I finally have a website. Check it out at www.bobbylefebre.com. My homegirl Gia Valverde created it for me, and I am excited to finally have somewhere to direct folks for basic info about me.
The highlight of the year for me, thus far, was speaking at the inaugural TEDxMileHigh event held on 4/7 at the Ellie Caulkins Theater. If you are not familiar with TED events, you should be! This event gathered 20 of Colorado's top thinkers, doers, and innovators to "give the talk of their lives around ideas worth sharing". I was humbled to share the stage with such talented individuals see the list here http://www.tedxmilehigh.com/speakers/. I spoke in front of a 1700 person, sold out crowd and finished to a standing ovation. I very rarely get nervous before performing anymore, but this event made my palms sweat. I performed shortly after Colorado's Governor, John Hickenlooper spoke, and boy was it a good feeling! I will post the video as soon as it is available.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Memphis, Shows, and other stuff.
Once again I write in shame that I was unable to manage this blog as much as I should. 2011 has treated me kindly thus far. I started the new year off right by spending New Year's Eve in N.Y.C. with my wife and two of our closest friends. Upon returning home, I worked on a commercial for the Gates Corporation's 100 year anniversary. I was able to work with friend and actress, Sonia Justl, and Tom and Ben Kimball of Kimball productions. They are all such wonderful people, and the shoot was like hanging out with friends. I was in rehearsal for a short film tilted, "Flame Dames", which highlights the strained relationships gay men sometimes have with their straight women friends. The film should be finished this spring; details to come.
January is always a busy month in Denver for Martin Luther King Jr. day celebrations, and poets stay busy! I was able to share the Colorado School of Mines stage with Ayinde Russell, Suzi Q, Jovan Mays, and Amy Everhart. Whenever you get a group of talented, funny, poet-friends in one room it is a riot! I featured for the kids of South High School in Denver, tried out new material, and was blown away by the student talent.
At the end of January I found myself at the University of Memphis for a show I shared with Kelly Tsai of Brooklyn, NY. I was super exited to share the stage with Kelly, and we were both exited to eat some good food, see Graceland, as well as the Civil Rights Museum. Prior to our show, I ate some bomb BBQ chicken! Our show was fun. The kids were not very familiar with performance poetry, but everyone had a good time. After the show, we visited Beale St., which was pretty cool. The blues was blaring out of the loud speakers, but Montell Jordan's "This is how we do it" was blaring even louder from a nightclub that had like four people in it.....weird.
In the morning, we ate at the world famous "Arcade Diner", two blocks away from the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. King was assassinated. It has since been turned into the National Civil Rights Museum. We visited the museum after breakfast. It was heavy and somber as expected. There is a reproduction exhibit of the room Dr. King occupied the night prior to being killed, and it was surreal to actually see that. The museum predominantly focused on African American Civil Rights struggles in the South, which makes sense due to location and context; however, I was a bit shocked that there was no mention of other marginalized groups movements that were happening simultaneously. The title, "National Civil Rights Museum" suggested to me that the museum would focus on the entire country's struggle for civil rights, but it was beautifully unnerving nonetheless.
We breezed through the Museum and found our way to Graceland. Graceland is as iconic and pop-cultury, as it gets. It was fun, and Elvis was a pimp.
I watched the Superbowl in a hotel room in Kokomo, Indiana. I ordered take out wings and pizza, and frowned at the Black Eyed Peas halftime show. I performed at the University of Indiana the next day. The crowd was awesome, and it was a quick trip. I found myself at the University of Wyoming performing at the Good Mule Conference, which focuses on sustainability and environmental activism.
I am a board member and chair of entertainment for the La Raza Youth Leadership Conference, so that has kept me busy in February and March. I also started grad school at the University of Denver, and so far that has been going well!
See y'all soon!
January is always a busy month in Denver for Martin Luther King Jr. day celebrations, and poets stay busy! I was able to share the Colorado School of Mines stage with Ayinde Russell, Suzi Q, Jovan Mays, and Amy Everhart. Whenever you get a group of talented, funny, poet-friends in one room it is a riot! I featured for the kids of South High School in Denver, tried out new material, and was blown away by the student talent.
