The "Mercy me: Psychedelia" Edition :: Issue #070

Rusty’s Electric Dreams :: Issue #070 :: The “‘Mercy me: Psychedelia” Edition :: 02:03:2016

Rusty’s Electric Dreams, an inbox zine by pop culture activist Rusty Blazenhoff
Issue #070 :: The “Mercy me: Psychedelia” Edition :: 02:03:2016

Mercy me, Psychedelia…

Community. It was asked by a new friend of me recently what I mean when I refer to my “community.”

Good question. I haven’t had a good answer for that in the past but then it spilled out of my mouth. I answered him, “Well, the world is my community.”

When I spoke at Oakland Rotary Club last year, I described it in a different way, “We are all cool kids, unless you’re a jerk.”

I truly believe that. You’re “in” unless you’re a jerk.

Let’s not be jerks, especially in the way others have been jerks to us. Pinky promise?

—

So… last week, on the anniversary of becoming “Rusty Blazenhoff,” I gave myself a new title, “Professional Free Spirit.”

Then, I got a lovely package in the mail from Danger Ranger. In the package, he typed out the SF Cacophony Society’s manifesto:

“The Cacophony Society is a randomly gathered network of free spirits united in the pursuit of experiences beyond the pale of mainstream society.”

And then, boom! Mind blown.

Folks, I want to be a “Professional Cacophonist” when I grow up. 🙂

—

If you haven’t experienced the joy that is Mark Growden’s Calling All Choir, I highly suggest you do. Their next performance at Mission Dolores Basilica in San Francisco is June 11th and 12th.

—

San Francisco Bay Area friends, if you want to spend your money on cannabis at a place that TRULY cares, do yourself a favor and drop it at BASA. It’s the real deal!

—
Last, but certainly not least, this month’s artist-in-residence is the very-talented author Benjamin Wachs. I am honored to have him here.

Have a great week, all!

— Rusty Blazenhoff

p.s. My friend Jovino is looking for new work (Graphic Design, User Interface, Web Design, Clothing design, manufacturing, and tailoring).! Here’s his portfolio.

p.s.s. My friend Hunter started college this year and has just opened her first online store… take a look!

“Thank you for providing the BEST email I get each week. I’m always inspired to click links, buy tickets, invite artists to visit! Your signal and celebration of the weird & wonderful is mighty. Thank you!”

— Elliotte Bowerman,
founder of The Unicorn Estate and Project Unihorn

This space intentionally left merciful

As seen on the Internets

Alex Markow

:: “A dean from MIT is starting a radical new university with no majors, lectures, or classrooms”
:: http://qz.com/a-dean-from-mit-is-starting-a-radical-new-university

:: Temple of Art: Permission, a film that “looks at what it means to be an artist, how to fail beautifully, and proceed with courage.” Thanks, Amanda!
:: https://www.facebook.com/templeofartdocumentary/videos/

:: Fiddler’s Green Peculiar Parish Magazine, a new pamphlet series by Clint Marsh
:: http://www.wonderella.org/publications/pamphlets/fiddlersgreen.htm

:: “Sexy Motha”: I’ve watched this about 8 times so far Thanks, Tess!
:: https://www.facebook.com/JoeGordonLevitt/videos/1059224357434561

:: Goth emojis Thanks, Gareth!
:: http://bust.com/living/15514-send-grotesque-texts-with-these-new-goth-emojis.html

:: Caramel Fluff exists! Thanks, Diana F-W!
:: http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/empire-bespoke-expands-marshmallow-fluff-spreads

:: “Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin,” a feature documentary of the 86-year-old author
:: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/arwencurry/worlds-of-ursula-k-le-guin

:: Growgirl: The Blossoming of an Unlikely Outlaw, a book by Heather Donahue (2012)
:: http://amzn.to/1nJ8L27

:: Hilarious video: “Case Study: LSD” (1969)
:: https://youtu.be/7cSxbAKgjH8 Thanks, Ken!

:: “Gillian Welch on the healing power of road trips…”
:: http://www.theguardian.com/gillian-welch-on-the-healing-power-of-road-trips

:: Well, duh: Alcohol is the real gateway drug
:: https://www.washingtonpost.com/the-real-gateway-drug-thats-everywhere-and-legal/

The “Burning Man Hair Change Request Form”

Yes, it’s real. 😉

via Jim Graham

Real things you can actually buy: yay!

Artist-in-Residence: Benjamin Wachs

A Guide to Bars and Nightlife in the Sacred City

“I first discovered the sacred city just before the turn of the millennium, when I was a freelance nightlife reporter for Playboy.com. I was traveling across America, and then Europe, and then Russia, and then the MIddle East, waking up each morning not knowing which city I would fall asleep in. I would dream of Venice before drinking at Belgian bars, and have visions of Jerusalem in Prague. Cities became pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, connecting in ways that you could not see on a map to reveal the secret order of the universe.”

