Miscellaneous Mad Swirlings

Mad Swirl Open Mic : 05.04.11

2011-04-27T19:52:00.001-05:00

The MAD Swirl God has moved ME to share with YOU this powerful MAD MESSAGE. As I was sleeping early in the WEE hours of the night, I was awakened by a strange & POWERFUL sense. I felt shaking in my Bones, Dear brethren, & KNEW deep within MY heart & soul that this was the one, the only, the MAD Swirl God stirring me from SLUMBER. As I awoke, I SLID to my knees in a humble & receptive prayer:

"Yes, MAD Swirl" I whispered, wiping sleep from mine MAD eyes.

"My child," The Swirl spoke. "You have done MAD things in my name. You printed MAD Zines. You WOVEN a MAD web in the WWW. You have swirled the madness WHEREever you can. It is time for more MAD work."

"Just tell me MAD Swirl, What will you have me to do?" I said.

"My child," Lord Swirl spoke. "You must spread the MADNESS to the MASSES. You must beseech ALL the MAD ONES and the 'AWWW'-ers to open their hearts once more. This time, ye shall tell them to give of their poems, songs, stories, monologues, dance & their sacrificial love offerings of applause and finger-snaps to the ministry of the MAD Swirl OPEN MIC"

"MAD Swirl OPEN MIC Lord Swirl?"

"The trinity of MAD Swirl" God said. "The Lord Swirl, thy God, has spoken."

So brothers and sisters, I ask you this day, to fall on your knees and Listen to the dear Lord Swirl would have you to do on this FIRST Wednesday...

"ALL ye MAD Poets, Musicians, Actors, Singers and/or Performers WHO Live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, come-YE-n-strut-yo-stuff.

Come Oneth. Come Alleth. Come to Participateth. Come to Appreciateth. Come to Supporteth your fellow MAD ONES.

Cometh and JOIN host Brother JOHNNY O and co-host Brother MH CLAY, and the Musical MAD ones SWIRVE as The MIC Opens up AROUND 8:00 and CLOSES when I SAYETH So. GO FORTH to MADSwirl.COM for MORE Information."

Whatever Lord Swirl tells you, you mustn't question. Do not, I repeat, do not let the LYING DEVIL try to tell you otherwise. Lord Swirl is serious about this. If you love MAD Swirl, you will COME.

Hallelujah!
Reverend Brother Elder Swirl the 7th

P.S. IF you're Interested in performing... show up ON TIME the night of and get on the list!

Where willeth this madness take place? Absinthe Lounge is at 1409 South Lamar Street, Dallas, TX 75215 (located in the SouthSide on Lamar building)

fo'mo'info' visit www.MadSwirl.com

Mad Swirl Open Mic : 04.06.11

2011-03-31T17:16:00.001-05:00

“Do not quench your inspiration and your imagination.” ~ Vincent Van Gogh

Is your i-mad-gination thirsty for some madness? Ours sure is. It seems like a whole month since the last time we swirled up some madness. Oh wait, it was! So, let's get our poetic and musical drink on, whaddya say?

On 04.06.11, starting at 8:00-ish, Mad Swirl will continue doing the open mic voodoo that what we do do! Join host Johnny O and co-host MH Clay, along with the musically magical trio Swirve and the usual unusual mad suspects as we do our darndest to both blow and open your minds. We will be callin' all you mystically mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad stuff!

Come one, come all! Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to celebrate this open mic madness!

Interested in performing? Then show up the night of and get on the list!

Mad Swirl Open Mic: It's THE place to be on the first Wednesday of the month!

Where's this madness take place? Absinthe Lounge is at 1409 South Lamar Street, Dallas, TX 75215 (located in the SouthSide on Lamar building)

And please, by all means, FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE WORD!

fo'mo'info' visit www.MadSwirl.com

Mad Swirl Open Mic : 03.02.11

2011-02-23T18:46:00.005-06:00

“A person needs a little madness, or else they never dare cut the rope and be free” ~ Nikos Kazantzakis

We here at Mad Swirl second that motion! We've been feeling kinda rope cutty. Hows'a'bout you?

On 03.02.11, starting at 8:00-ish, Mad Swirl will continue doing the open mic voodoo that what we do do! Join host Johnny O and co-host MH Clay, along with the musically magical trio Swirve and the usual unusual mad suspects as we do our darndest to both blow and open your minds. We will be callin' all you mystically mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad stuff!

Come one, come all! Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to celebrate this open mic madness!

Interested in performing? Then show up the night of and get on the list!

Mad Swirl Open Mic: It's THE place to be on the first Wednesday of the month!

Where's this madness take place? Absinthe Lounge is at 1409 South Lamar Street, Dallas, TX 75215 (located in the SouthSide on Lamar building)

And please, by all means, FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE WORD!

fo'mo'info' visit www.MadSwirl.com

Mad Swirl Open Mic : 02.02.11

2011-01-26T17:22:00.003-06:00

Yep, it's that time again. What time you ask? Time to get our "Awww!" on!

0n 02.02.11, starting at 8:00-ish, Mad Swirl will continue doing the open mic voodoo that what we do do on and into 2011! Join host Johnny O and co-host MH Clay, along with the musically magical trio Swirve and the usual unusual mad suspects as we do our darndest to both blow and open your minds. We will be callin' all you swirlingly mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad, mad stuff!

Come one, come all! Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to celebrate this open mic madness!

Interested in performing? Then show up the night of and get on the list!

Mad Swirl Open Mic: It's THE place to be on the first Wednesday of the month!

Where's this madness take place? Absinthe Lounge is at 1409 South Lamar Street, Dallas, TX 75215 (located in the SouthSide on Lamar building)

And please, by all means, FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE WORD!

fo'mo'info' visit www.MadSwirl.com

“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes 'Awww!'” Jack Kerouac

Mad Swirl Open Mic : 01.05.11

2010-12-30T16:55:00.001-06:00

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, / and never brought to mind? / Should auld acquaintance be forgot / and days of auld lang syne? You know what we say? F@ck Yeah! Let's leave 2010 behind us where it belongs and ring in the 2011 in swirling mad style!

0n 01.05.11, starting at 8:00-ish, Mad Swirl will continue doing the open mic voodoo that what we do do on and into 2011! Join host Johnny O and co-host MH Clay, along with the musically magical trio Swirve and the usual unusual mad suspects as we do our darndest to both blow and open your minds. We will be callin' all you swirlingly mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad, mad stuff!

Come one, come all! Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to celebrate this open mic madness!

Interested in performing? Then show up the night of and get on the list!

Mad Swirl Open Mic: It's THE place to be on the first Wednesday of the month!

Where's this madness take place? Absinthe Lounge is at 1409 South Lamar Street, Dallas, TX 75215 (located in the SouthSide on Lamar building)

And please, by all means, FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE WORD!

fo'mo'info' visit www.MadSwirl.com

“Either move or be moved.” Ezra Pound

Notes of Gratitude to ALL the Open Mic Mad Ones : 12.01.10

2010-12-02T11:46:00.003-06:00

••• Notes of Gratitude to ALL the Open Mic Mad Ones •••

0n 12.01.10, Mad Swirl continued to do the poetic & musical open mic voodoo that what we do do every 1st Wednesday of the month at Absinthe Lounge! The crowd in the Lounge dug the musical musings of Swirve. Then hosts Johnny O and Gordon Hilgers got to callin' all the mad poets, musicians, singers & performers & a few other miscellaneous mad ones in Absinthe Lounge to come & strut their mad stuff! And strut it they did!

Mad Swirlin' thanks to the following mad ones that made this past open mic one of the most wonder-filled nights ever... (in order of appearance)

Johnny O (host)
Gordon Hilgers (co-host)
BA
Lilly Penhall
Roderick Richardson
Alex P
Maggie Smith
Andrew Marstellar
Josh Weir
Emily Riggert
James Hargrave
Victory
Chris Zimmerly
Desmene Statum
Konnichiwa Zach
Hammer
THE Chris
Jason Gully
Justin David Tate
Amy Ledbetter
Charlie Tips

A very special swirlin’ thanks to the hep cats who are Swirve. Gerard Bendiks kept the beat on skins and trumpeteer Chris Curiel keepin' us movin' and groovin' all night long! All the ingredients needed for the trip they took us on, note-by-note.

HUGE thanks to Absinthe Lounge owner Kevin Christensen for allowing us mad ones to go with our flow for AMOST 6 years now. And a shout-out to the fine Lounge staffers for keeping the mad spirits fillin' and swillin' for us buzzed mad ones.

And finally we would like to thank ALL of you who freely shared their hand claps, finger-snaps, hoots and howls with all the mad ones who got up on this sacred mad swirlin' mic.

••• Mad Swirl Open Mic 01.05.2011 •••

0n 01.05.11, starting at 8:00-ish, Mad Swirl will continue doing the open mic voodoo that what we do do on and into 2011! Join host Johnny O and co-host MH Clay,along with the musically magical trio Swirve and the usual unusual mad suspects as we do our darndest to both blow and open your minds. We will be callin' all you mystically mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad stuff!

Come one, come all! Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to be a part of the madness!

••• Interested in Performing? •••

Are you a mad poet, musician, actor, singer and/or performer? (circus freaks and Elvis impersonators always welcome) Do you live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area? Then come-n-strut-yo-stuff.

Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to support your fellow mad ones.

The mic opens up around 8:00 and closes when there's no one left standing. Show up the night of and get on the list!

Got questions? E-mail us at openmic@madswirl.com for further details that may not be listed here.

Mad Swirl Open Mic at Absinthe Lounge. It's THE place to be on the first Wednesday of the month! (it's also THE place for 1st Wednesday's $2 drafts/$5 Mad Absinthes)

And please, by all means, FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE WORD!

••• Where's This Madness Take Place? •••

Absinthe Lounge is located in the SouthSide on Lamar building.

1409 South Lamar Street • Dallas, TX 75215

Mad Swirl Open Mic : 12.01.10

2010-11-25T08:12:00.002-06:00

Are you ready to get your madness on? It's been like a whole month since we got our swirlin'n'groovin' moves on and we are in the need for some mad mic action!

This 1st Wednesday starting at 8:00, Mad Swirl host Johnny O and co-host MH Clay, along with the musically magical trio Swirve open this mic and do our darndest to both blow and open your minds. We will be callin' all you swirlingly mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad, mad stuff!

Come one, come all! Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to celebrate this open mic madness!

Interested in performing? Then show up the night of and get on the list!

Mad Swirl Open Mic: It's THE place to be on the first Wednesday of the month!

Where's this madness take place? Absinthe Lounge is at 1409 South Lamar Street, Dallas, TX 75215 (located in the SouthSide on Lamar building)

And please, by all means, FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE WORD!

fo'mo'info' visit www.MadSwirl.com

“Either move or be moved.” Ezra Pound

Mad Swirl Open Mic : 11.03.10

2010-10-27T16:37:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday to us... Happy Birthday to us... Happy Birthday Mad Swirl Open Mic!... Happy Birthday to us!!!

Yep, that's right, Mad Swirl will be celebrating our 6th year of open mic madness! And 0n 11.03.10, starting at 8:00, Mad Swirl will continue into our 7th year of doing what we do! Join host Johnny O and co-host MH Clay, along with the musically magical trio Swirve Wright as we do our darndest to both blow and open your minds. We will be callin' all you swirlingly mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad, mad stuff!

Come one, come all! Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to celebrate this open mic madness!

Interested in performing? Then show up the night of and get on the list!

Mad Swirl Open Mic: It's THE place to be on the first Wednesday of the month!

Where's this madness take place? Absinthe Lounge is at 1409 South Lamar Street, Dallas, TX 75215 (located in the SouthSide on Lamar building)

And please, by all means, FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE WORD!

fo'mo'info' visit www.MadSwirl.com

“It takes a long time to grow young.” Pablo Picasso

Notes of Gratitude to ALL the Mad Ones!

2010-10-07T12:05:00.002-05:00

Notes of Gratitude to ALL the Mad Ones!

0n 10.06.10, Mad Swirl continued to do the poetic & musical open mic voodoo that what we do do every 1st Wednesday of the month at Absinthe Lounge! The crowd in the Lounge dug the musical musings of Swirve Wright. Then hosts Johnny O and MH Clay got to callin' all the mad poets, musicians, singers & performers & a few other miscellaneous mad ones in Absinthe Lounge to come & strut their mad stuff! And strut it they did!

Mad Swirlin' thanks to the following mad ones that made this past open mic one of the most wonder-filled nights ever... (in order of appearance)

(huge grats to Lisa Walker for her mad shutterbuggin'!)

Johnny O (host)
MH Clay (co-host)
Chris Hamilton
Lilly Penhall
Gordon Hilgers
Paul Sexton
Desmene Statum
Roderick Richardson
BA
Chris Zimmerly
Emily Riggert
Joe Bell
Merlin the Magical One
Sam Modica
Josh Weir
Opalina Salas
Kerseymere
Konnichiwa Zach
Maggie Smith
Andrew Marstellar
Victory
Semme Fatal
Alex P
Cara
Danny Chibli

A very special swirlin’ thanks to the hep cats who are Swirve Wright. We dug the mad ticklin' of the keys from pianist Bernard Wright while Gerard Bendiks kept the beat on skins and trumpeteer Chris Curiel keepin' us movin' and groovin' all night long!

HUGE thanks to Absinthe Lounge owner Kevin Christensen for allowing us mad ones to go with our flow for ALMOST 6 years now. And a shout-out to the fine Lounge staffers for keeping the mad spirits fillin' and swillin' for us buzzed mad ones.

And finally we would like to thank ALL of you who freely shared their hand claps, finger-snaps, hoots and howls with all the mad ones who got up on this sacred mad swirlin' mic.

Mad Swirl Open Mic : 10.06.10

2010-09-30T17:27:00.001-05:00

The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!” Jack Kerouac

Ready to get your "Awww!" on? We thought so!

0n 10.06.10, starting at 8:00, Mad Swirl will continue doing the open mic madness that what we do! Join host Johnny O and co-host MH Clay, along with the musically magical trio Swirve Wright as we do our darndest to both blow and open your minds. We will be callin' all you swirlingly mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad, mad stuff!

Come one, come all! Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to be a part of the madness!

Interested in performing? Then show up the night of and get on the list!

Mad Swirl Open Mic: It's THE place to be on the first Wednesday of the month!

Where's this madness take place? Absinthe Lounge is at 1409 South Lamar Street, Dallas, TX 75215 (located in the SouthSide on Lamar building)

And please, by all means, FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE WORD!

fo'mo'info' visit www.MadSwirl.com

Mad Swirl Open Mic : 09.01.10

2010-08-26T17:16:00.004-05:00

"But I don’t want to go among mad people," Alice remarked. • "Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat. "We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad." • "How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice. • "You must be,” said the Cat. 'or you wouldn’t have come here."

Do YOU want to go among the mad ones? We thought so!

0n 09.01.10, starting at 8:00, Mad Swirl will continue doing the open mic madness that what we do! Join host Johnny O and co-host MH Clay, along with the musically magical trio Swirve as we do our darndest to both blow and open your minds. We will be callin' all you swirlingly mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad, mad stuff!

Come one, come all! Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to be a part of the madness!

Interested in performing? Then show up the night of and get on the list!

Mad Swirl Open Mic: It's THE place to be on the first Wednesday of the month!

Where's this madness take place? Absinthe Lounge is at 1409 South Lamar Street, Dallas, TX 75215 (located in the SouthSide on Lamar building)

And please, by all means, FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE WORD!

fo'mo'info' visit www.MadSwirl.com

Mad Swirl Open Mic : 08.04.10

2010-07-30T16:20:00.001-05:00

0n 08.04.10, starting at 8:00-ish, Mad Swirl will continue doing the open mic voodoo that what we do do! Join host Johnny O along with the musically magical trio Swirve, and the usual unusual mad suspects as we do our darndest to both blow and open your minds. We will be callin' all you mystically mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad stuff!

Come one, come all! Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to be a part of the madness!

For more open mic information visit MadSwirl.com

Mad Swirlin' Grats to the Open Mic'n Mad Ones on 01.06.10!

2010-01-07T16:46:00.003-06:00

::: Notes of Gratitude :::

0n 01.06.10, Mad Swirl saw in the new year by continuing to do the poetic & musical open mic voodoo that what we do do every 1st Wednesday of the month at Absinthe Lounge! The crowd in the Lounge dug the musical musings of Swirve. Then host Johnny O got to callin' all the mad poets, musicians, singers & performers & a few other miscellaneous mad ones in Absinthe Lounge to come & strut their mad stuff! And strut it they did!

Mad Swirlin' thanks to the following mad ones that made this first 2010 open mic a most wonder-filled and mad start to the new year... (click here to view pics)

Johnny O (host)
Chris Zimmerly
Chris Hamilton
Gordon Hilgers
Roderick Richardson
Scott Howell
Josh Weir
Lindsay Haley
Joey Cloudy
MH Clay
Konichiwa Zack
Allison
Hammer
Misty
Michael Lagoki
Joe
Janelle
D. Anson Brody
Suzanne Kimbrell
John Kelly

A very special swirlin’ thanks to the hep cats who are Swirve. We dug the scene that amazin' mad man Chris Curiel on trumpet, Tamitha Curiel on vocals and Gerard Bendiks on skins created to keep us movin', groovin' all night long!

HUGE thanks to Absinthe Lounge owner Kevin Christensen for allowing us mad ones to go with our flow for OVER 5 years now. And a shout-out to the fine Lounge staffers for keeping the mad spirits fillin' and swillin' for us mad ones.

And finally we would like to thank ALL of you who freely shared their hand claps, finger-snaps, hoots and howls with all the mad ones who got up on this sacred mad swirlin' mic.

::: What's Swirlin' At Our Next Open Mic? :::

0n 02.04.10, starting at 8:00-ish, Mad Swirl will continue doing the open mic voodoo that what we do do! Join host Johnny O along with the musically magical trio Swirve, and the usual unusual mad suspects as we do our darndest to both blow and open your minds. We will be callin' all you mystically mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad stuff!

::: Interested in Performing?

Are you a mad poet, musician, actor, singer and/or performer? (circus freaks and Elvis impersonators always welcome) Do you live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area? Then come-n-strut-yo-stuff.

Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to support your fellow mad ones.

Got questions? E-mail us at openmic@madswirl.com.

Mad Swirl Open Mic at Absinthe Lounge. It's THE place to be on the first Wednesday of the month! (it's also THE place for 1st Wednesday's $2 drafts/$5 Mad Absinthes)

And please, by all means, FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE WORD!

::: Where's This Madness Take Place? :::

Absinthe Lounge is located in the SouthSide on Lamar building.

1409 South Lamar Street • Dallas, TX 75215 (google map)

Mad Swirl Open Mic'in It Into 2010!

2010-01-02T12:31:00.006-06:00

0n 01.06.10, starting at 8:00-ish, Mad Swirl continues doing the open mic voodoo that what we do do on into and thru 2010! Join host Johnny O along with the musically magical trio Swirve, as they do their darndest to both blow and open our minds. We will be callin' all you mystically mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad stuff!

Come one, come all! Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to be a part of the madness!

Where's all this madness take place? Why it takes place at Absinthe Lounge, located in the SouthSide on Lamar building.

1409 South Lamar Street • Dallas, TX 75215 (google map)

"Begin doing what you want to do now. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand and melting like a snowflake." - Marie Beyon Ray

Mad Swirlin' Grats to the Open Mic'n Mad Ones on 12.02.09!

2009-12-05T10:03:00.004-06:00

::: Notes of Gratitude :::

0n 12.02.09, Mad Swirl continued doing the poetic & musical open mic voodoo that what we do do as we featured the mad trio from Swirve & their poetic friends! The crowd in the Lounge dug the musical musings of Chris & Tamitha Curiel along with Gerard Bendiks on skins. Then we pondered the poetic performances from Donna Renee Anderson and Tammy Gomez as this Swirvin' crew moved us and grooved us thru their feature set!

After we got our Swirve on, host Johnny O and guest co-host Tamitha Curiel got to callin' all the mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in Absinthe Lounge to come & strut their mad stuff! And strut it they did!

Mad Swirlin' thanks to the following mad ones that made this past 1st Wednesday a most beat-utiful night...(in order of appearance)

Johnny O (host)
Josh Weir
Gordon Hilgers
BA
Opalina Salas
Roderick Richardson
Chris Zimmerly
Victory
Tom Myers
Joey Cloudy
John Kelly
Evan
Kelly Ellis
Rema
Desmene Statum
Devan
Janelle
Bean
Allison
D'Anson Brody

HUGE thanks to Absinthe Lounge owner Kevin Christensen for allowing us mad ones to go with our flow for OVER 5 years now. And a shout-out to the fine Lounge staffers for keeping the mad spirits fillin' and swillin' for us mad ones.

And finally we would like to thank ALL of you who freely shared their hand claps, finger-snaps, hoots and howls with all the mad ones who got up on this sacred mad swirlin' mic.

::: What's Swirlin' At Our Next Open Mic? :::

0n 01.06.10, starting at 8:00, Mad Swirl will continue doing the poetic & musical open mic voodoo that what we do. Join us in January at Absinthe Lounge when host Johnny O along with the musically magical trio Swirve, as they do their darndest to both blow and open our minds.

::: Interested in Performing?

Are you a mad poet, musician, actor, singer and/or performer? (circus freaks and Elvis impersonators always welcome) Do you live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area? Then come-n-strut-yo-stuff.

Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to support your fellow mad ones.

Got questions? E-mail us at openmic@madswirl.com.

Mad Swirl Open Mic at Absinthe Lounge. It's THE place to be on the first Wednesday of the month! (it's also THE place for 1st Wednesday's $2 drafts/$5 Mad Absinthes)

And please, by all means, FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE WORD!

::: Where's This Madness Take Place? :::

Absinthe Lounge is located in the SouthSide on Lamar building.

1409 South Lamar Street • Dallas, TX 75215
google map

Mad Swirl Open Mic : Celebrating 10 Years of Swirling Madly!

2009-10-28T15:26:00.007-05:00

(pre p.s. Mad Swirl Open Mic on 11.04.09 is not to be confused with Mad Swirl's Swirl-A-Bout! on 11.07.09)

Mad Swirl kicks off each 1st Wednesday open mic night with a special opening "swirling it up" set that showcases a medley of featured mad ones.

0n 11.04.09, starting at 8:00, Mad Swirl will continue doing the poetic & musical open mic voodoo that what we do. Join us this month as we are celebrate our 10th Mad Swirl Birthday AND our 5th Open Mic Anniversary! Wanna be a part of this whole mad swirly celebration? Then shoot us an e-mail (crazy@madswirl.com) and let us know what you got in your mad mind.

