Closing out the 2012 Albany Word Fest on Saturday night, April 21, at Valentine’s will be Daniel Nester‘s Karaoke + Poetry = Fun.
Nester says, “As part of the closing ceremonies for the week long poetry and spoken word festival, poets will read a poem, then sing a song. Singers will sing a song, and read a poem. It’s pretty much the best reading series novelty format since people we killed in stadia in ancient Roman times. And then that was kind of lame.”
Since its inception in 2003, KPF has taken place at five different venues including the Bowery Poetry Club in Manhattan, The Spotty Dog in Hudson, and our very own Valentine’s in Albany. It began at Gowanus Lounge, an old bathhouse in Brooklyn.
Of course it was also meant to be a joke. Of course the idea that it would be ridiculous to combine poetry and karaoke would be preposterous, low-brow, idiotic, nuts. All those things. Part of my intention was also to loosen up non-performance-oriented poets, show them in a different light. A poet once read a love poem, and then brought down the house with “Me and Bobby McGee.” And it was great to hear her make those connections. This happens all the time at KPF.
This event is hosted by Lila Laguna of Karaoke Zone and Daniel Nester of Daniel Nester, Inc.
More information on the event can be found at Facebook event page. For more on the history and theory behind the madness, check out Nester’s website, http://danielnester.com/kpf/
Karaoke + Poetry = Fun
April 21, 7pm – FREE
Valentine’s Music and Beer Joint, 17 New Scotland Avenue, Albany NY
