This list is more in chronological order,and linked more to the actual stage experience,so if you know of a performance of mine not listed,that is probably why..let's start.
The premier of my first play- Malcolm X Meet Peter Tosh-Cedar Cultural Center Minneapolis MN
What can I say? ..Too many memories to state here. The one I will share is after it was over,jumping on top of Mitch Olson (The Man on the Couch in the play) in part marvelling over the fact that smoking 5 joints onstage didn't get us arrested!
Denver premier of Malcolm X Meet Peter Tosh-Mercury Cafe Theater Denver Colorado
Before the play started,I remember Mitch and I having this stunned look when we saw lines stretching out the door for Opening Night.
Fort Collins-Colorado State University
Malcolm X Meet Peter Tosh for a one night appearance..Should have known things would be different when an older woman in the audience offered to take Mitch (as the Man on the Couch) to the hospital as she thought he was on acid. Sure enough things ended differently when I spent a half hour afterwards being questioned by cops upon reports of "marijuana being smoked on stage"
The Bug Theater-Denver Colorado
Malcolm X Meet Peter Tosh..I've never experienced such an overreaction from the cops in my life over a few joints being smoked in the audience...Roadblocks on the street.The theater surrounded.It created its own theater. On cue,Thomas Behler as the Man on the Couch blew smoke on the cops as they reached the front row,and Scott Kelley as Peter Tosh on cue went into his burning monologue attacking "the shitstem" right at the point where the cops started to arrest some in the audience. As I'm waiting for the cops to question me,I notice a cop hardly being able to contain himself from feeling the rhythms as the 8750 Reggae Band starts to play.
Closing Night of I Edgar Hoover Mercury Cafe Theater Denver Colorado
Dynamic Performance by an amazing cast! Jason Richards as Hoover was explosive "Goddamed Television!"
Rasta Stevie from the 8750 Reggae Band came from Telluride and joined drummers Thomas Behler and Marie-paule Vandevelde for a performance that also served as my going away party.. I returned to Minneapolis the very next day.
Kolorada...a western tale opening for the Life of Bob Marley Roger Steffens presentation-First Avenue Minneapolis MN.
Performed this one man play unmiked in front of 1200 folks at First Ave. It was an amazing sight to see people sit down and listen to the piece!
Opening for Linton Kwesi Johnson First Avenue Minneapolis MN
LKJ appreciated the backdrop to my spoken word piece-an upside down American Flag..It was to highlight the tone of the piece..kinda nice to be appreciated by the pioneer of dub poetry.
Opening for the Wailers with the I-Roots Band First Avenue Minneapolis MN
Didn't know how this spoken word collaboration with the I Roots Band was going to work frankly. The lead singer and I seemed to have different visions as to how this set should go. I was so afraid about how this gig was going to go,that I didn't tell my friends that I would be opening for this legendary reggae band...Then Dwight Hobbes wrote about it in his column. Sometimes things magically come together at the right time. Moments before hitting the stage,I felt a special kind of energy,the band felt it and what came out afterwards was pure magic. It was and is my humble opinion that we put on a better show than the Wailers that evening.
Scenes from a Reggae Western with Philip T. Hunter (Radio Drama)
My roots in theater go back to radio drama in college. Phil and I both share a fondness for old westerns.It was great doing the research..listening to 1940's Radio Westerns and spending time at the Black Cowboys exhibit in Denver. Phil and I worked the same day job. We talked about putting together this piece for almost a year before getting down to writing it,but because we did,the dialogue came together in no time. The radio drama was also assisted by Ike Russell on base,the voice of Shawn Cassity,and the music of the Reggae Cowboys out of Canada. Phil went on to direct my theatrical monologue Black Hippie Chronicles
Talkin' Roots Crew Hurricane Katrina Benefit-Minneapolis MN
With no time to even schedule a rehearsal, it still ended up being one of the most electric performances I've been a part of. It was also one of the last times I got to perform with the late Charlie Braden on saxophone
Talkin' Roots Crew Bob Dylan Tribute -Minneapolis MN Sponsored by the Minnesota Spoken Word Association (MNSWA) We performed a bluegrass tinged Dylanesque rendition of "Greenwich Village-San Francisco from our CD 4:20 Report. We had never performed that way before..it was fun and I got to wear my Cowboy Hat!
Adventures in Music and Storytelling with Charlie Parr-Duluth MN.
This collaboration had its genesis in Jazzy J's Apartment. At the time little did I know that by the time this would meet its fruition,Jazzy would be soon departing us,and that I would be facing cancer myself. This was my first performance after the diagnosis,and to be able to share the stage with Charlie? Wow! I'm glad a person can check out that show on You Tube!
I could talk about more ...performing Kolorada at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe,how a performance shortly after 9/11 helped to send me to Germany or many other stories set over 20 years of performing. But for now,I'll leave that for another time.
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