After we get our celebratin' on, join host Johnny O along with the musically magical trio Swirve, as they do their darndest to both blow and open our minds. We will be callin' all you mystically mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad stuff!

Where's all this madness take place? Why it takes place at Absinthe Lounge, located in the SouthSide on Lamar building.

1409 South Lamar Street • Dallas, TX 75215 (google map)

You say it's your birthday? It's Mad Swirl's birthday too yeah!

Mad Swirl presents...Swirl-A-Bout!

2009-10-12T11:18:00.014-05:00

Ladies & Gentlemen, Loose-Women & Pickpockets, Hipsters & Squares, step right up! The mad ones at Mad Swirl are proud to present to you...

Take the leap to swirling madness and follow your curiosity to Mad Swirl-A-Bout!, for a show sure to mesmerize and tantalize, open and blow your twisted mind!

We can hear you scratching your head wondering "What is this 'Swirl-A-Bout' that they speak of?" Well, when we take the many mad sides of art and do our darndest to swirl it all together LIVE in one place... that's what a Swirl-A-Bout! is all about!

Swirl-A-Bout! will feature the maddest mad ones that we know! Poets? Lots of 'em! Musicians? Ten-four, good buddy! Artists? Do we! Fire eaters? Yup. Burlesque dancers? You can bet your pretty lil' bottom dollar we do! Here is where we do the who is who...

Hosted by:
Johnny O

Poetry by:
Cheyenne Gallion
MH Clay
Opalina Salas
Chris Zimmerly
Desmene Statum
Gordon Hilgers
Chris Hamilton
Josh Weir
Roderick Richardson
Joey Cloudy

Music by:
Swirve

Visual Art by:
Eben Lee Hall
Jon Marquette
Christian Millet

Fire Exhibition by:
Torch'd Entertainment

Burlesque Dance by:
Les Femmes Aplomb!

Spontaneous Madness by:
???????

Where and when will this madness take place?

1727 On the Levee
Dallas, TX 75207
(google map)

Saturday : November 7
Doors open at 7:00
General Admission $10
(click here for your ticket to ride!)
BYOB(uzz)

Will we see you at the Swirl-A-Bout! on 11.07.09? Ya sure look like just the mad type that would be up for this scene!

::: Notes of Gratitude to the Mad-Gical Mad Ones of 10.07.09 :::

2009-10-08T19:36:00.004-05:00

::: Notes of Gratitude :::

0n 10.07.09, Mad Swirl continued doing the mad-gical open mic voodoo that what we do-do-do. This month we featured the magician, poet and "mad medicine" man Merlin the Magical One. T'was quite the mad-bra-cadabra night as the long-haired mystical Magical One did his darndest to both blow and open our minds.

Then it was on to the open mic madness where Johnny O called all you mystically mad poets, musicians & dancers come to strut your mad stuff!!

Mad Swirlin' thanks to the following mad ones that made this past 1st Wednesday a most mad-gical night...(pics coming sooner then later)

Johnny O (host)
Les Femme Aplomb!
MH Clay
Opalina Salas
Gordon Hilgers
Suzanne Kimbrell
Josh Weir
Jolee Davis
Hammer
John Kelly
Michael Constantine McConnell
Roderick Richardson
Devorah
Joey Cloudy
Andrew Marsteller
Konnichiwa Zach
Victory
Platinum Status
Randal Scott
Desmene Statum
Bear Rodehaver
Grant Massey

A very special swirlin’ thanks to the mystical hep cats who are Swirve. We dug the scene that amazin' mad man Chris Curiel on trumpet, Tamitha Curiel on vocals and Gerard Bendiks on skins created to keep us movin', groovin' all night long!

HUGE thanks to Absinthe Lounge owner (and the hippest of the hip) Kevin Christensen for allowing us mad ones to go with our flow for almost 5 years now. And a shout-out to the fine Lounge staffers Brian and John for keeping the mad spirits fillin' and swillin' for us mad ones.

And finally we would like to thank ALL of you who freely shared their hand claps, finger-snaps, hoots and howls with all the mad ones who got up on this sacred mad swirlin' mic.

::: What's Swirlin' At Our Next Open Mic? :::

0n 11.04.09, starting at 8:00, Mad Swirl will continue doing the poetic & musical open mic voodoo that what we do. Join us in November as we are celebrate our 10th birthday AND our 5th Open Mic Anniversary! Wanna be a part of this whole mad swirly celebration? Then shoot us an e-mail (crazy@madswirl.com) and let us know what you got in your mad mind.

After we get our celebratin' on, join host Johnny O along with the musically magical trio Swirve, as they do their darndest to both blow and open our minds. We will be callin' all you mystically mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad stuff!

::: Interested in Performing?

Are you a mad poet, musician, actor, singer and/or performer? (circus freaks and Elvis impersonators always welcome) Do you live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area? Then come-n-strut-yo-stuff.

Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to support your fellow mad ones.

Got questions? E-mail us at openmic@madswirl.com.

Mad Swirl Open Mic at Absinthe Lounge. It's THE place to be on the first Wednesday of the month! (it's also THE place for 1st Wednesday's $2 drafts/$5 Mad Absinthes)

And please, by all means, FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE WORD!

::: Where's This Madness Take Place? :::

Absinthe Lounge is located in the SouthSide on Lamar building.

1409 South Lamar Street • Dallas, TX 75215
google map

A Mad-Gical Open Mic Night : 10.07.09

2009-09-30T19:45:00.003-05:00

Mad Swirl kicks off each 1st Wednesday open mic night with a special opening "swirling it up" set that showcases a medley of featured mad ones.

0n 10.07.09, starting at 8:00-ish, Mad Swirl will continue doing the poetic & musical open mic voodoo that what we do. This month we'll be featuring the magician, poet and "mad medicine" man Merlin the Magical One. Join the long-haired mystical Magical One, along with the musically magical trio Swirve, as they do their darndest to both blow and open our minds.

Then it's on to the open mic madness where host Johnny O will be callin' all you mystically mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad stuff!

Where's all this madness take place? Why it takes place at Absinthe Lounge, located in the SouthSide on Lamar building.

1409 South Lamar Street • Dallas, TX 75215 (google map)

Abra-MadSwirlOpenMic-cadabra!

::: Notes of Gratitude to the Beat-utiful Mad Ones of 09.02.09 :::

2009-09-03T20:18:00.001-05:00

::: Notes of Gratitude to ALL the Mad Ones :::

0n 09.02.09, Mad Swirl continued doing the poetic & musical open mic voodoo that what we do do do. All the loco local hipsters gathered 'round, diggin' on the scene. They came armed with hand-claps and finger-snaps as we kicked off the with our feature set.

A Night of Beat-itudes was our ode to the beats that inspired us to be what we be. Our most sincerest gratitiudes to our featured beat aficionados... (pics coming sooner then later)

Opalina Salas (host)
MH Clay
Roderick Richardson
Carlos Salas
Johnny O

This beat-tific crew reminded us why these beat legendary poets, writers & musicians still hold a place in our mad, mad hearts. Swirve kicked off the mad swirlin' festivities with some tunes to get us movin', groovin' and steppin' lead us into this beat-u-till-full evening.

Then it was on to the open mic madness where Johnny O & guest co-host Opalina Salas, called all the hip chicks and daddy-o's out there to share their soul. We called all the mad poets, musicians, singers, comedians & performers to come & strut their mad stuff! They came. They saw. We dug. We dig.

Mad Swirlin' thanks to the following hipsters that made this past 1st Wednesday a most beat-utiful night... (pics coming sooner then later)

Konnichiwa Zach
Desmene Statum
Gordon Hilgers
Lisa O
Poetic Shaman
Josh Weir
BA
Jolee Davis-Cloudy
Joey Cloudy
Devorah
Chris Hamilton
Amy Weaver
Andrew Marsteller
Victory
Bear Rodehaver

-

Atrium
Hammer
Poet Echo
Randal Scott
Rachael (10K Poets)
Tim Miranda

A very special swirlin’ thanks to the hep cats who are Swirve. We dug the scene that amazin' mad man Chris Curiel on trumpet and Tamitha Curiel on vocals and Clark Walker on skins made to keep us movin', groovin' and go...Go...GO-ing all night long!

HUGE thanks to Absinthe Lounge owner (and the hippest of the hip) Kevin Christensen for allowing us mad ones to go with our flow for almost 5 years now. And a shout-out to the fine Lounge staffers Brian and John for keeping the mad spirits fillin' and swillin' for us mad ones.

And finally we would like to thank ALL the ca-razy chick-sters and daddy-o's who freely shared their hand claps, finger-snaps, hoots and howls with all the mad ones who got up on this sacred mad swirlin' mic.

::: Mad Swirl Open Mic Night :::

Mad Swirl kicks off each 1st Wednesday open mic night with a special opening "swirling it up" set that showcases a medley of featured mad ones.

0n 10.07.09, at 8:00, Mad Swirl will continue doing the poetic & musical open mic voodoo that what we do do. This month we'll be featuring the magician, poet and "mad medicine" man Merlin the Magical One. Join the long-haired mystical Magical One, along with the musically magical trio Swirve, as they do their darndest to both blow and open our minds.

Then it's on to the open mic madness where host Johnny O will be callin' all you mystically mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad stuff!

::: Where Does This Madness Take Place? :::

Absinthe Lounge is located in the SouthSide on Lamar building.

1409 South Lamar Street • Dallas, TX 75215
(google map it!)

Mad Swirl Open Mic : A Night of Beat-itudes

2009-08-27T19:12:00.005-05:00

Mad Swirl kicks off each 1st Wednesday open mic night with a special opening "swirling it up" set that showcases a medley of featured mad ones.

0n 09.02.09 at 8:00-ish on dot-ish, Mad Swirl will continue doing the poetic & musical open mic voodoo that what we do do. A Night of Beat-itudes is our ode to the beats that inspired us to be what we be.

Join beat aficionado Opalina Salas, along with Roderick Richardson, Carlos Salas, MH Clay & Johnny O as they reminds us why these poets, writers & musicians still hold a place in our mad, mad hearts. Swirve will kick off the mad swirlin' festivities with some tunes to get us movin', groovin' and steppin' leading us into this beat-u-till-full evening.

Then it's on to the open mic madness where Johnny O & guest co-host Opalina Salas, will be callin' all you mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad stuff!

Where's all this madness take place? Why it takes place at Absinthe Lounge, located in the SouthSide on Lamar building.

1409 South Lamar Street • Dallas, TX 75215 (google map)

Be there all you hip chicks and daddy-o's...or be...well, you know...square.

Mad Swirl's Swirlin' It Up with the Mochalux Experience

2009-07-29T19:41:00.004-05:00

Mad Swirl kicks off each 1st Wednesday open mic night with a special "Swirlin' It Up!" opening set that showcases a medley of featured mad ones.

Join us on 08.05.09 as we swirl it up with the mad ones from DFW Open Mics as they present to us the Mochalux Experience!

Starting at 8:00, Swirve will kick off the mad swirlin' festivities with some tunes to get us movin', groovin' and steppin'. From 8:15 - 9:15 the Mad Swirl Open Mic transforms into the Mochalux Experience! Featured in this set will be...

Paul Sexton (host)
Roderick Richardson
David Crandall
Devorah
Josh Cooley

Then it's on to the open mic madness where Johnny O and guest co-host Paul Sexton will be callin' all you mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad stuff!

Don't wish you were there, JUST BE THERE THIS 1st Wednesday!

Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to support your fellow mad ones.

Mad Swirl Open Mic at Absinthe Lounge: If cool was gas, we'd all be tootin'!

Mad Swirlin' Grats to the Open Mic'n Mad Ones on 07.01.09!

2009-07-02T13:36:00.005-05:00

::: Notes of Gratitude to the ALL the Mad Ones! :::

On 07.01.09 Mad Swirl continued the swirling up of our open mic...this time with a twist and a grind! We featured the Dallas slam poets from The Poetry Grind and they brought some slammin' madness to the open mic! These grinders brought their slam to the Mad Swirl stage and along with Tidbits (2/3), served us a heaping plate of flowing, glowing, poetry! Sincere gratitude to the following mad ones from The Poetry Grind...

"Konnichiwa" Zach Schrotter (feature host)
Eric Breland
Victory
Trayce
Jason Carney
Amy Weaver
Bob "Whoopeecat" Stephenson

Then it was on to the usual unusual open mic madness as Johnny O & co-host Konnichiwa called all the mad poets, musicians, singers, comedians & performers to come & strut their mad stuff! They came. They saw. And well...we all went mad!

Mad Swirlin' thanks to the following mad one's that made this past 1st Wednesday open mic yet anotha' to rememba': (pics and audio coming sooner then later!)

Johnny O (host)
Lisa O
M.H. Clay
Opalina Salas
Chris Hamilton
Joel Pipkin
Gordon Hilgers
Cabe Lindsay
Hammer
Bear Rodehaver
Desmene Statum
Devorah Titunik
Chris Zimmerly
Cricket Taylor
Poet Echo
Masked Camouflage Guy
Brig

A very special swirlin’ thanks to Tidbit's (2/3) amazin' mad man G-Man Gerard Bendix on skins and Kenny Withrow on wailin' guitar for keeping us movin', groovin' and steppin' all night long! And an extra special thanks to special musical guest Cricket Taylor for sharing her AMAZINGLY beautiful voice and chords with us.

And HUGE thanks to Absinthe Lounge owner Kevin for allowing us mad ones to go with our flow for well over 4 years now. And a shout-out to the fine Lounge staffers My and John for keeping the mad spirits fillin' and swillin' for us mad ones.

And finally we would like to thank ALL the appreciators who freely shared their hand claps, finger-snaps, hoots and howls with all the mad ones who got up on this sacred mad swirlin' mic.

::: Mad Swirl Open Mic Night :::

Mad Swirl kicks off each 1st Wednesday open mic night with a special opening "swirling it up" set that showcases a medley of featured mad ones.

Join us on the next 1st Wednesday as we swirl it up when some of the mad ones from DFW Open Mics present the Mochalux Experience! Don’t wish you were there, JUST BE THERE on the next 1st Wednesday...

08.05.09 : Absinthe Lounge : 8:00

Swirve will kick off the mad swirlin' festivities with some tunes to get us movin', groovin' and steppin' leading us into the Mochalux Experience from 8:15 - 9:15.

Then it's on to the open mic madness where Johnny O & guest co-host Paul Sexton, will be callin' all you mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad stuff!

::: Where's this madness take place? :::

Absinthe Lounge is located in the SouthSide on Lamar building at 1409 South Lamar Street • Dallas, TX 75215 (google map)

Mad Swirl Open Mic's Grinding It Up on 07.01.09!

2009-06-27T11:11:00.000-05:00

Mad Swirl kicks off each 1st Wednesday open mic night with a special "Swirlin' It Up!" opening set that showcases a medley of featured mad ones.

Join us this month as we swirl it up with a twist of slam with the Dallas slam poets from The Poetry Grind!

At 8:00 Swirve will kick off the mad swirlin' festivities with some tunes to get us movin', groovin' and steppin'. From 8:15 - 9:15 the mic belongs to The Poetry Grind!

Then it's on to the open mic madness where Johnny O will be callin' all you mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad stuff!

Don't wish you were there, JUST BE THERE THIS 1st Wednesday!

Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to support your fellow mad ones.

Mad Swirl Open Mic at Absinthe Lounge: The best thing since the invent of electroshock therapy!

Mad Swirlin' Grats to the Open Mic'n Mad Ones!

2009-06-04T11:40:00.007-05:00

Mad Swirl kicks off each 1st Wednesday open mic night with a special "Swirlin' It Up!" opening set that showcases a medley of featured mad ones.

On 06.03.09 Mad Swirl swirled up our open mic with East Dallas' creative collective crew Death List Five (insert echo here). These mad ones brought their poetic A-games as they, along with Swirve, and served us a heaping plate of swirling madness! Sincere gratitude to the following mad ones from Death List Five...

Jolee Davis-Cloudy (feature host)
Max Earl Blair
Desmene Statum
Joey Cloudy

Then it was on the usual open mic madness as Johnny O & co-host Jolee Davis-Cloudy called all the mad poets, musicians, singers, comedians & performers to come & strut their mad stuff! They came. They saw. And we all went mad!

Mad Swirlin' thanks to the following mad one's that made this past 1st Wednesday all that it was: (pics coming sooner then later):

Round 1

Johnny O (host)
Merlin the Magical One
Opalina Salas
M.H. Clay
Amy Weaver
Claude Barrett
Roderick Richardson
Cabe Lindsay
Konnichewa Zach
Gigi Foster
Bear Rodehaver
Devorah Titunik
Josh Weir
BA
Gordon Hilgers
Andrew Marsteller
Chris Hamilton

Round 2

Poet Echo
Queen
Ebony
Sam
David Crandall

A very special swirlin’ thanks to Swirve's amazin' trumpeter Chris Curiel, mad man G-Man Gerard Bendix on skins and Kenny Withrow on wailin' guitar for keeping us movin', groovin' and steppin' all night long! And an extra special thanks to special guest Cricket Taylor for sharing her AMAZINGLY beautiful voice and chords with us.

And HUGE thanks to Absinthe Lounge and owner Kevin for allowing us mad ones to go with our flow for over 4 years now. And a shout-out to the fine Lounge staffers Brian and Tracey for keeping the mad spirits fillin' and swillin' for us mad ones.

And finally we would like to thank ALL the appreciators who freely shared their hand claps, finger-snaps, hoots and howls with all the mad ones who got up on this sacred mad swirlin' mic.

Join us next month as we "swirl it up" this time with a twist of slam as we feature the Dallas slam poets from The Poetry Grind! Don’t wish you were there, JUST BE THERE on the next 1st Wednesday...

::: 8:00 ::: 07.01.09 ::: Absinthe Lounge :::

Then it's on to the open mic madness where Mad Swirl's Johnny O & the Poetry Grind-ers will be callin' all you mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad stuff!

Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to support your fellow mad ones.

Mad Swirl Open Mic at Absinthe Lounge: If we could bottle this swirling madness up and sell it, we'd be bazillionaires!

Mad Swirl's Swirlin' It Up Open Mic Night

2009-05-28T21:11:00.005-05:00

Mad Swirl kicks off each 1st Wednesday open mic night with a special "Swirlin' It Up!" opening set that showcases a medley of featured mad ones.

Join us on 06.03.09 as we feature the East Dallas creative collective crew from Death List Five (insert echo here). Don't wish you were there, JUST BE THERE at 8:00pm as the following Death List Fiver's will be taking over the mad mic for our feature set...

Jolee Davis-Cloudy
Joey Cloudy
Desmene Statum
Max Earl Blair
Dan Evans

Then it's on to the open mic madness where Johnny O & guest co-host Jolee Davis-Cloudy will be callin' all you mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad stuff!

Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to support your fellow mad ones.

Mad Swirl Open Mic at Absinthe Lounge: If we could bottle this swirling madness up and sell it, we'd be bazillionaires!

Notes of Gratitude to the ALL the Mad Ones of 05.06.09!

2009-05-07T20:08:00.002-05:00

Notes of Gratitude to the ALL the Mad Ones of 05.06.09!

This month, Mad Swirl Open Mic brought back the Blue Note crew to the mic and swirled up Mad Swirl Six. The "Swirl It Up" set featured all of the pieces from Mad Swirl Six, but performed by other poets, bringing their own unique energy and vibe to the collective swirl. T'was a twist of a swirl of a mix!

The amazing trio Swirve opened the madness, musically guiding the mad ones towards the "Swirl it Up" set as...

Cheyenne Gallion performed
Blue Notes by Johnny Olson

Desmene Statum performed
God Likes It When I'm Humble by Cheyenne Gallion

Opalina Salas performed
When She Dances by Lisa Olson

Chris Zimmerly performed
What Am I Supposed to Do Now by Paul Sexton

Lisa Olson performed
An Invitation to the Truth by Opalina Salas

Johnny Olson performed
Interview by M.H. Clay

Roderick Richardson performed
Blistered Guitar Fingers & Broken Note Blues by Desmene Statum

M.H. Clay performed
My Blood is Like Piss & Battery Acid/The Greatest Poet by Josh Weir

Paul Sexton performed
Ginsberg & Friends by Roderick Richardson

Chris Hamilton performed
Note Broke Blue by Chris Zimmerly

Then it was on the usual open mic madness as Johnny O & co-host M.H. Clay called all the mad poets, musicians, singers, comedians & performers to come & strut their mad stuff! They came. They saw. They went mad!

Round 1

Veronica
James Michael Brennen
Devorah
Josh Weir
Cabe Lindsay
PJ
Bear
Wanda Su
Joey Cloudy
Jolee Davis

Round 2

Konnichewa Zach
Max Blair
Poet Echo
Dave Crandel
Tim Miranda
3rd Round Troubadours

We are truly grateful to ALL these mad ones whose slacked jaws hung loosely, words and songs flowed easily speaking raw truths, these mad ones who speak freely of what hangs heavily around their hearts. We love each and every one of you.

Truly.

Madly.

Thank-you.

Join us next month as we feature the East Dallas creative collective crew from Death List Five. Don’t wish you were there, JUST BE THERE on the next 1st Wednesday (06.03.09) at the soon-to-be legendary Absinthe Lounge!

For more info about Mad Swirl go to www.MadSwirl.com

Mad Swirl's Swirlin' It Up!

2009-04-30T14:30:00.005-05:00

T'was one year ago to the 1st Wednesday that we recorded the live CD version of the sixth print issue of Mad Swirl live at Absinthe Lounge!

Ah, memories... the wonderful energy of hoots, howls, claps & finger snaps, the zing in the air as poetry swirled with music while the "whole mad swirl of everything to come" came! It rocked AND it rolled. It rocked and rolled so much that we thought we should try it again. So...

Starting this month, Mad Swirl Open Mic will kick off each Open Mic night with a special opening set that will showcase a medley of featured mad ones.

This month, we will be bringing the Blue Note crew back to the mic and swirling up Mad Swirl Six.

The "Swirl It Up" set will feature all of the pieces from Mad Swirl Six, but performed by other poets, bringing their own unique energy and vibe to the collective swirl. It's a twist of a swirl of a mix... don't miss it!

Swirve opens the madness musically at 8:00 & the special Mad Swirl "Swirl it Up" set begins at 8:15. Be there as...

Cheyenne Gallion performs Blue Notes by Johnny Olson
Desmene Statum performs God Likes It When I'm Humble by Cheyenne Gallion
Opalina Salas performs When She Dances by Lisa Olson
Chris Zimmerly performs What Am I Supposed to Do Now by Paul Sexton
Lisa Olson performs An Invitation to the Truth by Opalina Salas
Johnny Olson performs Interview by M.H. Clay
Roderick Richardson performs Blistered Guitar Fingers & Broken Note Blues by Desmene Statum
M.H. Clay performs My Blood is Like Piss & Battery Acid/The Greatest Poet by Josh Weir
Paul Sexton performs Ginsberg & Friends by Roderick Richardson
Chris Hamilton performs Note Broke Blue by Chris Zimmerly

This is one 1st Wednesday you will not want to miss.

