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You Wanna Piece of Me?

nytheatre.com review by Geeta Citygirl
August 15, 2005

Hip as can be, Pocho Joe aka Joe Hernandez-Kolski hops thru his stories in this hip-hop solo performance piece, You Wanna Piece of Me?. Mix spoken word poetry with storytelling. Add to that, mime. Toss in some incredible dancing to music by a live DJ. And finally, put in insightful cultural reflections… and all of it flows effortlessly.You might have seen him on the season finale of the fourth season of HBO’s Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry. Perhaps you caught him in the recent national tour of The Bomb-itty of Errors. Whether or not you've seen him before, I recommend you go experience the exuberant energy and inspiring talents of this Los Angeles-based dynamic artiste.Here is the flavor… walk downstairs to the Ace of Clubs space. If you want to cool off, buy a drink in the bar and then find a seat. Listen to the hip-hop music, a lot of old school stuff that you are sure to vibe with. The stage is set with the DJ turntables under a spotlight and a projected image of the caricature associated with this show on a screen. As usual, when the lights dim, we are requested to turn off our cell phones. However this time, we were also advised that with the volume of this show, we probably wouldn’t hear them anyway.Fellow Los Angeles-based DJ Jedi controls the turntables with real finesse. Watching this musical wizard “scratch” vinyl records is invigorating. He scratches the familiar theme song from the TV show, The Jeffersons—“We finally got a piece… we finally got a piece… we finally got a piece of the pie….”. The music and song choices help to carry us through each vignette.His hyphenated last name, Hernandez-Kolski, immediately caught my attention. And while he addresses his multicultural identity with humor and pizzazz, he also shares other snippets of his life. From the streets of Chicago, we follow this former heavy metal head-banger to his days at Princeton and arrive at what I would now call a pioneering spirit who has a unique view on contemporary culture. After this packed sixty minutes, you will certainly not forgot Pocho Joe.Benjamin Byron Davis directs this solo-performance with just the right amount of freedom and control. He threads the moments of music, dance, visual imagery, and poetry like a master tailor. Congratulations to the entire team: producer Justin A. Yoffe, co-producer, Miranda Morton Yap, stage manager Olivia Killingsworth, and production assistant Natalia Romero. I was moved by the support of his crew—each of whom felt more like a member of his family.Watch and feel the beating of his heart in the choreography of his dancing. And observe the high level of skill, when he shares his years at Princeton in a mime piece. Hernandez-Kolski gives you more than a piece of himself—he pours 100% of his spirit into this incredible work of art.I attended the opening night performance with my husband Sudhanva and we both joined the crowd in giving a standing ovation at the end. Advice: Bring a little extra cash and purchase his chapbook ($5) or a t-shirt ($15) and join the Pocho Joe movement. And check out his official website www.pochojoe.com.