The LA Poetry and Music Scene at Pier 212 with the sacred Ellyn Maybe
“…whenever possible, always have someone sacred, like Ellyn Maybe open your show.” –S.A. Griffin, “Rules of The Road”
LA Poet Ellyn Maybe is probably one of the most loved poets in Los Angeles. She is humble and witty, knows music and records and has the laugh that sounds like a school girl blushes. She’s also pretty darn funny and will charmingly laugh along with her listeners during a reading of one of her own poems. All humble charm and wit aside,
As a poet, Ellyn masterfully delivers a poets convictions with a blend of sweetness and sarcasm, poetry with stories of hopes shattered by the callousness of a rude world, Often, she is reciting forgiveness while standing alone in her charming solution of “Understanding is the key to happiness.”
Her current album of poetry and music, “Rodeo for The Sheepish“ is a perfect embodiment of Ellyn Maybe on vinyl, The music is a mirror of her very being – especially the music composed for “Two Girls…” (video, below), a beautifully written piece about the expectations of a girl and love and the realities of those expectations.
The music seems to be a direct interpretation of Ellyn’s unique voice and rare persona. A banjo over beats is of course, the natural backdrop beneath Ellyn’s poetry, the rhythm laid back and unpretentious.
“Ellyn Maybe is an irresistible force. To read or listen to her poetry is to be gently and completely crushed while simultaneously inspired and charmed. …Rodeo for the Sheepish has so many great moments. One of the stand out tracks on the album, “There Were Two Girls Who Looked A Lot The Same”, is a perfect example of why one becomes a fan of Ellyns immediately. Ellyn is a very gifted writer and a true gem.” -Henry Rollins
On the topic of poetry and music Ellyn Maybe states that “Thankfully the musicians are all very talented! for example, I wrote a poem today and brought it in to rehearsal and they wrote it right there, you know – they created the music for it with hooks and all! … it’s fun!
It’s a really interesting process, the collaboration… I’m learning, we’re learning a lot. On recording the album, with some of the poems, the music was written for the poem, and then I would go back into the studio afterward, knowing more of what it would sound like, it turned out pretty good, really neat!”
Ellyn’s poetry in residency: “Poetry Rodeo Thursdays Pier 212 in Venice Beach, is where she performs every Thursday night with her band and it’s an inspiring and fun-filled evening of music that is a blend of pop-electronica.
At Poetry Rodeo Thursdays Pier 212, Ellyn invites a guest poet to share their poetry as she shares her band with them, in a 10 minute improvisational performance. Audiences have commented enthusiastically about her shows, most all of them always promising to return.
“Harlan Steinberger, he plays the computer. Robbie Fitzsimmons plays the keyboard,… it varies on Thursday nights, sometimes it’s (the musician line-up) different.” It’s a really fun night!”
If there is any thing worth experiencing in Los Angeles in regard to the LA Poetry & Music scene, Ellyn Maybe as a first choice… would be a wise one. Check out the Poetry Rodeo line-up of guests for the rest of National Poetry Month and keep checking as she promises some heavy hitters as enthusiastic guests for May.
Tags: ellyn maybe, LA Examiner, Live Show, Pier 212, poetry, review, rodeo_for_the_sheepish