Then it's on to the open mic madness where Johnny O & co-host M.H. Clay will be callin' all you mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & strut your mad stuff! Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come for madness sake!

For more info about Mad Swirl go to www.MadSwirl.com

For more info about Absinthe Lounge go to www.AbsintheLounge.net

And by all means, feel free to pass this info to any & all Beatniks, hipsters & ca-razy cats that you know.

Notes of Gratitude to the ALL the Mad Ones of 04.01.09!

2009-04-02T12:06:00.004-05:00

Notes of Gratitude to the ALL the Mad Ones!

This is NOT a test of the Mad Swirl Open Mic Gratitude System. This is NOT a test...

::: BEEEEEEEEEEEP :::

WE mad ones in your area in voluntary cooperation with the Federal, State and Loco Open Mic-ers have developed this system to thank the open mic mad participators and appreciators. Since this IS an actual announcement, the Open Mic beep you just heard will be followed by official information, news or instructions...something like this:

With the most sincerest of praises and BEEEP's, we would like to thank ALL the mad ones for making 1st Wednesday's what they are and what they will be as the whole Mad Swirl of everything to come keeps on twirlin' and turnin' and swirlin'.

We would like to thank and recognize the mad ones who glowed and flowed on the mic on 04.01.09, in order of appearance...(pics coming sooner then later)

::: round one :::

Johnny O (host)
Opalina Salas
Roderick Richardson
Lisa Ohhh
BA
James
Tim
Paul Sexton
Victory
Konnichiwa
Nephilim
Max Earl Blair
Devorah
MH Clay

::: round two :::

JT
Desmene Statum
Bear
John Kelley
David Crandell

A very special Swirlin’ thanks to Big Swirve's amazin' trumpeter Chris Curiel, mad man G-Man Gerard Bendix on skins and Kenny Withrow on wailin' guitar for keeping us movin', groovin' and steppin' all night long!

And HUGE thanks to Absinthe Lounge owner Kevin for allowing us mad ones to go with our flow for over 4 years now. And a shout-out to the fine Lounge staffers Brian, John and Tracy for keeping the mad spirits fillin' and swillin' for us mad ones.

Mad Swirl Open Mic Night

As you may or may not know, each 1st Wednesday is a unique madness all it's own. You just never know what you'll see when you go to Mad Swirl Open Mic at Absinthe Lounge.

Don’t wish you were there, JUST BE THERE on the next 1st Wednesday...

::: 05:06:09 :::

You won't want to miss it. We promise.

Interested in Performing?

Are you a mad poet, musician, actor, singer and/or performer? (circus freaks, Tenacious D rip-offs and Elvis impersonators always welcome) Do you live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area? Then come-n-strut-yo-stuff.

Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to support your fellow mad ones.

The mic opens up around 8:30 and closes when there's no one left standing.

Interested in performing? e-mail us at openmic@madswirl.com. And please, by all means, FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE WORD!

Mad Swirl Open Mic at Absinthe Lounge. It's THE place to be on the first Wednesday of the month! (it's also THE place for 1st Wednesday's $2 drafts/$5 Mad Absinthe's)

Where's This Madness Take place?

Absinthe Lounge is located in the SouthSide on Lamar building.
1409 South Lamar Street • Dallas, TX 75215

A Mad Swirl Open Mic Night Broadcast

2009-03-26T16:38:00.004-05:00

This is NOT a test of the Mad Swirl Open Mic Broadcast System. This is NOT a test...

...::: BEEEEEEEEEEEP :::...

The mad ones in your area in voluntary cooperation with the Federal, State and Loco Open Mic-ers have developed this system to keep you informed in the event of an open mic event. Since this is actual announcement, the Open Mic BEEP you just heard should be followed by official information, news or instructions, something like this:

On 04:01:09 Mad Swirl is calling all you mad poets, musicians, actors, singers & performers to come and strut your stuff. Come one, come all...to participate, to appreciate and to support the local DFW mad ones. Join your host Johnny O and the mad musical trio Swirve as we open the mic up at Absinthe Lounge 'round 8:00-ish and close the mic when there's no one left standing...which is pretty dang late.

For more information about Mad Swirl go to www.MadSwirl.com

For more information about Absinthe Lounge go to www.AbsintheLounge.net

Mad Swirl Open Mic serves the DFW area. This concludes this NOT a test of the Mad Swirl Open Mic Broadcast System.

...::: BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP :::...

(p.s. beep - RSVP now to get your spot on the list! - beep)

notes of gratitude to the ALL the mad ones!

2009-03-05T10:00:00.004-06:00

Look deep into our swirly eyes. Deeper. Deeper. Ex-cellent. Now open your minds and hear what we've gots'ta say...

Mad Swirl called all you beatniks, hipsters & ca-razy cats out there to open the mic at Absinthe Lounge this past 1st Wednesday. And open it we did! T'was the mostest as all the mad ones came gatherin' 'round to wail away on the mad, mad mic.

With the most sincerest of praises and respect, we would like to thank ALL the mad participators and appreciators for making 1st Wednesday's what they are and what they will be as the whole Mad Swirl of everything to come keeps on twirlin' and turnin' and swirlin'. We would like to thank and recognize the mad ones who glowed and flowed on the mic on 03.04.09, in order of appearance...(pics coming sooner then later)

::: Round One :::

Johnny O
(host)
Opalina Salas
(co-host)
Josh Weir
Roderick Richardson
Devorah
John Kelley
Konnichiwa Zach
Max Earl Blair
Paul Sexton
Cabe Lindsay
Bob Whoopeecat
MH Clay

::: Round Two :::

James Hargrave
Jason
Tim
Alison
Burn
Poet Echo
Blackman

A very special Swirlin’ thanks to Swirve's amazin' trumpeter Chris Curiel, mad man G-Man Gerard Bendix on skins and special guest Kenny Withrow on wailin' guitar for keeping us movin', groovin' and steppin' all night long!

And HUGE thanks to Absinthe Lounge owner Kevin for allowing us mad ones to go with our flow for over 4 years now. And a shout-out to the fine Lounge staffers Brian and Triva for keeping the mad spirits fillin' and swillin' for us mad ones.

Mad Swirl's 1st Wednesday Open Mic Night

As you may or may not know, each 1st Wednesday is a unique madness all it's own. You just never know what you'll see when you go to Mad Swirl Open Mic at Absinthe Lounge.

Don’t wish you were there, JUST BE THERE on the next 1st Wednesday...

::: 04:01:09 :::

You won't want to miss it. We promise.

Interested in Performing?

Are you a mad poet, musician, actor, singer and/or performer? (circus freaks, Tenacious D rip-offs and Elvis impersonators always welcome) Do you live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area? Then come-n-strut-yo-stuff.

Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to support your fellow mad ones.

The mic opens up around 8:30 and closes when there's no one left standing.

Mad Swirl Open Mic at Absinthe Lounge. It's THE place to be on the first Wednesday of the month! (it's also THE place for 1st Wednesday's $2 drafts/$5 Mad Absinthe's)

Where's This Madness Take Place?

Absinthe Lounge is located in the SouthSide on Lamar building.

1409 South Lamar Street • Dallas, TX 75215

Mad Swirl is Callin' All the Mad Ones to the Mic!

2009-02-27T16:28:00.003-06:00

Mad Swirl is callin' all you Beatniks, hipsters & ca-razy cats out there. Dig on this action...

Mad Swirl is openin' the mic this 1st Wednesday (03.04.08) at Absinthe Lounge. It's sure to be the most as all the mad ones come gatherin' 'round to wail away on the mad, mad mic. Don't be a square & miss it!

Pick up on this...Mad Swirl is callin' all you wailin' poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & turn this mic on!

Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come & dig the scene with your fellow mad ones.

Swirve starts wailin' & playin' 'round 8:00. Your mad host, Johnny O and equally mad guest co-host Opalina Salas s'gonna wake the mic up 'round 8:45-ish & the mic closes when we run out of gas or it's time to cut out.

For more information about Mad Swirl Open Mic go to www.MadSwirl.com

For more information about Absinthe Lounge go to www.AbsintheLounge.net

And by all means, feel free to pass this info to any & all Beatniks, hipsters & ca-razy cats that you know.

Almost forgot, RSVP early to save your spot! (E-mail/MySpace/Facebook).

Mad Swirling Yours,
M. Swirl III

We know you don't want to be a square & miss this action
but if you must, save these 1st Wednesday dates...

04.01.09 / 05.06.09 / 06.03.09 / 07.01.09 / 08.05.09 / 09.02.09 / 10.07.09 / 11.04.09 / 12.02.09

::: Mad News From the Eye of the Swirl :::

2009-02-23T17:28:00.004-06:00

(to view the HTML version of this newsletter please click here)

::: Mad News From the Eye of the Swirl :::

Our Fellow Mad Ones,

Greetings and a very Happy (and belated) 2009 from the mad ones here at Mad Swirl to you and yours!

As the New Year festivities were ringing our ears (or was it the booze?) we got to thinking about that line from the New Year's song...

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

And we thought to ourselves, "Selves, no, no, no, auld acquaintance should not be forgot...dangit! And definitely, no way no how, should we ever, EV-ER forget auld lang syne! What'cho be thinkin' 'bout?"

So with that being said, we here at Mad Swirl are so adamant about this auld lang syne business that we just have to keep on doing the Mad Swirlin' voodoo that we do into 2009!

That's right our fellow mad ones, Mad Swirl promises to not forget and will continue to whirl round the printed pages, the www's and the dot com's and on the mic every 1st Wednesdays thru double-aught nine!

Ready or not 2009, here we come!

::: Of the Artists, by the Artists, for the Artists :::

The Mad Gallery is a beautiful space where we proudly display the many facets of the visual arts. From the furthest reaches of this mad, mad world we have gathered together just a few of the most maddest painters, sculptors, photographers & illustrators that we could and swirled them all together here.

Currently featured in the Gallery is painter Ellen McMahill. Here's a few words from Ellen:

"Each human being has a story. Each visual artist is telling a different story about a private perspective of the world made public through image - form, color, concept. I am the fruit of my history and the explorer of the present and future. With insight and compassion my history becomes the knowledge I use to imagine my art and the contribution I can make to the world through it.

On a linear, ordinary level my life has been a labyrinth of experiences which seemed to distract me from being a visual artist at all. In fact, those experiences allowed me to understand the world and myself deeply enough to be able to create on canvas my vision of this life on earth."

Also in the gallery since our last virtual meeting are new works from our resident artists Amy Bernays, Kristin Fouquet and Peter Schwartz.

::: Always Swirling New Poets in Mad Swirl's Poetry Forum! :::

Now with over 90 poets (and growing everyday), Mad Swirl's Poetry Forum is truly a poetic voice to be reckoned with. This massive online collection features some of the maddest poets from all over this big blue marble of ours. The Forum is truly a living and breathing entity, growing and flowing every day...so it's best to come by often to view the latest.

Recently, the mad ones at 10K Poets (Glen Still and Bo Blount) have beat-utifully pimped Johnny O's poem Joe. And what a poetically musical swirling collaboration this has created!

Click here to hear the musical collaboration with 10K Poets

Joe

Some folks say there's no voice today that is willing to reach the hearts and minds of the average Joe. You know him. He's the:

The 50+ hours a week with no OT Joe
The let's build our lives on shaky credit with a 21% APR Joe
The one pay check away from living in the car Joe
The American dream that's drifting away Joe
The let's kill the pain with spirits, herbs and chemicals Joe
The fear for our tomorrow's in a world chock full of sorrow's Joe
The class I was born into is going extinct and there's no moving up but only going down Joe
The masses that passes the classes and still works the mailroom Joe
The man on the street with nothing to eat Joe
The barely legal boys with their lethal toys who play GI Joe Joe
The dying too young my song never sung Joe
The teenager dad who wasn't so bad but got dealt the bad hand Joe
The drug addicted fool who sits outside the schoolyard retracing his steps to find his way back home Joe
The lonely poet who has lost his voice by no choice of his own Joe
The can't find it behind them and can't find it in front of them 'cos tomorrow may not there Joe
The living in fear of the 6 o'clock news afraid to hear another 3,000 are struck dead in the name of God Joe
The seeker who seeks and finds nothing worthwhile Joe
The fool who struck gold only to let it go up in smoke Joe
The I'm too tired to deal with this head, sometimes I think I'd rather be dead Joe
The coping and hoping for someone to hear their plea Joe
I hear you Joe. And this one's for us Joe.

(again we urge you to hear the musical collaboration with 10K Poets)

Here are some of the poets who have new poetic additions to the Forum since
we've last met...

Staff Poets: Johnny Olson · Lisa Olson

Featured Poets: Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal · Ra! Gabriel · Ashutosh Ghildiyal · Kenneth P. Gurney · Chris Hamilton · Justin Hyde · Roderick Richardson · Paul Sexton · Glen Still · Mel Waldman

Contributing Poets: Cabe Lindsay · Anna Devine · Kyle Segars · Jeffrey Winke · Mary McLaughlin · Willie Smith · Laura LeHew · Kat Dixon · John Oliver Hodges · Jennifer Bowles · Corey Cook · Claude Barret · Daniel E Wilcox · Sam Meizlish · Ricky Garni · Rebecca McCabe · Rafael Andrade Garza · R Jay Slais · R B Morgan · George Harding · Matthew D Abate · Paula Ray · Paula Mascho · Nicole Lilly · Nicole Kuwik · John Grey · D C Porder · Bernard Alain · Moctezuma Johnson · Melanie Brown · Heller Levinson
· Silvi Saxena · Jack Henry · Heath Aught · David E Howerton · Alexandra Ran · Anne Ransom

...and there's more madness being added every day!

::: Oh the Madness Will Flow at Mad Swirl Open Mic Night! :::

Salutations!
1st Wednesday's the day.
Take off to Mad places,
and Swirl away!

You have words in your head.
You have songs in your groove
The mic is wide open
for which ever you choose.

You are a Mad One.
And you know how to flow.
And YOU are the One
who'll make it all glow.

We call all you mad
poets, musicians and singers
miscellaneous mad ones,
even Elvis dead-ringers!

Come show what you got
and come do what you do
we'll be ready and waiting
this mic's open for you.

You say to yourself
"I'm not a participator."
We welcome you too
you mad swirlin' appreciators!

Come get you a drink
($2 drafts/$5 wells)
and dig on this scene
it's always quite swell

Swirve opens the show
sometime around 8-ish
Then we get starting to roll
don't be too late-ish.

Mad Swirl Open Mic
is the place you should be
every 1st Wednesday
where insanity is free.

Oh! The Madness Will Flow!

As you may or may not know, each 1st Wednesday is a unique madness all it's own. You just never know what you'll see when you go to Mad Swirl Open Mic Night at Absinthe Lounge every 1st Wednesday of the month. Whatever it is, you won't want to miss it. We promise.

Absinthe Lounge is located at 1409 South Lamar Street, in Dallas, Texas.

"So, come on iconoclasts, forward! Already the foreboding sky grows dark and silent!" - Renzo Novatore Arcola

::: Last Call All Y'All to Get Your Hands on Mad Swirl Six! :::

We've beaten the trails, pounded the pavement and just about sold our souls to spread the word about this issue. Time is running out to get your hands on this 28 full-color page, 23-track collection of beat-utiful collaborations between poetry and music.

This issue is Mad Swirl's ode to the insanity that is Mad Swirl Open Mic Night. In this issue, you'll find the poetry and music of some of the most maddest of the mad ones...

Johnny Olson · Lisa Olson · Cheyenne Gallion · Paul Sexton · Opalina Salas · MH Clay · Desmene Statum · Josh Weir · Roderick Richardson · Chris Zimmerly · Swirve · Tim Thomaston · Kevin Foresman

For this very limited time we are offering Mad Swirl Six: The Blue Note Issue for the low, low price of $5!

How do you get your hands on this amazing collection of madness? Easy, click here!

::: MySpaces and Bloggers and Facebooks - Oh My! :::

Are you connected thru just these few of several hundred different ways to stay connected to your cyber-friends? Well so are we! Why not be our cyber-friends and stay up-to-date on the happenings of the mad ones at Mad Swirl? Our connection is just one click away...

Mad Swirl on MySpace
Mad Swirl on Blogger
Mad Swirl on Facebook

::: And Auld Lang Syne! :::

We give you our word, our fellow mad ones, that auld acquaintances shant not be forgotten in the double-aught nine...

...and we look forward to swirling together with both old and new mad acquaintances as we continue spreading the poetical, musical and artistical voo-doo that we do do.

With the most sincerest of praises and respect we would like to thank-you, and thank-you and thank-you up there and a thank-you to all of you mad ones, past, present and future. It will be thru our hands that we created the Mad Swirling creative collective from what it was, to what it is and into what it will be as we move forward into '09.

Syne-cerely
Johnny O
Madman-in-Chief of Mad Swirl

"Begin doing what you want to do now. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand and meltling like a snowflake." - Marie Beyon Ray

(to view the HTML version of this newsletter please click here)

Oh, the Madness Did Flow!

2009-02-07T10:19:00.003-06:00

(Mad Swirl would like to thank all the mad participators & appreciators for making this past 1st Wednesday what it was, what it is and what it will be!)

Salutations!
1st Wednesday was the day.
We took off to Mad places,
And got Swirled away!

We had words in our heads.
We had songs in our groove
The mic was wide open
for which ever we choose-d.

We are the Mad Ones.
And we know how to flow.
And WE are the Ones
who make 1st Wednesdays glow.

Indeed, the madness did flow this past 1st Wednesday at Absinthe Lounge as a night of beat-utiful swirling madness unfolded before our very eyes! The mad ones showed what they got and did what they do, spreading poetical mojo with the voo-doo they do. Thank-you, thank-you and thank-you all mad participators and appreciators for making this past 1st Wednesday what it was, what it is and what it will be as the whole Mad Swirl of everything to come keeps on twirlin' and turnin' and swirlin'.

With the most sincerest of praises and respect, Mad Swirl would like to thank and recognize the mad ones who glowed and flowed on 02.04.09, in order of appearance (view pics at our open mic page @ MadSwirl.com)...

::: round one :::

Johnny O
Roderick Richardson
Devorah
BA
Cabe Lindsay
Opalina Salas
Gordon Hilgers
Mark Levine
Victory
Christopher
Noel Tardy
MH Clay

::: round two :::

Konnichiwa Zach
Desmene Statum
Chris Hamilton
Jolee Davis
DP3
Joey Cloudy
Poet Echo
Paul Sexton
D. Anson Brody
Josh Weir
Andrea
Whoopeecat
Max Earl Blair
Lance

A very special Swirlin' thanks to the He Be G.B. Three-O's amazin' bass player Liles, saxophonist Dave and the mad man himself Gerard Bendix on skins for keeping us movin', groovin' and boppin' all night long!

And HUGE thanks to Absinthe Lounge owner Kevin for allowing us mad ones to go with our flow for over 4 years now. And a shout-out to the fine Lounge staffers Brian and John for keeping the mad spirits fillin' and swillin' for us mad ones.

As you may or may not know, each 1st Wednesday is a unique madness all it's own. You just never know what you'll see when you go to Mad Swirl Open Mic at Absinthe Lounge.

Don’t wish you were there, JUST BE THERE on the next 1st Wednesday...

::: 03:04:09 :::

You won't want to miss it. We promise.

For more information about Mad Swirl and our Open Mic please visit www.MadSwirl.com

Oh the Mad Swirl Open Mic Madness Will Flow! (02.04.09)

2009-01-28T08:35:00.005-06:00

Salutations!
1st Wednesday's the day.
Take off to Mad places,
and Swirl away!

You have words in your head.
You have songs in your groove
The mic is wide open
for which ever you choose.
You are a Mad One.
And you know how to flow.
And YOU are the One
who'll make it all glow.

We call all you mad
poets, musicians and singers
miscellaneous mad ones,
even Elvis dead-ringers!
Come show what you got
and come do what you do
we'll be ready and waiting
this mic's open for you.

You say to yourself
"I'm not a participator."
We welcome you too
you mad swirlin' appreciators!
Come get you a drink
($2 drafts/$5 wells)
and dig on this scene
it's always quite swell

Swirve opens the show
sometime around 8-ish
Then we get starting to roll
don't be too late-ish.

Mad Swirl Open Mic
is the place you should be
every 1st Wednesday
where insanity is free.

Oh! The Madness Will Flow!

(for more information
about this mic of Mad Swirl's
type madswirl.com
and the answer unfurls!)

Notes of Gratitude to the Mad Swirling Open Mic Ones...

2009-01-08T16:58:00.006-06:00

Notes of Gratitude to ALL the Mad Ones...

Auld acquaintance were not forgot,
And t'was definitely brought to mind.
Auld acquaintance were not forgot,
And we honored auld lang syne.

Auld acquaintances were not forgotten this past 1st Wednesday at Absinthe Lounge as we brought in the double-aught nine with a night of beat-utiful swirling madness! T'was a night to remember and embrace...with old and new mad acquaintances spreading the poetic and musical voo-doo that they do do...appreciators sharing their handclaps, fingersnaps, hootinations and affirmations...thank-you, thank-you and thank-you. They all had their hands in the Mad Swirling creative collective that made this 1st Wednesday what it was, what it is and what it will be as we move forward into '09.

With the most sincerest of praises and respect, Mad Swirl would like to thank and recognize the mad ones who brought in '09 with swirlin' vivacity on 01.07.09...

in order of appearance:

Johnny O (host)
Roderick Richardson
Devorah
Gordon Hilgers
John Kelley
Wanda
Opalina Salas
MH Clay
Desmene Statum
Christopher
Poet Echo
Chris Hamilton
Max Earl Blair
James Hargrave
Paul Sexton
D. Anson Brody
Chris Zimmerly
Jellyhead
Cody
David
Tony

A very special Swirlin' thanks to Swirve's amazin' trumpeter Chris Curiel, mad man G-Man Gerard Bendix on skins for keeping us movin', groovin' and boppin' all night long!

And HUGE thanks to Absinthe Lounge owner Kevin for allowing us mad ones to go with our flow for over 4 years now. And a shout-out to the fine Lounge staffers Jennifer and Tracy for keeping the mad spirits fillin' and swillin' for us mad ones.

Our Mad Swirl 1st Wednesday Promise...

We here at Mad Swirl are so adamant about this auld lang syne business that we promise to keep on doing the Mad Swirlin' voodoo that we all the way thru 2009!

That's right our fellow mad ones, Mad Swirl Open Mic will continue to whirl thru Absinthe Lounge every 1st Wednesday thru double-aught nine starting once again on 02.04.09! So, here's how it goes...