At the end of January I found myself at the University of Memphis for a show I shared with Kelly Tsai of Brooklyn, NY. I was super exited to share the stage with Kelly, and we were both exited to eat some good food, see Graceland, as well as the Civil Rights Museum. Prior to our show, I ate some bomb BBQ chicken! Our show was fun. The kids were not very familiar with performance poetry, but everyone had a good time. After the show, we visited Beale St., which was pretty cool. The blues was blaring out of the loud speakers, but Montell Jordan's "This is how we do it" was blaring even louder from a nightclub that had like four people in it.....weird.
In the morning, we ate at the world famous "Arcade Diner", two blocks away from the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. King was assassinated. It has since been turned into the National Civil Rights Museum. We visited the museum after breakfast. It was heavy and somber as expected. There is a reproduction exhibit of the room Dr. King occupied the night prior to being killed, and it was surreal to actually see that. The museum predominantly focused on African American Civil Rights struggles in the South, which makes sense due to location and context; however, I was a bit shocked that there was no mention of other marginalized groups movements that were happening simultaneously. The title, "National Civil Rights Museum" suggested to me that the museum would focus on the entire country's struggle for civil rights, but it was beautifully unnerving nonetheless.
We breezed through the Museum and found our way to Graceland. Graceland is as iconic and pop-cultury, as it gets. It was fun, and Elvis was a pimp.
I watched the Superbowl in a hotel room in Kokomo, Indiana. I ordered take out wings and pizza, and frowned at the Black Eyed Peas halftime show. I performed at the University of Indiana the next day. The crowd was awesome, and it was a quick trip. I found myself at the University of Wyoming performing at the Good Mule Conference, which focuses on sustainability and environmental activism.
I am a board member and chair of entertainment for the La Raza Youth Leadership Conference, so that has kept me busy in February and March. I also started grad school at the University of Denver, and so far that has been going well!
See y'all soon!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Hello people!!
I did not honor my attempt at maintaining a blog this year. I am over-ambitious by nature, so sometimes things get placed on the "back burner"; however, that doesn't mean that the stove isn't burning hot as ever!! I now committing to at least a monthly update; hopefully more. Blogs are funny because they assume people give a shit about what you have to say. Hopefully people do. If anything, it offers information about what I am working on and where I will be.
I have continued to stay busy as a performance poet and actor. I have performed all over the country this year doing University gigs, released a self-published book, done a few commercials, presented at some conferences, and have had a great time meeting new people and sharing my art in new communities. I just wrapped a run of the world premier theater show, "El Louie" with El Centro Su Teatro, where I am a company actor. We just moved into a beautiful, professional, 350 seat proscenium stage theater and are looking forward new and innovative work. Read the review of the play written by Denver Theater Critic, John Moore here: http://www.denverpost.com/theater/ci_16389953
Novem
ber will be fun.
I will be performing a local show at
Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Co on 11/5.
The show is in celebration of Dia de Los Muertos and it begins at 6pm.
It will take place in the LSC Commons on campus.
Come and check out the show!
On 11/10, I will be Performing at the University of North Carolina, Asheville. The show begins at 8pm in the Grotto, Highsmith Union.
Thank you HOLA (Herman@s Orgullos@s en Las Americas)
for the invitation to perform at your school:-)
11/19 and 11/20, I will join Brer Rabbit of the Flobots, Panama Soweto, Isis, and a local vocal choir in collaboration show of spoken word and music at the Newman Center at Denver University.
Details to come soon!!!!!!
Also, by the end of the year I will have a new website!!
Thank you to everyone who continues to show support!!
For College/University booking, please contact my agent:
Travis Watkins (Layman Lyric Productions)
P: 832-266-8016
E: poetry@laymanlyric.com
Check me out at:
www.laymanlyric.com
www.radicalartistsagency.com
www.facebook.com/bobby.lefebre
I did not honor my attempt at maintaining a blog this year. I am over-ambitious by nature, so sometimes things get placed on the "back burner"; however, that doesn't mean that the stove isn't burning hot as ever!! I now committing to at least a monthly update; hopefully more. Blogs are funny because they assume people give a shit about what you have to say. Hopefully people do. If anything, it offers information about what I am working on and where I will be.
I have continued to stay busy as a performance poet and actor. I have performed all over the country this year doing University gigs, released a self-published book, done a few commercials, presented at some conferences, and have had a great time meeting new people and sharing my art in new communities. I just wrapped a run of the world premier theater show, "El Louie" with El Centro Su Teatro, where I am a company actor. We just moved into a beautiful, professional, 350 seat proscenium stage theater and are looking forward new and innovative work. Read the review of the play written by Denver Theater Critic, John Moore here: http://www.denverpost.com/theater/ci_16389953
Novem
ber will be fun.I will be performing a local show at
Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Co on 11/5.
