What: An Evening With Shane Koyczan
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Where: Alix Goolden Performance Hall, 907 Pandora Ave.
Tickets: $24.50 at Ditch Records, Lyle’s Place and ticketweb.ca
Shane Koyczan’s most prominent attribute as an artist might well be his fearlessness. No matter the project, medium or message, he’s never shy when it comes to stretching himself artistically.
Koyczan, 38, knows he is rare in that regard. And in some respects, that concerns him. The poet and writer blames Yoda, the oft-quoted Star Wars character. Yoda has done more damage to the current generation than good, Koyczan said, especially where the arts are concerned.
“There’s this generation that was brought up on Yoda, the whole ‘Do or do not, there is no try.’ F--- you, there is totally try. Not everything is going to turn out the way you want it to. You have to try so much to get to one quality thing.”
Koyczan tried, and failed, plenty of times during his university days. He had been writing his entire life, though rarely for publication. He didn’t start to write poetry until university, when one of his professors suggested he “try to write something complete” after months of not finishing projects.
“Up to that point, I had only been writing first chapters of novels I would never finish. Poetry gave me a forum to spill out my thoughts and feelings.”
His work struck a chord eventually. In 2005, his poetry collection Visiting Hours was named by several publications one of the best books of the year. He would go on to perform one of the poems at the opening ceremonies of Vancouver’s 2010 Winter Olympics.
A series of successes followed, including the 2012 poetry collection Our Deathbeds Will Be Thirsty. From that tome came To This Day, an anti-bullying poem that was made into a powerful animated video viewed online nearly 16 million times. And with that, Koyczan became the modern voice of the anti-bullying movement.
He has since become the go-to guy for comments on the topic, the artistic conscience who is looked upon to keep society in check. Soon after To This Day went viral, he was asked by the organizers of the Technology, Entertainment and Design conference in Long Beach, California, to speak to 1,400 people.
Two years later, his words have not lessened in their impact. He continues to create art — A Bruise On Light, his latest collection of poetry; the album Silence Is A Song I Know All The Words To; and a graphic novel of the same name. Aidan Knight of Victoria produced the recording, while local artist Gareth Gaudin created the artwork for the graphic novel. The words, of course, are courtesy of Koyczan.
He has not lost his penchant for poetry, even though he is now turning toward more cinematic endeavours, such as the in-progress screenplay for his first feature film.
“Writing poetry was always the quickest way to express how I was feeling. People liked the honesty of saying things that weren’t necessarily comfortable to say, but things that were real.”
The tour that brings him to the Alix Goolden Performance Hall on Friday began March 21 in Nelson and will continue until its final date April 18 in Ottawa. Many of the dates have sold out in advance, which comes as a surprise to Koyczan. He is still shocked when someone buys one of his books, so he can’t quite find the words to describe his thoughts on what it feels like to sell out a concert tour.
His current live performances are turning out well, he said. They run the gamut of emotions, but the overall tone is one of hope and support.
“We keep living in this world where people are constantly being shut down about their emotions. If you’re having an emotional day at work, they send you home. You’re not allowed to feel anymore.
“So when people come to my shows, I want it to be a safe space. You’re allowed to feel here. You’re allowed to be who you are and think what you think. That’s O.K.”
