Here’s video from the very first reading from Burning Furiously Beautiful: The True Story of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, cowritten with biographer Paul Maher Jr. This is the reading that took place at The Sidewalk Cafe, to celebrate poet RA Araya’s birthday, and the awesome band I collaborated with is called flashbackpuppy. Not only was this my first reading from the book — it was also my first time reading with a live band! We didn’t rehearse the collaboration at all. I literally met them for the first time when I got up on the stage.
Video via Liz Koenig
Video via Fred Rodriguez
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Don’t forget to come out this Monday night, September 3, at 8:30, to Cornelia Street Cafe (29 Cornelia St., NYC). Just steps from where Jack Kerouac and David Amram did their jazz-poetry readings in 1957, I’ll be reading about Kerouac while David Amram plays! If you’ve ever caught any of his performances, you know that Amram is not only a phenomenal musician but also a great storyteller.
Amram & Co. includes David Amram, Kevin Twigg, John de Witt, and Adam Amram. $10 cover, plus $10 minimum.
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9/2/12: That’s Jon Martinez on bass, Patrick Conlon on drums, Peter Beckett guitar playing in the videos.
Stephanie Nikolopoulos 
Impressive how you kept your cool with the background music. I’d be a wreck. Thanks for sharing and congratulations on the partnership with David Amram. Makes me realize I’m living in the wrong state.
I was living in Claremont, CA, when I first spoke to David Amram. Dream big and work hard at those dreams — you never know when and where an opportunity will open up!
Stephanie… Dear-Hipster-Missy, ya were not just stepping on a stage reading your chapters for the first time with a band you never knew nor heard nor rehearsed, ya were following the tradition of the moment of the real of art breath eternal spoken oral aural all the way from your dad’s Homer to a sunny Summer Sunday in the air-conditioned Loisaida shade 🙂 Wow what a hot sizzle we now soon seem to forget… Yet now with ease we relate and rework and share wide seas and walk-ups. We must honor our ancients, continue to brave the mortal days with endless pens… You are officially a FlashBackKitten. Carry on Miss Nikolopoulos, badge yer words… “Kalispera” -R!
Yes! And I had so much fun!! What a great way to celebrate your birthday!