Spoken word poet, author, and host of Urban Grind’s 5th Thursday Open Mic, Amena Brown and her husband DJ Opdiggy, will perform a presentation of poetry, monologue, and music based on the themes in her debut book release, Breaking Old Rhythms, which explores how experiences such as deejaying, learning to dance, having a broken heart, and practicing the rules of improv can teach us about our life’s rhythm.
We caught up with Amena before her show this Sunday, March 10th at Eddie’s Attic!
What’s the first gig you ever attended?
When I was in high school my mom took me to a concert featuring some of her favorite bands from the 1970s. It was the first time I heard a horn section live and it was cool to hear some of the music my mom loved so much.
What is the best gig that you ever performed?
One of my favorite gigs I’ve performed was touring with the Gungor band. Not only are they creative and artful songwriters, they are also consummate musicians. They gave me my first opportunity to tour and their show was so good I watched it just about every night as if I’d never seen it.
What is the best gig you have ever seen?
Best gig I ever attended was seeing India.Arie perform at Chastain. It poured down raining but she kept singing so my friend and I did too. She is the only artist I’ve ever sat through the rain to listen to.
Gig you would most like to play?
One of my wishlist gigs would be to play Essence Fest. It is such a huge gathering of amazing artists. I’d be honored to be included on that lineup.
What would be the lineup for your dream gig?
My dream gig would probably be more like Dave Chappelle’s block party. I’d invite all the artists I love to hear and I’d host what would be my dream concert, featuring Maya Angelou, The Roots, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jill Scott, India.Arie, and a bunch of my artist friends.
See Amena Brown this Sunday @ Eddie’s Attic, 5:30PM.
