Past teams
Want to know how you can make this year's team? Check out our finals rules here!
2018: Abe Becker, Victoria Morgan, Javi Hernandez, Reggie Edmonds, Zach Goldberg. COACH: Jaz Sufi
2017: Victoria Morgan, Hadas Goshen, Jenna Robinson, Jevon Cochran, Kyle Liddle. COACH: Jaz Sufi
2016: Mike Taylor, Bri Blue, Abe Becker, Caleb Zach Matthews, Kiana Young. COACH: Jaz Sufi
2015: Jaz Sufi, B Deep, Brandon Melendez, Jordan Ranft, Joshua Merchant. COACH: Terry Taplin. Placed 3rd in the nation at the 2015 National Poetry Slam!
2014: Imani Cezanne, Toaster, Abe Becker, Brandon Melendez, B Deep
2013 (Unified Team with Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose): Sam Sax, Katelyn Lucas, Cameron, Toaster. COACH: Nazelah Jamison
2012 (Unified Team with Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose): Sam Sax, Katelyn Lucas, Cameron, Lisa Evans. COACH: Jamie DeWolf
2011: Leo Bryant, Katelyn Lucas, Sevan, Wonder Dave, Terry Taplin. COACH: Betsy Gomez
2010: Jelal Huyler, Lucky 7, Lee Knight Jr., Trashcan Poet, Stephen Meads. COACH: Betsy Gomez
2009: Abe Becker, Danny Scuderi, Johnmark Huscher, Lee Knight Jr., Lucky 7. COACHES: Lucky 7 and Betsy Gomez. Group Piece champions!
2008: Christian Drake, Abe Becker, Jason Bayani, the Poet -i-, Laura Yes Yes. COACHES: Ekabhumi and Betsy Gomez
2007: D.Silence, Christian Drake, Jamie DeWolf, Isaac Miller, Joshua Walters. COACHES: Ekabhumi and Betsy Gomez
2006: Jon Brown, D.Silence, Amy White, Karen Ladson, Christian Drake. COACHES: Thadra Sheridan and Geoff Trenchard
2005: Jaylee Alde, Lucky 7, Liz Green, Jason Bayani, Dahled. COACHES: Charles Ellik and Dani Eurynome
2004: Cheryl Maddalena, Nathan Henderson-James, Mesej 1, Jaylee Alde, Andrew Lowe. COACHES: Charles Ellik and Dani Eurynome
2003 (Unified Team with SF): Jason Bayani, Jaylee Alde, Rupert Estanislao, Jamie DeWolf. COACHES: Charles Ellik and Dani Eurynome
2002: Jamie DeWolf, Karen Ladson, Geoff Trenchard, Rupert Estanislao
2001: Karen Ladson, Claire Lewis, Amy White, Paradise. COACHES: Charles Ellik and Dani Eurynome
2000: Team comprised of poets from Berkeley and San Francisco competed at Nationals as the San Francisco team. Battle Of The Bay and West Coast Regional Slam champions!
1999: Berkeley Slam acted as a qualifier for the Oakland Slam team, which finished 3rd in the nation overall, while Charles coached the San Francisco Slam Team that tied for the win! San Francisco was the Battle Of The Bay, West Coast Regional Slam, and Salmon Slam/Pacific NW Regionals champions as well!
1998: No team from Berkeley.
2018: Abe Becker, Victoria Morgan, Javi Hernandez, Reggie Edmonds, Zach Goldberg. COACH: Jaz Sufi
2017: Victoria Morgan, Hadas Goshen, Jenna Robinson, Jevon Cochran, Kyle Liddle. COACH: Jaz Sufi
2016: Mike Taylor, Bri Blue, Abe Becker, Caleb Zach Matthews, Kiana Young. COACH: Jaz Sufi
2015: Jaz Sufi, B Deep, Brandon Melendez, Jordan Ranft, Joshua Merchant. COACH: Terry Taplin. Placed 3rd in the nation at the 2015 National Poetry Slam!
2014: Imani Cezanne, Toaster, Abe Becker, Brandon Melendez, B Deep
2013 (Unified Team with Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose): Sam Sax, Katelyn Lucas, Cameron, Toaster. COACH: Nazelah Jamison
2012 (Unified Team with Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose): Sam Sax, Katelyn Lucas, Cameron, Lisa Evans. COACH: Jamie DeWolf
2011: Leo Bryant, Katelyn Lucas, Sevan, Wonder Dave, Terry Taplin. COACH: Betsy Gomez
2010: Jelal Huyler, Lucky 7, Lee Knight Jr., Trashcan Poet, Stephen Meads. COACH: Betsy Gomez
2009: Abe Becker, Danny Scuderi, Johnmark Huscher, Lee Knight Jr., Lucky 7. COACHES: Lucky 7 and Betsy Gomez. Group Piece champions!
