EVENT PICS: Expressions After Dark @ JOSH Lounge

On Thursday nights, I'm usually enjoying poetry in the SBC ... so it wasn't a stretch for me to go out to seek some creative expression this past Thursday (05.07.09). That night, I found myself inside JOSH Lounge, indulging in "Expressions After Dark" hosted by NSpired (pictured below) of NSpired Promotions.


Even though the show started well past the time I was given (like SUPER CPT! lol), once things got started, it was well worth the wait ...

NSpired kicked off the event with a poem from her repertoire .... then I was treated to the vocal stylings of KFK ... (pictured below). He may look like an aspiring rapper but the boy can BLOW. He sang several songs and even shouted out some local talent (like L-Jai and 5 Entertainment). So look him up!

Then, the poetic offerings continued with Nigerian-born AYODELE (Ayooooo! ... pictured above) who lives in Michigan. Even with his thick (but cute) accent, his prose is powerful. He was BAD ...

Also during the evening, I was introduced to a genre called "Spoken Soul", created by husband and wife team MAHOGANY DUST. They're like a mix between Kindred and Floetry.

DNA (the husband) flexes his spoken word muscles, speaking melodic truths, and Gi-Twice (the wife) sings her way into your heart, perfectly complementing her hubby's poetry with beautiful lyrics.

Both are also talented acoustic musicians ... which means they didn't bring anything but themselves and their instruments -- no sound system, no recorded tracks, all pure, soulful music.

• Check them out at www.myspace.com/mahoganydust. My song is "Today" but check them ALL out.

Another powerful poet/spoken word artist blessed the mic ... FUTURE the Poet is also from Michigan and told me that this is what he does for a living. Though the pics on his MySpace page do him NO justice, besides being extra fine ... he is an amazing poet and skilled business man :)

(Ayo)

(NSpired)

(DNA)

The evening was off to a slow start, and ended kind of late (for a Thursday), but it was well worth it. I left there feeling ... well ... NSPIRED! :) And my creative spirit was well-fed. I came there to just be a journalist ... and left there a FAN. I thank them all ...

• Expressions After Dark happens every Thursday night at JOSH Lounge. Artists are welcome to come out and bless the mic. Sign-up starts at 7 pm, the show starts at 8 pm. Go to http://www.nspiredpromotions.net/ to find out more.

** See ALL the pics from this event HERE!!!!