Cause and Effect presents:
Click Here To Listen To This Episode, including Lorna Pinckney’s interview
For 15 years, Tuesday Verses has been an event that has drawn Richmond’s poets, rappers, and singers to share their talent in a welcome, encouraging environment. Today we celebrate that.
Lorna Pinckney, the host of Verses, joins Noah Page in the studio for a rare interview. They discuss how the event got started, Lorna’s personal taste in music, and all the amazing performances the show has seen over the years.
Tuesday Verses takes place every Tuesday night at Addis Ethiopian Restaurant in the bottom. As patrons sample some of the best Ethiopian cuisine in the greater area, an incredible live R&B band backs anyone who wants to perform. The band has included such Richmond staples as DJ Williams and Lenny Bones, and some would say their ability to pick up any song on the spot, even ones that are totally made up in the moment, is what makes the show. But that’s really a matter of taste debatable, because there is a lot to see at Verses. There’s the singers. And Verses draws some incredibly talented singers.
There is also the rap. Rappers sometimes appear sparsely, but are always a real treat when they do. And the importance of the rap element of the show goes beyond an enjoyable evening out when you begin to appreciate how Verses has affected the rappers who’ve performed there. Local rappers including even Ed DA Realist and the ever-rising Radio B have attended not only to show off their skill, but to hone it. So many rappers have told me that Verses pushed them to craft their lyrics more carefully, thoughtfully, and to put more effort into providing lyrical content. It isn’t often you see someone rap with a live band behind them in general.
And of course, there is the poetry. But I can’t tell you about that. You’d have to see it, really. You probably know about poetry slams. But you also probably know that a sandwich from the gas station isn’t exactly the most delicious lunch available in our little town.
Still, the true centerpiece of the night is always the vibe. A positive, welcoming, friendly, encouraging feeling swells within the confines of the event every week. There may be no other event you can count on for such a supportive feeling each week. The good feelings are undoubtedly what makes the event so special and gives it that certain undefinable quality that makes it such a magnet for such a diverse range of talent.
Bee Boisseau, “It's A Habit (extended version) (extended version)”
from Out Front
Swaghive Entertainment - 2011
NoahPage Cause and Effect July 22nd, 2017
Posted In: Music Shows