The Last Poet Standing @ The Great Hall, Toronto, ON - Sun Apr 12th!

The Last Poet Standing

If you've never been before, this show does not happen on a stage, but inside of a boxing ring, making it the ultimate showcase of lyrical gladiators, with the audience surrounding the ring, eager to be enlighteneded and entertained.

Much like the March Madness basketball tournament, 16 poets will enter the ring, each with the hope of ending the night victorious.

Bishop Brigante, Hip Hop Artist, and past winner of BET's Freestyle Friday, MTV's Video on Trial's Trixx, and the Forgiveness Project's, Tara Muldoon, will be three of the five guest judges for this year's competition.

DJ Manifest will be the musical referee for the night, and the show will be hosted by Dwayne Morgan.

This show is the biggest literary spectable that the country has to offer. Past winners have been, The P.O.E. (Burlington), V (Ottawa), and Philosofly (Toronto), each taking home $500, the Championship belt, and bragging rights for a year.

The 2015 edition will feature artists from the GTA, Burlington, St. Catherines, Whitby, Buffalo, and Columbus, Ohio

Featuring Performances By:

Cassandra Myers
KT Job
Scribe
Sydney Crowe
Jenn Pidgeon
J.G. The Juggernaut
Bassam
Patrick DeBelen
Patrick Walters
Brandon Williamson
Tomy Bewick
Paulina O'Kiefe
Gavin Russell
Nick Givechi
The P.O.E.
Jaimie Godard

Sunday, April 12th

Doors 6:30pm, Show 7:30pm

The Great Hall, 1087 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON

$20 advance tickets are available now here or via email money transfer or paypal to info@dwaynemorgan.ca

Tickets will be $25 at the door!

The Dwayne Morgan 21 Year Anniversary @ Lula Lounge, Toronto, ON - Wed Aug 13th!

A Message From Dwayne Morgan - First off, thank you to those who took advantage of last week's special. When I can, I always try to do what I can for my core supporters.

Let me be honest with you for a second, I am tired!! I am in need of some time off to recharge my battery. Luckily, there are only two more shows to go this season.

There are only two shows a year that I produce that are focused on my work, Members Only, and my Anniversary show. With that said, I can tell you that I have an awesome show planned for you. There are about four poems that will make their stage debut, there are a number that I don't perform very often, and a few favourites that people wouldn't let me not perform.

This Wednesday will be the last show in my Spring/Summer date night series. Round up your boys, your girls, or significant other, and come join the celebration!! To make a dinner reservation, call the Lula Lounge at 416.588.0307

The Dwayne Morgan 21 Year Anniversary
Wednesday August 13th
With Special Guest, 2014 Juno Nominee, Ammoye
Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON
Doors 7pm, Show 8:30pm
$20 advance, $25 door

Lula Website here

To secure your $20 advance tickets for Wednesday night's Anniversary Show,  here are your options:

Email money transfer or PayPal to info@dwaynemorgan.ca

A Different Booklist, 746 Bathurst St., Toronto, ON

Play De Record, 357 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON

Knowledge Bookstore, 177 Queen Street West, Brampton, ON

ARTiculated Noise Spoken Word Open Mic ft. Tomy Bewick @ Charlie's Gallery, Toronto, ON - Wed Jul 16th!

Cytopoetics is pleased to announce the fifth instalment of ARTiculated Noise! The series takes place at 8pm on the third Wednesday of every month. The purpose of ARTnoise is to provide Toronto with an open mic event that caters specifically to those who predominantly engage in performance poetry.

Bring your poems to share on the open mic in the first half and then check out Burlington Slam Project founder Tomy Bewick in the second half!

ARTiculated Noise is a proud member of the Southwestern Ontario Spoken Word Circuit and graciously acknowledges the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts for the SOSWC.

