On Saturday, April 7th at 7pm, Lightly Used Books, located at 141 N. Center Street in Turlock, will be hosting the free event “Word Pie Presents: An Evening of Poetry and Music” in collaboration with the newly-founded organization Word Pie.
Word Pie is a Turlock-based organization founded by California State University, Stanislaus graduates Ricardo Friaz and Wesley Riddle. The organization focuses on giving a stage to the talents of local poets, musicians, and artists.
“Wesley wanted to start something in the wake of Slam on Rye ending,” explains Co-Founder Ricardo Friaz, in regards to the founding of the organization. “Running a local music blog gave me a good feel for the scene, and the lack of one in Turlock.”
“With Word Pie our aim is to help foster a local community of artists (primarily poets and musicians),” describes Co-Founder Wesley Riddle. “It seems like the art scene in Turlock is fairly fragmented. If Word Pie goes as intended, it will evolve into a regular monthly event that hopefully will provide a ‘center’ to the local art scene.”
“Our primary goal is to showcase the creative talent in Turlock, and the surrounding area,” stated Friaz. “We know there are talented, unique individuals in Turlock that deserve to have an audience, but the town lacks a venue for these people to perform. This is where we come in. With luck, this will become a monthly event that is the premiere showcase for Turlock’s artists.”
The event will showcase a variety of performances, with a principal focus on featuring original work. Performers will be limited to 5-10 minutes each. There will only be 8-10 slots available for the evening, so interested performers are encouraged to show up at 6:30pm to signup, as it is a first-come, first-serve style event. There will also be an open mic time following the performances.
“The event is free and open to all ages,” Friaz said excitedly. “It’s at a bookstore (Lightly Used Books). The owner Tim has been immensely helpful. When other venues essentially ignored my advances, Tim was totally down for it, and even agreed to stay open late for free”
For more information, visit the Word Pie Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wordpie or the event info page at www.facebook.com/events/206386352795902.
