Buddy Wakefield is getting his groove back. The former co-founder of Another Type of Groove at Cal Poly will return to take the stage tonight for the 10th anniversary at 7:30 p.m. in Chumash Auditorium.
Wakefield founded the program with Mark Faboina, who was the director of the Multicultural Center. In order to celebrate the anniversary, Wakefield will once again perform, now as a successful poet both nationally and abroad.
Wakefield was working at a biomedical firm before he quit in 2001 to pursue his passion in slam poetry. He sold or gave away most of his possessions and lived out of his Honda Civic for several years, touring North American poetry venues full-time.
Wakefield won the Individual Poetry Slam Championship in both 2004 and 2005. The championship is a world renowned competition held annually in Berkeley. Almost 100 selected poets representing various poetry slam venues meet for three days of competition to select an annual winner.
Wakefield is now signed with Ani DiFrance’s Righteous Babe Records to publish his latest album of poetry, titled “Live at the Typer Canyon.” He claims Seattle as home when he is not on tour.
Some at Cal Poly are already acquainted with his work and sense of style.
“His work tends to be very humerous and is approachable to many types of people,” said Melody Shirazi, Multicultural Center assistant coordinator.
This month’s Another Type of Groove will be presented as one 40-minute section with an open mic session before and after.
“His humorous poetry will be a fun way to end this stressful quarter,” Shirazi said.