Sign-Up 7:30pm | Show 8pm | All Ages | $5 at the door

ABOUT OUR FEATURE

With a full time career as an Accredited Professional in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (with a Specialty in Building Design and Construction), Tomy dedicates all other hours to family, friends and sharing his art-as-therapy. Heavily influenced by diverse communities and determined to provide a platform for any voice that needs it, Tomy founded “The Burlington Slam Project” in July of 2008. Tomy is the acting host, artistic director and talent booking agent in Burlington, but has represented Toronto on the Canadian National stage multiple times and is a 4 time finalist at the National level. Having featured and competed at poetry slams/spoken word events across Canada (and the US Midwest) since 2005; Tomy focuses on community building, youth outreach and artist mentoring. In 2012, The Burlington Slam Project team became the first ever Ontario Provincial Champions, and were also finalists at the US National Poetry Slam for their group work (which ranked in the top 10 out of 72 teams).

Location:  Charlie's Gallery, 112 Harbord St, Toronto, ON

Time:  8p - 10:30p

For more info please see:
Facebook
Twitter - @TommyBuick and @burlington_slam
Wordpress

One Mic Poetry Showcase @ Lula Lounge, Toronto, ON - Wed Jun 11th!

This Wednesday, meet the 2014 Up From The Roots Poetry Slam team at the 3rd edition of the One Mic Poetry Showcase

There are always new voices entering the scene, and this team has a lot of variety. My Trinidadian people will love Patrick Walters, Trini Accent and all, Patrick DeBelen has the Filipino crew covered, Scribe does it up for the youth, Spin for the Latinos, and me for the old foots!!

Tickets for this one are available now for $20!!

Doors 7pm

Show 8:00pm

Admission: $20

Location:  Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas St. West., Toronto, ON

For more info click here 

Toronto Poetry Slam featuring Alessandra Naccarato @ The Drake Hotel, Toronto, ON - Sun Aug 11th!

On SUNDAY AUG. 11, we're back with another Sunday Slam, this time featuring one of Toronto Poetry Project's own, the very talented Alessandra Naccarato! (This is her last TPS gig in Toronto before she leaves us for Vancouver!)

@ The Drake Hotel, 1150 Queen St W, Toronto, ON
Doors 7, signup 730, show 8
Open mic available too
$5

This is part of our regular season, to determine the 2013 TPS Team

Featuring Alessandra! She s a writer and performer whose work bares the mark of the highway. A three time national slam finalist, the former chair of Spoken Word Canada and Artistic Director of Montreal's Throw Collective, she represented Toronto in the 2012 Women of the World Poetry Slam and coached the Toronto Poetry Slam team to a national broze medal. Having performed on stages from New York to Buenos Aires and in every major city in Canada, she has been featured on the cover of Nightlife Magazine, The Montreal Mirror and FFWD for her “incisive, raw poetry that packs a visceral punch” (Nightlife 2010). Her first full-length album, alongside band The Wild Hunt, will be released next spring.

In the fall of 2013, Alessandra will begin a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia. Toronto Poetry Slam will be her final public performance in Toronto before moving to Vancouver. She will be accompanied by members of The Wild Hunt, Jennifer Slade (Vocals, Harmonium) & Matt Hayter (Guitar).

Www.alessandranaccarato.com

FB event invite: https://www.facebook.com/events/1404259016460318/

More info

http://torontopoetryslam.com/

The Roots Lounge Open Mic and Poetry Slam @ Yvonne`s Coffee Haus, Scarborough, ON - Sun May 5th!

Live in the East? Have some poems to share, but don't want to travel all the way downtown?

Join Dwayne Morgan at Yvonne's Coffee Haus, 98 Island Road in Scarborough (Port Union & Sheppard), for an open mic on the first sunday of each month.

Doors open at 6pm, Show is at 7pm, and the admission is $5

Get your poems, grab your friends, and we`ll see you at Yvonne's!

The Roots Lounge Finale @ Toronto, ON - Waterfalls Indian Tapas Bar & Grill, Toronto, ON - Sun Apr 21st!

