Niall Connolly promised me he would make me cry again, and damn him he delivered, tears of joy again. The Voice & the Verse rolled into town again on June 3rd, marking the 6th(?) time they have now performed at Treehugger Dan's. No disrespect to any of the other great performers, but every time they come to town, I feel as if it is the show of the year. They have the uncanny ability to time their visit when I am most under stress or depressed and lift me up, plastering that shit-eating grin on my face for all to see.  Poet Neal McCarthy, from the first syllable (and no, it is not just his Irish accent) gives me goosebumps, and I am a self-professed poetry hater. His live performance (not existing in the written form) of Mermaids in The Liffey will have you rolling in the aisles, while his poem of a Finnish lost love will lose you in your own self-examination, and there is a hell of a lot in between. Musician Niall Connolly gave another rousing and stunning performance, ending with my request of his "70,000 Words," which while it is about intercultural communication, I love rather for the chorus:
"I can't dance
You know I hate to dance
I really cannot dance
But I'd gladly dance with you."
 
Neal, Niall and David came to the back where I was standing and we all danced badly together, but there was such joy and friendship in it I hardly noticed enough to be embarrassed.


Photos pf the event:
by David Erickson
facebook (visible even if not a facebook user) or on flickr

and by Irene Schank


Marissa Beam also Voice & the Verse Live at Treehugger Dan's, which we hope to see up soon on Spin On-Line, if not on youtube.