supersonic
Artist Information
Biography
Brian Michael Murphy can connect with any audience. He has received ovations in small mountain towns and big cities, in art galleries and school auditoriums, in bars and churches, before crowds of all ages and cultural backgrounds. In a profile on the poet, C Magazine said: “Murphy is a well-studied, well-read, world-traveler who is an observer of life. He brings more to the table than just urban bedlam. He soaks in all aspects of the day then creates poetic verses that are as entertaining as they are enlightening......His words and lust for life are mesmerizing, and even though he's a young man, it's apparent he has seen much and is wiser than his years suggest.”
Murphy has indeed “seen much.” Though he spent his childhood in a small Midwestern town, he has spent time in Spain, France, and South Africa, and traveled to many other countries, from Mexico to Morocco. While doing this, he also managed to earn a BA in English and an MA in Comparative Cultural Studies, and receive various awards for his poetry, including the Ohio Arts Council's William Redding Poetry Award and the Lloyd O. Brown Award from the Ohio Board of Regents. He has also had various poems published, most recently in the Birmingham Poetry Review, and has opened for a number of nationally known acts, most recently for Saul Williams. He even co-directed a music video for his memorial track "We Will Look For You in the Stars," for which he managed shoots in Columbus, Ohio and Paris, France (watch it at www.brianmichaelmurphy.com).
The humor, weight, rhythm, and relevance of Brian Michael Murphy’s words have made him a sought-after public speaker. He has given keynote speeches at scholarship competitions, cultural celebrations, and research conferences, often infusing his poetic influences into his talks. He has been hired by nonprofits like City Year, as well as colleges and universities, as an inspirational speaker and performer. A history professor in the audience at one of his recent speeches said: “Brian Michael Murphy is brilliant. His writing and speaking reflect his passion for knowledge and compassion for people. He is a master teacher, and it was my pleasure to listen and learn."
Bring Brian Michael Murphy to your city or town for a poetry performance, and see why so many are already listening to what he has to say.
Instrumentation
Brian Michael Murphy--vocals
Discography
"lovelovehatehatemixtape"--April 2008
"Black Fire"-(LP) March 2008
"Manifest Destiny" (EP)-September 2006
Also appeared on "Outro" on Zero Star's album "Forever's Never Really That Long" (Weightless Recordings)
Links
Photo Gallery
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Manifest Destiny Cover Pic
Download print quality (high-res) version -
On Stage
Download print quality (high-res) version -
CD Release Party at High Five
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The Crown
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C Magazine Showcase
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Graphics by Joey Monsoon
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Rumba Cafe Show
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Show @ Rumba Cafe
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Reading for City Year Kids
Download print quality (high-res) version
Setlist
Poetry performances are 30 minutes to 1 hour long; the length can be customized for each performance. Poems vary. I can add songs into the set and either perform them acapella or with my old school GE Boombox (it still sounds great!).
Get Born
Black Fire
Crazy
Represent
Pastime
The Fire Still Burns
Big Love
To You Who Sees the Color
Forever's Never Really That Long
La Rica Ladrona
We Will Look For You in the Stars
The Nacirema
All The Things You Didn't Do