The Roots Lounge Finale

While our reign as the National Poetry Slam Champions doesn't come to an end until the fall, it is time to pick the team that will do battle at the Canadian Team Competition in Montreal this November.

On Sunday, April 21st, join us at Waterfalls Indian Tapas Bar & Grill for the final Roots Lounge Open Mic and Poetry Slam of the season. Admission for the finals is $10.


After a year of slamming, the Up From The Roots National Champions will make way for a new team that will do battle at the 2013 Nationals. Several poets have qualified, but only 4 will make the team, and their destiny is entirely in your hands!!

The poets who have qualified to make the team include:

11 - IF
10 - Dwayne Morgan
5 - Iyah
5 - JD Vishus
5 - Brian Millado
5 - Patrick De Belen
5 - Jay Roy
4 - Randell
4 - Chris Tse
3 -Alex
3 - Rollyn Stone
3 - Gavin Russell
3 - Ray
2 - Scribe
1 - Wes Ryan
1 - Ian Walters
1 - Sab
1 - David Delisca

As usual, DJ Manifest will set the mood for the night, so come out, and witness the crowning of the 2013 Up From The Roots poetry slam team!

Time: 8:00pm

Location:  Waterfalls Indian Tapas Bar & Grill, 303 Augusta Ave, Toronto, Ontario

Toronto Poetry Slam Finals @ Royal Cinema, Toronto, ON - Sat Apr 20th!

It's the annual event you don't want to miss, our Super Bowl of the Toronto Poetry Slam season!

THE FINALS !!!!

The top 8 poets from Semifinals battle it out to see who makes the TPS Team (4 poets + alternate)
Poets competing are (in no partic order):

P.O.E.
Cathy Petch
Britta B
David Delisca
Tanya Neumeyer
Eytan
Spencer
Noah Kaplan

This goes down at THE ROYAL on College, and we highly recommend getting tix in advance. This will be a packed show!

Get tix in advance for Finals by going to:

Play de Record, 357 Yonge St., Toronto, ON
A Different Booklist, 746 Bathurst
$15 in advance, $20 at door

We also accept email transfer/Paypal payments...Email info@torontopoetryslam.com

Location:  Royal Theatre, 608 College Street, Toronto, ON

Time:  7:30pm doors, 8pm show

*Note: This show is not LLBO licensed. But the concession stand will be open

ALL AGES!

Hosted by Dave Silverberg

Featuring Kay'la Fraser from Guelph! (Bio to follow, but let's just y'all in for a treat)

More info visit:  http://www.torontopoetryslam.com/

The Roots Lounge @ Yvonne`s Coffee Haus, Scarborough, ON - Sun Apr 7th!

The Roots Lounge  Ending The Regular Season

This Sunday, we will host the final Roots Lounge Open Mic of the regular season at Yvonne  Coffee Haus, 98 Island Road, in Scarborough. For those in the east, wanting something close to home, doors open at 6pm, the show begins at 7pm, and admission is only $5.

If we have enough people wanting to have a poetry slam, we will do so, with the top 3 qualifying for the team finals on the 21st.

For more info visit:   www.DwayneMorgan.ca

Naked: An Intimate Evening with Dwayne Morgan @ Harlem Restaurant, Toronto, ON - Thurs Apr 4th!

This April, I am off to the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam in Vancouver to compete against poets from across the country.

To raise funds to get there, I've decided to go naked (now don't get all excited and scroll down for the ticket info!!); by this I mean, that I will perform some of my favourite poems, but I will also share the new poems that I wrote on my recent trip to South Africa!

Those who know me, know that I rarely ever read poems on stage, so this will be a first glimpse at poems in their most raw form.

Since I never like it just being about me, the first half will be an open mic for poets, singers, musicians, anyone with something to share.

Admission will be $10, and the show will be held at Harlem @ 67 Richmond Street East, Toronto, ON

Doors open at 7pm, and we'll kick things off at 8pm.

