The Ground Level is proud to be hosting this year’s 2009 Toledo City Paper Poetry & Fiction Awards Party , Thursday Aug. 13, 5:30-8:30.
This is the perfect fit for us! As you all know GL owners Imani Lateef and Jesse Lipman are both established Toledo Poets. So this evening promises to be a very exciting event for us. Historic Even!
The party is FREE and open to the public. Appetizers and complimentary drinks will be available.
AUGUST EVENTS
The Party doesn’t stop there. The Month of August is Full of exciting events. Read the “newsletter” below for details.
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GET READY growing Ground Level family, it’s big fun in the summer this August at Toledo’s place to be for community based performance, events, and coffee. Summer’s heat has been late coming, but it’s just in time for the hottest stretch of events our coffee house has put together yet.
It all jumps off Monday night, August 3rd with our weekly, but never weak, open mic night. This is your chance to be in the spotlight or just support your friends. Anything goes; music, poems, jokes, we’ve even had a vocal violinist. Other highlights include The Fairly Handsome Band on Wednesday the 5th doing a mix of tunes including the only set of Hawaiian music you’re likely to find in town. The Soul-Oh concert series returns on Friday the 14th hosted by our talented house vocalist YASU and featuring top local soul, neo soul and hip hop performers. And our weekly Spoken Word night flows every Thursday. It starts at 8, but you know those poets, they come late and linger into the smoky late night mist. So, who knows where these Thursday nights will go, but it’s always interesting.
Sounds good… but wait, there’s much much more. Thursday, August 13th The 2009 Toledo City Paper Poetry and Fiction Awards Show is right here. Honor and hear our city’s literary winners, mingle with local writers and media and enjoy the party. It starts early, 5:30 (hint: free food, but won’t last long). Then, Saturday, August 15th we do our second Ground Level Poetry Slam. If you’ve never been to a poetry slam, and like poetry – even just a little – this is a can’t miss event. A lineup of performance poets recite their most crowd friendly pieces in a contest for cash prizes. Slams are a mix of the silly and the serious, the sexy and the hilarious, the political and the anti-PC. It’s an open sign up, so poets… start practicing and arrive early.
Now, that would be a great month, but there’s more coming than an infomercial. On Saturday the 22nd we go nuts, in an artistically inclined way, with our Live Art Fest. Forget those stuffy gallery openings and guided tours, this is art happening, living, and all around you. We’ve got live painters, glass blowers, dancers, poets, a frickin mural going up on our parking lot wall, and more. Who knows, you may become part of the show as audience and artist become one.
But wait… we’ve also got one of the Ground Level’s favorite customers and most community minded people, Steve North, putting on an event Friday, August 7th . Steve will recite his poetry and bring in a great mix of poets and performers along with open mic time for folks who wanna drop by. The next night, Saturday the 8th another GL regular Michael H. Adams returns for a night of mostly acoustic music in our cozy and comfortable (don’t say nothing about those black couches) performance lounge. Later, on Friday, August 28th Thosefellas come back to host an informal networking and game night. If you haven’t been to one of their events, check this one out. They do a great job of bringing good folks together. Scrabble, Go, Spades, Chess… old or brand new friends. Starts around 6 and goes till about 11.
And if you act now we’ll even throw in a handful of new acts make their feature debut on our stage. Check out The Eights Fifteens and Amanda Belt each doing a set or two of tunes on Wednesday, the 19th. Both of these acts got their start on our open mic night and worked their way into a feature spot, maybe you can to. Or make your way to 2636 W. Central Ave on Friday the 19th for Betsy and a Ukelele. I know, you’re thinking “what???” don’t ask, just come. Betsy and her uke are tons of fun. Another new, but highly anticipated group, is Hickory Wind. Get ready for them to blow you away with a crowd ready blend of bluegrass, southern rock and more on Saturday, August 29th.
Now, if you need a breather after all that, we got you covered. Our Get Grounded yoga series continues on Sunday mornings at 9:30, August 2nd and 9th, then, takes a two week break before coming back on the 30th. This is a great 45 minute yoga class led by Jenn McCullough of Integration Yoga Studio followed by a healthy and hearty brunch. Sign up for the whole series, drop by for a morning, or just do yoga or get a plate (or two). And, finally, if all this got your head spinning faster than a talk radio hack, get yourself realigned using the sound frequencies of the universe. For real, on Wednesday, August 12th frequency attunement practicioner Tobi Saad demonstrates how sound can be used to center your body. Then, offers free sessions to anyone interested.
If you can’t find something here for you, then you just don’t want to be found. See ya around, we’re always here at Ground Level.
