Long Branch's Brighton Bar Hosts Poets & Bands Through The Ministry Of Artistic Intent

An enthusiastic crowd visited the endearingly dim and smoky Brighton Bar in Long Branch on Saturday, May 31 for the Ministry of Artistic Intent's (MAI) “Band & SpeakerBox Poet Showcase.” 

MAI is a nonprofit organization founded by Chelsea Palermo, which runs open mics, benefit shows and workshops. Their website states, “The MAI is comprised of dedicated local artists seeking to further the arts in our community, to encourage collaboration, creation and the fulfillment of the creative goals.”

The Brighton is a must-play venue for New Jersey artists. It's hosted world famous musicians from the area such as Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi and David Johansen of the New York Dolls. It’s well-worn stage has also been pulverized by more underground, yet still well known artists such as Wesley Willis, Urge Overkill and All.

Palermo greeted the audience and the evening's first performer, poet Dana Dyuk took the stage. She recited her spoken word pieces against a red cloth backdrop while standing atop the coveted wooden “speakerbox.” Her readings covered relatable personal topics, such as the moment one realizes the flaws of those close to them. Dyuk closed her set with a piece on body image read off her mobile phone.

The night's first band performance was by Deluge, a guitar and vocal duo fronted by Palermo. She was accompanied by Greg DeCellio on guitar. He played an impressive jazz-influenced combination of pleasantly dissonant and melodic melodies with a serious Velvet Underground feel. Music fans more in tune with the avant-garde may even find similarities in his guitar playing with those of Jandek, the experimental “outsider” musician from Texas. The duo also covered the delta blues classic “Stop Breaking Down,” by Robert Johnston. It was aggressively driven by enthusiastic handclaps from the entire audience.

Sylvana Joyce & The Moment was next, lead by Joyce on keyboard and vocals. The band also featured a violinist. Their shape and tempo-shifting songs wildly jumped from one genre to another. This inspired an amusing, free-spirited dance by many audience members. From the stage, Joyce remarked, “This is epic, there should be more of that!”

Roberto Caelco Garcia performed the night’s second set of poetry with a subdued vocal delivery. However, the nature of his material was anything but. He descriptively combined topics on sex with elements of humor that drove hushed laughs out of closely seated audience members.

Garcia was followed by the indie-rock band Lake Effect, a self-described “band of mammals from the swamps of New Jersey.” Hailing from Montclair, their loud-soft dynamics emulated the sounds made famous by many nineties alternative bands. Their enthusiasm for exchanging words with the audience and playfully aggressive performance style provided comic relief.

Encouraged by Palermo, Tamara Zbrizher recited handful of her brief poems. She was followed by Asbury Park's Danny Brown, the night's final poet. Inspired by insomnia, sex, and anger at Shakespeare, Brown endearingly revealed that his sometimes raucous and confrontational performances are an outlet for his frustrations. Thankfully, like any good artist, Brown told the crowd that this allows him to be an especially friendly person offstage.

The five-piece jazz band We Used To Cut The Grass performed the final musical set as the night approached last call. Their amplified and effects-laden trumpet blasts quickly moved their sound into an experimental direction. These moments were matched by their ability to play more traditional, yet equally impressive jazz styles as well.

Audience member Colin Smith said, “The show was a lot of fun, it was good to have the poetry and then the music to make everyone jump around. I thought it was a good stir of emotions.”

MAI will be hosting “Mission V: Workshop Jive” on June 8 at the Brighton Bar at 2:00 p.m. It's a benefit show to support the free Teen Arts Workshops pilot program MAI is spearheading this summer. For more information, visit maintent.org and facebook.com/ministryofartisticintent.