The remainder of our stay in Pittsburgh was delightful.  Our show at the Shadow Lounge went swimmingly, with a very important first now under our belts—Mckendy followed the set list!  Up until this point on tour, every time we made one, he would seem all gung-ho about the poems he planned to put up, but at the last moment, he’d change his mind.  Initially, he’d make this decision after arriving on stage.  Once we’d ribbed him about it mercilessly, he started telling me in advance if he thought he was going to switch up the original plan.  But changing the set list mid-set, even if you warn me beforehand, is still changing the set list mid-set.  However, we may have finally broken him of it. Sam sacrificed for the slam with “Ode to the Girl From Hampshire College Who Plagiarized My Poem” and we then did a twenty-ish minute set in our typical rotation. The Shadow Lounge, Pittsburgh, PA 1.18.11 Rowboat Nights Please, Baby, Don’t Get How You Get Eyelashes Basketball Titanic Isaac Running With the Downcity Furnace Heritage We’re now in DC, where we’re thus far taken in the slam at Graffiti DC and a set by IWPS 2010 champ Rudy Francisco.  Aside from getting to perform for audiences that have never heard our work before, this tour has been so refreshing because of the variety of poetry we’ve gotten to see ourselves.  We’ll be in Richmond by the weekend, but there’s still time to drive past the White House and wave at various monuments before we have to leave the nation’s capital behind. Peace, love, and those xylophone bones around your heart, The Ribcage Kids

The remainder of our stay in Pittsburgh was delightful.  Our show at the Shadow Lounge went swimmingly, with a very important first now under our belts—Mckendy followed the set list!  Up until this point on tour, every time we made one, he would seem all gung-ho about the poems he planned to put up, but at the last moment, he’d change his mind.  Initially, he’d make this decision after arriving on stage.  Once we’d ribbed him about it mercilessly, he started telling me in advance if he thought he was going to switch up the original plan.  But changing the set list mid-set, even if you warn me beforehand, is still changing the set list mid-set.  However, we may have finally broken him of it.

Sam sacrificed for the slam with “Ode to the Girl From Hampshire College Who Plagiarized My Poem” and we then did a twenty-ish minute set in our typical rotation.

The Shadow Lounge, Pittsburgh, PA 1.18.11

Rowboat Nights

Please, Baby, Don’t Get How You Get

Eyelashes

Basketball

Titanic

Isaac

Running With the Downcity Furnace

Heritage

We’re now in DC, where we’re thus far taken in the slam at Graffiti DC and a set by IWPS 2010 champ Rudy Francisco.  Aside from getting to perform for audiences that have never heard our work before, this tour has been so refreshing because of the variety of poetry we’ve gotten to see ourselves.  We’ll be in Richmond by the weekend, but there’s still time to drive past the White House and wave at various monuments before we have to leave the nation’s capital behind.

Peace, love, and those xylophone bones around your heart,

The Ribcage Kids

This post was supposed to have a panda, but now it doesn’t, so I am a sad panda. We’ve been holed up in Pittsburgh the past few days drinking microbrews and swapping stories and generally enjoying ourselves a lot more than we ever expected to.  Our new, true blue friends have put us up on their couches and I am going to be sad to leave this place.  Sam and Mckendy might have fallen hard for Philly, but my heart is with PGH. The Fallout Shelter (Aliquippa, PA) 1.15.11 Open Letter to Dov Charney How to Destroy a Good Thing C-Section For Tiger Woods Titanic Haiku Sideshow Rabid Raccoon, Precott Quad, November 2007 Fever Dreams Winter in Boston I, II, III Boston to New York Joey Ramone Writes to Johnny Ramone Drayton says, “You fucks awake over there?”  Justin says, “Sam is taking forever.”  This will be a good day. XO Emily

This post was supposed to have a panda, but now it doesn’t, so I am a sad panda.

We’ve been holed up in Pittsburgh the past few days drinking microbrews and swapping stories and generally enjoying ourselves a lot more than we ever expected to.  Our new, true blue friends have put us up on their couches and I am going to be sad to leave this place.  Sam and Mckendy might have fallen hard for Philly, but my heart is with PGH.

