Despite a major booking snafu (a heavy metal rock band in the next room cranking it while the slammers spit) the 3rd Annual Rootabaga Slam in Galesburg, Illinois at the Cherry Street Brewing Company turned out to be a high time and a success. When the lead singer of the rockers in the next room shouted “How ya doing out there?” all the slam fans shouted “We’re doing great!” Our crowd was bigger and louder than their crowd.
Greg Pickett, a former student from WIU who participated in the first two Rootabaga slams, finally went home with the 1st Place prize money ($300). Iggy Mwela, last years’ winner, looked like a shoe in for second but he got the ladies hssssssing with a new poem (he read off his laptop) that sorta equated women to gym shoes — but in a nice way. Not nice enough, Antoine Harris (sorry Antoine, I can’t remember your stage handle) copped the second place dough and Iggy got third.
There were many special moments (Dyson’s working class poem in the second round and the kid from Colorado — where did he go?) and a lot of new faces. Thanks to Tom Foley and Sandburg Days festival for putting the show together.
Looking forward 2010 and Rootabaga # 4 which might include a screening of a new Sandburg documentary by Paul Bonesteel and we promise — no rockers competing with us in the next room.
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