— An excerpt from A Guide to Bars and Nightlife in the Sacred City,
a book by February’s Artist-in-Residence Benjamin Wachs

———

“A collection of provocative, brain-teasing and magical short stories, –sassy, brainy, soul-searching, sexy, longing, yearning –” and risk-taking.”

— Leslie Katz, San Francisco Examiner

“Benjamin Wachs reveals a distinctive and highly personal flair for storytelling that will engage the reader’s total and rapt attention throughout. As thoughtful and thought-provoking as they are solidly entertaining, the short stories comprising “A Guide to Bars and Nightlife in the Sacred City” are highly recommended and rewarding reading.”

— Midwest Book Review

Thanks, Mirabelle Jones!

Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence grants

Apply for a small grant from the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence!

Events of note

Cosmic Cavern

[Until 4/3] Kenny Scharf: Cosmic Cavern, Portland, Oregon

Netflix
[3/18] Pee-wee’s Big Holiday premieres on Netflix

Online and IRL
[3/21] Patience, a new graphic novel by Daniel Clowes

Various cities in the USA
[Until 4/23] Lily Tomlin

[Soon] Neko Case is on tour

Austin, Texas
[3/18] Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion

[3/11-3/15] SXSW Interactive

Berkeley, California
[3/2] Lost Landscapes of Oakland, California with Rick Prelinger, 3:10 PM

[3/26] Heather Gold’s “Everything Is Subject to Change” – One Night Only

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
[2/8] NCCAF presents Science Comedian Brian Malow, 7 PM [Tickets]

Denver, Colorado
[2/3-2/5] Women Grow Summit

East Park Reservoir in Colusa County, California
[5/20-5/26] Camp Tipsy

Gibsonton, Florida
[2/9-2/13] International Independent Showmen’s Tradeshow Thanks, Joyce!

Houston, Texas
[4/9] The 29th Annual Houston Art Car Parade

Lake Iseo, Italy
[6/18 to 7/3] Christo’s Floating Piers

Las Vegas
[Ongoing] Akhob, an immersive “Ganzfeld effect” experience by artist James Turrell at Louis Vuitton [by appt only: 702-730-3150] HIGHLY recommended!

Lisbon, Portugal
[11/7-11/10] Web Summit 2016

London
[July 2016] EVA London 2016

Los Angeles

[2/4] A Skate Night for David Bowie at Moonlight Rollerway, Glendale

[2/14] The Los Angeles International Pen Show Thanks, Michael!

[2/18-2/20] Pez Con Thanks, Jovino!

[2/27] The Edwardian Ball

[3/19] Crispin Glover Live! 10th anniversary Part 1 and Part 2 of IT trilogy

[3/24] Cat Art Show LA 2: The Sequel at Think Tank Gallery

[4/1-4/3] Roaring Twenties Weekend 2016 [Tickets]

Marble Falls, Texas
[10/7-10/10] Camp Grounded

Melbourne, Australia
beinArt Gallery opens in early 2016

[2/20] White Night Melbourne

Napa Valley, California
[5/27-5/29] BottleRock [Tickets]

New York City
“From Bumper Cars to Torah Taxidermy: A Guide to 25 of Brooklynâ€™s Most Unusual Museums”

[Ongoing] Sleep No More at The McKittrick Hotel

[Ongoing] The Ferry Play on the Staten Island Ferry, $1.99

[Dates in January] Broken Bone Bathtub, Siobhan O’Loughlin’s immersive theater experience, various bathtubs in NYC

[Dates through March] 8Players, an immersive roleplaying experience, Secret locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan, 21+ [Tickets]

[2/5-2/7] Versailles 2016 at a secret location in Hastings on Hudson, by En Garde Arts [Tickets]

[2/19-2/23] Insignificance by Terry Johnson, Langham Place Hotel, Manhattan [Tickets]

[Until 3/27] Then She Fell, An immersive theater experience combining a hospital ward, the writings of Lewis Carroll, and only 15 audience members per show [Tickets]

Oakland

[2/4-2/6] Oakland Fair: Play at Frank Ogawa Plaza

[2/5] Before the Fire: Art Murmur at American Steel Studios

[2/7] Community event: Pie Day at Humanist Hall, 390 27th St., Oakland, 1 PM to 6 PM

[2/12 and 2/13] Hot Couture: Alchemy & Ardor at The Crucible, [Tickets]

[2/14] Romance in the Redwoods at Redwood Regional Park at Canyon Meadow Staging Area, 2 PM to 5 PM, drop-in program

[3/5 and 3/6] Oakland Museum’s White Elephant Sale, Free

[6/25-6/26] Burger Boogaloo, Mosswood Park [Tickets]

Palm Springs, California
[2/13] Charles Phoenix Space Age Slide Show at Palm Springs Art Museum, 10 AM [Tickets]

[7/8-7/11] Yes and Yes Yes (YxYY) at the Ace Hotel, a “summer retreat for anyone who considers themselves a thinker, maker, creator, nerd, or weirdo.”

