Strange Famous Records recording artist, Sage Francis, played Slim’s last night (09/06). Although Francis is best known for his underground hip-hop preformances and albums, this night was very different from that. The night was an evening of spoken word performances by Francis and Bernard Dolan. Just a man with a microphone and a lot to say...

Bernard Dolan opened and reappeared throughout the evening. His subjects were gritty, his rhythms were varied, and the man had excellent diction. In addition to his three poems at the top (one being a chillingly graphic portrait of an undertaker), Dolan performed two characters later on. The first was a personification of our nation’s warmongering blood thirst. And the second was Evel Knievel.

No matter how surprisingly entertaining Dolan could be, the crowd was there to see Sage Francis. In an army jacket, army boots, and red sergeant glasses, his appearance was ironic to say the least. His set displayed a wide array of spoken word art in an honest, callous way. There were straight up poems, chitchat, a cappella renditions of classic tracks, and what appeared to be stand-up. It all ran together in a captivating blend of unpretentious self-expression.

If you’re not familiar with Sage Francis pick up a copy of Sick of Waging War or check out some of these links
Sage Francis on Myspace
Strange Famous Records
Sage Francis Videos on Youtube