As Florida cools off (a little), the fun tends to heat up. As always, we are psyched about this month’s poetry reading and storytelling events, Storytelling @ the Kerouac House and Coffee and Poetry at Jack’s, both of which will be held at the Jack Kerouac House of St Petersburg at 5169 10thAve N, St. Petersburg, FL 33710. On Halloween Night, we will co-host our first off-property event at the Palladium Theatre with The Craftsman House: Stanley Jordan Plays the Dead. The very next day, our house concert series, The Songwriter Club, reboots. So, check out all the upcoming fun at the Kerouac House below and come hang out with Jack!
First, October’s Storytelling @ the Kerouac House will be on Saturday 10/25 from 7-9pm (doors 6:30) and will feature storyteller JD Adler with Jim Kissane opening. Our own in-house storyteller extraordinaire Victoria Dym will emcee and also tell. JD Adler (Jeff D. Adler) grew up in Pennsylvania, and traveled America like a vagabond in his youth. In 2024, he moved to St. Petersburg, Florida from Key West. He has since become a board member of the Suncoast Storytellers and hots an open mic on the second Saturday of the month: suncoaststorytellers.org Adler is currently working on his next novel. JD has authored works of poetry and fiction as well as journalism. His work as a public storyteller has always brought him special joy, as his fragile artist ego needs the immediate feedback of the audience. Read more about JD at: https://jdadler.com . To tell at the open mic (5-7 minutes), sign up at the event with emcee Victoria Dym. Refreshments and snacks will be served at intermission; wine and beer available at the cash bar. Come to listen and/or tell! There will be limited seating. Tickets are $10 plus tax and a service fee; donations go directly to the Jack Kerouac House. For more info and Tickets: Get TicketsFacebook Event Page
Next, October’s Coffee and Poetryat Jack’s will feature two great poets, Florida Poet Laureate Peter Meinke & Gregory Byrd on October 26th at 3-6pm at the Jack Kerouac House. We’re lucky to have two of our local poetic luminaries at the Kerouac House in a dynamic reading of their work. Those of you who are aware of Peter and Greg know that this afternoon reading is a one-of-a-kind event and will want to be there. Peter Meinke is the recipient of many awards, including the Olivet Prize, the Paumanok Award, three Poetry Society of America Awards, the Flannery O’Connor Award, and two NEA Fellowships. In 2009 he was appointed the first Poet Laureate of St. Petersburg, Florida. He was appointed the Poet Laureate of the State of Florida in 2015. Our co-feature this month will be award-winning poet and literary professor Greg Byrd, the winner of the 2018 Robert Phillips Chapbook prize from the Texas Review Press for The Name of the God Who Speaks.His poems have appeared in several journals and publications. He is the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship, a Pushcart nomination, and an Individual Artist Grant from Creative Pinellas. Greg teaches writing and literature at St. Petersburg College. The reading starts at 3. So come on by and grab a cup of joe and one of Chef Shelley’s incredible pastries. You can sign up to recite with our resident poet and emcee Larry Jaffe when you get to Jack’s house. Tickets are limited and they are $10 each plus tax and fees. For more info and tix go to: Facebook Event PageTickets
Next, The Craftsman House & The Jack Kerouac House of St. Petersburg present a special Halloween Evening with Stanley Jordan Plays the Dead at The Palladium. The Palladium is thrilled to welcome world-renowned touch-tap guitarist, Stanley Jordanand his new band, STANLEY PLAYS THE DEAD, for a special Halloween performance playing tribute to The Grateful Dead. One thing that made the Grateful Dead’s concerts so special was that their extended improvisations and huge songbook made each show unique, and it gave concertgoers a reason to come back again and again. This made each event a full-on happening and not just a concert. This evening will be no exception. Stanley says, “The Dead’s repertoire is an important part of the Great American Songbook. Over time people are realizing this more and more…one mark of a good song is that it can be reinterpreted in many ways, and it still holds up. These songs definitely fit that description.” In a world full of various Grateful Dead tribute acts, Stanley Plays the Dead promises something new and unique. Stanley describes it as “Cosmic vibal variations on the music of the Grateful Dead. We’re expanding the harmonic structure and adding more jazz elements, while preserving the original feel and flavor of the music. And most importantly, we’re keeping the trippy vibe-maybe even deepening it.” STANLEY JORDAN was born in Chicago in 1959 and raised in Palo Alto, California-the very city in which the Grateful Dead was formed. He earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Princeton in 1981. Gigs were scarce in the early days, but after a few lean years working as a New York street musician Jordan was signed to Blue Note Records in 1984. His Magic Touch album was an instant classic, and it stayed at #1 on Billboard’s jazz chart for 51 weeks. He is widely regarded as the foremost exponent of the touch, or tapping technique on guitar. To date Jordan has been nominated for four Grammys, and he’s performed in 70 countries. He made a cameo appearance in the movie Blind Date with Bruce Willis and Kim Basinger, and numerous TV appearances through the years, including Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, David Letterman and Jimmy Fallon. He has collaborated on the stage or in the studio with a diverse array of artists including Phil Lesh, Miles Davis, Kenny Rogers, Herbie Hancock, Dionne Warwick, Dave Matthews, Sharon Isbin, and Carmen McRae. The show is on 10/31 at 7:30 pm at the Hough Concert Hall inside the Palladium. Tickets are $30-$75 and are available here: Tickets
Finally, on Nov 1 at 7pm (6pm doors) our house concert series The Songwriter Club ramps up again with the incomparable David Dondero with Kerouac House musical director and local scene maker Shawn Kyle opening. In 2006, NPR's All Songs Considered named David one of the "best living songwriters" alongside Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney and Tom Waits. American troubadour Dondero began writing songs in the late 80’s while at Clemson University. Initially a drummer and lyricist, he formed Sunbrain in 1991. A post-punk indie rock quartet heavily influenced by Donovan and Fugazi. Sunbrain was signed by Grass Records and they recorded 3 albums. When the group disbanded he went on to play drums for the folk punk band, This Bike is a Pipe Bomb. After 2 years he left the band in 1998 and began his solo career. He’s been touring ever since and his music has taken him around the world multiple times. His style and ongoing narratives are hard to fit into a particular genre. He manages to tackle difficult subject matter with a wry sense of humor. The music is inspired by heartbreak, hopefulness, everyday work, and his never-ending state of flux. Dondero’s lyrics are influenced by the angst of Black Flag, the wanderlust of Bruce Springsteen, the sentimentality of Paul Simon, and the politics of Woody Guthrie. He’s shared bills and tours with Pedro the Lion, The Mountain Goats, Darren Hanlon, Daniel Johnston, and Against Me! In 2006, Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton of NPR put David on their list of the top ten greatest living songwriters. Aside from multiple years at South by Southwest, he was invited by Mudhoney as a featured artist at All Tomorrow’s Parties in Rye, England. God Speed You Black Emperor brought him to The Sled Island Festival in Calgary and he’s played at the Bellow Winter Music Festival in Australia under the recommendation of Australian songwriter Darren Hanlon. Dondero tours heavily but now calls Pensacola, FL home. His first novel, Chaos the Cat will also be available at the show. The Songwriter Club at the Jack Kerouac House is a series bringing national and international touring artists, as well as musician outreach to the historic home of Jack Kerouac, in St. Petersburg Florida. Shawn Kyle produces, emcees, and performs in the series There are very limited seating and capacity for this songwriter listening room series, as the artists perform in Kerouac's living room with the audience seated in the living room, and additional seating stretching out into the enclosed patio. Please join us for a night of songs, in this historic atmosphere. For Tickets and more info go to: Tickets @ Venue Pilot