Mad Swirl is calling ALL you mad poets, musicians, actors, singers, performers and any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come and strut-yo-stuff.

Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to support your fellow mad ones.

Swirve opens the mad festivities 'round 8:00-ish. Johnny O will wake the mic up 'round 8:45-ish and the mic closes when there's no one left standing.

For more information about Mad Swirl Open Mic go to MadSwirl.com

For more information about Absinthe Lounge go to AbsintheLounge.net

Interested in performing? e-mail us at openmic@madswirl.com

And please please please, by all means means means, feel free free free to forward this to any and all mad ones that you know.

Most Syne-cerely,
Mad Swirl

P.S. Whether you make it this time or not, mark your brand-new 2009
calendars now with EVERY 1st Wednesday date...

02.04.09 / 03.04.09 / 04.01.09 / 05.06.09 / 06.03.09 / 07.01.09 /
08.05.09 / 09.02.09 / 10.07.09 / 11.04.09 / 12.02.09

--
Join in on the madness at www.MadSwirl.com

"The whole mad swirl of everything to come began then." - Jack Kerouac

Mad Swirl Open Mic'n'Into 2009!

2009-01-02T17:42:00.004-06:00

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

No, no, no, auld acquaintance should not be forgot...dangit! And definitely, no way no how, should we ever, EV-ER forget auld lang syne! What'cho thinkin' 'bout?

We here at Mad Swirl are so adamant about this auld lang syne business that we just have to keep on doing the Mad Swirlin' voodoo that we do into 2009!

That's right our fellow mad ones, Mad Swirl Open Mic will continue to whirl thru Absinthe Lounge every 1st Wednesday thru double-aught nine starting on 01.07! So, here's how it goes...

Mad Swirl is calling ALL you mad poets, musicians, actors, singers, performers and any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come and strut-yo-stuff.

Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to support your fellow mad ones.

Swirve opens the mad festivities 'round 8:00-ish. Johnny O will wake the mic up 'round 8:45-ish and the mic closes when there's no one left standing.

For more information about Mad Swirl Open Mic go to MadSwirl.com

For more information about Absinthe Lounge go to AbsintheLounge.net

And please please please, by all means means means, feel free free free to forward this to any and all mad ones that you know.

Syne-cerely,
Mad Swirl

P.S. Whether you make it this time or not, mark your brand-new 2009 calendars now with EVERY 1st Wednesday date...

01.07.09 / 02.04.09 / 03.04.09 / 04.01.09 / 05.06.09 / 06.03.09 / 07.01.09 / 08.05.09 / 09.02.09 / 10.07.09 / 11.04.09 / 12.02.09

Thanks to the Mad Ones of 12.04.08

2008-12-06T17:00:00.000-06:00

There was something going on this past 1st Wednesday...something out of our control...out of anyone's control. Like the moths attraction to the light, we were drawn to Mad Swirl's Open Mic Night at Absinthe Lounge. The mad mic was opened and thru it came swirling words and sounds from poets & musicians & miscellaneous mad ones from all around this mad, mad Metroplex.

Together we unlocked the door of imagination and beyond it found another dimension - a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. We crossed the line between here and there, lurid and lucid, sane and insane. We moved into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. We went head first into the Mad Swirl Zone.

Mad thanks to those who crossed the line on 12.03.08...
(this months open mic pics coming sooner then later!)

in order of appearance:

Johnny O
Lisa Ohhh
Chris Zimmerly
Gayle Bell
Gordon Hilgers
Devorah
BA
Claude Barret
Max Earl Blair
Shay
Cabe Lindsay
Wanda Su
Christopher
Chris Hamilton
Josh Weir
Jimmy
Justin
Andy Sanchez
Kate

A very special Swirlin’ thanks to Swirve's amazin' trumpeter Chris Curiel, mad man G-Man Gerard Bendix on skins and special guest Kenny Withrow on wailin' guitar for keeping us movin', groovin' and steppin' all night long!

And HUGE thanks to Absinthe Lounge owner Kevin & the Lounge staffers Jennifer and Brian for keeping the mad spirits fillin' and swillin' for us mad ones.

::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :::

As you may or may not know, each 1st Wednesday is a unique madness all it's own.

You just never know what you'll see when you go to Mad Swirl Open Mic at Absinthe Lounge.

Don’t wish you were there, JUST BE THERE on 01:07:09

You won't want to miss it. We promise.

Mad Swirling Yours,
Mad Swirl

To get you some Mad Swirl visit www.madswirl.com!

The Mad Swirl Zone

2008-11-27T08:23:00.004-06:00

There is something going on here...something out of your control...out of anyone's control. Like the moths attraction to the light, you are drawn to this 1st Wednesday night. The mad mic will once again be opened. Thru it, swirling words and sounds from poets, musicians, storytellers, comedians & miscellaneous mad ones from all around this mad, mad Metroplex.

Mad Swirl will be your host, your guide if you will, as we unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension - a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. The crossing of the line between here and there, lurid and lucid, sane and insane. We'll be moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas as we - cross - over - into - the - Mad - Swirl - Zone.

doo-dee-doo-doo...doo-dee-doo-doo...doo-dee-doo-doo

Swirve cracks open the door to this mad dimension 'round 8:00. Host Johnny O kicks open the door completely with madness on the mic 'round 8:45-ish and the mic closes when the credits roll.

For more Mad Swirl Zone info visit www.madswirl.com

(pssst...e-mail crazy@madswirl.com to get an early spot on the list)

Declaration to the Mad Ones of 11.05.08!

2008-11-06T16:31:00.004-06:00

Dearest Joe and Jane Mad One’s...

On this day after 1st Wednesday, Mad Swirl dedicates this to those who gave their mad spirits so that madness might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we do this declaration

Thank-you to the insane nation, under-ground, that swirled together in madness – on the open mic of the mad ones, by the mad ones, for the mad ones.

The truth was self-evident - that all poets, musicians, singers, storytellers, comedians, and performers are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are their poems, songs and the collective pursuit of madness!

Monumental thanks to the mad one’s of 11.05.08 (in order of appearance)...

Johnny O
(host)
Opalina Salas
Max Earl Blair
Devorah
Brandon
Shay
John Kelley
Christopher
Roderick Richardson
Janice
Cabe Lindsay
Joey Cloudy
Jolee Davis-Cloudy
Wanda

A very special Swirlin’ thanks to Swirve's amazin' wailin' trumpeter Chris Curiel & mad man G-Man Gerard Bendix on skins for keeping us movin' groovin' and steppin' all night long!

And HUGE thanks to Absinthe Lounge owner Kevin & the Lounge staffers Jennifer and John for keeping the mad spirits fillin' and swillin' for us mad ones.

Interested in Performing?

Are you a mad poet, musician, actor, singer and/or performer? (circus freaks, Tenacious D rip-offs and Elvis impersonators always welcome) Do you live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area? Then come-n-strut-yo-stuff.

Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to support your fellow mad ones.

Swirve opens things up around 8:00 and we close the mic when there's no one left standing.

Interested in performing? e-mail us at openmic@madswirl.com for more information.

And please, by all means, FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE WORD!

Where's this Madness Take Place?

Every 1st Wednesday Mad Swirl swirls thru Absinthe Lounge which is located in the SouthSide on Lamar building.

1409 South Lamar Street • Dallas, TX 75215

Mad Swirl Open Mic Ranting & Raving Insane Campaign '08

2008-10-30T18:46:00.003-05:00

Dearest Joe and Jane Six-Pack's...

Forty-eight months and a couple-few days ago, Absinthe Lounge and Mad Swirl brought forth on this mad, mad blue marble of ours a new open mic, conceived in Swirling Madness and dedicated to the declaration that ALL mad ones are created equal.

We have come to dedicate a day, the 1st Wednesday of the month, for those who give their mad spirits so that this madness might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we do this declaration each month.

Just what is our declaration? Lend us your ear and we'll tell you...

This insane nation, under-ground, swirled together in madness - and this open mic of the mad ones, by the mad ones, for the mad ones, shall not perish from this big beautiful blue marble.

So we do declare...

That these truths to be self-evident - that all poets, musicians, singers, storytellers, comedians, and performers are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are poems, songs and the pursuit of madness.

Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to support your fellow mad ones.

And this we pledge to you...if you pick us this 1st Wednesday. Can we count on your support?

If so, then come join us this 1st Wednesday, November 5th, at Absinthe Lounge located at 1409 South Lamar Street in beautiful downtown Dallas. Swirve opens things up at 8:00-ish. The mic goes live 'round 8:45-ish.

For more information on this Ranting & Raving Campaign please visit www.MadSwirl.com

RSVP crazy@madswirl.com to get on the pre-list.

Mad Swirl Ranting & Raving Insane Campaign 08

2008-10-19T11:09:00.005-05:00

Our Fellow Mad Ones...

One half score and a couple-few days ago, Mad Swirl brought forth on this mad, mad blue marble, a new creation, conceived in Swirling Madness, and dedicated to the declaration that all mad ones are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great creative war, testing whether the mad ones, any of the mad ones so conceived and so dedicated to madness, can long endure. We have come to dedicate a portion of the web, as a final posting place for those who here gave their mad spirits so that this madness might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

Just what's our agenda? Lend us your ear and we'll tell you.

Some Fundamental Madnesses

:: Of, By & For the Artists...
:: Read our Lips, No Old Poetry...
:: Change We Can Believe In...

Of the Artists, by the Artists, for the Artists...Mad Gallery's Promise to You!

The Mad Gallery is a beautiful space where we proudly display the many facets of the visual arts. From the furthest reaches of this mad, mad world we have gathered together just a few of the most maddest painters, sculptors, photographers & illustrators that we could and swirled them all together here.

Currently featured in the Gallery is painter Jimmy Ovadia. Jimmy's art "leads us on a transformative psychedelic odyssey full of unique and creative dreamlike portholes. It takes the mind through twists and turns perceived through levels of consciousness and mysticism. Jimmy's quest is toward an abstract surrealistic art that visually unites the body, mind, soul and spirit. It elucidates and enlightens the individual and the world around them."

Also in the gallery since our last virtual meeting are new works from David Arthur-Simons, Tom Harding, Peter Schwartz, Shelly Pinder and Greg Lamer.

Read Our Lips, No Old Poetry...Always Swirling New Poets in Mad Swirl's Poetry Forum!

Now with over 80 poets (and growing everyday), Mad Swirl's Poetry Forum is truly a poetic voice to be reckoned with. This massive online collection features some of the maddest poets from all over this big blue marble of ours. Now tell us, would we lie to you?

The Forum is truly a living and breathing entity, growing and flowing every day...so it's best to come by often to view the latest. Here is just a morsel, an excerpt if you will, from one of our featured poets Glen Still:

A True Liberator

A tribe of innocents
Lead to the pulpit
Believing in the ghost
To rise up

But a metal sword
Comes dancing through the fire
Cuts them all...
Blood Red Bleeds
The first step to amortize one self
Into the system

I imagined a freer world
I imagined her by my side
I see no one here now
I must go off to fight a war
Try to find a way to defeat this common god
The one that doesn't keep his promises
The one that vexes me against my neighbor
Therefore I refuse to raise the gun

(click here to read and hear the complete poem "A True Liberator")

Here are some of the poets we've added to the Forum lately...

Staff Writers: Johnny Olson · Lisa Olson

Featured Writers: Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal · M. H. Clay · Justin Hyde · Paul Sexton · Glen Still · Mel Waldman

Contributors: Robert Louis Henry · Gayle Bell · Nicole Kuwik · Tom Harding · Bernard Alain · Paul Sexton · Kat Dixon · Claude Barret · Cabe Lindsay · Colin James · Raffi Kiureghian · Ray Succre · Jessamyn Cuneo · Kirsten Reinking · Anne Ransom · Dan Provost · Joe Quinn · Gary Beck · Scott Larson · Nick Orf · Max Earl Blair · Melanie Brown · Connor O'Brien · George Harding · Clive Matson · Kenneth P Gurney · Larry Anderson · Moctezuma Johnson · Gene Barry · Changming Yuan · Jonathan Hayes · Jack Henry · Joseph Reich

and many more...

Change We Can Believe In...Mad Swirl Open Mic Night!

This is the official and unanimous Declaration of Mad Swirl Open Mic Night at Absinthe Lounge every 1st Wednesday of the month.

When in the course of Mad Swirl Open Mic events it becomes necessary for us mad ones to dissolve the mental and physical miles between us and gather together for the madness, which connects us with one another. And to assume among the powers of the host of this madness, the separate and equal time in front of the mic to which the Laws of Booze and of Nature's Tea entitle us. Fortunately, this sometimes enables they that would declare these causes to impel them to poetic revolution. Soooo...

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all poets, musicians, singers, storytellers, comedians, and performers are mostly created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are poems, songs and the pursuit of madness.

And for your support of Mad Swirl Open Mic, with a firm reliance on the intoxication from Absinthe Lounge, we mutually pledge to you our words, our tunes and our sacred madness.

Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to support your fellow mad ones.

Absinthe Lounge · 1409 South Lamar Street · Dallas, 75215

"So, come on iconoclasts, forward! Already the foreboding sky grows dark and silent!" Renzo Novatore Arcola

Make Your Picks...Mad Swirl Issue Six!

Time is running out to get your hands on Mad Swirl Six: The Blue Note Issue, a 28 full-color-page, 23-track collection of beat-utiful collaborations between poetry and music.

This Blue Note Issue is Mad Swirl's ode to the insanity that is Mad Swirl Open Mic Night. In this issue, you'll find the poetry and music of some of the most maddest of the mad ones...

Johnny Olson · Lisa Olson · Cheyenne Gallion · Paul Sexton · Opalina Salas · MH Clay · Desmene Statum · Josh Weir · Roderick Richardson · Chris Zimmerly · Swirve · Tim Thomaston

For this very limited time we are offering Mad Swirl Six: The Blue Note Issue for the low, low price of $5!

How do you get your hands on this amazing collection of madness? You have 3 options...

PayPal! It's safe! It's easy! It's instant!

OR

Visit us at Mad Swirl's Open Mic Night and buy an issue direct from Johnny O.

OR

Send us an e-mail and we can discuss payment options.

It just doesn't get any easier then that! Get your Mad Swirl Six fix as fast as you can!

Our Price: $5.00
S & H: $2.00

All the Hip Kids Are Doing It, Why Not You?

VOTE. We're not going to get all preachy, try to sway you in sOme suBtle wAy to MAke you vote for who we like best. We just want to do our public service by saying GO VOTE! Did we say that loud enough? GO VOTE!! A tad louder? GO VOTE!!! Not registered? Need more info? Visit RockTheVote.com

"The stakes are too high for government to be a spectator sport." Barbara Jordan

So, our Fellow Mad Ones, to include Joe's Six-Pack & Plumber...

This insane nation, under-ground, shall swirl together a new kind of madness -- and this zine of the mad ones, by the mad ones, for the mad ones, shall not perish from this big beautiful blue marble.

Stayed tuned to Mad Swirl for even more in the coming days, weeks, months and years as we continue to weave this mad web and print this mad page and set this mad stage whether we get voted in or not. So there.

Sincerely?
Johnny O
Madman-in-Chief of Mad Swirl

The whole Mad Swirl of everything to come begins...now!

Mad Props to ALL the Mad Ones of 10:01:08!

2008-10-02T20:47:00.004-05:00

Mad props to all the Ladies and Gentlemen, Hipsters and Squares, Loose-Women and Pickpockets and ALL the Mad Ones that stepped right up to the open mic as Mad Swirl once again went L-I-V-E.

This past 1st Wednesday's show sure mesmerized and tantalized the twisted mad minds of all the participators and appreciators present at Absinthe Lounge.

Swirling thanks to ALL OF YOU mad poets and musicians who came to strut their stuff on 10.01.08...

1st Round:
Johnny O
Roderick Richardson
Opalina Salas
Gordon Hilgers
Christopher
B.A.
Joey Cloudy
Devorah
Cabe Lindsay
Max Earl Blair
Paul Sexton
D'Anson Brody
M.H. Clay

2nd Round:
James Hargrave
Audacious
Josh Weir
Jade
Duke McBoggin

3rd Round:
The Third Round Troubadours!

A very special Swirlin’ thanks to Swirve's amazin' wailin' trumpeter Chris Curiel, anachronistic vocalist Tamitha Curiel & mad man G-Man Gerard Bendix on skins for keeping us movin' groovin' and steppin' all night long!

And HUGE thanks to Absinthe Lounge owner Kevin & the Lounge staffers Jennifer and Brian for keeping the mad spirits fillin' and swillin' for us mad ones.

As you may or may not know, each 1st Wednesday is a unique madness all it's own.

You just never know what you'll see when you go to Mad Swirl Open Mic at Absinthe Lounge.

Don’t wish you were there, JUST BE THERE on 11:05:08

You won't want to miss it.

We promise.

Go to MadSwirl.com for more info on stepping up to the mic.

Step Right Up to Mad Swirl Open Mic Night!

2008-09-26T15:48:00.005-05:00

Ladies and Gentlemen...
Hipsters and Squares...
Loose-Women and Pickpockets...
All the Mad Ones...

Step right up! Mad Swirl is once again going live! That's right, L-I-V-E.

Come and see the show that is sure to mesmerize and tantalize your twisted minds. Mad Swirl Open Mic features some of the maddest and baddest mo'fo's we know! Dare we call this "The Most Maddest Open Mic on Earth"?

Oh yes, we dare...

And while we're feelin' all dare-y, we dare ALL OF YOU mad poets, musicians, actors, singers, performers and all you miscellaneous mad ones (fire-eaters, Elvis impersonators, circus freaks, Tenacious D rip-offs) in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area to come and strut yo' stuff. Come one, come all! Step right up and participate, appreciate, and support your local Mad Ones.

This 1st Wednesday at Dallas' Absinthe Lounge, the Swirve trio will step up and open things 'round 8:00. Johnny O will be waking the mic up 'round 8:30-ish. And the mic closes when there's no one left standing.

And please, by all means, FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE MAD WORD! Forward this to any and all Mad Ones you know who are ready and willing to step up.

Mad Swirl Open Mic at Absinthe Lounge. It's THE place to be on the 1st Wednesday of the month!

Go to MadSwirl.com for more info on stepping up to the mic.

Go to AbsintheLounge.net for more info on Absinthe Lounge.

Notes of Gratitude to the ALL the Mad Ones!

2008-09-04T15:20:00.002-05:00

And the Lord Swirl Spoketh..."You must spread the MADNESS to the MASSES. You must beseech ALL the MAD ONES and the 'AWWW'-ers to open their hearts. Ye shall tell them to give of their poems, songs, stories, monologues, dance & their sacrificial love offerings of applause and finger-snaps to the ministry of the MAD Swirl OPEN MIC"

And Lord Swirl saw every MAD thing that we had done, and, BEHOLD, it was very good.

So brothers and sisters, we thank those that fell on their knees and Listened to the dear Lord Swirl who came on 09.03.08 to witness the madness... (pics coming sooner then later)

1st Round:
Johnny O (host)
Opalina Salas (co-host)
Joey Cloudy
Jolee Davis-Cloudy
Chris Zimmerly
Devorah
Desmene Statum
Christopher
Shay
Gordon Hilgers
Max Earl Blair
M.H. Clay

2nd Round:
Justin
Cabe Lindsay
James Hargrave
Romie
Poet Echo
Jimmy
Josh Weir
Frankie Joe Machicek

A very special Swirlin’ AMEN to Swirve's amazin' wailin' trumpeter Chris Curiel, anachronistic vocalist Tamitha Curiel & mad man G-Man Gerard Bendix on skins for keeping us Movin' Groovin' and Testifyin' all night long!

And a HUGE Hallelujah! to Absinthe Lounge owner Kevin & the Lounge staffers Joey and Tracy for keeping the mad spirits fillin' and swillin' for us mad ones.

Interested in Performing?

Are you a mad poet, musician, actor, singer and/or performer? (circus freaks, Tenacious D rip-offs and Elvis impersonators always welcome) Do you live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area? Then come-n-strut-yo-stuff.

Come oneth. Come alleth. Come to participateth. Come to appreciateth. Come to supporteth your fellow mad ones.

The mic opens up around 8:30 and closes when there's no one left standing.

Interested in performing? e-mail us at openmic@madswirl.com. And please, by all means, FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE WORD!

Mad Swirl Open Mic at Absinthe Lounge. It's THE place to be on the first Wednesday of the month! (it's also THE place for 1st Wednesday's $2 drafts/$5 Mad Absinthe's)

Where's this madness take place? Absinthe Lounge is located in the SouthSide on Lamar building. 1409 South Lamar Street • Dallas, TX • 75215

Go to MadSwirl.com for all your Mad Swirl information!

Come Testify at Mad Swirl Open Mic!

2008-08-28T19:55:00.002-05:00

The MAD Swirl God has moved ME to share with YOU this powerful MAD MESSAGE. As I was sleeping early in the WEE hours of the night, I was awakened by a strange & POWERFUL sense. I felt shaking in my Bones, Dear brethren, & KNEW deep within MY heart & soul that this was the one, the only, the MAD Swirl God stirring me from SLUMBER. As I awoke, I SLID to my knees in a humble & receptive prayer:

"Yes, MAD Swirl" I whispered, wiping sleep from mine MAD eyes.

"My child," The Swirl spoke. "You have done MAD things in my name. You printed MAD Zines. You WOVEN a MAD web in the WWW. You have swirled the madness WHEREever you can. It is time for more MAD work."

"Just tell me MAD Swirl, What will you have me to do?" I said.

"My child," Lord Swirl spoke. "You must spread the MADNESS to the MASSES. You must beseech ALL the MAD ONES and the 'AWWW'-ers to open their hearts once more. This time, ye shall tell them to give of their poems, songs, stories, monologues, dance & their sacrificial love offerings of applause and finger-snaps to the ministry of the MAD Swirl OPEN MIC"

"MAD Swirl OPEN MIC Lord Swirl?"

"The trinity of MAD Swirl" God said. "The Lord Swirl, thy YOUR God has spoken."

So brothers and sisters, I ask you this day, to fall on your knees and Listen to the dear Lord Swirl would have you to do on this FIRST Wednesday...

"ALL ye MAD Poets, Musicians, Actors, Singers and/or Performers WHO Live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, come-YE-n-strut-yo-stuff.

Come Oneth. Come Alleth. Come to Participateth. Come to Appreciateth. Come to Supporteth your fellow MAD ONES.

Cometh and JOIN host Brother JOHNNY O and co-host Sister OPALINA SALAS, and the Musical MAD ones SWIRVE as The MIC Opens up AROUND 8:00 and CLOSES when I SAYETH So. GO FORTH to MADSwirl.COM for MORE Information."

