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Pecha Kucha VII: "It's got to be funky"
Thursday, August 26, 2010
I went to Pecha Kucha VII with someone who recently moved to Charleston.
"There's nothing that better explains what this city is really about than this," I told her.
It was interesting to watch her take it all in. She is still learning about Charleston, and was introduced to a lot of the creatives who have made this city a top notch destination in the country.
Experiencing Pecha Kucha through her eyes gave me a heightened appreciation for what the folks at Parliament and New Carolina have done. PK is much more than a night for creatives to talk. It has the energy of a rock concert. It feels like a reunion of all of your closest friends. It will inspire you as much as anything you will ever do in Charleston.
I was lucky enough to be one of the speakers for the first Pecha Kucha, back in November of 2008. I also hosted PK3, in July of 2009, and wrote some silly haikus.
Each Pecha Kucha has a different energy, but there was something extra special about PK7. Nathan Durfee was a comforting and funny MC. Mitchell Davis' informative and inspiring presentation set the tone perfectly. Christopher Zorn's Open Source Software was mind bending and entertaining. And Stephen Ramos' speech made me take notes, envisioning a future for Charleston that I previously thought impossible.
And then there was Ayoka Lucas - all confident and beautiful, speaking about the evolution of Charleston's fashion scene. David "Funkatude" Boatwright and Brad Ball also did an exceptional job with their humble and impressive presentations.
But the biggest highlight? Leah Suarez.
Leah was poetic and calming, saying so much with the simple words "I am ... "
And when drummer Nick Jenkins joined her on stage, the packed Sottile Theater was comfortably silent. It was magic.
Simply put, Pecha Kucha VII was the best one so far. And that's saying a lot, considering the other ones were also beautiful.
"I'm so glad I moved here," my friend said, as we walked away from the theater. I feel the exact same way.
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