Poetaco Poetry Showdown

One and all are invited to a verbal rumble of epic and gastronomic proportions. The “Poetaco Poetry Showdown,” which will transform a small Southtown art gallery into a literary lucha scene, pits local poets Anthony “The Poet” Flores and “Taco Poet” Eddie Vega against one another in a battle to find out, once and for all, who deserves the title of “Taco Poet.” In slam poetry terms, it seems that Vega is the challenger here, since Flores is a three-time SATX Grand Slam Champion. But, in taco terms, it’s Flores who has ground to make up, since Vega has donned the title for a while now and sits on the Taco Council of Texas (yes, that’s a real thing). By way of a weigh-in: Vega’s poetry is hallmarked by contemporary cultural reference points, witty (often wry) humor, a knack for poignant confessional narrative, and social observation, while Flores’ work, imbued with some of the same characteristics, is often more confrontational and bombastic. Both poets possess powerful voices and are seasoned performers, poetry slam veterans who know how to win a crowd. For this special event, the audience will judge three rounds of head-to-head competition and the winner will be decided on points, assuming a knockout isn’t likely.