2008: Christian Drake, Abe Becker, Jason Bayani, the Poet -i-, Laura Yes Yes. COACHES: Ekabhumi and Betsy Gomez
2007: D.Silence, Christian Drake, Jamie DeWolf, Isaac Miller, Joshua Walters. COACHES: Ekabhumi and Betsy Gomez
2006: Jon Brown, D.Silence, Amy White, Karen Ladson, Christian Drake. COACHES: Thadra Sheridan and Geoff Trenchard
2005: Jaylee Alde, Lucky 7, Liz Green, Jason Bayani, Dahled. COACHES: Charles Ellik and Dani Eurynome
2004: Cheryl Maddalena, Nathan Henderson-James, Mesej 1, Jaylee Alde, Andrew Lowe. COACHES: Charles Ellik and Dani Eurynome
2003 (Unified Team with SF): Jason Bayani, Jaylee Alde, Rupert Estanislao, Jamie DeWolf. COACHES: Charles Ellik and Dani Eurynome
2002: Jamie DeWolf, Karen Ladson, Geoff Trenchard, Rupert Estanislao
2001: Karen Ladson, Claire Lewis, Amy White, Paradise. COACHES: Charles Ellik and Dani Eurynome
2000: Team comprised of poets from Berkeley and San Francisco competed at Nationals as the San Francisco team. Battle Of The Bay and West Coast Regional Slam champions!
1999: Berkeley Slam acted as a qualifier for the Oakland Slam team, which finished 3rd in the nation overall, while Charles coached the San Francisco Slam Team that tied for the win! San Francisco was the Battle Of The Bay, West Coast Regional Slam, and Salmon Slam/Pacific NW Regionals champions as well!
1998: No team from Berkeley.
past champs
2018-2019: Abe Becker (Grand Slam Champ), Victoria Morgan (Indie Champ), ? (WOWPS Champ)
2017-2018: Victoria Morgan (Grand Slam Champ), Asia Bryant-Wilkerson (Indie Champ, WOWPS Champ)
2016-2017: Mike Taylor (Grand Slam Champ), Brandon Melendez (Indie Champ), Asia Bryant-Wilkerson (WOWPS Champ)
2015-2016: Jaz Sufi (Grand Slam Champ, Indie Champ, WOWPS Champ)
2014-2015: Imani Cezanne (Grand Slam Champ), Shannon Matesky (WOWPS Champ)
2013-2014: Toaster (Grand Slam Champ), Nazelah Jamisen (WOWPS Champ)
2012-2013: Katelyn Lucas (Grand Slam Champ), Toaster (Indie Champ)
2011-2012: Leo Bryant (Grand Slam Champ), Joshua Merchant (Indie Champ), Ariana Weckstein (WOWPS Champ)
2010: Jelal Huyler (Grand Slam Champ)
2009: Lucky Sevan (Grand Slam Champ)
2008: Christian Drake (Grand Slam Champ)
2007: D.Silence (Grand Slam Champ)
2006: Jon Brown (Grand Slam Champ)
2005: Jaylee Alde (Grand Slam Champ)
2004: Andrew Jackson, AKA Paradox (Grand Slam Champ)
2003 Jason Bayani (Grand Slam Champ)
2002: Karen Ladson and Jamie DeWolf (Grand Slam Champs)
2001: Michael Cirelli (Grand Slam Champ)
2000: N/A
1999: Marc Bamuthi Joseph and Ariana Waynes (Grand Slam Champ)
1998: Jennifer Russell, AKA Omolara (Grand Slam Champ)
HISTORY
by Charles 'Ekabhumi' Ellik
The “Berzerkeley” Poetry Slam is the longest-running slam in NorCal. Our first competition at the Starry Plough was held in 1998 as a fundraiser for the local college radio station, KALX. It was such a hit that we were invited back to start a regular show, which began in March of 1999. Ekabhumi Ellik (formerly Charles Ellik) and Lilitu Shahar Kunning (formerly known as Dani Eurinome) teamed up to produce the show.
Due to the overwhelming popularity of the slam, we went weekly in 2000, with Nazelah Jamison hosting once a month and Charles hosting the other weeks. Nazelah’s night was called “Chicken Grease,” and it had its own separate staff. In 2008, a full rotation of emcees was introduced, one per week. In 2009, Betsy Gomez took the helm as official Slammaster while Ekabhumi produced the highly successful Individual World Poetry Slam. In 2010, Ekabhumi retired from actively participating in the slam, and in 2012, Katelyn Lucas and Sevan (formerly Lucky 7) joined Betsy as co-slammasters. After Betsy retired at the end of 2013, the show was run by committee for some time before electing its current Slammaster, Jaz Sufi.
