Are you a fan of acoustic guitars, poetry recitations, throw-pillow chairs, a relaxed environment and socks being optional? Then you need to attend the next Slam and Jam event at the OneLove Culture Shop at 27 East Cross St. in Ypsilanti’s Depot Town. The building is co-owned by Jonathon Doyle and Brooke Wilbanks. The couple was very happy with the inaugural event and plans to host many more like it.
“We want to start hosting artistic showcases likes this twice a month,” Doyle said. “And it’s open ended. We just want a place for artistic expression. Any and all acts are welcome.”
Literally any kind of performance piece is acceptable at OneLove. The Slam and Jam showcased an eclectic variety of performances that featured poetry readings, musical acts, turn-table deejaying, and a very unique comedy routine and hand massage demonstration.
Craig A. Combs emceed the Jam and read poems from his recent publication titled, “Singing Through The Shadows Until We’re Dancing In The Light: Taking Tea in the Black Rose.” His poems kicked off the event and rebooted the festivities after a brief intermission. The highlight of his read works was a poem called, “The Creative Science of Destruction,” which exposed the paradoxical intertwining of the two philosophies of creation and destruction. The poem attempted to show how when something gets deconstructed enough, you can actually begin to create something new.
The main inspiration for Combs wanting to host the event stemmed from his first exposure to performing on stage. He explained how up until very recently in his life he’d had no plans about sharing his work with the world. But a chance experiment in Plymouth, Mich., gave him a chance to get his feet wet, and now he can’t get enough of the crowd experience.
“I’ve learned to ignore the shadows of doubt behind me,” Combs said. “I’ve learned to channel my fears. And now I’ve got this itch to be on stage all the time.”
Combs said he hoped the event would inspire more people to have an experience like his, where one toe on the stage would lead to a full-fledged willingness to get up and reject shyness. A myriad of different performers graced the stage and their diversity and overall accumulation was a pleasurable potion of artistic alchemy.
Musical acts like Hippie Zack, The Noise Birds and Secrets Don’t Make Friends played acoustic versions of their original songs. While some of the pieces were admittedly works in progress, the bands were cognizant of an audience dying to sing-along. The Noise Birds obliged that desire by covering Green Day’s “Welcome to Paradise” and the Eagles’ “Hotel California.” SDMF also paid tribute to one of their favorite musical acts by covering Demi Lovato’s “Skyscraper.”
The best part about the event is that it’s free, which is a key ingredient to any student artist living on limited funds. What one can really appreciate about the OneLove experience is with the event being free and open to everyone, you don’t have to worry about being a polished four-star musical act or published poet.
The folks at OneLove are opening its doors to any and all performers because they know how difficult that first word of your original work can be in front of others. If you have original work that hasn’t been heard or seen by anyone but your cat, take advantage of OneLove’s welcoming atmosphere. People who aren’t necessarily poets or songwriters can also get exposure by offering to sell their own hand-made clothing or glass-blown items.
The shop is available on Facebook and its website is oneloveculture.com. Check to learn about the next event, or contact the store at 734-544-3490 for more details.
