Retro
The Poetry Room Open Mic • March 31
🎤 THE POETRY ROOM OPEN MIC Presents Retro
📅 March 31
📍 The Robin Theatre
🚪 Doors: 7:00 PM
There’s something about old things
how they hold memory a little differently.
A song you haven’t heard in years comes back on
and suddenly you’re not here anymore.
You’re somewhere else.
Someone else.
That’s the spirit of this night.
🎤 WHAT TO EXPECT
A room full of people who actually listen.
First-timers. Veterans. Somewhere in between.
You do not have to perform.
You can just come and sit in it.
If you do perform
bring something honest. Not perfect.
✍️ HOW IT WORKS
24 performance spots
5 are already filled (hosts, music guest, feature)
Sign-ups are first come, first served
Doors open at 7PM
If weather is rough, we’ll likely bring people in early so you can grab a number without waiting outside.
We also do our best to accommodate folks when we can—especially for health, age, and students. We want you here without it costing you something else.
(photo by: Jasper Baldwin)
🌟 Feature: RJ Walker
Rj Walker - Said the Confederate Flag to the American Flag
RJ Walker is a performance poet and voice actor from Salt Lake City, Utah. RJ Has performed at the national poetry slam numerous times, representing Salt Lake City, and Sugar House Utah. At the Individual World Poetry Slam he was a showcased poet on final stage and placed 6th overall at the 2017 Individual world poetry slam. RJ won the NPS Spirit of the Slam award for organizing the first Compliment Deathmatch event. The next year he placed 4th at the National Poetry Slam with the Salt City Unified team. He is a winner of the button poetry video contest. He is the host and operator of The Greenhouse Effect Open Mic, SLC’s longest running and most popular open mic style event. His poem, Deceit & I, received viral reception on youtube and imgur, published in journals like A Plus, EMS1, and EMSWorld with over 500,000 cumulative Views.
🎶 Music Guest: Mars McCartney, Mercadez Kelly
✍️ PROMPTS: Retro
Describe a childhood memory using only outdated technology metaphors (dial-up, static, CD player, rewinding, buffering).
A broken Walkman narrates the last song it ever played
Write a poem in the style of a retro commercial
An older song comes on - what memories does it force you to confront?
Write your life as “deleted scenes”
📅 UPCOMING EVENTS
April 4 – Mary Fox Book Release
📍 The Robin Theatre
Featuring: Masaki Takahashi, Becky Jensen, Chad Sanders
April 9 – MSU Museum Theme Slam
📍 MSU Museum @ 7PM
Hosted by Mahogany L. Browne & Natasha T. Miller
April 11 – The Poetry Room x CADL
Despite Everything It’s Still You
Featuring RJ Walker
Openers: Masaki Takahashi, Claire Donohoe, Truth the Poet
📍 Capital Area District Libraries (Downtown)
🎤 Show @ 3PM | 🛠 Workshop @ 4PM (FREE)
April 25 – Native Child Youth Slam
📍 The Robin Theatre @ 3PM
April 28 – Open Mic: Dunk Contest ‘26
📍 The Robin Theatre
Slam-style scoring available
3-minute limit (time starts at audience interaction)
Option to perform without being judged
🔥 OPPORTUNITY
📼 Be kind. Rewind.
Come say something you’ve been holding onto.
If you believe in what The Poetry Room is building, if you’ve felt the energy, the honesty, the possibility — you can help us expand.
Cash App: $ThePoetryRoom
Venmo: @ThePoetryRoom
Every contribution helps us move forward.
(photo by Jasper Baldwin)