First time I saw Patrick Swan perform his poetry he was backing up Despistado at the State in 2004 or so. Kind of a thankless job, you’d think. A poet trying to hold the attention of a drinking crowd there to see a rock show. But Patrick isn’t a typical poet. If you check back at the first line of this post, you’ll notice I didn’t write “First time I saw Patrick Swan recite his poetry.” Patrick doesn’t recite his poetry. Neither does he read it. He performs it.
Which makes this event at the Exchange tonight especially intriguing. It’s a launch for a book of published poetry called aesthetically absurd young drunk moments. Musical guest is Lonesome George a.k.a. Carl Johnson. How will work that Patrick typically performs in a reasonably animated manner translate to the printed page? Or did he maybe tweak his writing style a bit knowing that what he was writing was going to be read privately instead of performed publicly?
For more on tonight’s launch, check out James Brotheridge’s preview in our March 11 issue.
Also on tonight are gigs by Brainsauce with Dan Besuijen & the Gov at O’Hanlon’s Pub and Room 333 with the Rabid Whole and In Darkness at the Exchange. And this just in, the opening reception and artist talk for Linda Duvall’s show Where Were the Mothers? at the Dunlop Art Gallery has been rescheduled from tonight to March 19 at 7:30 p.m.