See you there!

Dwayne Morgan

For more info visit: http://www.dwaynemorgan.ca

The Roots Lounge Open Mic and Poetry Slam @ Harlem Restaurant, Toronto, ON - Sun Mar 16th!

We are back, trying to figure out who will make the 2013 Up From The Roots Poetry Slam Team.

Join us on Sunday, March 17th, for the next Edition of the Roots Lounge Open Mic and Poetry Slam

Up From The Roots are officially the 2012 National Champions, and you now have the chance to start working towards the 2013 team.

Doors are at 7pm, show 8pm, and admission is only $5. If you want to participate in the open mic or the slam, just sign up when you get there!

Current Season Standings

11 - IF
10 - Dwayne Morgan
5 - Iyah
5 - JD Vishus
5 - Brian Millado
5 - Patrick De Belen
4 - Randell
4 - Chris Tse
3 -Alex
3 - Rollyn Stone
3 - Gavin Russell
2 - Scribe
1 - Wes Ryan
1 - Ian Walters
1 - Sab

Location:  Harlem Restaurant,

Harlem Restaurant

67 Richmond St E, Toronto, Ontario

 

Last Poet Standing @ The Great Hall, Toronto, ON - Sun Feb 24th!

Are You Ready?? 

The Last Poet Standing

Join us this Sunday, February 24th at 7:30PM, inside of the Great Hall (1087 Queen Street West), for a poetry show like nothing you've ever seen or experienced, unless you attended last year, when Burlington's P.O.E. outlasted the competition, and took home the $500 cash prize.

 

16 poets from Toronto, Buffalo, Guelph, Burlington, Detroit, and Ottawa will step in to a boxing ring, each with the hope of being crowns the Last Poet Standing.

 

7 guest judges will be seated at ringside to determine the fate of each poet. This year's judges are, Juno Award Winner, Jully Black, Olympian, Perdita Felicien, World DMC Turntable Champion, DJ Dopey, Grey Cup Champion, Toronto Argonaut, Jordan Younger, MTV Live Comedian, Dave Merheje, Dub Poet, Lillian Allen, and Hip Hop Artist, D-Sisive. DJ Manifest will keep the battle vibe alive with his musical selections, so get your tickets asap, as this one, like When Sisters Speak, will likely sell out!

 

Advance tickets are $20, and can be purchased via paypal to dmorgan@upfromtheroots,ca, email money transfer to info@upfromtheroots.ca or at Play De Record, 357 Yonge St, A Different Booklist, 746 Bathurst St, Knowledge Bookstore, 177 Queen Street West, Brampton

 

This is probably the best promo video that we've ever created for one of our events. Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z9Nz4DxOVs&list=UUxHl2a8GpAr-O5oiy_LTu5A&index=1

 

See you on the 24th as we crown the 2013 Last Poet Standing!

 

 

The Roots Lounge Open Mic & Poetry Slam @ Yvonne's Coffee Haus, Scarborough, ON - Sun Feb 3rd!

The Roots Lounge Returns to Scarborough This Sunday!

This Sunday, February 3rd, the Roots Lounge returns to Scarborough. Join us at Yvonne's Coffee haus, 98 Island Road, for our monthly open mic and poetry slam. Doors open at 6pm for sign up, and the show gets going at 7pm. Admission is only $5.

If you would like to be on the Up From The Roots team, going to Montreal for the National Championships this fall, you are running out of opportunities to earn points.

On February 17th, the show returns to downtown!

For more info:  http://www.dwaynemorgan.ca

The Roots Lounge @ Yvonne's Coffee Haus, Scarborough, ON - Sun Jan 6th!

We are back, trying to figure out who will make the 2013 Up From The Roots Poetry Slam Team.

Join us on Sunday, January 6th, for the first edition of the Roots Lounge in Scarborough @ Yvonne's, 98 Island Road, Port Union and Sheppard!

