Sunday SMASH & SLAM! – smash burgers + slam poetry – Durham, NC

Sunday Smash & Slam is a celebration of high/low culture, where Durm’s vibrant local art scene collabs with Durm’s damn good food. This event will pair four of the finest local chefs with four of the Triangle’s coolest poets. Chefs will griddle their best patties – our poets will grace the crowd with sizzling smash-themed odes to these beefy beauties.

THE CHEFS

Aaron Benjamin – Gocciolina

Chef Aaron Benjamin, who studied at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pallenzo, Italy, worked in some of Durham’s best known downtown restaurants before opening up his own shop in a less-culinary section of north Durham. Since its opening in 2014, Gocciolina has attracted diners from all over seeking out the authentic Italian dishes offered, including house-made pasta, meatballs, terrine, as well as blackboard speacials featuring local produce and catches. -Eater Carolinas

Brandon Chaney – Weird Burgers

Twinkie enthusiast and head chef of Prints-4-Prince Paisley Park Pizza, Dollyweird Gatlinburg Grill, and BodEGGa @LouElla. IYKYK.

Matthew Daniels – Café LOVE

Wyatt Dickson – Picnic

Wyatt Dickson was the “Barbecue Man” behind PICNIC– a beloved Durham BBQ spot praised in Time Magazine and Bon Appétit. The son of a Fayetteville, NC judge and North Carolina Senator, Dickson’s youth was spent at pig pickin’s, surrounded by talk of politics – specifically the age-old debate over eastern vs. western North Carolina barbecue. -BitandGrain.com

️ THE POETS

Antino Art

Antino Art is a magician with words. His voice was once featured at the Green Mill poetry slam in Chicago, and his poems have appeared in Coffee People, Weave, and Triangle Poetry. As a full-time writer, he believes poetry has the power to create reality. For more, AntinoArt.com.

Endlesswill

William Davis Jr @endlesswill is a Nationally Ranked Poet Laureate, spoken word poet, typewriter poet, educator, and artist who has the mission to cultivate the magic of deep, spontaneous, thought – provoking poetry on demand. Ambitious in his craft and performance, he offers audiences unforgettable performances that evoke thought, introspection, and connection as a community.

Bishop Omega

Bishop Omega is a host/emcee/comedian/poet living and working out of Durham, NC. Bishop has stage experience going back to his days in high school when he started performing as an artist before later transitioning to a Host and Comedian. His knowledge of hip hop and comedy make his hosting a unique experience. He likes pineapples on his pizza and sugar on his Grits.

Maestra

n. a versatile artist creating life-altering tunes ranging from Hip-Hop, R&B, Soul, Jazz and even Rock. Her act includes emceeing, singing and speaking the word, but if you let her, you’ll get to see a little acting as well.

v. not only does Maestra use her Theatre Arts-Acting and Psychology degrees from Purdue University to be a performing artist herself, but she has served in education as a Theatre Arts Director and Special Needs instructor. She ain’t playing.

THE JUDGES

Lindsay Wrege – 321 Coffee

Preeti Waas – Cheeni Durham

Zachery Eanes – Axios