Name: the Memory Cafe ☕️| ft. Blue Lotus 🧘🏿♀️ | $5 Cover ❄️
Start: 2026-01-23T18:00:00-06:00
End: 2026-01-23T21:30:00-06:00
Location: Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts

$the Memory Cafe \u2615\ufe0f| ft. Blue Lotus \ud83e\uddd8\ud83c\udfff\u200d\u2640\ufe0f | $5 Cover \u2744\ufe0f$

Hey Milwaukee. Happy New Year. The doors to Club Noir are to open again — this time as an open stage: the Memory Cafe. Jazz Gallery Center of the Arts would love to invite you to our space (926 E. Center Street) to attend our poetry open mic series. Our new series will be centered around seven values; Inclusion, Community*, Self-Awareness, Optimism, Nostalgia, Biking*, and Coffee*.
Please take time to read more about our values in this Facebook events discussion tab. This night will be titled ‘New Year’s Resolution’ and takes place live on Friday, January 23rd, 2026, 6-9:30pm, 7:30pm showtime with a renowned feature and one of my personal favorite poets.
What is a poetry open mic without an engaging audience? Not much of an event without you. Our goal is to pack the space with a hundred residents to watch some of Milwaukee’s homegrown poets and storytellers perform. Your finger snaps, warm applause, genuine laughter, and ‘Hallelujahs’ will be more than welcomed.
Our feature this Winter 2026 will be Shana Wilson known as Blue Lotus. She will take residence 6-7pm to pose our writing prompt, ‘Our January theme is ‘New Year’s Resolution’. The question posed will be ‘What is the New Year’s Resolution you are to prioritize in 2026?’ Come early with a notebook and pen if you want to be a part of this writing session.
The Memory Cafe encourages you to dress in your best Winter attire for a memorable Milwaukee celebration. 12 open mic slots for 7 minutes each will be available for those who sign up in a timely manner.
NO special treatment.
Last but not least, I will be your host, Kavon Cortez Jones. I just might recite a poem. Remember to bring a $5 cover. We cannot wait to see you there.
Starting Goal: 100 engaging audience members, 12 open mic performers for 7 minutes maximum.
Poets who would like to perform take priority, and performers of other disciplines (comedians, singers, musicians) are secondary.
$5 Cover Charge.
NO Drinking.
NO Smoking.
18 & Up Community Event.
Hosted by Kavon Cortez Jones (Kavon)
Dress theme: Winter blues apparel
6-7:30pm Arrival & set up, Open mic sign-up, feature’s writing session
7:30-8:55pm Open mic duration
8:55-9pm intermission
9-9:30pm, Blue Lotus
(Ending Goal: Our friends of Jazz Gallery Center of the Arts want attendees to leave inspired to become a part of the spoken word culture, make new friends, and to tell your colleagues about the amazing afternoon you experienced.)