Jonathan Berger

Before he was a poet, he was a journalist. Before he was a journalist, he wrote short stories. Before that he tried his hand at novels - but don't ask him to see those pages. No good will come of it. Jonathan Berger has been writing as long as can remember. He's been acting out even longer than that. In 1998, he found the perfect marriage of his addiction to attention and his affection for artistry: he became a performance art poet. Or stand-up poet... or ADD poet. Or a guy on stage, reading. His writing is funny, and sometimes poignant, and usually scatological. His performance is exciting, and energetic, and somewhat loud. A Jon Berger show is not for the faint of heart (unless that particular faint of heart likes that sort of thing). For years, Jonathan Berger has been squirreling away time with Major Matt Mason, recording tracks, fashioning them into something a little more interesting than just words read aloud. Describing their collaborations as "soundscapes", There are songs in there, I guess, but most of the cuts are my short attention-span pieces surrounded by sounds, like airplanes, of falling trees, or just a hint of sizzling pork. Also involved in the album is the Out-acclaimed Soce the Elemental Wizard, and Wes Verhoeve, renowned member of the Undisputed Heavyweights. Otherwise, though, itâs just Jon and Matt in a studio, fucking around. Jonathan Berger's also got a band. It's called JUANBURGUESA.