BONK! began over coffee as the word three friends adopted when their poetry missed the mark.
“When something wasn’t subtle enough, I came up with the term ‘bonk,’ like they were hitting you over the head with it,” said Nick Demske, a Racine Public Library employee, poet and co-founder of the BONK! performance series.
More than two years and two-dozen performances later, the Racine-based series has become a meeting place for poets, musicians and other performers from around the world.
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This weekend, BONK! will feature the homegrown talents of Shani Tikia, a performance poet; Dan Nielsen, who will share “weird, funky joke poems” as Margot Nielsen accompanies him on the concertina; and Springtide, a “stadium-worthy” band Demske said Wisconsin residents should be glad have to themselves, for now.
“It’s kind of a unique performance in that all of them are from Racine, which might be the first time that’s ever happened,” Demske said.
The performance comes at a transitional time for bonk.
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Once funded through the Racine Public Library system, BONK lost funding earlier this year along with the library’s other adult programs.
It was a regrettable, but necessary decision, said Jessica MacPhail, library executive director.
“We need people here to check the books out, check out the DVDs and the CDs. We need people here to shelve the books,” she said.
Demske was grateful when the Friends of the Library group stepped in to offer $2,000 in support, which will be used to buy the books, CDs and other performance materials produced by BONK performers. Those materials will then be available at the Racine Public Library.
The money also will make it possible, for the first time ever, to pay performers. Each performer will get about $50.
BONK! also is looking to expand its volunteer core.
After co-founders Matt Specht and Nicholas Michael Ravnikar left BONK!, Demske was left alone to organize performances and maintain the website. The one-man effort has been a challenge, and Demske said he would be happy to welcome more volunteers.
“The more we have, the more we can do for the community,” Demske said.
What: BONK!
When: Saturday, Feb. 26, 6 to 8 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Where: Racine Arts Council, 316 Sixth St., Racine
Admission: Free
Online: bonkperformanceseries.wordpress.com