Andrea Gibson tugs hearts at Thalia Hall

Alternative haircuts, laughter and tears filled Thalia Hall when Andrea Gibson took the stage on Sunday, January 28.

Andrea Gibson is a genderqueer spoken word poet and activist, who recently started an 8-month-long tour to promote their newly released album, HEY GALAXY, and book, Take Me with You.

Gibson’s new album, HEY GALAXY, explores America’s political climate, the Orlando Pulse shooting, violence, gender, loving an addict and mental illness through in-depth and thought out prose.

Their new book, 'Take Me with You', is a pocket-sized book with short, prose-like messages that are intended to inspire and move the reader.

The opening artists, Chastity Brown and Luke Enyeart, armed with only two guitars and a harmonica, did not disappoint. Chastity Brown has a gruff and hypnotic voice shined in her songs, “Colorado,” “Carried Away” and “Wake Up.”

30 minutes later Gibson took the stage and welcomed the crowd. They explained the night’s performance was going to go back and forth between love poems and anti-fascism poems to which the crowd roared.

Throughout the show, Gibson’s performance visibly moved the audience; people wiped away tears in between poems. A majority of Gibson’s set was from their new album, HEY GALAXY such as “Photoshopping My Sister's Mugshot,” “Orlando,” and “Boomerang Valentine.” The final poem, “The Nutritionist,” Andrea left the audience by exclaiming the poem’s final lines, “Live! Live! Live!”

Andrea’s poetry confronts difficult subjects such as white supremacy, fascism, being genderqueer, homophobia, LGBT+ struggles and romance.

Gibson has published several poetry books, such as Pole Dancing to Gospel Hymns, Yellow Bird, The Madness Vase, Pansy and Take Me with You.

They are a four-time Denver Grand Slam Champion, have placed fourth at the National Poetry Slam in 2004, placed third at the 2006 and 2007 Individual World Poetry Slam and became the first poet to win the Women of the World Poetry Slam in 2008.