the next best thing is better

2009-06-19T15:22:00.000-07:00

Poetry people! Stay your plans! A mere two weeks after kickoff, Speakeasy is taking a break. No poets at Will's Pub this Tuesday June 23, just sweet indie music of some sort. We will be back up in it the following week.

But check out this substitute gig: Tod Caviness will be the happy guest host at his old stomping grounds for Real Open Mike at Urban Think Books on Wednesday June 24, starting promptly at 8:30 p.m. Feature poet that night? Sarah Q. Morgan, Philly slammer and flagship poet at the esteemed and unstoppable Write Bloody press. Check her out, won't you? Not because she's single, 'cause she will eat you alive, little groupie. Do it because you need to hear this stuff.

If it's online, it must be true

2009-06-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

We're back, kids. We were already here, to be exact. It's just the Tod Caviness-hosted version of open mike at Will's these days. This'll be a nice little placeholder until The Management gets something 'zazzier up, but for now: all three of you can get your Speakeasy news right up in here.