The show is in celebration of Dia de Los Muertos and it begins at 6pm.
It will take place in the LSC Commons on campus.
Come and check out the show!
On 11/10, I will be Performing at the University of North Carolina, Asheville. The show begins at 8pm in the Grotto, Highsmith Union.
Thank you HOLA (Herman@s Orgullos@s en Las Americas)
for the invitation to perform at your school:-)
11/19 and 11/20, I will join Brer Rabbit of the Flobots, Panama Soweto, Isis, and a local vocal choir in collaboration show of spoken word and music at the Newman Center at Denver University.
Details to come soon!!!!!!
Also, by the end of the year I will have a new website!!
Thank you to everyone who continues to show support!!
For College/University booking, please contact my agent:
Travis Watkins (Layman Lyric Productions)
P: 832-266-8016
E: poetry@laymanlyric.com
Check me out at:
www.laymanlyric.com
www.radicalartistsagency.com
www.facebook.com/bobby.lefebre
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
What a weekend!!
I share my birthday with Dr. King. Growing up it was always cool to tell the kids at school this bit of trivia. My wife spoiled me taking me by gathering the troops to accompany me at my favorite restaurant, buying me an x-box and new travel bag, and just being the best wife a man could ask for:)
On Monday, I was the poet chosen from the MLK marade(marade= march and parade joined as one word) to share poetry in front of tens of thousands of people. It was a humbling experience. Watching people march for something, holding signs and protest banners on Immigration, Gay rights, police brutality, and of course ending the wars were all popular themes. There were prayers and candles lit for Haiti. Native drums led the group as the American Indian Movement sang songs in American Indigenous tongues, reminding us what America really looks like. It was beautiful. Children were there. Elders were there. The spirit of those who came before us was strong.
Later that evening, I had a show with The Original Woman and Ayinde Russell at the Colorado School of Mines. Reading poetry to a bunch of Engineering students proved to be a difficult task, but we got the job done. The organizer of the event told us that the student body at the Engineering college was not used to "thinking outside the box", but if you are a good communicator, and a good performance poet, you break those barriers by choosing material that speaks to the "human experience". It was fun. We discussed Dr. King and his legacy, as well as how what we do relates to an ongoing sense of responsibility and social activism.
Last night I attended the first class of an eight week acting workshop taught by Anne Penner. She is an accomplished actor and teacher, and I learned that we share the same talent agent at Radical. The class seems like it is going to be very useful in sharpening the blade of acting as a craft, and I am looking forward to the next 8 weeks. They say as an actor, you should either be working, or taking a class, so since I am not doing any theater, or anything else with a time commitment, I enrolled.
I left the class a bit early as I had one hell of a show scheduled with Suzi Q, Lucifury and Ayinde Russell at CU Boulder. It was another event around the Dr. King Holiday, and we blew the place apart!!! When we get paid the big bucks, we bring a DJ with us to hold down the set, and further set the mood of what we do as performance poets. The crowd was with us the whole time, were very responsive, and we all tried some new things out on stage. Lucifury and I did a couple of duets to mix up the energy, Ayinde and Suzi sang a bit, and we were able to dialogue about life and politics with the kids after.
It was a good weekend.
On Monday, I was the poet chosen from the MLK marade(marade= march and parade joined as one word) to share poetry in front of tens of thousands of people. It was a humbling experience. Watching people march for something, holding signs and protest banners on Immigration, Gay rights, police brutality, and of course ending the wars were all popular themes. There were prayers and candles lit for Haiti. Native drums led the group as the American Indian Movement sang songs in American Indigenous tongues, reminding us what America really looks like. It was beautiful. Children were there. Elders were there. The spirit of those who came before us was strong.
Later that evening, I had a show with The Original Woman and Ayinde Russell at the Colorado School of Mines. Reading poetry to a bunch of Engineering students proved to be a difficult task, but we got the job done. The organizer of the event told us that the student body at the Engineering college was not used to "thinking outside the box", but if you are a good communicator, and a good performance poet, you break those barriers by choosing material that speaks to the "human experience". It was fun. We discussed Dr. King and his legacy, as well as how what we do relates to an ongoing sense of responsibility and social activism.
