Mon 3/16 @ 8PM
Much “performance poetry” has a musty feel. A lot of it is gray-bearded oldsters declaiming society’s ills with a stilted delivery that feels like it’s desperately trying to recapture the dated groove and nihilistic outrage of the ’50s beats.
That’s why Cleveland’s Ray McNiece is so refreshing. He’s not just a performance poet, although he is that. He’s also an actor, a storyteller and a musician, who communicates his words and his messages in rhythms that feel as natural as conversation.
He’s travelled widely, performing all over the world, and he’s collaborated with many other artists and performers, which helps give his work an improvisational feel, as if he’s listening as well as speaking and responding to the environment around him.
McNiece will be performing at the latest Neighborhood Night at the Beachland Tavern, which features musicians from the North Collinwood area. Jazz vocalist Nancy Redd and jazz pianist Leo Coach will also be playing on an evening that will have a jazzier, more boho vibe than the usual Neighborhood Nights, which lean toward singer/songwriters and bluesy rock.
It’s free.