Up From The Roots are officially the 2012 National Champions, and you now have the chance to start working towards the 2013 team.

Doors are at 6pm, show 7pm, and admission is only $5. If you want to participate in the open mic or the slam, just sign up when you get there!

Current Season Standings

6 - IF
5 - Iyah
5 - JD Vishus
5 - Dwayne Morgan
5 - Patrick De Belen
3 - Rollyn Stone
3 - Randell
1 - Wes Ryan
1 - Ian Walters
1 - Chris Tse
1 - Joshua Watkis

Love Jones Sundays @ No One Writes to the Colonel, Toronto, ON - Sun Dec 2nd!

LOVE JONES SUNDAYS
Where Poetry Meets Soul

This Sunday
@ No One Writes to the Colonel
460 College Street (@ Bathurst), Toronto, ON
Time: 7:00p

Hosted by : JV "The Poet"
Cover $10


No Sportswear

Sponsored by:
By Blacks
Above All Oddz Radio Show
Stolen From Africa
The Blackstone Foundation Library
My Toronto VIP

For more info visit: http://www.lovejonessundays.ca/

Events @ Harlem Restaurant and Harlem Underground, Toronto, ON - Fri Oct 19th - Sun Oct 21st!

HARLEM EVENTS

FRIDAY OCTOBER 19th

 
Gibbran and Tamsyn-Lee 

Gibbran Khan Rashid, a revolutionary soul man, and Tamsynn-Lee Isaacs, an expressive sense kind of woman, have been brought together by love and energy to form Gibbran&Tamsynn-Lee. With the rhythm of love-making and cosmic frequency, this duo produces sweet music that they call "Steam." Early 2009, these two artists converged, conceiving brilliant emotional, sensual and glorious songwriting. Gibbran&Tamsynn-Lee create the sounds of love. Music that elevates the heart, the spirit and the soul. No doubt their chemistry is contagious.

www.GibbranandTamsynn-Lee.com music@GibbranandTamsynn-lee.com

7:30pm - 11:00pm 

SATURDAY OCTOBER 20th  

John Collin Band 

The John Collin Band, a jazz ensemble, will be performing as a trio consisting of bass, piano, and drums. Led by accomplished professional drummer John Collin, who has toured internationally with multiple acts , audiences will be graced with a repertoire consisting of a vast array of jazz standards, latin melodies, funky tunes and modern jazz classics.

The John Collin Band also performs in other formats, ranging from Trio to a Tentet

7:30pm - 11:00pm

SUNDAY OCTOBER 21st

Up From The Roots 

Open Mic and Poetry Slam Hosted by Dwayne Morgan

Admission: $10

info@upfromtheroots.ca

Doors 7pm
Show Starts at 8pm

 

Return to top 

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HARLEM UNDERGROUND EVENTS

 

THURSDAY OCTOBER 18th
Carl Bray Jazz Trio 

8:00pm - 10:00pm

FRIDAY OCTOBER 19th 

Jake Wilkinson
As an accomplished jazz trumpeter, composer and lyricist, Jake Wilkinson is a multi-faceted musician. His trumpet playing is soulful, introspective, and highly crafted. His compositions are tuneful and clear, his lyrics intelligent, contemporary and playful. Jake began his musical career at age 9, on the trombone. He later switched to trumpet, after being inspired by the music of Chet Baker and Miles Davis. Since then, Jake has played at major venues and festivals around the world with such notable groups and musicians as: The Boss Brass, The Toronto Jazz Quartet, The Powder Blues Band, Long John Baldry, Grant Stewart, Josh Brown [currently with Michael Bublé], John Hicks, and Liberty Silver. He has released three recordings: the critically acclaimed jazz record, This Time, and Walking On The World, a singer-songwriter collaboration, and his latest disc with Michelle Willis, The Game Of Love.

