Mike McGee

This evening I went to the CAB program A Mighty Mind Like Mike's, which brought in the spoken word poet Mike McGee. In the Whited Room, the atmosphere was set up casually like a coffeehouse with Starbucks, doughnuts, etc. McGee goes up to the mic, and doesnt have the air of a pretentious big shot, but is laid back and really flows with the audience and mood. Dressed in all black, reminiscent of Johnny Cash, he wears an orange bandana in his coat pocket and neon orange tennis sweat bracelets. The easy going nature is refreshing, even if its perhaps because he's entertaining college students which in itself is typically a relaxed audience. His poems were hilarious, often filled with parodies on various sectors of society (college students, homosexuality, and much more). McGee's most unique quality is his ability to improvise in the middle of his odes, and then to get back to the main point. He did this throughout the two hour show, such as when he did an ode to pudding. Immediately he strayed from the poem and started to discuss how one makes Kraft Mac 'n Cheese in a Scottish accent. After 20 hilarious minutes, he switches right back to discussing the pudding and you realize the whole digression was spontaneous and you can't remember how McGee got from point A to point B, but it doesnt matter because he's able to pull it off. He rhymes about various subjects, making himself connected to a wide-range of people. He began with his more well-known poem, Like, which never fails to entertain. I really enjoyed his poem in which he rhymes about the stereotypes of homosexuals and thin people, and how he would be if he were that stereotype; however he's not and then talks about how he's just Mike and thats okay with him. McGee's humor was refreshing mainly because much of it was on the spot, emphasizing his true talent. I dont think that making a political or social statement is really the main objective of his show, but rather to just make people laugh.