Whatever Lord Swirl tells you, you mustn't question. Do not, I repeat, do not let the LYING DEVIL try to tell you otherwise. Lord Swirl is serious about this. If you love MAD Swirl, you will COME.

Hallelujah!
Reverend Brother Elder Swirl the 7th

P.S.eth...RSVP early for a spot on the LIST!

It's a Beautiful Night for an Open Mic!

2008-07-31T21:07:00.004-05:00

Hello Neighbors...it's me again, here to share with you one of my favorite rip-off renditions of "Won't You Be My Neighbor"by my dearest friends at Mad Swirl...bless their hearts.

It's a beautiful night in this neighborhood,
A beautiful night for some madness.
Will you be coming?
Could you be coming?...

It's the 1st Wednesday of this month,
A swirling day for some madness and fun.
Will you be coming?
Could you be coming?...

We've always wanted to hang
with mad ones just like you.
We've always wanted to swirl
in this open mic madness with you.

So...

Let's make the most of this 1st Wednesday.
And when we're together we might as well say:
Will you be coming?
Could you be coming?
Won't you be at Mad Swirl?
Won't you please,
Won't you please?
Please won't you be at Mad Swirl?

Jump on the trolley as host Johnny O and guest co-host, Chris "Zimm" Zimmerly...along with Swirve and the most maddest mad ones...as we stroll thru the Land of Make-Believe!

For more information about Mad Swirl go to...madswirl.com

For more information about Absinthe Lounge go to...absinthelounge.net

e-RSVP now to get on the list and/or to get you a copy or two of Mad Swirl Six.

Lots'o'News from the Eye of the Swirl

2008-07-13T14:34:00.007-05:00

::: Summer 2008 :::

"Time, time, time, see what's become of me..."

Sure has been awhile, huh? Sometimes it seems like the days fly into weeks and into months and next thing you know it's summer. The last time you heard from us we had Santa on the header of this message, if that gives you any idea of time passed.

So what exactly has been going since we celebrated the birth of Santa? Boy oh boy and my oh my, a whole lotta madness has been swirling!

Are you ready to take the Swirl for a spin? Well then, LET's GO!

::: Heerrre's...Mad Swirl Six: The Blue Note Issue! :::

The long-awaited, much-anticipated full-color print issue, a 28-page, 23-track collection of poetry and music was officially released at Mad Swirl Open Mic Night to a full-house of mad ones, 07.02.08 at Absinthe Lounge.

This Blue Note Issue is Mad Swirl's ode to the insanity that is Mad Swirl Open Mic Night. In this issue, you'll find the poetry and music of some of the most maddest of the mad ones...

Johnny Olson · Lisa Olson · Cheyenne Gallion · Paul Sexton · Opalina Salas · MH Clay · Desmene Statum · Josh Weir · Roderick Richardson · Chris Zimmerly · Swirve · Tim Thomaston

This beat-utiful collaboration of madness is now available for purchase. Get 'em while they last!!!

Scroll on down to get your fix of Mad Swirl Issue Six...

::: Behold...Mad Swirl's Online Poetry Forum! :::

Now with over 70 poets, the Mad Swirl Poetry Forum is truly a poetic online village featuring some of the maddest poets from all over this big blue marble of ours.

The Forum is truly a living and breathing entity, growing and flowing every day...so it's best to come by often to view the latest.

Here are some of the poets we've added lately...

Mel Waldman · Johnny Olson · Robert Louis Henry · M. H. Clay · Gayle Bell · R. Jay Slais · Roderick Richardson · Joseph Reich · Janann Dawkins · Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal · Dennis Wilken · Nathan Tyree · Puma Perl · Justin Hyde · Nicole Kuwik · Victoria Munn · Isaiah Vianese · Ra! Gabriel · John Grey · Tom Harding · Rob Plath · Rafael Andrade Garza · Glen Still · Mary McLaughlin...

...and oh so many more!

::: Take a Stroll thru the Mad Gallery! :::

Welcome to the Mad Gallery. This beautiful space is the place where we proudly display the many mad facets of the visual arts.

Currently featured is painter David Arthur-Simons. David's works depict ideal places of peace, harmony and symmetry where people fly, leap and glide through the air from one dimension to another, constantly defying the accepted illusions of life. This is just the first of many more installments of David's vast collection to be featured in the Mad Gallery. And when you're done being inspired by David's work...

...from the furthest reaches of this mad, mad world we have gathered together just a few of the most maddest painters, sculptors, photographers & illustrators that we could and swirled them all together here. Come by and visit the gallery...

Get your stroll on here...

::: Mad Swirl Open Mic: Where the Mad Ones Are! :::

Every 1st Wednesday night Mad Swirl has its open mic and we make mad mischief of one kind, and another until our mothers call us "Mad Ones!" and send us to Dallas' Absinthe Lounge without our supper.

Come go mad with Mad Swirl's monthly showcase of beat-utiful mad ones as we strive to break the madness barrier! If you are a poet, musician, actor, singer and/or performer and live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area then come-n-preach-it!

Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to support your fellow mad ones.

Absinthe Lounge · 1409 S Lamar St · Dallas

Get more info, see pics and hear audio from last 1st Wednesday's madness here!

::: Get Your Mad Swirl Issue Six Fix Here! :::

This limited-edition, numbered copy of Mad Swirl is 28 full-color pages of swirling madness that captures some of the most maddest of the mad ones and the insanity that is the Dallas poetry and music scene!

What would you be willing to pay for this limited edition, numbered copy of Mad Swirl? Don't answer yet!

A bonus with this mad zine is a 23-track CD of the whole issue performed and recorded live at Absinthe Lounge, with music by Swirve! Now how much would you pay? $20 would be worth it. $10? That sure would be a great deal!

For this limited time we are offering Mad Swirl Six: The Blue Note Issue for the low, low price of $5!

How do you get your hands on this amazing collection of madness? You have 3 options...

PayPal! It's safe! It's easy! It's instant! It's right here! Click and get whisked away into PayPal's safe and capable hands.

OR

Come visit us at Mad Swirl's Open Mic Night and buy an issue direct from Johnny O

OR

Send us an e-mail (crazy@madswirl.com) or visit us on MySpace and we can discuss payment options.

It just doesn't get any easier then that!

Give me my Mad Swirl Six fix as fast as you can!

We told you there was a lot going on in the Land of Swirling Madness! There's even more in store in the coming days, weeks, months and years as we weave this mad web and print this mad page and set this mad stage.

Keep on swirling madly, our fellow mad ones, because the whole Mad Swirl of everything to come begins...NOW!

Reach out and touch Mad Swirl the electronic-mail kinda way at crazy@madswirl.com

Or visit us on the Wide World of the Web at MadSwirl.com

Introducing...Mad Swirl Six: The Blue Note Issue!

2008-07-06T09:30:00.002-05:00

The long-awaited, much-anticipated full-color 28-page, 23-track collection of poets and musicians was released at Mad Swirl Open Mic Night on 07.02.08 at Absinthe Lounge to a full house of DFW mad ones. This Blue Note Issue is Mad Swirl's ode to the insanity that is Mad Swirl Open Mic Night and features the poetry and music of the most maddest of the mad ones...

Johnny Olson
Lisa Olson
Cheyenne Gallion
Paul Sexton
Opalina Salas
MH Clay
Desmene Statum
Josh Weir
Roderick Richardson
Chris Zimmerly
Swirve

We are currently accepting orders for this 28-page collection of madness. What would you be willing to pay for this limited edition, numbered copy of Mad Swirl?

Don't forget the extra bonus that comes with this mad zine. 23 tracks laid-down live at Mad Swirl's Open Mic, complete with Intro, Outro and bridge songs by the amazing trio Swirve! Now how much would you pay?

$20? Well worth it! What if we said $10? That sure would be a great deal! For this limited time we are offering Mad Swirl Issue Six: The Blue Note Issue for the low, low price of $5*!

You want some of this?!

How do you pay for this ground-breaking issue? You have 3 options to get your name on the list to be one of the 1st readers of Mad Swirl Six...

PayPal

• Go to PayPal.com

• If you don't already have a PayPal account, you must set one up. If you already have an account go to "send money" in the top menu bar.

• Enter "madswirl@gmail.com" into the "To" field and hit "Send Money"

• We get an e-mail saying we got your money & we think of how wonderful you are

• We put your name on the list of wonderful peeps to receive one of the first numbered copies of MS6:BNI

• Sometime soon you get your very own copy of Mad Swirl Six: The Blue Note Issue!

In Person

• Come visit us at Mad Swirl's Open Mic Night or one of the several of the other readings hosted by DFW Open Mics.

E-mail

• Send us an e-mail at crazy@madswirl.com and we can discuss payment options

It just doesn't get an easier then that! Why WOULDN'T you order one, two, five or ten today?

(* please add $1.50 for shipping and handling costs)

Declaration of Gratitude to the All the Mad Ones!

2008-07-04T08:57:00.003-05:00

NOTES OF GRATITUDE

This is the unanimous Declaration of Praises to all the Mad Ones that came to Mad Swirl Open Mic as well as helped us give Birth to Mad Swirl Six: The Blue Note Issue Release this past 1st Wednesday of this month of July.

When in the Course of this Mad Swirl event it becomes necessary for all poets, musicians, singers, storytellers, comedians, and performers to dissolve the mental and physical miles between them and gather together for the madness which connected them with one another. We held these truths to be self-evident, that all poets, musicians, singers & storytellers are created equal and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Poems, Songs and the pursuit of Happiness. What a Declaration of the Masses to Madness t'was!

Soooo...

Here Ye! Here Ye! Bottomless gratitude and mad love goes out to the following Mad Ones...

1st Round:
Johnny O*
Jolee Davis-Cloudy
Joey Cloudy
Rhie
Vincent Olson
Max Earl Blair
Opalina Salas*
Platinum Status
Roderick Richardson*
Gaila Bell
Paul Sexton*
Desmene Statum*
Mister Natural
Michael Clay*

2nd Round:
Devorah
Chris Zimmerly*
Gordon Hilgers
Trey
Kerseymere
Tarnished Penny
Brett
Todd Buckley
Mason

3rd Round:
Swirve* & the Mad One Hootenanny!

(* also featured in Mad Swirl Six: The Blue Note Issue)

And Mad Swirl's Open Mic just wouldn't be what it is without Swirve. Deepest respect and admiration for the amazin' wailin' trumpeter Chris Curiel, anachronistic vocalist Tamitha Curiel & mad man G-Man Gerard Bendix on skins. Our heads are still ringing from your Mad Declarations!

And, as always, the deepest grats to one of the maddest cats of all, Absinthe Lounge owner Kevin & the Lounge staffers Jose and My for keeping the drinks fillin' and swillin' for us mad ones.

MAD SWIRL OPEN MIC NIGHT

As you may or may not know, each 1st Wednesday is a unique madness all it's own. You just never know what you'll see...or miss...when you go to Mad Swirl Open Mic at Absinthe Lounge.

Don’t wish you were there, JUST BE THERE on 08:06:08

interested in performing?

Are you a mad poet, musician, actor, singer and/or performer? (circus freaks, Tenacious D rip-offs and Elvis impersonators always welcome) Do you live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area? Then come-n-strut-yo-stuff.

Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to support your fellow mad ones.

The mic opens up around 8:30 and closes when there's no one left standing.

Interested in performing? e-mail us at openmic@madswirl.com
And please, by all means, FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE WORD!

Mad Swirl Open Mic at Absinthe Lounge. It's THE place to be on the first Wednesday of the month! (it's also THE place for 1st Wednesday's $2 drafts/$5 Mad Absinthe's)

WHERE DOES THIS MADNESS TAKE PLACE?

Absinthe Lounge is located at 1409 South Lamar Street • Dallas, TX 75215 (in the SouthSide on Lamar building)

Declaration of Mad Swirl Open Mic and Mad Swirl Six: The Blue Note Edition Release Celebration!

2008-06-26T20:21:00.003-05:00

CONGRESS OF MAD ONES, JULY 2, 2008

This is the unanimous Declaration of Mad Swirl Open Mic and Mad Swirl Six: The Blue Note Edition Release Celebration on the 1st Wednesday of this month of July.

When in the Course of Mad Swirl events it becomes necessary for all poets, musicians, singers, storytellers, comedians, and performers to dissolve the mental and physical miles between them and gather together for the madness which will connect them with one another. And to assume among the powers of the host of this madness, the separate and equal time in front of the mic to which the Laws of Booze and of Nature's Tea entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of Absinthe Lounge patrons sometimes sloppy scrutiny. Fortunately, this celebration also requires that they should declare the release of Mad Swirl Six: The Blue Note Issue, which causes us Excitation.

Soooo...

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all poets, musicians, singers, storytellers, comedians, and performers are mostly created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Poems, Songs and the pursuit of Happiness, this 1st Wednesday at Absinthe Lounge...and declare that all Men and Women have the Right to Purchase a Limited-Edition, Numbered print edition of Mad Swirl Six for $5.

For more information about Mad Swirl go to...madswirl.com

For more information about Absinthe Lounge go to...absinthelounge.net

And for your support of Mad Swirl Open Mic and Issue Six, with a firm reliance on the protection of the Mad Ones, we mutually pledge to you our Words, our Tunes and our Sacred Madness.

"So, come on iconoclasts, forward! Already the foreboding sky grows dark and silent!" - Renzo Novatore Arcola

Mad Swirl Six: The Blue Note Issue Begins Swirling 07.02.08

2008-06-22T09:37:00.006-05:00

Mad Swirl Six: The Blue Note Issue

The long-awaited, much-anticipated upcoming full-color 28-page collection of poets and musicians will be released at Mad Swirl Open Mic Night on 07.02.08 at Absinthe Lounge. This Blue Note Issue is Mad Swirl's ode to the insanity that is Mad Swirl Open Mic Night featuring the poetry and music of the most maddest of the mad ones...

Johnny Olson
Lisa Olson
Cheyenne Gallion
Paul Sexton
Opalina Salas
MH Clay
Desmene Statum
Josh Weir
Roderick Richardson
Chris Zimmerly
Swirve

We are currently accepting pre-orders for this upcoming issue of madness. What would you be willing to pay for this limited edition, numbered copy of Mad Swirl? Don't answer yet!

As a bonus with this mad zine will be tracks laid-down live at the last Open Mic, complete with Intro, Outro and bridge songs by the amazing trio Swirve! Now how much would you pay?

$20? Well worth it! What if we said $10? That sure would be a great deal! For this limited time we are offering Mad Swirl Issue Six: The Blue Note Issue for the low low price of $5*!

What's the catch? You must pay thru PayPal to get your name on the list to be one of the 1st readers of Mad Swirl Six. And also we need as much funds as we can get to offset the cost of producing this mad mad collection of poetry and music by 07.02.08!

1. Go to PayPal.com

2. If you don't already have a PayPal account, you must set one up. If you already have an account go to "send money" in the top menu bar.

3. Enter "madswirl@gmail.com" into the "To" field and hit "Send Money"

4. We get an e-mail saying we got your money & we think of how wonderful you are. We put your name on the list of wonderful peeps to receive one of the first numbered copies of MS6:BNI

5. Sometime on or soon after 07.02.08 you get your copy of Mad Swirl Six: The Blue Note Issue!

It just doesn't get an easier then that!

Why WOULDN'T you order one, two, five or ten now?

(* please add $1.50 for shipping and handling costs)

Where the Mad Ones Were!

2008-06-06T17:42:00.003-05:00

On the past 1st Wednesday night Mad Swirl had its open mic and we made mad mischief of one kind, and another, and our mothers called us "Mad Ones!" and sent us to Absinthe Lounge without our supper.

And on this night, the number of Mad Ones grew, and grew, and grew 'til Absinthe Lounge was filling and spilling with swirling Mad Ones all around and the couches filled with people and the drinks just flowed and flowed.

And a mic came floating by for all the Mad Ones - the poets, musicians, actors, singers and performers, and we sailed off to the place where the Mad Ones are!

And when we were at the place where the Mad Ones are were the Mad Ones read their swirling poems and sang their mad songs and snapped and clapped their hands and howled their howling howls and they called us the most maddest ones of all!

And so the madness began...

1st Round:
Johnny O
Vince Olson
Opalina Salas
Paul Sexton
Gaila Bell
Kollective Objective
Roderick Richardson
Devorah
Daniel Candiotta
Gordon Hilgers
Chris Zimmerly
Desmene Statum
Mac Probst
Brandon
Michael Clay

2nd Round:
Lisa Ohhh
Josh Weir
Victory
Max Earl Blair
Bear
MM Harris
Kerseymere
Mister Natural
Zack
Alexcie
Poet Echo
Todd Buckley
Kathryn Weir
Luigi
D'Anson

Grats to Swirve, the most mostest mad maddest ones of all. Hats off, as always to the amazin' wailin' trumpeter Chris Curiel, anachronistic vocalist Tamitha Curiel & mad man G-Man Gerard Bendix on skins. They got the wild rumpus started and kept us movin' & groovin' all night long!

And, as always, the deepest grats to one of the maddest cats of all, Absinthe Lounge owner Kevin & the fine Lounge staffers Jennifer and My for keeping the drinks fillin' and swillin' for us mad ones.

If you missed the boat to where the Mad Ones are, don't fret. When the next 1st Wednesday rolls around, go to Mad Swirl Open Mic at Absinthe Lounge. Don’t wish you were there, BE THERE on 07:02:08, same Mad Swirl time (8:30), same Mad Swirl place (Absinthe Lounge), same Mad Swirling mad ones (you?).

The whole Mad Swirl of everything to come begins NOW!

Where the Mad Ones Are!

2008-05-29T21:17:00.003-05:00

On the night Mad Swirl has its open mic and makes mad mischief of one kind, and another, our mothers call us "Mad Ones!" and send us to Absinthe Lounge without our supper.

And on this night, the number of Mad Ones grows, and grows, and grows 'til Absinthe Lounge is filling and spilling with swirling Mad Ones all around and the couches fill with people and the drinks just flow and flow.

And a mic comes floating by for all the Mad Ones - the poets, musicians, actors, singers and performers, and we sail off, once a month, to the place where the Mad Ones are!

And when we're at the place where the Mad Ones are we read our swirling poems and sing our mad songs and snap and clap our hands and howl our howling howls and they call us the most maddest ones of all!

And now, let the madness start again! (on 06.04.08)

Get all you need to know about the Mad Ones of Mad Swirl at www.MadSwirl.com

And by all means, feel free to pass this on to any Mad Ones that you know!

Notes of Gratitude to the All the Mad Ones!

2008-05-08T15:50:00.006-05:00

Hello Our Fellow Mad Ones,
Because we cannot find the words to express the mad vibes flowing thru the room last night at Mad Swirl Open Mic Night, we'll just telekinetically push the current that was swirling the waters of mad creativity

~(¡____________________________!)~

All the local loco mad ones came out to witness last night's 1st Wednesday madness at Dallas’ maddest lounge in town, Absinthe Lounge! They came out to celebrate and capture on tape the featured poets ofMad Swirl Issue Six: The Blue Note Issue.

The inspiration for last nights opening madness was to record the bonus CD to the 6th print issue of swirling madness, to be released 05.31.08. The swirling idea started out several months ago as just a Blue Note album cover thought. This idea started swirling in our mad mad heads and has evolved into this zine, this mic, last night, that wondrous moment. We paid props to the insanity of Mad Swirl Open Mic and the poets & musicians who have graced the mic and have been sharing their souls with us these past few years onstage at Absinthe Lounge? The rest is history...

Swirve started out last nights recorded madness with the amazin' wailin’ trumpeteer Chris Curiel, the anachronistic vocalist Tamitha Curiel & the mad man G-Man Gerard Bendiks on skins. Swirve set the tone, the rhythm, swaying the room bringing on the featured mad poets of Mad Swirl Issue Six, in order of appearance in this upcoming issue:

Johnny Olson • Cheyenne Gallion • Lisa Olson • Paul Sexton • Opalina Salas • MH Clay • Desmene Statum • Joshua Weir • Roderick Richardson • Chris Zimmerly

Why these particular Mad Ones out of so many talented and gifted Mad Ones that have graced our Mad Swirl stage on 1st Wednesday? These particular mad ones have been hand-picked from a mighty long list because they embody the raw, the real and the mad energy that we believe goes hand-in-hand with the theme of this issue. We feel these mad ones deserved a permanent part in our hearts for all that they create and share with this mad, mad world of ours.

It’s in their swirling energies of spontaneity and improvisation. It’s in the mad glow in their raw artistic expressions on the stage. They are the fuel to the Mad Swirl vehicle that drives our mad message home.

THE WHOLE MAD SWIRL OF EVERYTHING TO COME TRULY BEGAN LAST NIGHT!

•••••••

Then there was the 1st ever Mad Swirl Auction and Raffle to raise money for the production of Mad Swirl Six. Mad props to our extremely generous donators:

Kevin Christensen • Jon Marquette • Devorah • Luis Cuauhtémoc Berriozabal, Carlos & Opalina Salas • Tzvia & Claude Barret • Angela Ramsey • Crystal Pate • Michael Clay • Winter Dawn • Desmene Statum • 10K Poets • Whiskey Jack

With the generous donations by these beautiful souls, the mad ones present last night helped bring the grand total to date to $750!

•••••••

Side Note: If you are interested in pre-ordering one of the 1st run, numbered copies of Mad Swirl Issue Six: The Blue Note Issue, please e-mail crazy@MadSwirl.com for more information.

•••••••

After we caught our breath and regained our bearings, the unusual usual madness ensued for round 2! Mad props to the mad ones who graced the mic:

Joey Cloudy • Jolee Davis-Cloudy • Gordon Hilgers • Max Blair • Gomez • Bear • Duke McBoggin • Andy Pickett • Amy • Andrew • Kerseymere

Quite the night of wailin’ poets & musicians gatherin' 'round to turn the mic on!

•••••••

We wish there were proper words to express the bottomless love and gratitude we have for each and every of you mad ones who made this past 1st Wednesday the most magical night of madness ever!

•••••••

As you may or may not know, each 1st Wedneday is a unique madness all it's own. You just never know what you'll see...or miss...when you go to Mad Swirl Open Mic at Absinthe Lounge. Don’t wish you were there, BE THERE on 06:04:08, same Mad Swirl time (8:30), same Mad Swirl place (Absinthe Lounge), same Mad Swirling mad ones (you?).

Go to MadSwirl.com for all the mad mad details!!!

Peace Out,

Johnny@Mad Swirl

Mad Swirl Open Mic Night and Benefit!

2008-05-01T20:49:00.005-05:00

Mad Swirl is once again callin' all you Beatniks, hipsters & ca-razy cats out there as we get to openin' the mic this 1st Wednesday at Absinthe Lounge. Join in on the insanity as all the mad ones come gatherin' 'round to wail away on the mad mad mic.