Paris, France
Editor’s note: Last January I had the good fortune to spend the night in an artist’s yurt. My photos from that visit will be included in this show…in PARIS!
[4/13-8/29] Habiter le Campement, CitÃ© de l’architecture & du patrimoine au Palais de Chaillot

Portland, Oregon
[Until 4/3] Kenny Scharf: Cosmic Cavern Thanks, Michael! Great one!

[8/11-8/15] World Domination Summit [Tickets]

Provincetown, Massachusetts
[8/13-8/19] Carnival 2016: Back to the 80â€™s

Riverside, California
[5/20-5/22] Beyond Brookledge at the Galleria at the Mission Inn

San Francisco
[Until 2/10] San Francisco Tape Music Festival 2016 [Tickets]

[Until 2/26] Ellingson & Wertz at Mule Gallery, Opening reception on 2/5 from 6 pm to 9 pm

[2/3-3/5] SOS San Francisco events Thanks, Broke-Ass Stuart!

[2/3] An Evening with Cheryl Strayed at Herbst Theatre, 7 PM [Tickets]

[2/5] IN THE RED, a gallery party and silent auction at SOMArts, San Francisco, to help fund the Flaming Lotus Girls’ next big project

[2/6] Barbary Coast Burlesque at Doc’s Lab

[2/9] Odd Salon: TIME at DNA Lounge, 7 PM [Tickets]

[2/10] Pussy Riot at the Warfield [Tickets]

[2/10-2/13] Fog City Magic Fest at EXIT Theatre

[2/11] Digital Detox’s Analog Dating Night, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM, Soma Street Food Park [Tickets]

[2/11] Playful Get-To-Know-You Experiences: Tangible Possibility (Lea Redmond) & Appetite Obscure, 6:30 PM

[2/11] Monica Lewinsky at JCCSF

[2/13] Bawdy Storytelling’s NINTH Anniversary Shows! Congrats, Dixie!
Bawdy Storytelling: Unforgettable, early show 7 PM at Verdi Club [Tickets]
Bawdy Storytelling: The Best of, late show 10 PM at Verdi Club [Tickets]

[2/11-3/5] Miss Behaveâ€™s Game Show at Greek Star Theatre [Tickets]

[2/13-2/14] International Cannabis Business Conference, discounted tix available at BASA, 1326 Grove

[2/12-2/14] Reveal All Fear Nothing: A Journey in Sex, Love, Porn and Feminism at SF Armory

[2/24] A Tribute to Aunt Charlieâ€™s “Beautiful by Night”, 6:30 PM

[3/4] Dead Kennedys at the Fillmore [Tickets]

[3/19 and 3/20] San Francisco Pop-up Ball pit Bar at the Romper Room

[4/14-4/15] The Chocolate and Art Show at SOMarts

[4/16] SFMOMA to reopen

[4/21-4/24] The Gray Area Festival, a conference, performances, workshops, and an exhibition surveying culture through the lens of art and technology

[6/12-6/13] Season finale of Calling All Choir at Mission Dolores Basilica

[6/24-6/26] New Games with John Law

[7/10] Cocktail Robotics Grand Challenge at DNA Lounge [Tickets]

[7/23] The Murray Invitational. A Bill Murray Art Exhibition and Golf Party at Public Works

[8/5-8/7] Outside Lands, Golden Gate Park

[10/13] Brian Wilson presents Pet Sounds – Celebrating the 50th Anniversary, 8 PM [Tickets]

[10/2017] 50th Anniversary of the Summer of Love

Seattle
“The Obscure, the Charming and the Odd: Mark Pahlow’s Guide to Seattle”

Sun Valley, Idaho
[3/20-3/23/2016] DENT

Spain
[7/4-7/10] Nowhere

Victoria, Australia
[2/5] DADA lives! 1916-2016

HEY YOU, YES YOU
If YOU would like to co-curate an issue of Rusty’s Electric Dreams, I’d love to hear your idea! Please email me: rusty@blazenhoff.com.

Know about a cool event? Share it. I’ll do my best to include it in the next issue.

“The creative adult is the child who has survived.”

— Ursula K. Le Guin

“Psychedelics are illegal not because a loving government is concerned that you may jump out of a third story window. Psychedelics are illegal because they dissolve opinion structures and culturally laid down models of behaviour and information processing. They open you up to the possibility that everything you know is wrong.”

— Terence McKenna

Psychedelic Butterfly by tracyrf

Rusty’s Electric Dreams is a weekly inbox zine by Rusty Blazenhoff. These personally curated missives are beacons to signal and celebrate the global tribe of weird, wonderful, and “different” people (“the Others“).

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