The Fallout Shelter (Aliquippa, PA) 1.15.11

Open Letter to Dov Charney

How to Destroy a Good Thing

C-Section

For Tiger Woods

Titanic Haiku

Sideshow

Rabid Raccoon, Precott Quad, November 2007

Fever Dreams

Winter in Boston I, II, III

Boston to New York

Joey Ramone Writes to Johnny Ramone

Drayton says, “You fucks awake over there?”  Justin says, “Sam is taking forever.”  This will be a good day.

XO Emily

After a day of bus rides, cheesesteak and a magical go-around at the Mütter Museum (origin of the wall of skulls seen above, as well as home to many delightful skeletons, wax models, drawers of swallowed objects, preserved organs and waxy corpses), we capped off our stay in Philadelphia with a packed-house show at The Fuze.  More than fifty heads in a tiny coffee shop on Germantown Avenue, and every single one of them was listening well and sharing the brotherly love this place is so famous for. The Fuze 1.14.11 Please, Baby, Don’t Get How You Get Running With the Downcity Furnace Heritage Titanic as Kalopsia Joey Ramone Writes to Johnny Ramone How To Destroy a Good Thing Ol Dirty Sestina Rabid Raccoon, Prescott Quad, November 2007 Language of Loss Phonecall With the North End Basketball Sideshow Next stop, the Fallout Shelter!  Then look for some notes from what we are lovingly referring to as “The Pittsburgh Sessions” while we hunker down and do some real-talk writing until the next battery of shows. XO Emily

After a day of bus rides, cheesesteak and a magical go-around at the Mütter Museum (origin of the wall of skulls seen above, as well as home to many delightful skeletons, wax models, drawers of swallowed objects, preserved organs and waxy corpses), we capped off our stay in Philadelphia with a packed-house show at The Fuze.  More than fifty heads in a tiny coffee shop on Germantown Avenue, and every single one of them was listening well and sharing the brotherly love this place is so famous for.

The Fuze 1.14.11

Please, Baby, Don’t Get How You Get

Running With the Downcity Furnace

Heritage

Titanic as Kalopsia

Joey Ramone Writes to Johnny Ramone

How To Destroy a Good Thing

Ol Dirty Sestina

Rabid Raccoon, Prescott Quad, November 2007

Language of Loss

Phonecall With the North End

Basketball

Sideshow

Next stop, the Fallout Shelter!  Then look for some notes from what we are lovingly referring to as “The Pittsburgh Sessions” while we hunker down and do some real-talk writing until the next battery of shows.

XO Emily

WE HAVE SURVIVED THE SNOWPACALYPSE!  (Promise the ground didn’t split in two.)  Since last posting, there have been two serious snowstorms that threatened to throw a wrench in all of our best-laid tour plans.  However.  We are alive and well and bound for Philadelphia!  Meet us there on Friday night at the Fuze for a romp through poetry awesomeness, including brand new books made especially for all of you! Loser Slam 1.6.11 Set 1 Basketball Rowboat Nights Please, Baby, Don’t Get How You Get Waiting on Winning Numbers C-Section Sideshow Joey Ramone Writes to Johnny Ramone Phonecall With the North End Set 2 Open Letter to the Homeless Man Who Called Me a N***** After I Refused to Give Him My Cell Phone Titanic as Kalopsia Sam’s Ke$ha poem Slut Our Father Fever Dreams Language of Loss Smell of You Jersey City Slam 1.7.11 Jeans Old Dirty Sestina Sideshow Ode to the Girl From Hampshire College Who Plagiarized My Poem How to Destroy a Good Thing Tonight Logged Off Language of Loss For the next month, we’ll be living the wandering life, doing the touring thing.  At the end of it all, we’ll be in Orlando.  And then it’s back to our beloved New England for a few more dates where we’ll be pulling out all the stops.  See you along the way! XO Emily

WE HAVE SURVIVED THE SNOWPACALYPSE!  (Promise the ground didn’t split in two.)  Since last posting, there have been two serious snowstorms that threatened to throw a wrench in all of our best-laid tour plans.  However.  We are alive and well and bound for Philadelphia!  Meet us there on Friday night at the Fuze for a romp through poetry awesomeness, including brand new books made especially for all of you!

