Nitelife is not just about DJs and banging beats, sometimes words can take you away as well.

Jersey City, NJ has a underground artists scene. One of the aspects of that underground scene is the thriving Open Mic/Slam Poetry community. To date, I’ve counted seven open mic venues, ranging from quarterly to weekly opportunities for artists to share their talent with the locals, and in honor of full disclosure, I founded and produce one of them.

Just Add Sound, a monthly open mic, happens the 2nd Wednesday of each month at The Warehouse Cafe, in the Powerhouse Arts District (PADNA) of Jersey City, is such a chance for artists to hone their craft. Just Add Sound (JAS) got its start in Jersey City in October of 2009 during Art House Productions JC Fridays. Currently hosted by local Spoken Word Artist Just Woo, Just Add Sound is open to all forms of expression. Jared Helfer, resident DJ, gets the vibe moving with his hard hitting selections.

The May edition of Just Add Sound - May I? Yes, You MAY! featured two artists from very different backgrounds. Spoken Word Feature Angela Kariotis is a writer and performer of the solo shows Stretch Marks, Reminiscence of the Ghetto & Other Things that Raized Me, and, Say Logos Say Word. Her dynamic performance included “IntroDicShun”; part of her first solo show Reminiscence of the Ghetto & Other Things That Raized Me. It was about growing up in Irvington. She performed across the country with that show. To Angela there is nothing like the first time. Her second performance for the evening was from her current project Stretch Marks at Stage Left Studio with a closing performance of the five week run scheduled for this Thursday, June 9, 2011.

Music Feature Stephie Coplan of Stephie Coplan and the Pedestrians, is a strong singer and piano player who currently resides in Hoboken. Her songs are vibrant, insightful stories arranged to stick with the listener. Stephie Coplan; the Pedestrians are looking forward to producing their debut album with Brooklyn producer Ben Gebert, due out in 2011.

The next episode of Just Add Sound is Wednesday, June 8, 2011 at 8:00 pm at the Warehouse Cafe 140 Bay Street, Jersey City NJ. Features for this episode - The Heat is ON! are New Yorker Angelique Imani Rodriguez, coordinator of Poetry in Pink, an annual artist showcase that goes to benefit her breast cancer walk team, Maggie's Latin Angels, in honor of her mother, a survivor, and Just Putt, a Jersey City lyricist whose mesmerizing gift for rhythm and rhyme have long been a staple of the JC Arts Scene and has made him a hot commodity in the underground Hip Hop world.

Have sound you are compelled to add? Just Add Sound is ready for you. Watch for more on other Open Mic/Slam Poetry/Spoken Word/Music venues in Jersey City and beyond.