Starting this year, junior Kaiden Luis will be taking over the Matchbox poetry open mic as its new host. He will be succeeding Matchbox’s founder, Jordan Rahmfeld, in organizing Matchbox and ensuring it remains a welcoming space for high school students to perform.
“He was involved in Matchbox from the very beginning and out of everyone, was the most familiar with the ropes,” Jordan said.
“Having an MC is a big part of Matchbox,” performer sophomore Mazie Reidy said. “Kaiden’s a huge people person. He’s really funny and he’s got that quick wit that makes a good MC.”
Matchbox has always been hosted at Red Rock Coffee, a downtown Mountain View cafe known for live performances. When he became the new host, Kaiden contacted the Red Rock’s manager to let them know.
“It’s nerve-wracking to walk into a room with an adult and say, hey, I’m the teenager who’s going to be running an event at your location,” Kaiden said. “But the manager is very thrilled that young people are able to use her space to promote the arts.”
And that’s what Matchbox is — a space for the arts both organized and used by young people.
“Matchbox is the only open-mic I’ve seen that’s entirely teens,” Mazie said. “When it’s kids my age, I feel like I’m going to be respected and I feel like they’re going to get where I’m coming from, which is something that adults might not understand as much.”
“It’s so gratifying,” performer junior Calia Kim said. “Everyone cheers for you and congratulates you, and it’s a really supportive space.”
As news of Matchbox largely spreads through student connections, much of the audience consists of friends there to support performers. Kaiden plans on sharing this supportive space with more people, and with the passion needed to make each show better, Jordan believes he’s the perfect fit to guide Matchbox.
“I’m sad that my time as the Matchbox host ended, but I’m so excited for the future,” Jordan said. “I’m so proud of the show, its performers, audience, and amazing new host.”
The lineup for the next Matchbox, scheduled for tomorrow at 6:00 p.m., has both returners and first-time performers preparing for the event. Anyone interested to watch the event is welcome and encouraged to attend.
For more information about Matchbox, visit their Instagram page @thematchbox.openmic.