Loser Slam 1.6.11

Set 1

Basketball

Rowboat Nights

Please, Baby, Don’t Get How You Get

Waiting on Winning Numbers

C-Section

Sideshow

Joey Ramone Writes to Johnny Ramone

Phonecall With the North End

Set 2

Open Letter to the Homeless Man Who Called Me a N***** After I Refused to Give Him My Cell Phone

Titanic as Kalopsia

Sam’s Ke$ha poem

Slut

Our Father

Fever Dreams

Language of Loss

Smell of You

Jersey City Slam 1.7.11

Jeans

Old Dirty Sestina

Sideshow

Ode to the Girl From Hampshire College Who Plagiarized My Poem

How to Destroy a Good Thing

Tonight

Logged Off

Language of Loss

For the next month, we’ll be living the wandering life, doing the touring thing.  At the end of it all, we’ll be in Orlando.  And then it’s back to our beloved New England for a few more dates where we’ll be pulling out all the stops.  See you along the way!

XO Emily

251 notes

Well, folks.  You’ve been here for the extensive pre-party.  Maybe you bought a button at the show in Manchvegas, maybe you were in the audience in Worcester, maybe we scared you  out of the coffee shop with our bizarre rap session after the Lowell show.  We’ve been lots of places and had so many wonderful listeners and new friends there to support us. But beginning this week, we’ll be using and abusing I-95 to bring the No More Rib Cage Tour to the rest of America!  (Or at least a lot of other places on the east coast.)  Starting with back-to-back shows in New Jersey this Thursday and Friday night, we’ll be giving our itchy troubadour feet the wandering they’ve lusted for through all our months of planning, ending up in Orlando to cap off a month chock full of shows.  Check out our website for dates.

Well, folks.  You’ve been here for the extensive pre-party.  Maybe you bought a button at the show in Manchvegas, maybe you were in the audience in Worcester, maybe we scared you  out of the coffee shop with our bizarre rap session after the Lowell show.  We’ve been lots of places and had so many wonderful listeners and new friends there to support us.

But beginning this week, we’ll be using and abusing I-95 to bring the No More Rib Cage Tour to the rest of America!  (Or at least a lot of other places on the east coast.)  Starting with back-to-back shows in New Jersey this Thursday and Friday night, we’ll be giving our itchy troubadour feet the wandering they’ve lusted for through all our months of planning, ending up in Orlando to cap off a month chock full of shows.  Check out our website for dates.

Manchvegas was all full of love and listeners’ quiet, and I want to hug everyone from the Bridge Cafe for that.  It felt fabulous to get to see how an all-lady set would play out for a room that is familiar with our work, perhaps only because I am so accustomed to the estrogen dynamic from my team work this summer.  ANYWAY.  Cass and I had a fabulous time throwing poems we haven’t even thought of performing in too long, gave many free hugs, cursed the GPS for leading us to several deceased Burger Kings on the way back to Western Mass, and are ready to sleep quiet in the snow-dusted valley for the weekend. Set List 12/10 (Emily & Cass only) “How To Destroy a Good Thing” “Rowboat Nights” “Slut” “Rabid Raccoon, Prescott Quad, 2007” “Year of the Dog” “City That Care Forgot” “For Love of String Bean Women” “Tchaikovsky, 1944” “Open Letter to The Spring’s Catcall Chorus” “Surgeon General’s Remix” “Conclusion” Hope to see you in the seats at the next stop on this crazy train. XX Emily

Manchvegas was all full of love and listeners’ quiet, and I want to hug everyone from the Bridge Cafe for that.  It felt fabulous to get to see how an all-lady set would play out for a room that is familiar with our work, perhaps only because I am so accustomed to the estrogen dynamic from my team work this summer.  ANYWAY.  Cass and I had a fabulous time throwing poems we haven’t even thought of performing in too long, gave many free hugs, cursed the GPS for leading us to several deceased Burger Kings on the way back to Western Mass, and are ready to sleep quiet in the snow-dusted valley for the weekend.