Be a part of Mad Swirl history this 1st Wednesday as we record the featured artists of the upcoming sixth print issue of Mad Swirl! Maybe your hoots, howls, claps or finger snaps will get picked up on the mic to be forever captured on the print zine's bonus CD! We start rolling tape at 8:30 with the following line-up:

Swirve
Johnny Olson
Cheyenne Gallion
Lisa Olson
Paul Sexton
Opalina Salas
MH Clay
Desmene Statum
Josh Weir
Roderick Richardson
Chris Zimmerly

And wait! There's even more fun in store...

Don't miss the first-ever Mad Swirl Live Auction & Raffle, where you can place your bid on a $100 Absinthe Lounge Gift Certificate, original oil artwork from Jon Marquette, collectible beat books and more. Bidding starts at just $5...who knows what you might walk away with!

Spend a Buck, Test Your Luck: Feeling lucky? Buy a raffle ticket (or 5 or 10!) for ''chump change'' at a dollar a shot. Exciting, eclectic prizes to be awarded by random drawing throughout the night.

100% of proceeds from the night's Auction & Raffle will go toward the printing expenses of Mad Swirl VI: The Blue Issue. Love Mad Swirl? Here's your chance to show it! (Mad Swirl loves you too.)

Interested in donating a prize or gift cert to the maddest Auction & Raffle in Town? Contact lisa@madswirl.com.

So all you mad poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come strut your mad stuff!

Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come for madness sake!

This is one 1st Wednesday you will not want to miss.

For more info about Mad Swirl go to www.MadSwirl.com

For more info about Absinthe Lounge go to www.AbsintheLounge.net

And by all means, feel free to pass this info to any & all Beatniks, hipsters & ca-razy cats that you know.

Mad Swirl Needs Your Help!

2008-04-30T20:40:00.003-05:00

Hello Fellow Mad Ones!

We're posting this blog because Johnny and I feel that you have been supportive of Mad Swirl as it has grown into the enigma that it is, someone that 'gets it' when it comes to the arts and the importance of creative expression!

Johnny has been working very hard on the 6th print edition of Mad Swirl, the Blue Note Issue, and he is so excited and very close to being ready for printing.

This issue is going to DYNO-MITE… a full-color issue, with a bonus CD of readings and will no doubt be his best Mad Swirl yet, a collector's edition in the making! See attachment for a sneak preview of the cover.

That's where you come in! Up til now, every Mad Swirl expense has been covered by us, including production time, supplies and printing expense. This issue, being full color, with CDs etc. will be our most expensive to produce yet, and we are asking for help, in our first print run of 1,000 copies.

There are three ways to help get Mad Swirl VI published. We kindly ask you to consider getting involved in any or all of the following manners:

1. Donate a prize for our Live Auction to take place at Mad Swirl Open Mic on Weds. 5/7/08. Tickets, gift certificates, cool collectibles, etc. will be greatly appreciated.

2. COME to Mad Swirl Open Mic's first LIVE AUCTION to bid on cool stuff, Weds. 5/7, 8:30-10p, Absinthe Lounge!

3. Donate directly to Mad Swirl through PayPal, by sending money at www.paypal.com to madswirl@gmail.com. Your donation (any size!) will go directly into our printing and assemblage costs are veeeery appreciated!!

We can't pull this one off without your help, so please, please (pretty please, with sugar on top, even!!) consider how you can help support Mad Swirl and the arts and poetry movement in Dallas.

You will become an important part in bringing the coolest issue ever into fruition and will be one of the first to receive your limited edition, numbered collectible copy.

Our targeted production date is May 31st, so time is of the essence. Please help in whatever way you can and again, we are immensely grateful for the support we have gotten and the support we trust we will get to make this dream reality.

To check out Mad Swirl on the web, visit www.madswirl.com.

THANKS SO MUCH for your support.

With deep gratitude,
Lisa and Johnny

"The whole mad swirl of everything that is to come begins now."

Mad Swirlin' Audio from 04.02.08!

2008-04-10T18:06:00.003-05:00

Hello Fellow Mad Ones,
Were you there on April 2nd? You know, at the monthly madness aka Mad Swirl Open Mic Night? Yes, the 1st Wednesday insanity held at Absinthe Lounge. Well if you were or if you weren't, we got a treat for you...

...thanks to the mad mad recording man Chris Zimmerly, we have audio proof of the insanity that was this past month's Mad Swirl Open Mic Night. Click here to get an ear-full of these mad ones on the mic...

Opening / Johnny O / Opalina Salas / Paul Sexton / Daniel Candiotta / Chris Zimmerly / Gordon Hilgers / Josh Weir / Desmene Statum / Ledroc Smith / Roderick Richardson / John Kelley / Audacious / Jolee Cloudy / Joey Cloudy

Join us again on the next 1st Wednesday as the whole mad swirl of everything to come continues to swirling thru Absinthe Lounge on 05.07.08! Come early and be a part of mad swirling history as we record the featured artists of mad swirl issue six for posterity's sake soon to be followed by the usual unusual open mic madness!

"The whole mad swirl of everything to come began then" - Jack Kerouac

Mad Swirlin' Grats to ALL the Mad Ones, Beatniks, Hipsters & Ca-razy Cats from 04.02.08

2008-04-03T11:06:00.004-05:00

On 04.02.08 we called all you mad ones, beatniks, hipsters & ca-razy cats out there to dig on the Mad Swirling Open Mic action at Absinthe Lounge and you came...in record numbers!

30!, yes 30! wailin’ poets, musicians, rappers and a couple miscellaneous mad ones for good measure came gatherin' 'round to turn the mic on!

Swirve started wailin’ & playin’ ’round 8:00. Your mad host Johnny O and April's guest co-hostess with the mostest Opalina Salas woke the mic up ’round 8:45-ish & the mic closed when we run out of gas & it was time to cut out.

Mad Swirling gratitude to ALL you mad ones who made this past 1st Wednesday one for the record books, both in numbers and in the levels of intense insanity...

(in order of appearance…pics coming sooner then later)

1st Mad Round:

Johnny O (host)
Opalina Salas (co-hsot)
Paul Sexton
Daniel Candiotta (with Brandon on mandolin)
Chris Zimmerly
Gordon Higers
Josh Weir
Desmene Statum
Ledroc Smith
Roderick Richardson
John Kelley
Audacious
Jolee Cloudy
Joey Cloudy
Michael Clay

2nd Mad Round:

Mister Natural
Stefan
Kerseymere
Michael Anthony Lagoki
Tim Thomason
Max Earl Blair
Gomez
Wesley
Poet Echo
Amy
Susanne
Crystal
Jennifer
Johnny Big
Todd Buckley

Huge Mad Swirling gratitudes to Swirve's amazing wailin' trumpeter Chris Curiel, anachronistic vocalist Tamitha Curiel & mad man G-Man Gerard Bendix on skins for setting the tone, the rhythm, the momentum & for keeping us movin' & groovin' all night long!

And, as always, the deepest grats to Absinthe Lounge owner Kevin & the fine Lounge staffers, for keeping the light on for us mad ones.

We know you don’t want to be a square & miss the action coming on 05.07.08 as we once again call all you mad ones, beatniks, hipsters & ca-razy cats out there to turn us on!

For more info about Mad Swirl go to www.MadSwirl.com

For more info about Absinthe Lounge go to www.AbsintheLounge.net

For more information on other open mics in the DFW area go to www.DFWOpenMics.com

Dig On This: Mad Swirl Open Mic Night is 04.02.08

2008-03-27T19:45:00.003-05:00

Callin’ all you Beatniks, hipsters & ca-razy cats out there. Dig on this action...

Mad Swirl is openin’ the mic this 1st Wednesday (04.02.08) at Absinthe Lounge. It’s sure to be the most as all the mad ones come gatherin’ ‘round to wail away on the mad mad mic. Don’t be a square & miss it!

Pick up on this...Mad Swirl is callin’ all you wailin’ poets, musicians, dancers, actors, singers, performers & any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come & turn this mic on!

Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come & dig the scene with your fellow mad ones.

Swirve starts wailin’ & playin’ ‘round 8:00. Your mad host Johnny O and guest co-host Opalina Salas will wake the mic up 'round 8:30-ish & the mic closes when we run out of gas or it’s time to cut out.

We know you don’t want to be a square & miss this action!

For more info about Mad Swirl go to www.MadSwirl.com

For more info about Absinthe Lounge go to www.AbsintheLounge.net

And by all means, feel free to pass this info to any & all Beatniks, hipsters & ca-razy cats that you know.

Mad ...::: BEEEEEEEP :::...'s to the Mad Ones of 03.05.08

2008-03-06T13:21:00.002-06:00

This is a NOT a test of the Mad Swirl Open Mic Broadcast System. This is NOT a test!

...::: BEEEEEEEEEEEP :::...

The mad ones in your area in voluntary cooperation with the Federal, State and Loco Open Mic-ers rocked the mic last night at Absinthe Lounge. There was madness coming from every swirling direction.

We sounded the Mad Swirl Open Mic Broadcast Sirens to call all the mad poets, musicians, actors, singers & performers to come and strut their stuff. And they came when called to their mad duty...they came to participate, they came to appreciate, they came to support the local DFW mad ones.

Mad Swirl …::: BEEEEEEEP :::…’s to all of the usual unusual mad ones swirling wonderfully with some brand-spanking new mad ones who came to Absinthe Lounge on 03.05.08 for Mad Swirl Open Mic Night...

(in order of appearance…pics coming sooner then later)

Johnny O (host)
Paul Sexton (co-hsot)
Deborah
Roderick Richardson
Cheryl Anderson/Delphi
Jolee Cloudy
Joey Cloudy
Desmene Statum
John Kelley
Max Earl Blair
Christopher
Michael Clay
Mister Natural
Keith
Shay
Poet Echo
Gomez
Josh Weir
Natasha Sweet
Amy
Duke McBoggin
Todd Buckley, Andy Pickett and Ben

Huge mad …::: BEEEEEEEP :::…’s to Swirve's amazing trumpeter Chris Curiel, anachronistic vocalist Tamitha Curiel and mad man G-Man Gerard on skins for sounding the alarm and keeping us movin’ and groovin’ all night long!

And, as always, …::: BEEEEEEEP :::…'s to Absinthe Lounge owner Kevin, the fine Lounge staffers, Jennifer and My for creating us a mad swirling home.

Come …::: BEEEEEEEP :::… it with us on 04.02.08 as we once again test our Mad Swirl Open Mic Broadcast System.

For more information about Mad Swirl go to www.MadSwirl.com

For more information about Absinthe Lounge go to www.AbsintheLounge.net

For more information on other open mics in the DFW area go to www.DFWOpenMics.com

This concludes this test of the Mad Swirl Open Mic Broadcast System. Stay tuned for future alerts…

...::: BEEEEEEEP :::...

This is a test of the Mad Swirl Open Mic Broadcast System.

2008-02-28T21:17:00.006-06:00

This is a test of the Mad Swirl Open Mic Broadcast System. This is only a test...

...::: BEEEEEEEEEEEP :::...

The mad ones in your area in voluntary cooperation with the Federal, State and Loco Open Mic-ers have developed this system to keep you informed in the event of an open mic event. If this had been an actual announcement, the Open Mic test you just heard would have been followed by official information, news or instructions, something like this:

On 03:05:08 we are calling all you mad poets, musicians, actors, singers & performers to come and strut your stuff. Come one, come all...to participate, to appreciate and to support the local DFW mad ones. Your host Johnny O and this month's co-host, the one and only Opalina Salas, will open the mic up at Absinthe Lounge around 8:30-ish and close the mic when there's no one left standing...which is pretty dang late.

For more information about Mad Swirl...www.MadSwirl.com

For more information about Absinthe Lounge...www.AbsintheLounge.net

For more information on other open mics in the DFW area...www.DFWOpenMics.com

This Mad Swirl Open Mic test serves the DFW area. This concludes this test of the Mad Swirl Open Mic Broadcast System.

...::: BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP :::...

Mad Sounds from Mad Swirl Open Mic 02.06.08

2008-02-19T19:09:00.005-06:00

With huge thanks to the maddest mad man Chris Zimmerly, we have audio proof of the insanity that was this past month's mad swirl open mic night. click the links below to get an ear-full of some of the mad ones on mic:

Opalina Salas / Chris Zimmerly / Daniel Candiotta / Roderick Richardson / Deborah / Gomez / Desmene Statum / Joey Cloudy / Soft Charisma / Christopher / Johnny O (1) / Johnny O (2) / Michael Clay / Round 1.5

What's Going on in Mad Swirl’s Poetry Forum? (02.2008)

2008-02-17T10:48:00.002-06:00

welcome to mad swirl 's poetry forum. we have collected poetry from the maddest poets from the maddest corners of the world and have showcased them here in the forum just for you. catch the flowin' swirlin' madness from some our fellow mad ones ~ shawn r. misener, glenn still, rafael andrade garza, desmene m. statum, joseph goosey, moctezuma johnson & justin hyde...

"Who's Gonna Fuck You When You're Dead?"

is certainly the best thing I’ve overheard
so I can’t take credit for it
but I can relay the splendor to you
and we can both laugh and chuckle

the couple was gone down the street
before I could react
they were incredibly fast walkers
for being so grey and poorly dressed

but what the man said
in that moment
has stuck with me for ten years
and by now the guy is a wise sage
in the rolodex of my memories

- shawn r. misener

(added 02.16.08)

Death Is Picking Me Apart

Death is picking me apart
I never realized
That it would come to this
On the other side of the fence
Like some bad neighbor
Throwing trash
Not respecting property owned
By others with dreams

Ya! Death is picking me apart slowly
Its come hard to the realization
This shit is getting crazy
My best friend just took a settle down
I didn’t even know it
I kept calling and calling
No answer!
Too late motherfucker
Disconnected!

Death is picking me apart
My soul can’t contain this
This shit is re-arranging me like dominoes
Playing hard like some old black man
Stuck on a ghetto corner
Only in this game
No one ever wins
The truth of the matter is
No one ever loses either
Figure that shit out
If you can!
It’s just that pain
That creeps in every few seconds
Damn! I wish I would have answered your call
I thought I was just too busy
What a fool I was

Ya! Death is that phenomena
That makes you question everything
Well, you know what man?
I want to let you know now that you’re gone
You were that brother from another mother
We saw eye to eye
I knew you better
Then you knew yourself
I just wish I could’ve been there
When you hit the floor
Been a Jesus!
Resurrected you!
Brought you back!
But I know that this is just me wishing

Death picks us all apart
When it’s our time
The clock stops ticking
Stop
Dead Stop!

Dedicated to Steven Everhart Jr.
My friend, my Brother…RIP Man!

- glenn still

(added 02.16.08)

love is faster than a speeding bullet

If you were to shred my spirit’s tee
You’ll find a Superman S
where a bulls-eye used to be
my soul once bullet-ridden
with lost love
and bleeding sorrow
is coming back
even stronger tomorrow

nothing can defeat experience
but wisdom-
this is why I try to find new ways
to overcome my sworn enemies
the loneliness
the vice
the pity

If you were to hear my chest
echoes of a troubled city-
rockford fosgate beats upon flesh
blood flows from Technochtitlan
democratic bones carved out of Parthenon
my heart is Mt. Everest
and from this highest hope
I’m not afraid to fall

In my camera eye,
exists an imperfect world
ghosts walking where happy souls should be
on these hollow streets,
there are crimes against the heart
I put my superman t-shit back on.

- rafael andrade garza
© January 05, 2007

(added 02.14.08)

What I Gave Away

If I wanted to be nothing
I would have stayed in Alabama
probably married some no good johnny
baked myself a tasteless pie dream
I would have chosen selfishness
and raised my daughter alone
God, I would die
just to see her face
that would have been easier
than giving her away
and continuing the cycle
I was determined to break
teen mother with emotionally
unavailable father
Sometimes the hardest thing to give away
is control

If you are happy
you know
nothing can touch you
but wind
Libra’s daughter and her deviant lover
worshipers of melody
seeking a paradise
Singing two-fisted whiskey love songs
about fire eating eyes
to eighteen-wheeler emotions
Consuming each other
one gives to feel whole
the other takes to fill a hole
Each thinking
they lack something
necessary to live
They define their happiness
by the validity of touch
Void, devoid, and, afraid
selfish
both guilty in someway
not ever really knowing
what feels good
All they have known
is their conditioning
the constant paranoia
of lack
of never amounting to
more than an addiction
They construct a universe
of guilt, of right and wrong
and this is no place to live
Tangible intangibles
paradoxes of reality
pretending its paradise
Instead of making love
and making light
they mutilate their own hearts
and exist in a continuous state
of darkness and emotional disfigurement

When I was 18
my boyfriend and I
bought a trailer
and moved in together
This was after my daughter was adopted
during that time
I obsessed with an everyday life
couldn’t save myself from thinking
that my sacrifice was for nothing
I couldn’t let go
my thoughts of grandeur
that my purpose was something greater
than working in a day care
living in a trailer and
never having an education
Over and over
it burrowed into my consciousness
conquered my reasoning
After weeks of self loathing
I made a promise to myself
Then I burned that trailer
to the ground
and headed west

- desmene m. statum

(added 02.11.08)

A BIT OF NARCISSISM FOR YOU IN THE EVENING TIME

You mean to tell me you can't be fooled with poetry?
Well, shit on the sheets and call for a haircut appointment
because that was the only plan I had drawn up thus far.

Don't you understand? I'm writing about your pigtails
your sprinkles your frosting your dress your river cigarette
stuffed bear record player plastic flower neuroses

What? You don't want to read about any of those really personal subjects?
You just want to lay there eating your sushi and gatorade?
If you had a diary I could just read the fucking thing but now a
scheme must be devised.

If you would just write me up some instructions for how to
act smoke fuck laugh care cry shout poop eat ginger
then maybe this key would fit a more out of date but stylish car.

What yanks at me constantly,
is why you are not in awe
of all that I do.

- joseph goosey

(added 02.11.08)

Whore Next Door

you are the whore next door
I see you every day
stripping down into your panties
bending over to the oven
you're some hockey player's wife
they say. they don't know you. not
like I know you, your long blonde
hair, your thick curves—you're like
a porn star. my personal porn star.
I lower the lights so you can't see me
in the brownstone across the way
jerking off saying your name: Anya.
at least that's what I imagine your
name to be. you give me a flesh of
breast meat. I'm addicted. I'll watch
you everyday now. everyday after
I come home from middle school.

- moctezuma johnson

(added 02.09.08)

all these freak-shows

it seems
the more outlandish
they dress
the duller they are.

for instance
two pancake-faced
wafers
next table over:

striped leggings
wooden plugs
in their ears,
airing out
freshly minted tattoos
of japanese calligraphy
on their shoulders.

i'm going on a
green-bean only diet,
buzz-clucks
the one.

i'm so with you,
clutter-spurts
the other
as

a gopher
in nigeria
locks up
from a
heart-attack.

i don't have any tattoos
or piercings,

don't even
wear a watch.

i should have glasses
but that's a
different poem.

if you pegged me at all
it would be for a
sloppily dressed
footnote,

which i'd gladly be
if it wasn't
for all the
voodoo-rickshaws
jackknifing
right here
behind these
eyes.

- justin hyde

(added 02.07.08)

remember, this page is in flux, living and breathing, evolving and changing constantly...so please come and come often for the latest submissions.

click here to visit the mad swirl's poetry forum. if you would like to submit poetry for the forum please see our submissions page located here.

mad swirl • issue six • spring 2008

2008-02-10T15:47:00.000-06:00

issue numero six-o daddy-o is gathered, primped and nearly ready for print. the design of this blue issue of mad swirl pays homage to the hundreds of legendary blue note jazz artists and albums and the genius found in the spontaneity of creativity. we could think of nothing else in our insane lives that embodies that energy more than the infamous 1st wednesday madness that is mad swirl open mic night at absinthe lounge. the collection of voices that will be featured in this issue are quintessential mad ones who have graced our stage, approaching the mic with tongues on fire, epitomizing the raw and unbridled energy of creativity.

featured poets: michael clay, cheyenne gallion, johnny olson, lisa olson, roderick richardson, opalina salas, paul sexton, desmene statum, joshua weir and chris zimmerly

featured band: swirve

featured artist: jon marquette

featured photographer: tim thomaston

stay tuned to madswirl.com for further updates!

Oh! The Madness Will Flow!

2008-01-31T19:09:00.000-06:00

Salutations!
1st Wednesday's the day.
Take off to Mad places,
and Swirl away!

You have words in your head.
You have songs in your groove
The mic is wide open
for which ever you choose.
You are a Mad One.
And you show what you flow.
And YOU are the One
who'll make it all glow.

We call all you mad
poets, musicians and singers
miscellaneous mad ones
(even Elvis dead-ringers).
Come show what you got
and come do what you do
we'll be ready and waiting
this mic is for you.

You say to yourself
"I'm not a participator"
We welcome you too
you Mad appreciators!
Come get you a drink
($2 drafts & $5 wells)
and dig on this scene
it's always quite swell

Swirve opens the show
sometime around 8-ish
Then we get starting to roll
don't be too late-ish.

Mad Swirl Open Mic
is the place you should be
every 1st Wednesday
where insanity is free.

Oh! The Madness Will Flow!

(for more information
about this mic of Mad Swirl's
type madswirl.com
and the mystery unfurls!)

What's Going on in Mad Swirl’s Poetry Forum? (01.2008)

2008-01-13T11:27:00.000-06:00

welcome to mad swirl 's poetry forum. we have collected poetry from the maddest poets from the maddest corners of the world and have showcased them here in the forum just for you. catch the flowin' swirlin' madness from some our fellow mad ones ~ johnny olson, kirstin kestner, justin hyde, cheryl anderson, sen rivers, kenneth p. gurney & craig caudill...

I am doing what I can to be a real man.

a true man
a kind man
a feeling man
a dreaming man
a baring-of-my-soul man
a whole man
a rock & rolling man
a don’t-have-to-know-everything man
a questioning man
a seeking & finding man
a peeking-thru-my-fingers man
a speaking-thru-my-actions man
a walk-the-talk man
a strong-yet-bending man
a man-with-a-plan man
a go-with-the-flow man
a show & telling man
a shuffling after man
a leading man
a behind-the-scenes man
a humble man
a rough & tumble man
a man’s man
a good man
a great man
a best man
a mate man
a sensitive man
a dad-of-a-daughter man
a true blue-eyed soul man
a man-of-many-colors man
a diverse man
a poet & painter man
a Renaissance man
a speaking-from-the-heart man
a pre-dawn praying man
a meditating man
a tolerant man
a 9-to-5 man
a trusted & trusting man
a thankful & grateful man
a living-in-the-moment man
a man-of-many-multitudes man

I am doing what I can to be a real man.

