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• Sage Francis
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Sage Francis, with Atmosphere, Child and 5th Column, Thursday, February 8, at the Boulder Theater, may not look like a poet in the Wordsworth tradition. Still, his work -- a combination of battle rap and a poetry slam -- has earned him a rightful place in the artful hip-hop underground. Francis's piece, "Mullet," about a boy who eschews the rock-and-roll lifestyle for beatboxes and microphones, was among the works that helped him win the ESPN Poetry Slam during last year's Winter X games. Similarly touted are his tourmates in Atmosphere: MCs Slam and Eyedea, and DJ Abilities. In 1997, when he was only 17, Eyedea reigned as the champion of Scribble Jam, a meeting of the minds -- and mikes; Abilities has lived up to his name in regional turntable competitions throughout the United States. Thursday's show is a chance to view forward-thinking artists in motion as they perform feats of skill and intellect.