Set List 12/10 (Emily & Cass only)

“How To Destroy a Good Thing”

“Rowboat Nights”

“Slut”

“Rabid Raccoon, Prescott Quad, 2007”

“Year of the Dog”

“City That Care Forgot”

“For Love of String Bean Women”

“Tchaikovsky, 1944”

“Open Letter to The Spring’s Catcall Chorus”

“Surgeon General’s Remix”

“Conclusion”

Hope to see you in the seats at the next stop on this crazy train.

XX Emily

Tuesday was Got Poetry Live at Providence’s Blue State Coffee; tonight is Slam Free or Die at Manchester’s Bridge Cafe.  Slowly but surely, we are making our way to a reading near you. Things you should know about this week: we are working on our first “team” piece (think mermaids), Sam performed at a fudge factory and was paid in fudge, Mckendy was named a general bad-ass for how well he knows Dracula, I officially graduated college, and Cassandra started wearing lime green pants.  In all, it’s been a good one.  Rumor has it we’ll be ending the week with some karaoke at McGarvey’s, or, at the very least, a fat plate of sweet potato fries at the Red Oak. Set List 12/7 “Rowboat Nights”“Winter in Boston Part III”““More Than Blood”“C-Section”“December 1938”“Issac”“Creation Myth”“Ol Dirty Sestina” Encore “Bloodlust”“Titanic as Kalopsia”“Ode to the Girl From Hampshire College Who Plagiarized My Poem”“Running With the Downcity Furnace” Come spend some time tonight.  Our hugs are always free. XX Emily 

Tuesday was Got Poetry Live at Providence’s Blue State Coffee; tonight is Slam Free or Die at Manchester’s Bridge Cafe.  Slowly but surely, we are making our way to a reading near you.

Things you should know about this week: we are working on our first “team” piece (think mermaids), Sam performed at a fudge factory and was paid in fudge, Mckendy was named a general bad-ass for how well he knows Dracula, I officially graduated college, and Cassandra started wearing lime green pants.  In all, it’s been a good one.  Rumor has it we’ll be ending the week with some karaoke at McGarvey’s, or, at the very least, a fat plate of sweet potato fries at the Red Oak.

Set List 12/7

“Rowboat Nights”
“Winter in Boston Part III”“
“More Than Blood”
“C-Section”
“December 1938”
“Issac”
“Creation Myth”
“Ol Dirty Sestina”

Encore

“Bloodlust”
“Titanic as Kalopsia”
“Ode to the Girl From Hampshire College Who Plagiarized My Poem”
“Running With the Downcity Furnace”

Come spend some time tonight.  Our hugs are always free.

XX Emily 

White Plains and Lowell were both lovely.  We all felt lucky to have been heard so much—five performances in two days!!—and received so lovingly.  But more on that later. Set List 12/1 @ White Plains Public Library “Running With the Downcity Furnace” “Basketball” “It’s Independence Day in Allston…” “Language of Loss” “Eyelashes” “Bloodlust” “Fever Dreams” “This is How I Get” Set List 12/2 @ Mill City Slam “Boston to New York” “Eyelashes” “Basketball” “It’s Independence Day in Allston…” “Joey Ramone Writes to Johnny Ramone” “How to Destroy a Good Thing” “Ol’ Dirty Sestina” “Fever Dreams” “10 Things My Tip Jar Should Say” “Waiting On Winning Numbers” “The Mermaid’s Lament” “Titanic as Kalopsia” (The full run-down to follow.)

White Plains and Lowell were both lovely.  We all felt lucky to have been heard so much—five performances in two days!!—and received so lovingly.  But more on that later.

