Essenzaslam Poetry Slam Readers

The Essenzaslam Poetry Slam was the longest running poetry slam in the Southwest. It was founded on November 3rd, 1994, by poet/organizer Bob Nelson. From 1994-2008, the slam made it's home in Essenza Coffeehouse, Mesa Arizona's oldest coffeehouse until it closed in July of 2008.

In August of 2008, the Show was supposed to move to Garden Grounds, a new coffeehouse founded less than 1/2 a mile from Essenza's current location. The venue never opened.

Who Hosted at Essenzaslam?

This incomplete list, initially compiled by Bob Nelson in 2008, attempts to document poets that have acted as stewards of the Slam over it’s history.

Eirean Bradley
Bill Campana
Patrick Hare
The Klute
Bob Nelson
David Tabor

Who Read at Essenzaslam?

This incomplete list, initially compiled by Bill Campana in 2006, attempts to document poets that have read at the Slam.

akua
alex (last name unknown)
the ammendment
dale anderson
lucy anderton
ken arkind
nikki armstrong
artiste
krystal ashe
brent axel

lee r. ballard
faye ballentine
mr. green bean
christa bell
andrew (funky klown town) berger
david bianchi
geoff bishoff
blair (from detroit)
cynthia black
regina blakley
melissa bliss
eirean bradley
brian (last name unknown)
derrick brown

bill campana
michael cerelli
ivan chavez
chesko
claudia
cobratic
dave collins
mark collins
tom collins
matthew john connely
jon conry

dj (cockney rebel)
tony damico
issm dark
davey (the girl from tucson)
paul davis
corbet dean
nick decarlo (the barista)
julia delbridge
mack dennis
manifest destiny
pannica dillon
paul d'loughy
deon doughty
ammie doyle
marty (the mayor of higher ground) drew

big poppa e
william eason
julie elefante
mohammed elhassan
chaz ellik
eric (last name unknown)
nikki esquadero
jack evans
samaiya ewing
mr. excitement

jeff falk
josh flemming
dom flemmons
brian fransen
josh friedman
mr. frip
everett forest
nick fox
ragan fox

g
gab
scott huntington gamble
ghost- light in the darkness
andrea gibson
torbin gilbert
matt gismondi (MCMG)
jen goldberg
jesse dyllan grace
christopher fox graham
eric gray
kate geenberg
greg (the unfunny stand-up comic)
ester griego

hb
marje hahn
raven hail
andy hall
patrick hare
brent heffron
mike henry
cass hodges
carol hogan
wynter holden
stephan hopkins
hubito
michelle hunter

ian (last name unknown)
virginia ikeda

jrc
j-town
jasenka
jason (last name unknown)
jesse
joe (the barista)
john (last name unknown)
angry johnny
aaron johnson
kim johnson
jonna
joseph (last name unknown)
trish justrish

edward kelly
jaime kennedy
mike kewel
scott klein
casey klinker
cat klotsche
the klute
lisa rose knudsen
shaun kuter

suzy la follette
chris lane
laramy the pissed off gimp
lawayne
sue (shmoo) lawrence
brian lee
liberty
brandy linticum
sarge linticum
paul lipman
lisa marie (mother of victoria the 10-year old lesbian)
vadim litvak
liz
bakeem lloyd
carl lombardi
mrs. lyon
chrystal lytle

ashley mack
jose magana (ba da da da dow
ben manning
sheryl manning
sharkie marado
mare
margaret (from tucson)
mark (last name unknown)
tristan marshell
matt mason
maya
cage mccallister
jack mccarthy
marty mcconnel
mike mcgee
don mcgiver
shawn mcirish (not his real last name but that's what we thought it should have been)
mike (last name unknown)
mike (conspiracy mike)
anthony miller
kelsey miller
laura moran
kenny mostern
joe moustache
john wayne mercure (the sonneteer)
phil murray

natasha (last name unknown)
bob nelson
harmony nelson
theresa newkirk
jeff newton
dalton nichols
monica nolan

kari o'conner
karen odell
alexis o'hara
amalia ortiz
josh ostrander

spyro panousopoulis
kevin patterson
lauren perry
logan phillips
pittsburgh
maryann prawdzik (the owner)
andrew procyk
rob (bling bling) pruitt

rachel (daughter of g)
clebo rainey
rappa
sonya renee
kenn rodriguez
rolando (last name unknown)
nate romero
ronald
stephan g. roy
adam rubenstein
russ (last name unknown)

sadie (last name unknown)
sahar
technocolor holly salmucek
perry sams
sammy
joe ray sandoval
jim sapp
dawn saylor
scooter
clayton scott
wilson scott
andy seaton
shadowkat
shaggy
rowy shebala
sharon skinner
marie smith
porcupine smith
danny solis
sonny
rolf springer
jonathan standifird
jessica steele
morris stegosaurus
steph-ne
adam stone
david storer
taneka stotts
manu styles
dan sullivan

dave tabor
sammie tapia
tracy thomas
chris traask
geoff trenchard
trent (last name unknown)
chris turner

victoria (the 10-year old lesbian)

buddy wakefield
wammo
luke warmwater
kari warrala
ed waters
olyn wayne
phil west
whistler
john williams
evan wilson
kafiah winston
halycone b. wise
arrian wissel