8:00pm - 11:30pm

SATURDAY OCTOBER 20th      

Carl Bray 

 Award winning jazz pianist and composer Carl Bray has appeared in a number of different formal publications such as; A Jazz Province: The Story of Jazz in Saskatchewan, written by well-known Canadian author Ken Mitchell, in 2005. Recently, Carl performed in the National Jazz Orchestra at the 2009 National Jazz Awards. Also, with one of his trios, for CBC Radio 2's Galleria Series, and opened for NYC's saxophone legend Chris Potter Underground Band, who headlined the 2009 Regina Jazz Festival.

8:00pm - 10:00pm

 

 

HARLEM RESTAURANT

67 Richmond St. East

Toronto, ON.
416.368.1920

Dining Room Hours

Mon - Thurs 11am - 11pm
Fri - Sat 11am - 12am
Sun - 11am - 11pm

 

 

HARLEM UNDERGROUND

745 Queen St. West

Toronto, ON.
416.366.4743

Dining Room Hours

Mon - Weds 4pm - 11pm
Thurs 11am - 11pm
Fri - 11am - 12am
Sat - 10am - 12am
Sun - 10am - 11pm

www.harlemrestaurant.com

info@harlemrestaurant.com 

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Poetry in the Parking Lot @ A Different Booklist, Toronto, ON - Fri Sept 14th!

Tired of being trapped in doors with all of this nice weather? Well, our summer Poetry in the Parking Lot series is back. Join us in the A Different Booklist parking lot. Bring your poems and/or your ears, and we'll share while watching the sun set.

Admission is only $5

Location:  A Different Booklist, 746 Bathurst St, just South of Bloor

Time:  8p

More info email:  info@upfromtheroots.ca

Poetry in the Parking Lot @ A Different Booklist, Toronto, ON - Fri Aug 24th!

This Friday, the Final Poetry in the Parking Lot!!

 

 

In an attempt to do something different, this summer, we brought back our Poetry in the Parking Lot series, and the final one is this Friday evening. 

Join us at 8pm, this Friday, at A Different Booklist, 746 Bathurst St. 

Admission is $5. The BBQ will be going, and there will be refreshments on sale. 

For info email info@upfromtheroots.ca

Black Love Soul @ The Lula Lounge, Toronto, ON - Thurs Jun 14th!

Black Love Returns!!

The series that started it all is finally back!! When you mix all of the colours together, you end up with Black, and Black Love is the only one of our shows where you get the band, poetry, comedy, singing, and more, all in the same show. Get your friends together, because we're relaunching the series on June 14th at the Lula Lounge!

At the return of the series, you can expect performances from Jay Martin, Shoolie,  E-Man, Quisha Wint, Dwayne Morgan, Omar Lunan, Jef Kearns, Sarafina, Chelsea Stewart and more.

When we first started the Black Love series, it took place in Scarborough, in a Fit For Life Gym, while people were still working out. Black Love was a great platform for artists to showcase their work. We are very excited to be bringing the show back to life!

$20 advance tickets are on sale now via email money transfer to info@upfromtheroots.ca, A Different Booklist, 746 Bathurst Street, Play De Record, 357 Yonge Street, and Knowledge Bookstore in Brampton. 

Doors will open at 7p for those with dinner reservations, 8p for those without, then the show gets going at 8:30p. 

To make reservations for dinner, call 416.588.0307

 

The Roots Lounge Open Mic @ Harlem Restaurant, Toronto, ON - Sun Jun 10th!

 

The Roots Lounge Open Mic is Back!!!

 

This Sunday, please join us inside of the Harlem Restaurant for the next installment of the Roots Lounge Open Mic and Poetry Slam. 

Doors open at 7pm for sign up, and the show gets going at 8pm.

 Admission is only $5. 

The host for the night will be Dwayne Morgan with music by DJ Manifest. 

Harlem is located at 67 Richmond Street East @ Church Street, Toronto, ON

For more info email  info@upfromtheroots.ca