MIND GRAVY OPEN MIC WEDNESDAYS COCONUTS TROPICAL CAFE / COLUMBIA, SC / JANUARY 27, 2016 / BY STONEY January 28, 2016 If you are familiar with the poetry / writing community in Columbia, SC then you are surely familiar with professor / activist / writer / poet / musician / open mic host Al Black. While Mr. Black may wear a ton of hats, he is known to many in AND outside of Columbia for his poetry and activism and of course, being the long-running presenter of Mind Gravy, a weekly open mic geared particularly towards poetry and music but open to all arts. Up until recently Mind Gravy was held Wednesdays at Drip Coffee which presented a sort of art coffee shop vibe. (not odd since Drip is a coffee shop with art on the walls lol) The new location, Coconuts Tropical Cafe on Main Street in downtown Columbia, is a wider room with a larger stage and while the staff and food is great, the vibe is mellower with bare walls and low lighting. But while the vibe may be different, the open mic talent remains as incredible as ever! Mind Gravy always shows love to features around the southeast (most recently, one-time M.A.D. Open Mic host and veteran Evans poet Catherine the Great featured) and I was honored to be asked to feature again. (This would be my 5th or 6th feature - a pair of solo features, 3 with the Beauty Fools, and one with the Graeys) My excitement for this gig was pumped up when I found out that Columbia artist Debra McQueen would be the feature poet. One thing I've always enjoyed about Mind Gravy is that within the incredible talent each week is a diversity that brings even more energy to the evening. After a short set of originals surrounding a cover of the Byrds "Hickory Wind" - dedicated to this visit to Carolina - I was able to huddle up next to the wife and enjoy an incredible set of poetry from "Bad Girlfriend" Deb McQueen, If you have never experienced Debra, look her up online. Funny, perky, thought-provoking. Deb is awesome!. The rest of the night was filled with a mix of traditional poetry and spoken word mixed with musicians that included a flutist, an acoustic singer/songwriter, and an amazing soul/blues artist who pleased the audience by replying to their responses for more with a cool closing rollicking blues tune. As usual the Wednesday night event, despite packed with so many performances, finished up before 10pm, great for mid-week considering some have early mornings the next day and also perfect for people in nearby towns looking for a close place away from home to experience great art. Mind Gravy every Wednesday 7PM at Coconuts Tropical Cafe, 1710 Main St, Columbia, SC