Bay Area spoken word mainstay Jason Bayani will be at Pipeline Cafe to perform at the First Thursday $100 slam poetry competition and open mic.

Bayani is known for gritty and heart-felt pieces that could be personal, like his Filipino heritage, or perplexing, such as the absurdity of the human condition. His work has earned him a spot on several national slam teams and he was the 2003 San Francisco/Berkeley Grand Slam champion.

The $100 contest is "no rules," which means team pieces, musical accompaniment, cover poems and props are all allowed.

The event takes place July 2 at 8:30 p.m. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and admission is $3 until 8:30 p.m. and $5 after. For more information, call 387-9664, email info@HawaiiSlam.com or visit www.Hawaii.Slam.com