ah fuck it, after writing it out i decided i could still keep it vague enough to keep it from being gossip, and that it was better posted here.

again, i am just relaying things that i've been hearing, as i've been hearing many disgruntled comments recently (some from our own ranks, but don't ask who, i'm sure that person will say something if they feel inclined).

like i said i saw many, many old open mic regulars out on the street at last thursday - of course i had to say 'where have you been? you've been missed!' and i got almost the same response from everyone - 'i just don't feel like going anymore. the vibe's gone.'

so, here's some more of the things i heard last night - again, i am JUST relaying this stuff, this isn't out of MY mouth.

- "i understand the concept of 'upping the ante' but i feel like it got a bit exclusionary - that it wasn't directed at us or encouraging US to up the ante, but to bringing other, 'better' people in instead."

- "i don't like the way Luco hosts. no one cares if he hosted an open mic in Chicago. This is Portland." (let's not argue this one, i think Luco's adorable and you can't please everyone. It was also suggested, however, that me and zig zag host a night - i'm down for that - in like, August.)

- "i feel like it's turning into a 'regular' open mic - and it never was before. and there are plenty of other 'regular' open mics around town."

- "the vibe's gone." (this was the big one - everyone i talked to said this. my response of course, was that, well, if you want the vibe you gotta BRING it, too).

again, i'm just relaying this information. we're all tired (okay, fuck, I'M tired, i probably won't be sleeping again until the middle of July - in fact, i'll be off the net monday for at least two weeks). but basically a lot of the old open mic regulars feel that the 'vibe' and the 'love' that made Tribe's Open Mic very, very different from the many others around town, is gone...

i have to say i pretty much agree with them, there were some pretty powerful nights in there, but they haven't happened in a while. i must say, these days i myself have little inclination to get up there and read my hippie-dippie love poems (i know, i know, perhaps this is better for all of us, lol) - i did feel a lot more comfortable with it when i had an audience that would, perhaps, understand what i was saying when i mentioned things like prolonged orgasms and talking to trees, hehehe... plus, i liked pretty girls doing orisha dances and such - and i liked being in a room full of people i could exchange extensive hugs with.

case in point of what annoys me, that dude who does the pieces where he does a lot of shouting with the lights down low - yeah, voodoo moon may be a bipolar freak, but i frankly don't think it's cool to stand up on stage and say to a whole crowd 'her poetry sucks.' that, to me, is completely opposite of what tribe's about.

i definitely don't think the disgruntlement (is that a word?) is anyone's 'fault' - we've got different tastes and have all had assloads of other things to do, i know i have NOT done my share of promoting the night like i used to strictly cuz i am caught up in my own shit right now (oh my god do i have enough costumes for the Fair??!?)...

i will tell ya that i spent a lot of time last night trying to convince 'the hippies' to come back... and that i can't deal with it right now but when i get back i'd love to organize a good old-fashioned hippie-love fest like the kind we used to have at Tribe - no one else has to help me with that if they don't want to. ;-)

dori