Open Mic, TWO Featured Poets and an Open Slam with $100 1st place prize

Billy Tuggle, a native of Chicago’s south side, is a performance poet who uses heritage and urban culture as a platform for what HipHop ambassador Kris “KRS-ONE” Parker calls “edutainment”. With great artist/ activist/ cultural influences such as KRS, Bob & Rita Marley, Bad Brains, Ben Harper and his own performance poetry contemporaries, Billy is always striding to push forward the art of the spoken word in original directions.

Since 2003, Billy has been a principal performer in Chicago’s spoken word scene. That year he and his original work appeared in the local and independently produced film Urban Poet. That was surrounded by slam successes in Berkeley, San Francisco and Chicago invitational slams. He has qualified for the National Poetry Slam 5 times for Chicagoland teams. He is the 2008 Mental Graffiti Grand Slam Champion. He was also a 2006 NPS semifinalist and Rustbelt Midwest champion, with Mental Graff; Also notable was the 2007 Palatine, IL team for which he served as player-coach at the Dallas Invitational and NPS. Competing on the national slam circuit has allowed Billy to tour the continent’s most popular poetry slam areas and venues- Boston/Cambridge; San Francisco Bay; Seattle; Vancouver; Austin; the Twin Cities; New York- and most anywhere you can find a poetry reading. For 2 years he co-organized and co-hosted Mental Graffiti and is a “permanent guest host” for the Heartland Café’s In One Ear open mic.

Both inspirational and hilarious with an exceptional set of pipes, Amy Steinberg is a goddess troubadour wandering the countryside with a purpose. She is on a mission to incite a groove riot in her audience, inviting them to sing, clap and laugh along. Her spiritual essence mixed with a socio-conscious attitude makes for an enlightening experience to be had by all. Fans call her “wildly attractive” and “life changing” while critics say she is in a “league of her own” (LA Music Connection). She is currently touring in support of her 8th cd, “Fall Down to Fly” which displays her theatrical training as well as her musical prowess. Classically trained on piano and self-taught on guitar, with a bombastic belt and a dynamic presence, Amy’s shows are jubilee meets revival.

To attempt to describe Amy Steinberg adequately is a fairly hopeless task. She is, simply put, a force of nature–spiritual, sexual, social, ethereal, earthy, and emblematic. Classically trained on piano, self-taught on guitar, Amy also has a background in songwriting, theater, poetry and humor. Along with her heavy touring schedule both for her music shows and her one-woman theatrical performances, Amy is currently filling in some of her free time by writing a novel. -Rocco, Pro Star Studios

Intergalactic universal truths and fearless ranting siphoned through compelling poetic acoustic rock tunes is what you might expect from a set by Amy Steinberg. -Epic Arts, Berkeley, CA

Amy makes us laugh until our eyes water and we nod with smiles as she reminds us that we are all connected to her, to each other. -Family Tree, Tallahassee

Extraordinary talent and flair for writing memorable songs brimming with irresistible choruses and thought-provoking lyrics. -Rag Magazine, South Florida

Peculiar, consistent magic. -Orlando Weekly, Orlando