- johnny olson

(added 01.13.08)

On Parade

I am an exhausted costume on parade
and the music is old and I am tired of
the avenue. I am tired of the faddish pace,
tired of wearing someone else’s face.
Yet I go on, aching on the two and four.

And then you,
an artist from out of the alley—you with
rotting tooth and scar and word-cracked
lips, you who would not hide—you paint
my secret pains on the empty canvas
of my eyes. You paint grey skulls on
my glass pupils. You put my insides in sight.

It is death you have drawn on my eyes.
I am branded Halloween.
I am left with your true tattoo.

I go on marching in this crowded
city of parading. I pass windows
with who I should be on display.

But now I know there is a glass between
the decorations and what is really me,
between who I am and what I should be.
It is a thin mirror of honesty that reflects
my skull-painted eyes, that reflects
how much I have died on the inside.

And I cannot help but realize that I
am a frighteningly dead thing on display.
I am death on parade.

- kirstin kestner

(added 01.11.08)

the poem

falls from
the sky,
cracking your skull
like a load of
frozen bowel movements
discharged from a
jet-liner.

you chisel it
to the essential
with heart
and intellect.

too much intellect
and it's
straight
philosophy.

too much heart
and it limps
down the drain
with the
complete works of
mitch album.

getting it right
is a subtle
balance
essentially
devoid
of
any
discernible
merit.

- justin hyde

(added 01.10.08)

Introduction:
12 baktun . 19 katun . 14 tun . 14 uinal . 4kin

I am not interested
in the flights of false gods,
the carrion of magazine covers, shiny pretty toy drummers,
slick-haired, pinned-up angels whispering barely heard breath
through thick begging bangs, smoke drum machines,
thick cock guitars, pleading spotlight.

I am not interested
in well-dressed dolls, Aphrodite's discarded minstrels,
life-blood and vocals wasted on a perfectly healthy robot.
Give me a scream.
Way I see it,
we're in the end of things, the crossroads, the nether-parts
and this wheel's been turning long enough.

I knew it was a Tuesday
when I saw the Bearded One at the supermarket.
He bought a pound of flesh,
a copy of the Inquirer, a pack of Camels.
I bummed one for conversation.
As the smoke twisted his eyes
I asked him the time,
realized he was mourning it;
this nine-to-five salvation-on-the-clock gig
wasn't treating him so well.

He said:
Whatever kid you got left in there
that hasn't been entrenched in 12 month cycles,
six week report cards, state tests at 8 (no talking),
fear of next month's cramps, or fear of not having them,
Whatever kid you got that's interested
in getting out of town, riding a bus to no where
getting off in Vegas, heading west,
Whatever kid you got in your tangled hair,
your mismatched socks, your pain of abandonment,
your torn adolescence, tattered doll-friends and sad dogs:
Don't let them get interested in leaving.
There's a Time around the corner that everyone forgot,
where the sidewalk failed to recognize it was just bubble gum
below a pretense of rock,
This Time, it hides in tunnels safe from smog-sad songs
a far cry from any house of rising suns
but it's a place, none the less.
You should come.

I told him I wasn't interested
in the nightmare, I've lost friends to junk
might lose more before Christmas.
But Easter deaths are always worse.
He shook his head and said, No honey,
This is where you belong.
And he took me to the ancient workers of song,
where they'd made a shack from a home:
three twisted trees around two rusted railroad cars, confused cats
drinking wine in the yard from yellow moon-skinned bathtubs.
A broken gate-latch
lets most of our ideas out at night, he said,
but if you come out here,
away from the light, everything turns two shades more interesting.
Check out the stars, he said, the way the trees tell time,
and turtles line the soft streams of fatewater with strong backs.

So on this porch of un-baptized wood
We kicked back.
on a cinderblock mantle,
waited for the wind to blow a train whistle night—
waited with the panhandling cats and the old caboose,
waited with my beggar's songs and my tongue loose,
waited while our minds erased sirens from this place
waited with

time

(it gets me through)

- cheryl anderson

(added 01.09.08)

5th Avenue

Winter time, I breathed deep.
Smoking a cigarette sucking in all the poisonous heat.
Beating my feet down the pavement to where we lived,
I thought of this morrow I thought of you.
So lost and broken in a sea of endless blue hue.

I walked past a dapper scruffian.
He had the darkest eyes followed by a ghost that barely held him there.
He wore a life jacket around his heart,
unknown to me for him this was the hardest part.
Maybe his name was Jean Phillipe or perhaps it twas nothing quite so neat.
His ship had sailed he had no fleet.

I crawled into my windowsill,
I can see the rain follow me still.
Keen and absolute, the warmth around my thoughts are curiously obscene.
Flowers, brought to me with many warnings,
for every pedal there was twice as many taken back.

Her name was sunshine, dont follow me here.
You'll grow old and wont have any less tears.
Be careful staring at the tree before you, branches dip and dive, roots so far beneath you.
The grass, cold wet and warm all at once.

I didnt stand a chance in this old haunted mansion where I once lived,
where I once died, where my father gave me no amount of pride.

- sen rivers

(added 01.08.08)

MEMORY OF MIDDLE IOWA, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

It begins at the Trek convention
with the slim girl in the diaphanous blouse
who arrived with the conclusion:
this is the best place to get
the most guys in bed over a weekend.

Her rapture turns into a song
echoed down the hotel’s hallways
and is taken up as the new theme
for a boys-grown-old club
where, for twenty hours,
some guys think they are special.

But the numbness
that invades a marriage
dampens the thunder of orgasms,
until, really, it might as well
be the cough of a passer-by.

And elsewhere there is a guy—
a husband—struck by lightning,
as he puts the pieces together
from the convention blogs
after his business meetings.

She continues to walk
through the dark and dizzy nights
where the cliff-face is at hand
and, perhaps, she’ll fall off—
if not at the convention,
then when she gets home
to learn that it is now a house
with a broken furnace.

- kenneth p. gurney

(added 01.05.08)

Here and Now

In the past

I was funny thoughtful and did everything I could to please anyone at any
moment. Never a day would go by I knew every bad joke ever uttered
which sadly I learned form my uncle

In the present

I was depressed lonely seeker of truth, I had a flash light which protected
me from dark spirits and those who wished me harm

The songs all sound the same and I never drank water through a straw I
only saw time as specks of dirt and I believed that bird people would one
day bring an age sorrow

In the future

I held a knife it was three O’clock in the house all the time and despots
always had their way with women. They were lurkers they were monsters
that stole purses and wore pantyhose over their faces, dirty pantyhose!

There is folkway stories told that the here and now are a myth as I has
suspected but was afraid to say anything. I felt in my old skin and felt the
past will never arrive again.

- craig caudill

(added 01.05.08)

remember, this page is in flux, living and breathing, evolving and changing constantly...so please come and come often for the latest submissions.

click here to visit the mad swirl's poetry forum. if you would like to submit poetry for the forum please see our submissions page located here.

Mad Swirling Thanks to the Mad Ones of 01.02.08..

2008-01-03T14:24:00.000-06:00

Were you there Auld Lang Syning it with us on 01.02.08? We went absolutely crazy on the mad mic as we brought in the double-aught-eight with a bang!

Mad Swirl props to all of the usual unusual mad ones swirling wonderfully with some brand-spanking new mad ones who came to Absinthe Lounge this past 1st Wednesday for Mad Swirl Open Mic Night...

(pics coming sooner then later)

Johnny O
Lisa Ohhh
Paul Sexton
Opalina Salas
Roderick Richardson
Michael Clay
Desmene Statum
Joey Cloudy
Jolee Cloudy
Max Earl Blair
D' Anson Brody
Alexie
Poet Echo
Debra
Audacious
Tarnished Penny
Delphi
Christopher
Rey Medrano
Duke McBoggin

Huge mad props to Swirve's amazing trumpeter Chris, anachronistic vocalist Tamitha and mad man Gerard on skins for keeping us movin', groovin' and swirlin' well past the midnight and up to closing time!

And, as always, thank you's to Absinthe Lounge owner Kevin, the fine Lounge staffers for creating us a mad swirling home and to all you mad participators and appreciators.

Come join in on the festivities on 02.06.08 and help us to turn the page and begin writing the next chapter as the whole Mad Swirl of everything to come continues. Visit MadSwirl.com for mo' information.

Mad Swirl and Auld Lang Syne

2007-12-27T17:32:00.000-06:00

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

What the hell is an "auld lang syne" anyway?

While we do understand that the New Years bubblies will just be settling down in your tummlies on 01.02.08 and the obnoxious noisemakers will still be echoing in your head, we say f-it! That’s right, we said “f-it”.

Take a few aspirins and step right up to Mad Swirl Open Mic Night as we whirl thru Absinthe Lounge every 1st Wednesday. Come and get you some more hair from the dog that bit you on New Years Eve.

Mad Swirl is calling all you mad (and hung-over) poets, musicians, actors, singers, performers and any other miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to come and strut-yo-stuff.

Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to support your fellow mad ones.

Swirve opens the mad festivities 'round 8:00. Johnny and Lisa O will wake the mic up 'round 8:30-ish and the mic closes when there's no one left standing.

For more information about Mad Swirl go to www.MadSwirl.com

For more info about Absinthe Lounge go to www.AbsintheLounge.net

For more information on other DFW open mics go to www.DFWOpenMics.com

And please, by all means, please feel free to forward this to any and all mad ones you know.

By the way, “auld lang syne” means “the good old days”.

P.S. Whether you make it this time or not, mark your brand-new calendars now...

01.02.08 · 02.06.08 · 03.05.08 · 04.02.08 · 05.07.08 · 06.04.08 · 07.02.08 · 08.06.08 · 09.03.08 · 10.01.08 · 11.05.08 · 12.03.08

Mad Swirlin' Holiday Greetings to You

2007-12-25T15:44:00.000-06:00

::: Winter 2007 :::

Ho Ho Ho-llo Mad,
...and all that other happily sappily sugary stuff to you and yours this holiday season!

And since t'is the swirling season for giving and sharing, for loving and caring, we here at Mad Swirl couldn't think of a better way to spend these chilly holy-day's then by caring to share the latest mad-happenings at MadSwirl.com with you and yours!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the 1st day of madness Mad Swirl gave to me...
...a brand new short story!

Welcome to Mad Swirl's Short Story library. We've all got a story to tell but some of us have an itch that we have to scratch and this is the place where the itchers go to scratch it. Here's a glimpse at our latest scratcher Joseph Goosey...

Someday I Will Be On the Lamb and Sorely Missed
I got out of my car. I sensed that it was about 82 degrees. Very unseasonable. I wished to just lay down on the sidewalk, perhaps an eagle would swoop down low and take me in as one of it's own. This was unlikely so I kept walking. I was out of the car now and on my feet so there really was not much else. I looked like an escapee from either some sort of work release program or a Northeastern writers conference because I was still wearing my cashmere sweater. Like I said, very unseasonable. In an attempt to minimize my visibility to passers-by I ducked into a coffee shop. The girl behind the counter looked as though she had the answers to some very important and philosophical questions...

Click here for more EVEN if you've been bad!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the 2nd day of madness Mad Swirl gave to me...
...some wild and ca-razy poetry!

We tried to wrap up all these poetic samplings in bows and ribbons but we just couldn't get the tape to stick! So instead we offer this online collection of poetry from the maddest poets from the maddest corners of the world and have showcased them in the Poetry Forum just for you. The Forum is always in flux, living and breathing, evolving and changing, swirling constantly...so please come and come often to view the latest submissions.

Be sure to check this poetry stocking for the interactive holiday collaboration between Merlin the Magical One and Mad Swirl. Smoke 'em if you got 'em and be sure you turn up the volume and shoo away the kiddos before you open "Twas the Night Before Tomorrow"..

If it's been a few months since you came 'round the Forum, it has got lots of new wonderfully mad words from some of the mad ones that color our world. Here's who you may or may not have read since our last meeting...

Roderick Richardson · Ra! Gabriel · Justin Hyde · Joseph Goosey · David Kowalczyk · Shellie Lobis · Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal · Johnny Olson · Glen Still · Moctezuma Johnson · W Alt Burns · Michael Lee Johnson · Sean Bowen · Nicole Lilly · Joseph Veronneau

Santa says tear here to open the poetic presents here...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the 3rd day of madness Mad Swirl gave to me...
...new work in the Mad Gal-ler-y!

Welcome to the Mad Gallery...this place where we hang by the chimney with care the many sides of art and mad cheer!

From the furthest reaches of this mad mad world we have gathered together and featured just a few of the most maddest painters, sculptors, photographers & illustrators that we could and swirled them all together here. Come by and visit the gallery and watch as it continues revolving round and round...

Currently, in the Mad Gallery Showcase we have hung the latest additions from Andrew David King and Lia Mildwater.

Behold the artistic presense presents here...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every 1st Wednesday Mad Swirl Gives to Me...
...Open Mic Festivities!

As 2008 begins it's mad unraveling, Mad Swirl will continue to swirl collective creative chaos and madness and at Absinthe Lounge on 1st Wednesdays Open Mic.

Come go mad with host Johnny O and the monthly Mad Swirling showing of beat-utifully mad poets, musicians, actors, singers and miscellaneous mad ones as we try to make 2008 one to remember!

Make your list and mark your calendars now...

01.02.08 · 02.06.08 · 03.05.08 · 04.02.08 · 05.07.08 · 06.04.08 · 07.02.08 · 08.06.08 · 09.03.08 · 10.01.08 · 11.05.08 · 12.03.08

Interested in performing? If you are a poet, musician, actor, singer and/or performer and live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area then come-n-preach-it!

Come one. Come all. Come to participate. Come to appreciate. Come to support your fellow mad ones.

And please, by all means, FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE MAD WORD!

Absinthe Lounge · 1409 S Lamar St · Dallas, 75215

Santa says click here for more information...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to Santa for sharing his mad gifts with us, even though he knew all about our naughities and nicities in 2007!

We hope that 2008 brings more and more swirling madness from the mad ones that color our world.

See you in the web, on the page and up on the stage in 2008! And a Happy New Mad Swirling Year!

Gone Crazy at Mad Swirl Open Mic Night • 12.05.07

2007-12-06T11:30:00.000-06:00

Were you there on 12.05.07 as we went absolutely crazy on the Mad mic? Egads, the Swirling insanity was truly contagious!

Mad Swirl props to all of the usual unusual mad ones swirling wonderfully with some brand-spanking new mad ones who came to Absinthe Lounge this past 1st Wednesday for Mad Swirl Open Mic Night...

Johnny O (host)
Roderick Richardson (co-host)
Christian Zim
Paul Sexton
Opalina Salas
Carlos Salas
Josh Weir
Max Earl Blair
Mister Natural
Christopher
Chris Curiel
Lexie
Debra
Audacious
Clint
Peach
D'Anson
Poet Echo
Felix
Natasha Sweet
Kevin
Jennifer
Suzanne
Will

Huge mad props to Swirve's amazing trumpeter Chris, anachronistic vocalist Tamitha and mad man Gerard on skins for keeping us movin', groovin' and swirlin' all night long.

And, as always, thank you's to Absinthe Lounge owner Kevin, and the fine Lounge staffers for creating a swirling home for all of the mad participators and appreciators.

If you missed out on 12.05.07, don't fret. Join us in 2008 as the whole Mad Swirl of everything to come continues to swirl at Absinthe Lounge starting on 01.02.08.

For more information about Mad Swirl visit MadSwirl.com

What's Going on in Mad Swirl’s Poetry Forum? (11.21.07)

2007-11-20T21:43:00.000-06:00

More then you can shake a stick at, that's what..!

We have collected poetry from the maddest poets from the maddest corners of this mad mad world and have showcased the latest Mad Ones in the Poetry Forum just for you. Currently the forum's gots lots of words from: David Kowalczyk, Ra! Gabriel, Joseph Goosey, Michael Lee Johnson, Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal & Ryan Dilbert...

My Dream Is Turquoise Marzipan

I am living at the San Diego Zoo
in a cage filled with crack vials,
banana peels, and expired bus passes.

I alternate covering my eyes,
my mouth, my ears,
while geriatric Republicans from
Tucson toss peanuts at me.

They are wise.
They feel the magic.
They know that I know
what I know, that I am
who I am because
I understand the serpent.

- david kowalczyk

Subway goes

he runs to catch the train
that doesn't stop
time is internal, spiraling now
a girl he's been practicing imagining
waits for him at some improbable stop
still unbuilt: a mere proposal on a drawing
board in some workroom
will blast through cheap restaurants and
Laundromats; will attract new
buildings and they will dine on Tofu
soup and cold, chewy noodles

- ra! gabriel

I TAKE A SEAT NEXT TO YOU

Are you hungry?
Do you want some lunch?
Will you be hungry on Saturday
around 7pm?
How was Corpus Cristi?
How is the aquarium?
Do you enjoy trumpets?
Trombones?
French horns?
French poetry?
French fiction?
Tennis? Bowling?
Do you savor dishes of fish
and rice?

Write the answer
to the aforementioned down
on a post-it, in H10 pencil,
and leave it for me
on the windshield of my
dirty dirty car.

- joseph goosey

Poem From My Grave

Don't bring the rosary beads
it's too damn late for doing repetitions.
Eucharist, I can handle the crackers and wine;
I love the Lord just like you.
Catholicism circles itself with rituals--
ground hogs and squirrels dancing with rosary beads,
naked in the sun and the night, eating the pearls
and feeling comfortable about it.
Rituals and rosary beads are indigestible
even the butterflies go coughing in the farmer's cornfields..
Cardinal George, Chicago, would choke on the damn things;
some of his priest would have thought it a gay orgasm or piece
remote found in scripture from Sodam & Gamora.
But my bones in ginger dust lie near a farm in DeKalb, Illinois
where sunset meshes corn with a yellow gold glow like rich teeth.
My tent is with friends there we said prayers privately like silent
moonlight. Farmers touch the face of God each morning after just
one cup of Folgers coffee Columbian blend,
or pancakes made with water and batter, sparse on the sugar.
Sometimes I would urinate on the yellow edge of flowers,
near the tent, late at night, before the hayride, speak
to the earth and birds like gods.
Never did I pull the rosary beads from my pocket.
It's too late, damn it, for rosary beads and repetitions.

- michael lee johnson

GIVE ME A CHANCE

It’s a mistake.
I’m not supposed
to be in here.

I didn’t do
anything wrong.
I forgot to

take my mind pills.
Without them I
get so confused.

I’m better now.
You can see that.
Why can’t I be

let go? I could
be more careful.
Give me a chance.

Whatever I
did to that poor
homeless woman

I won’t ever
do again? I
only took her

cart. She fell all
by herself. At
least she didn’t

break her hip. I
never laid a
hand on her. I’m

going back to
the place she lives
and apologize.

I will bring her
coffee, donuts,
and some spare change.

- luis cuauhtemoc berriozabal

Two-faced motherfucker

I first saw her in Starbucks black,
slim, maroon boxes around her squinty eyes.
Her face was bared to me in installments
all the grains of sugar and dust
placed into the lines of my palm

I am a two-faced motherfucker
and there is no way she could have known that
The first face I showed her
was the sweet and loyal boyfriend
the babysitter
who stockpiled friends

The next face I gave her
in the bedroom
the door closed
the girlfriend forgotten
for a few sultry moments
I left without saying goodbye

When I returned I was older, more mature, more jaded
The first face I showed her was passionate,
one she could hold in her clammy hands
that she could use to wipe up spilled soda
that called her
that tried to prove that the past wasn't a fluke

The other face was turned away
turned inward
uncaring like I thought she was
she saw that one fading off into the distance
becoming a dot
I left without leaving
and no good-bye

We met again and kept our friendship a clothesless one
The face I showed her in the dark
was erect and dripped into her cupped hands
it was a face of fire
kept warm inside a blanket

The second face I didn't show
it was indifferent,
unsure of if it was smiling or cringing
it was a icy face, rotting from the inside
full of insensitive maggots
it is one that I hate
that I try to cut off at night
with sharpened tears
I don't want to leave
I don't want to say goodbye

But she's seen the second face
and recoiled
She doesn't love the first face
But wouldn't mind being warmed by its flickering light
The other one bites into her back
and is only sorry
when it is too late

- ryan dilbert

Remember, this page is in flux, living and breathing, evolving and changing constantly...so please come and come often for the latest submissions.

Click here to visit the Mad Swirl's Poetry Forum. If you would like to submit poetry for the forum please see our submissions page located here.

war, what is it good for?

2007-11-11T08:51:00.000-06:00

absolutely nothing. mad swirl's johnny o and merlin the magical one have been keeping track of the casualties in iraq and have updated their flash piece "fighting", in honor of our all war veterans. semper fidelis.

view "fighting" here

Celebrate MadSwirlOpenMicNight's 3rd Birthday on 11/07.07!

2007-11-05T17:50:00.000-06:00

One and a Two...
Happy Birthday to MadSwirlOpenMicNight...
Happy Birthday to MadSwirlOpenMicNight...
Happy 3rd Birthday dear MadSwirlOpenMicNight...

Wow, three whole years. We remember it like it was just yesterday. The SpongeBob SquarePants movie was beating Polar Express at the box office that year. Also that year Usher, Norah Jones and Kenny Chesney were topping the crap charts. President-wanna-be Bush had just stole another election from under our noses and Mad Swirl was invited to host an open mic at the brand new Absinthe Lounge. Our first ad was posted in Mad Swirl's Issue IV:

"We heard there was going to be an OPEN MIC night at Absinthe Lounge, located in the South Side on Lamar Lofts.

They asked us here at Mad Swirl if we'd like to participate. Participate? OPEN MIC?! We don't know anything about electronics, let alone microphones!

So we're calling all poets, musicians, actors, singers, performers and any other folks (circus freaks & Tenacious D rip-offs always welcome) in the local Dallas-Ft. Worth area to help us open this mic up. Come to perform, come to appreciate, come to support your local artists.

For more information go to www.madswirl.com
Learn more about Absinthe Lounge at www.absinthelounge.net

Come by and help us figure out this whole open mic business."

And you did.

Come by on November 7 to celebrate our creative love-child's special day!

Our beloved Swirve will open up this poetic birthday bash 'round 8:00. Johnny O (celebrating his 37th anniversary on Earth) and guest hosts Lisa Ohhh and Chris Zimmerly will be waking the mic up 'round 8:30-ish. The mic closes when the last candle flickers out.

And please, by all means, FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE MAD WORD! Forward this to any and all Mad Ones you know.

Happy 3rd Birthday to yooouuu! (and many mooore!)

MAD News from the Eye of the Swirl

2007-10-21T18:57:00.000-05:00

MAD News from the Eye of the Swirl

Mad Swirl greetings to YOU,

The MAD Swirl God has moved ME to share with YOU this powerful MAD MESSAGE.

