Where the Mad Ones Are!

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!

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!


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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!


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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.


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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!


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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!


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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!

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!

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!

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

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

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.