Set List 12/1 @ White Plains Public Library

“Running With the Downcity Furnace”

“Basketball”

“It’s Independence Day in Allston…”

“Language of Loss”

“Eyelashes”

“Bloodlust”

“Fever Dreams”

“This is How I Get”

Set List 12/2 @ Mill City Slam

“Boston to New York”

“Eyelashes”

“Basketball”

“It’s Independence Day in Allston…”

“Joey Ramone Writes to Johnny Ramone”

“How to Destroy a Good Thing”

“Ol’ Dirty Sestina”

“Fever Dreams”

“10 Things My Tip Jar Should Say”

“Waiting On Winning Numbers”

“The Mermaid’s Lament”

“Titanic as Kalopsia”

(The full run-down to follow.)

Alright.  I warned you.  And now, let the games begin! This Tuesday night, the Ribcage Kids invade Urbana for Sammy T’s feature there.  Besides being one of my oldest and dearest friends (and a pretty bad-ass driving buddy), Sam Teitel is the co-slammaster of the Slam Free or Die reading in Manchester, NH.  He assistant coached their ‘10 NPS team (which made it to semi-finals) and reached the penultimate round of underground indies, the slam judged entirely by your peers.  And that’s only the recent history.  This guy will give you the business: he’ll make you laugh with incisive observational humor; he’ll spin you stories that are one part punk rock history, one part heartbreak hymn, and all parts awesome; and just a warning—you’ll probably cry at some point during his set.  If you’re in New York or anywhere close by this Tuesday, I urge you to drop in, have a drink, give a good heckle, and buy the man’s book.  You will not be disappointed by any of these activities. That being said, Sam’s not the only one with shows this week.  All four of us are kicking off the tour (for real this time) with an all day event in White Plains on Wednesday.  We’ll be running workshops and giving performances at the middle and high schools all day, followed by a nighttime show at the White Plains Public Library.  I can’t speak for everyone involved, but in my opinion, Wednesday will be epic.  There is nothing I love more than talking poems with kids.  They read with different eyes than the rest of us and when you take the time to listen, say some of the most breath-taking things about what it means to write.  Immersing myself in that kind of energy for a day and then following it up with our first group show of the tour is going to be explosive.  If you have teeth, we will kick them in; if you have a heart, we’ll give a good yank and start it beating anew; and if you love poems, then we hope you’ll come hear what we have to say. The following night on Thursday, we’ll be back on our home turf in New England for a show at Lowell’s Mill City Slam.  It’ll be a rowdy crew of lovers, fighters, and peoples’ bards.  And a show among friends which, like a good sing-along, means everybody will leave feeling warm and full. If you’re in town (or close by, or heck, even if you want to drive a little ways), we’d love to see your amazing faces, hug your guts out, and read you what we’ve been working on. Catch you after the show, XX Emily

Alright.  I warned you.  And now, let the games begin!

This Tuesday night, the Ribcage Kids invade Urbana for Sammy T’s feature there.  Besides being one of my oldest and dearest friends (and a pretty bad-ass driving buddy), Sam Teitel is the co-slammaster of the Slam Free or Die reading in Manchester, NH.  He assistant coached their ‘10 NPS team (which made it to semi-finals) and reached the penultimate round of underground indies, the slam judged entirely by your peers.  And that’s only the recent history.  This guy will give you the business: he’ll make you laugh with incisive observational humor; he’ll spin you stories that are one part punk rock history, one part heartbreak hymn, and all parts awesome; and just a warning—you’ll probably cry at some point during his set.  If you’re in New York or anywhere close by this Tuesday, I urge you to drop in, have a drink, give a good heckle, and buy the man’s book.  You will not be disappointed by any of these activities.

That being said, Sam’s not the only one with shows this week.  All four of us are kicking off the tour (for real this time) with an all day event in White Plains on Wednesday.  We’ll be running workshops and giving performances at the middle and high schools all day, followed by a nighttime show at the White Plains Public Library.  I can’t speak for everyone involved, but in my opinion, Wednesday will be epic.  There is nothing I love more than talking poems with kids.  They read with different eyes than the rest of us and when you take the time to listen, say some of the most breath-taking things about what it means to write.  Immersing myself in that kind of energy for a day and then following it up with our first group show of the tour is going to be explosive.  If you have teeth, we will kick them in; if you have a heart, we’ll give a good yank and start it beating anew; and if you love poems, then we hope you’ll come hear what we have to say.

