Happy New Year!

Welcome to the new Tongues of Fire blog! Better bookmark this baby because you'll want to be able to reference this quickly. We'll be updating it with info on upcoming shows, features, special events and nude photos of Steven J. Thompson.

The first half of the season has gone off without a hitch. We've had some amazing features and consistently impressive open mics. We'll be kicking off our second 'semester' with a mind-blowing double feature. Those of you who made it to the last show of '08 will already be well familiar with the delightful work of Mr. R.C. Weslowski. He will be returning sans Brendan McLeod but avec Chris Gilpin. If you weren't impressed enough with him already perhaps you will be after learning that R.C. had been on the Vancouver Slam Team, FIVE effing times! (That's a lot!) He was also one of the poets of honour at this years Canadian Festival for Spoken Word and has done a lot of other stuff you would probably find impressive but we think his work speaks for itself so check out the fabulous absurdity of it all on his MySpace.

What's that? You're wondering who this "Chris Gilpin" character is? Well, you may remember him from last year under his dearly departed stage alias "Faust Mackenzie" or you may have no idea who he is. If you haven't had the pleasure of seeing Chris perform you better make sure you're at the Solstice Cafe on January 8th for the first show of 2009. If you want to check out Chris's work in the meantime so you can yell out requests and make him feel like he has a fan base in Victoria you can go to his MySpace. (Yes, all us poets still use MySpace-- it's so vintage, makes you feel like you're back in 2006!)

Well, that's about all the updates for now but please check back regularly for info on future shows as well as the Slams which will be taking place on the third Thursday of every month at Solstice.