(headline nods to the title of a poem performed tonight by Ravina Wadhwani: “Fluid”)
By Paige Pelonis, Art from Ashes
“You at home, too; put down the fork, the cat, the joint, whatever you’re holding onto,” show producer Melanie Rae said as she took the mic and taught us all how to STAND, even those of us listening to the show from the comfort of home.
She started off with a little bit of silly and fun before shifting effortlessly into inspiration and the smoothest call to action for each of us to Stand! in the name and spirit of Sly Stone. Then C-Bone and the Soul Shack Players played the song while Melanie signed and we all sang and danced along.
I was one of the lucky ones. I was not tuning in from home. I was live and in person at the Secret Tiki Island with the Long Beach Soul Collective, shutting down one of the coolest parties unfolding in Long Beach.
That’s all I have to say about it. Okay, that’s not true, there is SO MUCH more to say (I always have more to say!).
So, here we go:
From the vendors in the back with gorgeous clothing for sale and journals on a mission to save the lives of young boys and men, to the artists and poets and musicians who climbed on stage tonight, everybody in this room has a story.
“I don’t pledge no allegiance, I don’t expect no applause.”
— Miles Ananda, Instagram @miles199x
(he definitely got our applause, anyway!)
As I listened to Miles, an LA-based music artist, express gratitude for being in Long Beach tonight, declare that poetry was his first love, and share that it was “divine” that he landed here tonight (“shoutouts to Philsophy!”) … I took note as everyone (myself included) in the room somehow seemed to smile and nod, as if we all wanted to say something to the effect of, “Hey, same here.”
Truth be told, I was supposed to be working tonight, and I’ve been dreading the arrival of this night that I would have to miss out on. FOMO hits me hard, and, if I’m being honest, I cope with disappointment with passive-aggressive digs (aimed mostly at myself) and stressful overworking … it has been a long week, and it’s only Wednesday night!
And then, as luck (or divine inspiration as Miles put it, and I think I agree) would have it, one thing after another literally hopped off my plate as the day unpacked itself, and suddenly it was 6:15pm, and my evening was free!
So, I jumped in my car and headed to the Secret Island in Downtown Long Beach (not sure where that is?! You’re not alone! Hit me up, I’ll point you in the right direction to this tropical speak easy!).
I made it exactly on time for the night to begin and sunk so quickly into an evening of music, poetry, community, and that easy neighborhood kind of fun that tastes familiar like backyard s’mores and warm, melty hugs that stick with you the whole ride home.
“Long Beach: all we have is one another.”
— Chad Bishop, Acoustic Soul Express, C-Bone and the Soul Shack Players, & Long Beach Soul Collective
I heard it said tonight (by Philosophy) that Chad has been planting seeds and they have been growing into sunflowers, and for me, that is for sure. Sunflowers are happy thoughts for me, and tonight was filled with ‘em. They are the locally renowned poets, musicians, and storytellers sharing their stage with intention (like sunflowers beaming into sunshine before dropping seeds into the earth and sprouting more) and spreading love like only Long Beach knows how.
The whole room was lined with smiles and people swapping stories and then shushing each other so they could hear the live poetry and then heading to the bar to support the local watering hole and then clapping in sync and then rinsing (with whatever tiki-flavored libation they may have picked up from the bar) and repeating!
It’s impossible to take it all it all in, so I suggest you just BE HERE next time. For now, a few big ideas I am taking home tonight include:
“My love is a sensitive summer thing.”
— Ravina Wadhwani, “Nourish”
“Sometimes I may doubt myself, but never the poetry.”
—Tommy Domino, “Dreams”
“You were made to be seen.”
— Waldo Is Here
And finally:
The mic is hot. The room is full. Waldo Is Here. And the entire show is LIVE on KLBP Radio 99.1FM. What else could you want … like, seriously?
The Long Beach Soul Collective event takes place every first and third Wednesday of the month from 6:30-9pm at the Secret Tiki Island in Downtown Long Beach in collaboration with local vendors and community-based organizations in a celebration of music, art, poetry, storytelling, and community that is unparalleled.