The following night on Thursday, we’ll be back on our home turf in New England for a show at Lowell’s Mill City Slam.  It’ll be a rowdy crew of lovers, fighters, and peoples’ bards.  And a show among friends which, like a good sing-along, means everybody will leave feeling warm and full.

If you’re in town (or close by, or heck, even if you want to drive a little ways), we’d love to see your amazing faces, hug your guts out, and read you what we’ve been working on.

Catch you after the show,

XX Emily

Don’t let the late night snow flurries freeze your heart this winter.  Nine out of ten doctors agree: poetry keeps back the chill.   We’ve had a few scattered dates this fall, but in the coming (colder) weeks, we’re going to kick it into high gear.  Sam and Mckendy will be schleping out to Western Mass soon to hole up with myself and Cassandra for intensive group writing, bonding, and tour chapbook design schemes.  December, we’ll give you a taste at a handful of New England venues.  January, we’re taking this show on the road.  Get souped. 12.1 - White Plains Public Library, White Plains, NY 12.2 - Mill City Slam, Lowell, MA 12.7 - Gotpoetry Live, Providence, RI 12.10 - Slam Free or Die, Manchester, NH (just me & Cass) 12.19 - The Poets Asylum, Worcester, MA 1.7 - Jersey City Slam, Jersey City, NJ 1.14 - The Fuze, Philadelphia, PA 1.15 - The Fallout Shelter, Aliquippa, PA 1.18 - Steel City Slam, Pittsburgh, PA 1.22 - Slam Richmond, Richmond, VA 1.23 - The Java Monkey, Atlanta, GA 1.27 - Broken Speech, Orlando, FL 2.3 - AS220, Providence, RI 2.22 - Port Veritas, Portland, ME Keep an eye out for the boxcar on the highway.  We’ll be bumpin Big Boi, main-lining caffeine, and preparing to rock a mic, a stage, heck, even a living room in your hometown.  Get at us if you’d like a visit along the way! nomoreribcage@gmail.com for booking, love letters, fan mail, and/or other bits of awesome. Stay sincere, XX Emily

Don’t let the late night snow flurries freeze your heart this winter.  Nine out of ten doctors agree: poetry keeps back the chill.  

We’ve had a few scattered dates this fall, but in the coming (colder) weeks, we’re going to kick it into high gear.  Sam and Mckendy will be schleping out to Western Mass soon to hole up with myself and Cassandra for intensive group writing, bonding, and tour chapbook design schemes.  December, we’ll give you a taste at a handful of New England venues.  January, we’re taking this show on the road.  Get souped.

12.1 - White Plains Public Library, White Plains, NY

12.2 - Mill City Slam, Lowell, MA

12.7 - Gotpoetry Live, Providence, RI

12.10 - Slam Free or Die, Manchester, NH (just me & Cass)

12.19 - The Poets Asylum, Worcester, MA

1.7 - Jersey City Slam, Jersey City, NJ

1.14 - The Fuze, Philadelphia, PA

1.15 - The Fallout Shelter, Aliquippa, PA

1.18 - Steel City Slam, Pittsburgh, PA

1.22 - Slam Richmond, Richmond, VA

1.23 - The Java Monkey, Atlanta, GA

1.27 - Broken Speech, Orlando, FL

2.3 - AS220, Providence, RI

2.22 - Port Veritas, Portland, ME

Keep an eye out for the boxcar on the highway.  We’ll be bumpin Big Boi, main-lining caffeine, and preparing to rock a mic, a stage, heck, even a living room in your hometown.  Get at us if you’d like a visit along the way!

nomoreribcage@gmail.com for booking, love letters, fan mail, and/or other bits of awesome.

Stay sincere,

XX Emily