Tag: jameson-bayles

The Apparition Juxtaposition Poetry Tour 2024 version

The Apparition Juxtaposition Poetry began last year, and it was my understanding that the intent of the series was to highlight authors published by Ghosts For Valhalla Press. I was added onto the tour last year as a special guest.

This year, the press sent out a request for published readers from Ghosts For Valhalla for The Apparition Juxtaposition Poetry Tour in support of Annegret Bucher’s “Leftovers at Joe’s Garage”. After looking at the proposed tour schedule and checking my own commitments for 2024, I went ahead and signed aboard.

The vibe of The Apparition Juxtaposition Poetry Tour is different than The Mesenchymal Reprisal Poetry Tour; Apparition is more of your stand-up poetry reading whereas Mesenchymal is more of an overall production. There is less stress on me personally with Apparition because I just have to show up and read. I don’t have to be concerned with the other elements of the tour.

Relying heavily on the house show poetry network, The Apparition Juxtaposition Poetry Tour ventured thru New Jersey, Vermont and Virginia. Everything went off without a hitch, no real hiccups along the way. I didn’t spend a lot of time attending the afterparties while on tour, but I haven’t attended a lot of parties this year. Just feeling my age all of sudden in 2024.

Before the reading at Virginia Beach, VA a bet was made between myself and my fellow author in which I lost. At the moment, I can’t remember what the bet was, but I remember the terms. Loser had to do their set in the Atlantic Ocean. The Virginia Beach host was more than willing to watch me suffer, so the location was outside onto the beach. I fulfilled my terms of the bet, but I wasn’t going to submerge myself in 54-degree water.

No mic stand, so I had to project my voice over the sound of the waves. When the waves hit, and they did indeed crash into me, the cold ocean water really jolts the old system.

The Atlantic Ocean won, but the ocean always wins.

Another nice element of this tour was that my wife and Chase, our Jack Russell Terrier were able to make it out to the Virginia Beach reading. Kim hasn’t been able to make it to a lot of the readings due to her work schedule. Chase is rarely out of the house. There are a few other readings this year in which my family will also be able to attend.

‘Till next time America.

May 2, 2024

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SPC Cameron Woolard Reading at Arlington National Cemetery

There were a few hours in between shows at Arlington, VA, and Washington D.C. of The Mesenchymal Reprisal Poetry Tour where a group of us had a chance to tour the area. Due to the current political climate in Washington, I wasn’t interested in seeing the capital or the White House. If I wanted to see buffoonery, I would catch a carney show in Pensyltucky.

I have several family and friends buried at Arlington National Cemetery, most whom I have never visited their final resting place. Cameron Woolard is a cousin of mine on my mother’s side of the family who tragically lost his life on January 24, 2021. An Afghanistan war veteran, Cameron served with the 101st Airborne Division during both Operation Enduring Freedom as well as Operation Resolute Support.

An idea was tossed around about doing a memorial reading for Cameron. I was slightly hesitant about doing it but after some contemplation, I decided to proceed with the idea. In order to enter Arlington National Cemetery, you have to go thru security at the visitor center. Parking is just outside of the visitor center, the fee is $3/hr. There is also a Metro stop just outside of the grounds as well.

While security inside the visitor center was hospitable, the traffic security inside of the cemetery definitely was not. Unless you are a member of a funeral procession, you are not allowed to drive within the Arlington Cemetery grounds. This is understandable, while the cemetery does receive a substantial number of visitors, it obviously isn’t a tourist trap. Regardless, traffic security did give me some flack about getting over to the area even though I am a relative of Cameron’s and I had the exact location of his final resting place. After dealing with all of that, I eventually made it to the Columbarium where he is inurned.

There was a pretty decent turn out of observers as well as a few poets who wanted to read a few things. The event was an informal affair, no certain lineup list, very casual etc. I started the event off by presenting my contributions of reading “The 149th Chorus” from Jack Kerouac’s “Mexico City Blues”, followed by the “The 228th Chorus” from the same selection. I concluded my set by reading “the biography of Christian O’Keefe” from my own selection. I had a feeling that Christian and Cameron would have been great friends if they ever met in human form but are probably hanging out together in Forevereverland.

I haven’t recorded any readings on any of the tours that I have been on this year so far, but I decided to upload this event for posterity reasons.

And there you have it. RIP kid.

Until next time ‘Merica.

April 24, 2024

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Prelude vibrations to The Mesenchymal Reprisal Poetry Tour 2024

This tour has become a beast of its own.

57 different locations in 13 states, and the District of Columbia.

Originally pitched as a solo tour (which I wasn’t comfortable doing), I asked poets Dan Altimus, Bracha Weiss, Linke De Vries, Jouquin Perez, Amanthi, and Sofia Ayala, visual artists Valentine Becerra and Vincent Bequet, as well as musical guest The Soulfly Tangerines, Black Cat Tuesdays, and The Liskonum Symposium if they would be interested in joining up. The theme: any interpretation they have on the phrase “mesenchymal reprisal”. They all agreed on the idea and are running with it.

Why did I not want to do a solo tour? Because I am not “that guy”. Also, generally speaking, the audience will start to lose interest in 7-10 minutes at any reading. What is the point of doing a 10-minute show at 57 locations? This tour isn’t a recital, it is a show.

In conjunction with Ghosts For Valhalla Press, I will be promoting my latest collection “Base Jumping at Taughannock Falls”.

The first leg of the tour travels thru the five boroughs of New York. There had been some original talk about beginning the tour in Upstate New York but there is no way a reading in Trumansburg, home of Taughannock State Park would be a good idea in early February. Lake effect snow and all that jazz. Manhattan, NY was selected as the first stop. The current poet lineup of myself, Dan Altimus, Bracha Weiss, and Linke De Vries, visual artist Valentina Becerra, and musical group The Soulfly Tangerines will perform during the “furloughs of the five boroughs”.

I have been asked if this is a Rusted Straitjacket Unicycle Troop production. No, it is not. While The Soulfly Tangerines and I are members of this troop, the rest of the lineup in NY are independent writers and artists. The majority of this tour is sponsored by Ghosts For Valhalla Press.

All of the presale copies of “Base Jumping at Taughannock Falls” have sold out for the NY and NJ shows. At this time, I do not have any personal copies to sell privately.

A few of the hosts on the NY tour as well as in other states have asked to sell tour t-shirts. My initial reaction was that I would be repulsed in doing so. I don’t want to be “that guy”. After some lengthy discussions with the press, the hosts as well as the performers, a t-shirt design will be voted on and created. This was a group decision. While my name is headlining this tour, the tour decisions are made as a group. No, the names of the performers involved will not be listed on the t-shirt. That was my caveat. No, I will not be selling any of these t-shirts on my website.

I have also agreed to undergo some interviews, namely from online blogs. Ghost For Valhalla Press has asked to do a video interview with me at some point during this tour and I have agreed. I have politely declined any additional interviews. My reasoning is that four interviews is enough for a 57-show tour.

I have been asked if Eventbrite will be utilized for the events at the various state parks that will be held during this tour. No, it will not and no, there will not be an admission charge to these events. More on that later.

I have been asked if any older copies of my literary works will be available for sale while on this tour. The majority of this tour is sponsored by Ghosts For Valhalla Press. You don’t sell Coke products at a Pepsi convention. So no, they will not.

Until next time ‘Merica.

January 24, 2024

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