Take, for instance, the Wednesday night jam at South St. Blues. Formerly the showcase of the Okayplayer session, it was reborn a month ago as The Groove by Stephanie Renee and Bernard Collins, two Philly poets who between them have been in the scene a total of 18 years. The lighthearted attitude lessened the pressure on people performing in the open mic, so they could focus on having a good time and sharing their art rather than on giving a flawless performance. We're trying to create a venue that's warm enough that people want to come, and they feel comfortable to try new things, make mistakes, fuck up and forget on stage, try a piece that no one's heard before. The segregated nature of these underground open mic spots isn't necessarily favored by everyone.
Some poets say it's a function of the city itself, which is also very segregated.
Mike O'Hara, a white poet who slams in Jersey and New York as well as Philly, agrees. The Philly scene is very segregated. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with a venue that intentionally segregates itself, if its stated mission is to work along a given theme. Some poets in town, mostly those who organize more established readings, feel poetry is the one medium where people can come together. Poetry is now being used to sell everything from Sprite to toothpaste.