As I was catnapping early in the WEE hours of the afternoon, I was awakened by a strange & POWERFUL sense. I felt shaking in my Bones, Dear brethren, & KNEW deep within MY heart & soul that this was the ONE, the only, the MAD Swirl God stirring me from SLUMBER. As I awoke, I SLID to my knees in a humble & receptive prayer....

"Yes, MAD Swirl" I whispered, wiping sleep from mine MAD eyes.

"My child," The Swirl spoke. "You have done MAD things in my name. You printed MAD Zines. You WOVEN a MAD web in the Wide World of the Web. You have Swirled the MADness WHEREever you can. It is time for more MAD work."

"Just tell me MAD Swirl, What will you have me to do?" I pleaded.

"My child," Lord Swirl spoketh. "You must spread the MADNESS to the MASSES. You must beseech ALL the MAD ONES and the 'AWWW'-ers to open their WEB browsers once more. This time, ye shall tell them to give of their eyes and ears and mouse CLICKS to the MANY MAD poems, paintings, stories, photos and OFFER their sacrificial LOVE offerings to the ministry of the MAD Swirl"

So Brothers and Sisters, I ask you this DAY, I mean Lord Swirl asks you this day, to FALL on your knees and Listen to the dear Lord Swirl and VISIT MAD Swirl dot com!...and Whatever Lord Swirl TELLS you, you mustn't question. Do not, I repeat, do not let the LYING DEVIL try to tell you otherwise. Lord
Swirl is VERY serious about this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Readeth thy MAD Words...and BE Saved!

Welcome to Mad Swirl's Short Story Library. We've all got a story to tell but some of us have an itch that we have to scratch and this is the place where the itchers go to scratcheth.

Here's a glimpse at one of our latest additions by Stephanie Timko...

"Island"

The word was 'island'.

I think the book was about butterflies. It stunned me, as I hovered over the word, not quite certain what it was. 'I. 'S'. I'd never seen anything like it. 'I' and 's' together were 'is'. That was easy. But what was that 'laaaaaaa' thing tacked onto the end? There was an ice cream shop downtown named Isley's.
Isley's had an 'I' and an 'S' in it but, that was the extent of my ability to
associate the word.

Readeth the resteth hereth...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Speaketh with Tongues on FIRE...inside MAD Swirl's Poetry Forum!

We have collected poetry from the maddest poets from the maddest corners of the world and have showcased them in the Forum just for you. The Forum is always in flux, living and breathing, evolving and changing, swirling constantly, so please come and come often for the latest submissions.

These past few months the Poetry Forum has gotten lots of wonderfully mad words from some of the mad ones that color our world. Here's who you may or may not have read since our last e-meeting...in no particular order:

Ra! Gabriel · Johnny Olson · Roderick Richardson · Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal · M M Harris · Gordon Hilgers · Justin Hyde · Misti Rainwater Lites · M H Clay · Zoe Alexandra · Nicole Lilly · Cabe Lindsay · Shawn Misener · Zachary C Bush · Ananda Selah Osel · Michael Lee Johnson · Drew Kalbach · Kenneth P Gurney · Richard Donnelly

Clicketh HERE to Read Their MAD Words

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

See-eth with THINE Eyes the GLORY...of the MAD Gallery!

Welcome to the Mad Gallery...where we take the many sides of art and try our darndest to put them all in one big beautiful basket.

From the furthest reaches of this mad mad world we have gathered together and featured just a few of the most maddest painters, sculptors, photographers & illustrators that we could and swirled them all together in the Mad Gallery. Come by and visit the gallery and watch as it continues revolving round and round...

In the Mad Gallery Showcase we hang the latest additions to our Mad Gallery collection, Misti Rainwater-Lites. Misti came to us from the Poetry Forum side of the Swirl. We saw her artwork on her website, eBuLLieNCe PReSs and asked that she share her madness in the Mad Gallery. She said yes and we said "Yaay!"

Take a stroll thru Misti's MAD Gallery...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Participateth at MAD Swirl Open MIC Night!

MAD Halleluiahs to all YOU Swirling Brothers and Sisters who have been coming to be SAVED in the EYE of the Swirl at MAD Swirl Open MIC. These past THREE years worth of 1st Wednesday Open MIC Nights at Absinthe Lounge have been BEATutiful!

MAD Swirl continues to Preach it to the Mic at Absinthe Lounge on the 1st Wednesday of each month. Join Johnny O and his Special Guest hosts Lisa OHHH and Zimm at Our next Gathering in the Name of MADness on 11:07:07!

Interested in Testifying? If you are a MAD poet, musician, actor, singer and/or performer and live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area then come-n-preach-it!

Come Oneth. Come Alleth. Come to Participateth. Come to Appreciateth. Come to Supporteth your fellow MAD ones.

The mic opens up around 8:30 and closes when there's no one left standing.

And please, by all means, FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE MAD WORD!

Absinthe Lounge · 1409 S Lamar St · Dallas, 75215

Lord Swirl says Clicketh HERE for MORE info

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do YOU want to be SAVED? Then Visit MAD Swirl dot COM! The DEVIL is sly, and he will try to tell you LIES that you should not listen to. He might whisper in your ear "Don't believe this stuff! It's just a hoax to get you to Visit MAD Swirl." He might say "Don't be stupid. They are charlatans!" I say "Satan! I rebuke thee!!! Get thee Behind MAD Swirl, You Lying devil, you!!!

Halleluiahs.
Reverend Brother Elder Swirl the 7th

Reach Out and Touch MAD Swirl the electronic-mail kinda way...

crazy@madswirl.com

OR Visiteth us on the Wide World of the WWW Web at...

www.MADSwirl.com

Mad Swirl • 123 Mad Swirl Lane • Dallas • TX • 75206

Thanks to the Mad Ones Who Stepped Up on 10.03.07

2007-10-04T16:56:00.000-05:00

ALL the Mad Ones stepped right up for Mad Swirl Open Mic Night on 10.03.07! Did you come and see the show that mesmerized and tantalized all the mad twisted minds in attendance? If not, you missed some of the maddest and baddest mo'fo's we know stepping up to the mad mic!

Mad Swirling love and thanks to those that made this last 1st Wednesday one to remember...

(in order of appearance)

Johnny O (host)
Joey Cloudy (co-host)
Jolee Cloudy
Roderick Richardson
Opalina Salas
Paul Sexton
Alexcie
Michael Clay
Christopher
Josh Weir
Max Blair
Desmene Statum
Ricardo
Kathryn Weir
John Kelley
Felix

Mad thanks to the Swirve trio, Chris, Tamitha and Gerard, for opening things up for us and keeping us movin' and groovin' til the wee hours of the night.

More mad thanks to Absinthe Lounge owner Kevin and the beautiful bartenders Kat and Shelley for keepin' us drunk and loose.

Join us again on 11.07.07 when again we dare ALL OF YOU mad poets, musicians, actors, singers, performers and all you miscellaneous mad ones in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area to come and strut yo' stuff. Come one, come all! Step right up and participate, appreciate, and support your local Mad Ones.

Mad Swirl Open Mic at Absinthe Lounge. It's THE place to be on the 1st Wednesday of the month!

For more info on stepping up to the mic go to...MadSwirl.com

For more information about Absinthe Lounge go to...AbsintheLounge.net

For more information about other open mics in the DFW area go to...DFWOpenMics.com

The Mad Gallery Showcase showcases Misti-Rainwater Lites!

2007-09-30T17:54:00.001-05:00

This is the place where we hang the latest additions to Mad Swirl's Mad Gallery collection...

Misti Rainwater-Lites came to us from the Poetry Forum side of the Swirl. We saw her artwork on her website, eBuLLieNCe PReSs and asked that she share her madness in the mad gallery. She said yes and we said "Yaay!" Take a stroll thru Misti's gallery here

A bit about Misti (as supplied by Misti): Misti Rainwater-Lites can't draw worth shit so she scribbles with Crayolas and calls it "abstract art" and takes pictures of toys and whatever else inspires her with her cell phone and calls it "still life photography." Misti also enjoys cutting and pasting and calling it "collage." Misti's baby boy is due on November 8th. She's naming him Jackson after Jackson Pollock, not her favorite artist but she loved Ed Harris's portrayal in "Pollock."

What's Going on in Mad Swirl’s Poetry Forum? (09.23.07)

2007-09-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

Lots and lots and lots, that's what is going on...

We have collected poetry from the maddest poets from the maddest corners of this mad mad world and have showcased the latest Mad Ones in the Poetry Forum just for you. Currently the forum's gots lots of words from: Kenneth P. Gurney, Nicole Lilly, Ananda Selah Osel, Zoe Alexandra & Justin Hyde...

More Real

Delphi wishes to translate
from muse to person,
from thought to flesh.

What novel character
wouldn’t want to write
their own lines, make
a racket, a stink, a life real
entering the field of time.

I’d like to show her
how to part the curtain
behind my eyes, but
that well worn path of light
flows in. So, somehow,
she needs to work her way
to my breath and traverse
the tumble of air
that goes both in and out.

Yes, that is it. Breath.
Like God placed into the ash
and dust. Mine into
ink and page.

- kenneth p. gurney

Retaste

A scream of woe,
That is what she called it.
Like the sound of a young girl
the first time her knees kiss the asphalt.

Innocence lost,
vanished or at least tarnished by time.

Trauma relived
with all survivors calling for control.

I set the tone
inviting it in with bleeding eyes.
Salted droplet sting my cheeks
Wide eyes with evaporated sparks

Recreation, experimentation...
I fear my desire, my taste for the darkness

- nicole lilly

Maps

regular
clean
men
with sterile
faces
are filling
universities
and
books
and
minds
who will in
turn
fill books
and minds
with the
sameness

and
as the masses
grow even more
massive

the ants continue to build up
their kingdom

the bees keep on collecting
honey

and
the wind still blows over
the ocean

and
with that in mind
maybe our
sameness
is not so bad

after all

- ananda selah osel

I Think it's the Broken Mirror(but it's really me)

And I can see that now
That you were right
When you said
Bad luck is what you make of it

Used to think that if I
Fell in love
I wouldn't be able to write anymore
Now I realize our fights
Could fill up public libraries

I am not getting any thinner
Wish for magic cures and panaceas
While you sleep and wish me
Out of your dreams
(and maybe your reality)

I know that I am going to die
The hard way
I never make anything easy
On myself
(or anyone else for that matter)

Asthmatic cough
After inhaling a box
Of cigarettes
Now I am totally broke
Without a backbone
Or a safe word
Or a safe place
Or a sure friend

Sure I have friends
But friends have their own
Insecurities and phone bills
And all my 1st grade apologies
Begin and end the same
I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry
I love you
and as I got older graduated to
I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry
I'll suck your dick
I'll lick the floor with my tongue
Nothing makes any sense
And my mother suggests I seek
Professional help
Which is not such a bad idea
But when I need a doctor
I have not a cent to my name

And I can see that now
That you were right
When you said
Bad luck is what you make of it

And I don't know how
To confront you
And I don't know
To which level you despise me

Excuse me,
on a scale of 1-10, how much
Do you hate me?

Sorry, 100 is not a valid answer.

Mostly, I fall short of your expectations
And fault myself

I could be childish and
Carve 666 into my wrist
And listen to Morrissey
And drown in bottles of Dubra
Or I could just write a poem about it

I suppose I'm too old for true angst
After 17, it becomes adult anxiety

I'm on my last cigarette and my last seven dollars
and I read somewhere that the number one source
of spousal arguments is financial
and I want to give up the ghost but I'm too scared
this ache feels like a hangnail in my mind.

- zoe alexandra

my contribution to that canon of nullity

early on
i promised myself
i'd never
write a poem
about not
being able
to write a
poem.

it seems
all the great
and even
spectacularly
forgettable
poets
have tried polishing
that turd
at least once.

all of them
struck me as
candy-ass
glorification of
defeat

but

not once
in twenty-nine years
have i
held myself
to my word

and

three days straight
there's been
no magic
beyond
seeing how high of a
meniscus
i can pee
into empty beer bottles
before they go
waterfall.

- justin hyde

Remember, this page is in flux, living and breathing, evolving and changing constantly...so please come and come often for the latest submissions.

Click here to visit the Mad Swirl's Poetry Forum. If you would like to submit poetry for the forum please see our submissions page located here.

Check Out Mad Swirl's Poetry Forum...

2007-09-11T20:24:00.000-05:00

We have collected poetry from the maddest poets from the maddest corners of the world and have showcased the latest Mad Ones in the forum just for you. Currently the forum's gots lots of words from some of our seasoned mad ones mixed with brand-spanking-new mad ones: Misti Rainwater-Lites, Zachary C. Bush, Zoe Alexandra, Ra! Gabriel, Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal & Cabe Lindsay. But remember, this page is in flux, living and breathing, evolving and changing constantly...so please come and come often for the latest submissions.

Click here to visit the Mad Swirl's Poetry Forum. If you would like to submit poetry for the forum please see our submissions page located here.

Mother May I

barer of breasts
bearer of bad tidings
baby born to teenage mom
a year after her abortion
beauty pageant guinea pig
topless dancer at nineteen
here is the truth, mom
the truth that does not jibe with
your How Great Thou Art Old Rugged Cross mantra
you ask me to bring back my innocence
dust my purity off in time for my son’s birth
be the lover of God
the example to him
the conduit
the conductor
of the glory train
you have seen me fall and crawl and bawl for peace
you have seen me with messy hissing medusa hair
face bleeding from self-inflicted scratches
hiding in closets
defacing white walls with scented rainbow markers
bouncing off walls from prozac
writing poems about checking into a cheap motel room
and checking out
before life could really fuck me up the ass
loving men who didn’t love me back
wailing in the dark swigging from a bottle of vodka
puking up cheap wine with billie holiday on the stereo
and your favorite ceramic angel
broken into pink and gold shards at my feet
whore, mom
i am
wanting the most return
for the least effort
tired, mom
exhausted
but God is not my naptime
the angels are not lulling me to sleep
I’m not standing in that line
begging for blessings
holy, mom
you are
you have no idea
i sing hymns to you
memorize verses in your name
tell whatever special fucking invisible holy powerful thing
is listening
Her Life Will Not
Be My Life.
I Will Not Go
Down Like That.
Nailed To Anybody’s Cross.
A Waterfall Of A Woman.
Flowing Blood And Tears And Regret
Dying Some Asshole’s Martyr
While A Sad Dolly Parton Song Plays.

- misti rainwater-lites

& then I inhaled a lungful of sweet-cream when

Your left hand’s sandpaper tongue
Woke me curiously
From a dream
Where I did odd things
Like still-sitting behind a desk
In a bright room
[Like our Court of Moral Questioning]
In front of a man
With hair missing leaning
Over a dust-grey book pressing
His wrinkled finger against the middle split-
Open reciting lines blurred to me
To others listening surrounding me Darling

They were like nothing we have ever seen

I watched
As they were quick
Scribbling
Down
The sounds coming
Out of his mouth

An alarm-bell rang
The others dissolved
Before me
The mumbling man hunched
Over his desk waving
Me out from the room crying

- zachary c. bush

Today on the F-Train

Today on the F train
You said
Baby, you don't write anymore
You said
When I met you,
You were a writer
Now, you don't write
And I couldn't fault you there
Maybe sometimes you do see
Me better than I see myself

Inside my head there is always
A little whisper
A tiny slightly breathy whisper
Saying you're way too fucking fat
You talk way too much
You are such a pain in the ass
to everyone you know
and I know it's selfish to even feel that way
to take up that much space
even in my own head

space which could be used to build
linear equations, to conceal alien life,
to make a shelter for homeless animals
and yet I am always inside this small space

digging my heel into my own leg
stepping on the backs of my own shoes
tripping myself in the street
I want to tell you
I do write
I do
All the scribbles
All the cross outs
On scraps of paper
I do write my own name
Over and over in loopy cursive
And sometimes yours
But I loose track of time
And all of a sudden the bulk of it
Is gone.

- zoe alexandra

The Go-Go Swim Show

I'm so tired poolside, what now?
Don't you think so?
She flirts drippingly with no shame
No? Show me no.

She so flirts drippingly with no shame
Just me, not any so-and-so
Hysterically sexy girl
Ho CEO!

Hello hysterically sexy girl
Dodo. Let go--
Some girls pull the guava insides
From your ego. Let go.

Some girls pull the guava insides
she knows you know, even so
she's the CEO of the strip show
bro'. Flow aglow.

She's so the CEO of the strip show
so-so, sitting drinking green tea
in that short skirt, cup in front of the brie
she scowls, yet it's kind of sexy
No? Show me no!

She's so crazy, lazy
flirts drippingly with no shame
dumps on you all the blame
I'm so tired at the table, what now?
So slow we grow!

It's a go-go strip show, swim show
In bikini she's, whoa!
Even in Tagalog: gusto mo ho
I want no, let whims flow, a-
go-go swim show

- ra! gabriel

SOME OTHER FACE

Look at my face.
Does it look like
a face at all?

I don’t know who
I am. I don’t
know who I was.

Bring me photos.
Remind me of
the better days.

I don’t recall
if I ever
smiled at all.

Outside I hear
birds singing my
death song. I look

in the mirror
and I look in
my eyes. There is

no life there. I
sigh and hope with
all my might that

this could be a
dream, a nightmare,
some other face.

- luis cuauhtemoc berriozabal

Larry's Birthday Present

Both of them belonged, at first
to worlds of loneliness or worse
on separate mountains
on different islands
on distant oceans
without notions
of their other half's existence

Larry was one-of-a-kind
his mother was a platypus
his dad a hippopotamus
her labor was laborious
the birth, of course, victorious

Similarly squirrelly,
Lori was the hairy daughter
of a lion and an otter
nature hadn't ever seen
a comparably keen
and fiery
queenly being

These two future mates
shared two common traits:
their unprecedented strangeness
yes, foreign derangeness
as well as peculiar palpitation
of offbeat cardiovascular tempo
as a result of a unique heart condition
their primary organs of affection
were bursting with treasures
so immeasurable
so pleasurable
the overflow spilled onto others
unknowingly blessing these people
in their presences
with lovely loving lovejuice

Larry was hilarious
Lori was hilorious

Their paths were misaligned
until the day they intertwined

Larry was hilarious
Lori was hilorious
together they were merrious
the days they shared were glorious

Many planets wined and dined them
when their two fine minds combined, then
suns shined divinely
from their kiss-induced sparks
comets crossed asteroid belts
moons collided with moons
one colossal black hole swallowed them up
with an emotionally
explosionally
stellar gulp
the after taste of which
refreshed the universe

Space licked its lips and smiled.

- cabe lindsay

MAD Halleluiahs to the MAD Ones of 09.05.07!!!

2007-09-10T18:29:00.000-05:00

The MAD Swirl God spoke to US brothers and sisters. The Lord Swirl whirled thru Absinthe Lounge THIS last 1st Wednesday and said:

"My MAD Ones, Spread the MADNESS to the MASSES! Beseecheth ALL your fellow MAD ONES and the 'AWWW'-ers to open their hearts up to the Swirl. Ye shall give of your Poems, Songs, Stories, Monologues, Dance and all the sacrificial love offerings of applause and finger-snaps to the ministry of the MAD Swirl OPEN MIC"

And YOU came and Raised your Arms up to the Swirl!!!

And so Dear brothers and sisters, I COME to you on this day, fall on MINE knees and Start MAD Swirlin' Testifyin' to all ye MAD ONEs. MAD Halleluiahs to all of YOU who came on 09.05.07 and were saved in the EYE of the MAD Swirl...

Johnny O (host)
Paul Sexton
Opalina Salas
Roderick Richardson
Jolee Cloudy
Joey Cloudy
Desmene Statum
Josh Weir
Kathryn Weir
Sean Brandon
Michael Clay
Max Blair
Todd Buckley
Jimmy Owen
John Kelly
Poet Echo
Megan Harris
Andrew Marsteller
Grace
Talya
Lawrence

A very special Swirlin' AMEN to Swirve's Chris, Gerard and Tamitha
for keeping us movin' groovin' and testifyin' all night long!

And a HUGE Hallelujah! to Absinthe Lounge owner Kevin, manager Brian and bartenders Kat and Patrick.

Satan! I rebuke thee!!! Get thee Behind MAD Swirl, You Lying devil, you!!!

Reverend Brother Elder Swirl the 7th

MARK Your Calendars: Next MAD Swirl Testification on 10.03.07!!!

P.S.-eth: Pictures Cometh Soon!

For more information about Mad Swirl go to...MadSwirl.com

For more information about Absinthe Lounge go to...AbsintheLounge.net

For more information about other open mics in the DFW area go to...DFWOpenMics.com

A MAD Swirl Testimony!!!

2007-09-02T13:29:00.000-05:00

The MAD Swirl God has moved ME to share with YOU this powerful MAD MESSAGE. As I was sleeping early in the WEE hours of the night, I was awakened by a strange & POWERFUL sense. I felt shaking in my Bones, Dear brethren, & KNEW deep within MY heart & soul that this was the one, the only, the MAD Swirl God stirring me from SLUMBER. As I awoke, I SLID to my knees in a humble & receptive prayer:

"Yes, MAD Swirl" I whispered, wiping sleep from mine MAD eyes.

"My child," The Swirl spoke. "You have done MAD things in my name. You printed MAD Zines. You WOVEN a MAD web in the WWW. You have swirled the madness WHEREever you can. It is time for more MAD work."

"Just tell me MAD Swirl, What will you have me to do?" I said.

"My child," Lord Swirl spoke. "You must spread the MADNESS to the MASSES. You must beseech ALL the MAD ONES and the 'AWWW'-ers to open their hearts once more. This time, ye shall tell them to give of their poems, songs, stories, monologues, dance & their sacrificial love offerings of applause and finger-snaps to the ministry of the MAD Swirl OPEN MIC"

"MAD Swirl OPEN MIC Lord Swirl?"

"The trinity of MAD Swirl" God said. "The Lord Swirl, thy YOUR God has spoken."

So brothers and sisters, I ask you this day, to fall on your knees and Listen to the dear Lord Swirl would have you to do on this FIRST Wednesday...

"ALL ye MAD Poets, Musicians, Actors, Singers and/or Performers WHO Live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, come-YE-n-strut-yo-stuff.

Come Oneth. Come Alleth. Come to Participateth. Come to Appreciateth. Come to Supporteth your fellow MAD ONES.

The MIC Opens up AROUND 8:30 and CLOSES when I SAYETH So. GO FORTH to MADSwirl.COM for MORE Information."

Whatever Lord Swirl tells you, you mustn't question. Do not, I repeat, do not let the LYING DEVIL try to tell you otherwise. Lord Swirl is serious about this. If you love MAD Swirl, you will COME.

Hallelujah!
Reverend Brother Elder Swirl the 7th