Last night I attended the first class of an eight week acting workshop taught by Anne Penner. She is an accomplished actor and teacher, and I learned that we share the same talent agent at Radical. The class seems like it is going to be very useful in sharpening the blade of acting as a craft, and I am looking forward to the next 8 weeks. They say as an actor, you should either be working, or taking a class, so since I am not doing any theater, or anything else with a time commitment, I enrolled.
I left the class a bit early as I had one hell of a show scheduled with Suzi Q, Lucifury and Ayinde Russell at CU Boulder. It was another event around the Dr. King Holiday, and we blew the place apart!!! When we get paid the big bucks, we bring a DJ with us to hold down the set, and further set the mood of what we do as performance poets. The crowd was with us the whole time, were very responsive, and we all tried some new things out on stage. Lucifury and I did a couple of duets to mix up the energy, Ayinde and Suzi sang a bit, and we were able to dialogue about life and politics with the kids after.
It was a good weekend.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Auditions, New Bookings, Poetry
Denver is no N.Y. or L.A., but if you play your cards right, you can stay very busy as a performer here. Earlier this week I auditioned for the USA network T.V. show "In Plain Sight", which shoots in New Mexico. I am waiting on the call back with fingers crossed, and hunger for that first National T.V. gig. Monday I auditioned for a Red Robin Commercial, Tuesday auditioned for a Colorado Lottery Spot, Wednesday for forrent.com, and today I attended a commercial print audition for Miller Lite. I'm always on the fence about doing gigs for Liq corporations, but do my best to use good judgment in deciding whether or not to go out for them.
Hopefully I can land a couple of these gigs. I thank Kathey and Patty at Radical Artists Agency for all of their hard work and professionalism!
About a year ago, I was booked for a series of national commercials for a new banking idea called KASASA. They are offering a new, fresh alternative to traditional banking. As a part of this ongoing gig, I will be heading to Idaho Falls, Idaho at the beginning of February for a workshop/seminar/performance for up and coming slam poets in that area. Check out the video of one of the spots in the link below
I received information from my College booking agent today that I will be performing at the University of San Antonio Texas and Coe College in Iowa in March. This is the beginning, of what I hope will be, a chance to get my feet wet in the national college circuit. My good friends Panama Soweto and Ken Arkind have been the highest booked slam poetry act in the college circuit for the last two years! Special shout out to Panama for pushing me to pursue performance poetry!
Last Night was the most fun I have had at an open mic in quite some time. There is a new poetry venue in Denver called Deja Vu, and my good friend and fellow poet, Ayinde Russell was the feature. Some of Denver's best stacked the invite only open mic, and Ayinde tore the joint down with his soulful voice and RIDICULOUS poetic talent!
Tomorrow I will be heading to allaccess live to film some poetry for a potentially significant T.V. pilot program that will be pitched in the future.....stay posted for details!
Big things in 2010!!!!
Hopefully I can land a couple of these gigs. I thank Kathey and Patty at Radical Artists Agency for all of their hard work and professionalism!
About a year ago, I was booked for a series of national commercials for a new banking idea called KASASA. They are offering a new, fresh alternative to traditional banking. As a part of this ongoing gig, I will be heading to Idaho Falls, Idaho at the beginning of February for a workshop/seminar/performance for up and coming slam poets in that area. Check out the video of one of the spots in the link below
I received information from my College booking agent today that I will be performing at the University of San Antonio Texas and Coe College in Iowa in March. This is the beginning, of what I hope will be, a chance to get my feet wet in the national college circuit. My good friends Panama Soweto and Ken Arkind have been the highest booked slam poetry act in the college circuit for the last two years! Special shout out to Panama for pushing me to pursue performance poetry!
Last Night was the most fun I have had at an open mic in quite some time. There is a new poetry venue in Denver called Deja Vu, and my good friend and fellow poet, Ayinde Russell was the feature. Some of Denver's best stacked the invite only open mic, and Ayinde tore the joint down with his soulful voice and RIDICULOUS poetic talent!
Tomorrow I will be heading to allaccess live to film some poetry for a potentially significant T.V. pilot program that will be pitched in the future.....stay posted for details!
Big things in 2010!!!!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
2010
Happy 2010! This year promises to be even more fruitful than years past! I have made a commitment to go EXTRA HARD this year in focusing as much energy and time on growing, and pushing the limits of my artistic abilities as a performing artist! I will document as much of the daily grind as I can, right here, so check me out every now and again!
~Peace,
Bobby
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