For many years, the slam held an annual Finals to select five poets to represent Berkeley at the National Poetry Slam. Poets earned points by finishing in the top four at the weekly open slam, and the top 16 with the highest cumulative points advanced to Semifinals, held in the Spring. The top eight poets from Semi’s advanced to Finals. Competition was notoriously tough, though generally it stayed friendly and even mutually supportive among the poets. This cycle of competition provided motive, focus, and momentum to the poets and the weekly show. It also provided a narrative to the competition which helped bring our audiences in every week.
At the National Poetry Slam, the Berkeley Team regularly finished in the top 10, including a 4th place finish in 2004. The team also won many local and regional championships. Teams generally acted as our “house poets,” meaning they got free admission to the slam for the rest of the year and performed as a team at many poetic events and school assemblies. The Berkeley Team often acted as an incubator for local talent, many of whom went on to shine on other teams and as solo touring performers.
Many nationally-renowned poets and slam champions anchored their West Coast tours with a gig in Berkeley. Our list of past features reads like a “Who’s Who” of performance poets, including virtually every National and International champion in the English-speaking world. Our show helped to attract talent to the Bay Area from all over the world, most of whom then also performed at other local events, enriching the entire community. Our reputation for having a large, intelligent, supportive audience is a great source of pride.
For many years, the Berkeley Slam was the only weekly poetry slam in NorCal, and it remains so today. It acted as a hub and testing ground for the community. Not only did the regular poets become important contributors to other local shows, but the organizers helped launch other events. Most of the other dozens of slams that have existed in NorCal since 1999 either sprang directly from our show (such as the Oakland Slam, Tourettes Without Regrets, UC Berkeley Collegiate Slam, Coast Slam/Fort Bragg, Petaluma, Marin, and Santa Rosa slams), or the other shows were supported by our regulars. For more than a decade, Charles edited a weekly email calendar called the NorCal Slam UPDATE, which lists all of the local slam-related events and has thousands of subscribers. For several years, workshops and writer’s groups were held at the Starry Plough immediately before the show. Building community was as much our goal as entertaining our audiences!
Due to the overwhelming popularity of the slam, we went weekly in 2000, with Nazelah Jamison hosting once a month and Charles hosting the other weeks. Nazelah’s night was called “Chicken Grease,” and it had its own separate staff. In 2008, a full rotation of emcees was introduced, one per week. In 2009, Betsy Gomez took the helm as official Slammaster while Ekabhumi produced the highly successful Individual World Poetry Slam. In 2010, Ekabhumi retired from actively participating in the slam, and in 2012, Katelyn Lucas and Sevan (formerly Lucky 7) joined Betsy as co-slammasters. After Betsy retired at the end of 2013, the show was run by committee for some time before electing its current Slammaster, Jaz Sufi.
For many years, the slam held an annual Finals to select five poets to represent Berkeley at the National Poetry Slam. Poets earned points by finishing in the top four at the weekly open slam, and the top 16 with the highest cumulative points advanced to Semifinals, held in the Spring. The top eight poets from Semi’s advanced to Finals. Competition was notoriously tough, though generally it stayed friendly and even mutually supportive among the poets. This cycle of competition provided motive, focus, and momentum to the poets and the weekly show. It also provided a narrative to the competition which helped bring our audiences in every week.
At the National Poetry Slam, the Berkeley Team regularly finished in the top 10, including a 4th place finish in 2004. The team also won many local and regional championships. Teams generally acted as our “house poets,” meaning they got free admission to the slam for the rest of the year and performed as a team at many poetic events and school assemblies. The Berkeley Team often acted as an incubator for local talent, many of whom went on to shine on other teams and as solo touring performers.
Many nationally-renowned poets and slam champions anchored their West Coast tours with a gig in Berkeley. Our list of past features reads like a “Who’s Who” of performance poets, including virtually every National and International champion in the English-speaking world. Our show helped to attract talent to the Bay Area from all over the world, most of whom then also performed at other local events, enriching the entire community. Our reputation for having a large, intelligent, supportive audience is a great source of pride.
For many years, the Berkeley Slam was the only weekly poetry slam in NorCal, and it remains so today. It acted as a hub and testing ground for the community. Not only did the regular poets become important contributors to other local shows, but the organizers helped launch other events. Most of the other dozens of slams that have existed in NorCal since 1999 either sprang directly from our show (such as the Oakland Slam, Tourettes Without Regrets, UC Berkeley Collegiate Slam, Coast Slam/Fort Bragg, Petaluma, Marin, and Santa Rosa slams), or the other shows were supported by our regulars. For more than a decade, Charles edited a weekly email calendar called the NorCal Slam UPDATE, which lists all of the local slam-related events and has thousands of subscribers. For several years, workshops and writer’s groups were held at the Starry Plough immediately before the show. Building community was as much our goal as entertaining our audiences!