J.W. Baz profile picture

J.W. Baz

About Me

J.W. Baz is a guy who never learned to shut up. Equal parts poignant and perverse, hilarious and heart-wrenching, his career as a writer-performer is defined by duality. While some critics can’t stand him, countless others have offered considerable acclaim, even going so far as to call him, “his generation’s Lenny Bruce.” Due largely to his raucous live shows and uncanny ability to engage an audience, Baz has garnered a reputation as one of the most exciting figures in the world of spoken word. His work has appeared on NPR, in the Chicago Tribune, and in hundreds of venues across the United States and Canada.
As a slam competitor, Baz was a finalist at the 2007 Individual World Poetry Slam and twice finished in the Top Ten at the U.S. National Poetry Slam as a member of Team Chicago. To date, he has released two full-length albums of poetry, "Poet Laureate of Apt. 2E" (2006) and "Love Crimes, Etc." (2007), and has completed two national tours in their support. All things considered, he’s doing pretty well for a guy who failed Creative Writing in high school.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 04/09/2005
Band Website: http://jwbaz.blogspot.com
Band Members: Pick Up the Albums Here!
Click on either link to pick up your copy. Also available in Digital Download!

Both albums and individual tracks can also be found on iTunes!

Influences:
Sounds Like: Dragging a peach along the sidewalk
Record Label: Unknown Indie
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Upcoming Shows - East Coast

Here's whats happening over the next month or so: Sept. 17 - Feature at Words That Kill @ The Spot - 4437 N. Broadway, Chi City - 7PM Sept 25th - Feature at Nuyorican Poets Cafe - 236 East 3rd ...
Posted by on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:10:00 GMT

Tonight is the big night!

My one man show opens tonight in Chicago and runs for the next two weekends. Check it out and bring a friend. Hell, bring six. If you don't live in The Chi and know someone who does, send them my way....
Posted by on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:10:00 GMT

No One Can Fix You

Greetings out there in the series of tubes known as the interwebs. For those of you who haven't heard, my first one-man show is in full swing and will debut in Chicago on February 20th. I'm currently ...
Posted by on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:16:00 GMT

I got me a blog for reals.

Hey everybody, I've started a new blog entitled, Busted Mouth. It's a collection of stories and essays. I'm planning on updating it bi-weekly. Check it out. Subscribe. Tell a friend if you like what ...
Posted by on Tue, 03 Jun 2008 01:59:00 GMT

An update of sorts

1. I'm in Chicago. I live here again and I'm getting an apartment for the first time in 2 years. It's a strange sensation and I'm trying to convince myself that 'stable' isn't necessarily a step ...
Posted by on Fri, 23 May 2008 12:05:00 GMT

Solomon Sparrow Tour Day 1

My trip in was pretty damn fine. The flights and layovers were rather short and both airports had smoking lounges. Delicious.I got in to Nashville and fanagled(sp?) my way into the tour van...
Posted by on Thu, 20 Sep 2007 11:36:00 GMT

Pretending to be a rockstar.

I spent my weekend pretending to be a rockstar. My friend Buddy Wakefield is currently on tour with Sage Francis, Alias, and Buck 65 on the "Human the Death Dance" Tour. If you don't know Buddy Wakefi...
Posted by on Sun, 08 Jul 2007 22:41:00 GMT

Rustbelt Wrap-up

I'm finally awake enough to process the weekend. I literally slept 5 hours the whole trip and by Saturday night I couldn't see straight. Overall, I enjoyed the trip. Congrats to Detroit on knockin us ...
Posted by on Mon, 18 Jun 2007 08:48:00 GMT

Awww shit.

After much jukin' the official Chicago-Mental Graffiti lineup is as follows: Tim Stafford (MG champ, 1/2 of Death From Below, Def Poet)Alvin Lau (3-time PSi Individual Finalist, Def Poet)J.W. Baz (no ...
Posted by on Sun, 03 Jun 2007 22:54:00 GMT

Mental Graffiti Team Finals

So, for the second straight year, I was leading going in to the third round. And for the second straight year the judges were not my friends in the third round. Such is life.The team:Tim StaffordRobbi...
Posted by on Tue, 22 May 2007 01:49:00 GMT