Alright, enough birthday butterflies. Smiles off. This is important. For various reasons, this birthday is particularly special for me, and for those same reasons, it's important for me that my birthday festivities give back this year. I have a piece called "Crazy & Wonderful" that's about living out poetry instead of merely speaking it sans action. After performing it a couple months ago, I started thinking about "Vintage Boots," the piece that took me places, the story that changed me, the nick name that still makes me smirk. I wanted to do something with it. With so recognizable a piece, how could I use that to give back in a way that means something to me?
This upcoming February, my best friends and I are putting on "Beyond the Boots," an open mic benefit for foster children homes and programs. It will be held at Monkey Business Cafe in Fullerton on Feb. 25th at 7pm. The event includes headliners David Romero, Matt Sedillo, and Francois, and features visionary poets KasiTeYana, Alex Alpharaoh, Danny Sugimoto, Nathan McWherter, Nghiem Le, and Gavin Thomas Gordon Topper. Many of the features are paid poets who are donating their time to this show for the cause. On top of the extraordinary poets, we are also featuring two good friends of mine who are also amazing musicians, Samantha Parks and Joy Oladokun. It is looking to be a night of inspiration, good laughs, and an overflowing amount of musical and poetic talent that i'm sure will be seeping through the doors of that homey, red-walled cafe. If you are in the area, I urge you to try and stop by. Admission is $5, and 100% of profits will go directly towards Hart Community Homes, a non-profit organization that seeks to heal, educate, and empower at-risk youth to become healthy, productive, and self-sufficient adults in the community. Monkey Business Cafe is a product of HCH, and I am "beyond" excited for this upcoming event.
It's no longer just about my boots. It's beyond that.
Come celebrate life with us.
Smiles back on.
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