Sun. April 18 

Duncan Wilder Johnson (in photo) has made quite a bit of noise in Boston, both with his now destroyed metal band, Destrut-a-Thon and his spoken word act. It's the latter persona that Johnson - and others - will embody, beginning Sunday April 18 at 3 p.m. at O'Brien's. Johnson says, "'The Spoken Word Hangover' is a once a month series celebrating the oral tradition that's been past on generation after generation since the Vikings scorched the earth. Storytellers, poets, comedians, and performance artists will grace the stage in Allston Rock City's den of destruction, O'Brien's."

A tradition going back to the Vikings (not the Minesota football team)? Let's put in the context of today's best-known punk-metal-spoken word artist Henry Rollins. How does is compare to Henry?

   "Well," says Johnson, "although I am obviously a fan of his and I am in a band and I do spoken word like Henry, I've been trying to distance myself from that for one main reason: I don't do what he does.  Henry's work lately is for the most part, conversational, politcal, and editorial." (JSInk note: Henry does run on at the mouth. Even if you're with him he taxes your endurance level and prompts inner cries like "Editor!") "My work lately is more pre-scripted and refined as I perform them. They tend to not be politcal, but more social comentary while critiquing myself and hopefully getting a few laughs.  Pieces like 'That Girl Can Take A Shit In My Car Anytime"' - JSInk: Sounds like a weepy moment - "and 'Jungblood Just Wanted To get Drunk' are more slice-of-life bits. I've also been working on a new release titled 'The Worst of Duncan Wilder Johnson,' where I'll re-release some old stuff for digital download with some brand new stuff.  When I had the idea to do this [series], I listened back to my old stuff and thought, 'This is good, but this other track could be better.'  So, I'm re-performing some old pieces with my older/wiser/better performer self and exploring the differences, while also recording brand new stuff."

What are some appropriately bold adjectives? "Here ya go," says Johnson. "The audience will burst with  laughter, swoon with serious subject matter, and ultimately have a Sunday afternnon like no other.
 

"Having this once a month series is also part of my working process," Johnson says. "With a show looming in the same city each month, the pressure is on for me to write like a bastard, which I enjoy.

The April 18 gig, says Johnsonn, is with "Tim McIntire - comedian, owner of Mottley's Comedy Blub, and Michael T. Fournier - author of 'double nickels on the dime' about the minutemen record of the same name. Mike also taught the history of punk rock at tufts for a few semesters. The first one went well. The attendance was spotty because of the monsoon, but I expected that."

 Each show is $5, 18+, and be a matinee (3:00 doors, over by 7:00). Each show will feature a traditional comedian and a non-comedian (writer, performace artist, musician telling a story, etc....). Johnson says one of his goals with this series is "to showcase the genre of spoken word as simply as it is: a person, a microphone, maybe a piece of paper. And then hear the different voices and different styles as they all tackle the same problem: How can I make this 'work'?"

3 Harvard St., Allston, 617-782-6425 www.obrienspubboston.com