MC Vendetta

I first saw MC Vendetta during the Kick-Off Party at Nietzsche's on Wednesday night, only I got there late and was mostly in the front part of the bar, so I didn't really hear her spoken-word poetry until the very end of her set. I did hear the great response she was getting from the small but enthusiastic crowd that night. She's fierce and funny and down-to-earth.

Then I checked her out at her first outdoor show on Thursday night, in the "Allen-College Promenade" (aka the parking lot between Holley Farms and the Allen Hardware Cafe). When I arrived there were maybe three people in the vicinity, at least one of whom was under 10. They were hanging out at a distance, not really paying attention at first, but they'd applaud each time she finished a poem. Gradually more and more people started showing up, and it was really exciting.



From the outset of planning the festival, Vendetta had really wanted to perform outside, and when I saw her in action, I totally understood why. It's one thing to do her kind of hiphop rant in the safety of a club (and even there it's not always so safe), but something completely different when it's out on the street, when anyone can walk by and anything can happen. She's a master at going with the flow--interacting with passersby, incorporating them into her spiel, or allowing them to work her into theirs. I felt incredibly inspired watching her, and it seemed like a perfect way to start the festivities. This is what "infringement" is all about.



Friday night there was a little last-minute surprise: thanks to a communication snafu, the Promenade got relocated. (TAKE NOTE: everything originally listed for that parking lot is now taking place in front of the Hardware Cafe, just down the street.) She did a great job of dealing with that situation, and once again a tiny audience built into a larger one.

You still have a few more chances to check her out during the festival; bring some cash and walk home with one of her CDs and/or her stickers. She also does indoor shows from time to time, but the street action is too cool to miss.