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Noted author Merle Kessler's performance Feb. 28 at Kohlstedt Hall will mark a milestone for the newly formed organization Aural Tradition. The first performer in a series called "An Evening with ... ," Kessler is a big name in the world of the spoken word. Not only is he a published author, a regular contributor to www.salon.com and a Bay Area resident, Kessler is also a regular on National Public Radio's All Things Considered and Morning Edition.
Kessler's show, called Floyd City, consists of one-half dark childhood memoir of growing up in North Dakota during the 1950s and one-half Ian Shoeles's greatest hits. Shoeles is a character Kessler made popular through a series of published essays dating back to the mid-1980s.
"I enjoy going onstage," said Kessler. "It's time-consuming, often exhausting, but I love performing."
With a varied career that often leaves him working alone at a computer, Kessler is thankful for the response he receives from a live audience.
"I try to be funny, but I don't do jokes," insists Kessler, who appreciates comedy from the 1930s and 1940s as well as current comedian Eddie Izzard, who incorporates social commentary into his comedy.
By any account, Kessler is a big name act for Aural Tradition, and the nonprofit organization formed in September of last year is hoping for a large turnout for its first large show.
"We're very excited about this," said Chris Aahz, founder of Aural Tradition. "Kessler's a very big name and we could never have done this without the organization to back it up."
Aahz and several other spoken-word enthusiasts have been hosting poetry readings and open-mic events in San Jose for the past six years, but decided to create a formal nonprofit organization last fall. They quickly learned that with an official name come administrative conveniences, including a phone number and even a website.
"It was a very bureaucratic decision for us to reach out to society," said Aahz, who grew up in the subculture of punk rock and understands the repercussions of being viewed as "mainstream."
"Maybe it's the process of my own aging, but I'm realizing the benefits of having an actual organization," Aahz said.
He thinks that securing an established act like Kessler was due in part to the substance that is associated with having a formal organization. Unfortunately, having a name hasn't made renting performance space in San Jose any easier. Aahz says that most venues would still rather fill their space with live music because the likelihood of drawing a crowd is stronger. So rather than filling a venue like that of San José Repertory Theatre, Kessler will perform at Kohlstedt Hall in the Willow Glen Methodist Church, a venue that only holds 250 people.
Aural Tradition presents "An Evening with Merle Kessler" Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door or $8 for Aural Tradition members. The show is at Kohlstedt Hall in the Willow Glen United Methodist Church, 1420 Newport Ave., at the corner of Newport and Minnesota avenues. For information: www.auraltradition.com.
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