Music, Live Poetry & Cake Cutting | Lobby & Keystone Club

Fri, May 08

ROBERT JOHNSON BIRTHDAY WEEKEND Music, Live Poetry and Cake Cutting Time: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM Location: Lobby and Keystone Club Address: 205 E Houston St. San Antonio, TX 78205 FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC - RSVP REQUIRED Join us in the lobby and Keystone Bar for a special Robert Johnson Birthday Celebration — an open, come-as-you-are gathering honoring the legacy of the blues legend in the very place where his sound lives on. The evening will feature a curated vinyl set of Robert Johnson and classic blues by our Vinyl Ambassadors, Gibby Diaz & Nicholas Sabala setting the tone as guests gather over signature Robert Johnson-inspired cocktails, along with complimentary birthday cake and coffee served while supplies last. The program continues with a live original poem by Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson, written specifically for this occasion, followed by a crowd-led rendition of “Happy Birthday” in honor of Johnson’s legacy. Guests are invited to stay, connect, and celebrate as we come together to honor one of the most influential figures in music history — with vinyl records and commemorative posters available for purchase throughout the evening. ____ ABOUT THE ARTISTS Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson is a San Antonio native and a Poet Laureate Emeritus of San Antonio, TX. 2020-2023. Her dynamic style’s a fusion of: poetry, hip hop and Rhythm & Blues. She is an award-winning voice actress and teaching artist that enjoys facilitating workshops all over the nation. She has written commissioned works and opened up for Nikki Giovanni, Dr. Cornel West, and Phylicia Rashad. Vocab has authored two published books and is featured in numerous anthologies. A PushcartNominee, some of her awards include: Dream Voice 2018 awarded by The Dream Week Commission, The Arts and Letters Award, 2020, Impact Award 2023, Literary Excellence Award 2024 by Gemini Ink. Best Local Poet 2024, 2023, and 2021, by the San Antonio Current. In 2021, she received an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship for her legacy project The Echo Project, which featured on KLRN. Her albums are available for streaming on all music platforms including: She Tastes Like Music, The Elevated EP, The Reach, Queendom Come. In 2022 & 2023, she received Creation Fund grants from National Performance Network for her theatre production with Lubana Al-Quntar entitled, The Seasoned Woman, a production co-commissioned by The Carver and Art2Action. Vocab has collaborated with Centro San Antonio with the public art pieces of poetry: Elevated Melanin, a tribute to that piece is located in Peacock Alley and more recently Permission to Play, a multidisciplinary mural featuring the art of Barbara Felix located on Commerce Street, in downtown San Antonio and The San Antonio International Airport and Suds to Salvation in the Presence of the Past on San Pedro Creek. Check out her IG: Vocabulous or visit her Facebook Page for more info. Gibby Diaz, Vinyl Ambassador of The Gunter Hotel DJ Gibb is a Texas-based DJ, music curator, and lifelong record collector whose journey through music spans more than 25 years in the music industry. With roots in legendary retail spaces like Tower Records, and Hogwild Records he sharpened his ear as a music buyer, developing a deep, crate-digger’s instinct for albums and hidden gems. His voice has been on the airwaves as an on-air host at Trinity University KRTU 91.7 FM, where he produced and hosted his own show "The Cool Out." Known across Texas for his DJ sets, DJ Gibb blends genres with precision and accuracy. In 2009, his technical skill and creativity earned him top honors as the winner of the Scratch Academy competition in NYC. Today DJ Gibb continues to DJ in the local San Antonio area and serves as the Gunter Hotel's Vinyl Ambassador. Nicholas Sabala, Vinyl Ambassador of The Gunter Hotel Nicolas Sabala is a lifelong musician and passionate record collector, whose journey began at the age of 8. Self-taught on drums, bass guitar, and electric guitar, he later expanded his talents to become a skilled vinyl record collector and DJ. After serving in the US Navy, Nicolas pursued his love for music by earning an associate's degree in music business from San Antonio College. During his studies, he gained invaluable experience interning at StudioE Recording Studio and Texas Public Radio. He also worked at Friends of Sound Records and Magnetic Recordings. These roles provided him with a deep understanding of the record industry and music publishing.