Just got a batch of excellent photos from Andrea Brunson, who documented Escalator Fest 2009 at the Lo-Fi Performance Gallery and the Vera Project. Escalator Fest returns in 2010 on October 22 and 23 at the Lo-Fi Performance Gallery in Seattle, WA.

Lots more photos after the jump.

Read more…

Friday September 3, 2010 7pm at Elliott Bay Book Company Ralph Metzner will speak about the good old days of experimentation way back in the 1960′s.

Ralph Metzner, veteran (with Ram Dass and Timothy Leary, among others) of the experimentation with mind-altering substances at Harvard, speaks about his experiences in those early days, as chronicled in his new book, Birth of a Psychedelic Culture: Conversations about the Harvard Experiments, Leary, Millbrook and the Sixties (Synergetic Press). Ram Dass and Gary Bravo are co-authors. Co-founder of the Green Earth Foundation, Ralph Metzner also practices psychotherapy and is professor emeritus at the California Institute of Integral Studies. His many books include Alchemical Divination and MindSpace and TimeStream.

Music for heads.

More molten fonts of doom courtesy of the phantasmic Darwin Rodriguez

9pm @the Josephine-
Audiwasska Travelers
Macrocosm (PDX)
Lethe
Tiny Light

This Moonday July 26th we fill the Funhouse with molten puddles of oozing sonic mind-melt.
Tecumseh (PDX featuring Garek*story of rats* Druss)
Barn Owl (SF Thrill Jockey)
Tiny Light (w/ special guest David Golightly of Midday Veil)
Adam Svenson (Dull Knife, Du Hexen Hase)
Projections by Portable Shrines Light Show Society

Peaking Lights are on tour but alas I will have to settle for this fascinating film as they are not traveling to my mizrable and goshforsaken burg. Perhaps you are a luckier sort. Check out the whole “Sound Builders” series though it’s pretty nice…

7/27/10 – The Crepe Place, Santa Cruz, CA w/ Pocahaunted + Mi Ami

7/28/10 – Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco, CA, w/ Pocahaunted + Mi Ami+ Late Young

7/29/10 – Muddy Water’s Cafe, Santa Barbara, CA w/ Pocahaunted + Mi Ami

7/30/10 – The Bootleg Theater, LA, w/ Pocahaunted + Mi Ami

8/2/10 – Echo Curio, LA w/Ged Gengras, Sun Araw, Metal Rouge, Robedoor

8/3/10 – Tin Can House, San Diego, CA – w/Metal Rouge

8/4/10 – Tempe, AZ w/Metal Rouge

8/5/10 – Albuquerque, NM w/Metal Rouge

8/6/10 – Denver, CO w/Metal Rouge

8/7/10 – Kansas City, MO w/Metal Rouge

8/8/10 – The Mill, Iowa City, IA w/Metal Rouge

8/9/10 – Minneapolis, MN w/Metal Rouge

8/10/10 – Madison, WI

Kalling all kool kustomers- this friday at the Comet, it’s Mamma Casserole’s Rock and Roll Circus! featuring:
Purple Rhinestone Eagle, The Curious Mystery, Nudity, The Night Beats and Tiny Light
Projections by Portable Shrines and additional sounds from the one and only DJ Randy Travis
Starts 8pm, so show up early for tiny light and night beats. Please dress appropriately inappropriately…

I think it goes without saying that we are seriously geeked up about this new series of early experimental films showing this month at the Northwest Film Forum. Extremely rare, beautiful and positively groundbreaking films from the likes of Oskar Fischinger, Mary Ellen Bute, Jordan Belson and a panel discussion which “explores the little-known history of experimental films and light shows in the Seattle area in the late 1960s and early 70s, and celebrates the pioneers of this funky, techno-folk multi-media art form.”

And now another spirited rant from Mr. John Gillanders, here’s his latest installment of “Extra Dimensional”…

If you were to think of our species as united cosmically as one being, which is something that most of our religions and prominent neuronauts have been telling us since the beginning of what we perceive as time – plotlines begin to emerge that don’t necessarily involve self destruction. In not listening to these viewpoints, we’ve separated ourselves from our own eternal nature and the essence of time. We’re kind of like an idiot savant that can program the shit out of a computer but couldn’t get a date if his life depended on it. Another way of putting it is that we’re becoming increasingly and dangerously unbalanced as an individual; a work-a-holic who’s career success has blinded him to the fact that his personal life is in shambles. This unbalance has produced some hilarious and mind blowingly horrific enchantments, but we need to diversify our science now more than ever. Pleasure rather than violence. Cooperation rather than competition. Self love rather than self hatred. Biology rather than synthetics. DMT rather than prozac. Read more…

Over at Reality Sandwich activist Charles Shaw has been posting his novel Exile Nation, which I have been rabidly following and highly suggest if you are interested in the nightmare that is our penal system. He has uploaded The Secret History of the War on Drugs, a 14 part video that ties into the novel. Check it out…

This month we are excited to feature Moon Duo- a new project from Ripley of the Wooden Shjips.

The fine folks at Arthur recently posted a killer tune by Moon Duo- Check it.

And now a real mind blower from Soundlessdawn. You really should check out the Labyrinth of the Psychonaut for more information…

Have you been wishing for a queer/ fantasy/ Magic/ DnD/ Metal fest?

Well…TOMORROW (11/28) in North Portland it is on! workshops include: Witchcraft 101, Let the Muthaf***a Burn: Intro to Candle Magic, Image Magic: Intro to the history and uses of Tarot, and Hand/Palm Reading.

PLUS…Purple Rhinestone Eagle, Northern Swords, and Forsorcerers and playing it. Damn, Portland is cool.

FANTASY QUEST!

urban farming done right in Australia….

http://www.realitysandwich.com/urban_farming_revolution

http://www.sustainablemelbourne.com/models/ceres-urban-orchard/

Tonight Saturday 10/16 the imminent Kurt Vile returns to Seattle (this time with his band the Violators) along w/ Eat Skull, the Whines and Charles Leo Gebhardt IV. At the High Dive in Fremont…

Coming November 1st- A Portable Shrines Dia de los Muertos show w/ Blues Control, Little Claw and Brother Raven at the Funhouse. Blues Control (of Queens, NY) have been gifting the world with unique and  amazing jams on reputable labels such as Holy Mountain, SiltBreeze and Sub Pop for some time now but I believe this rare appearance in the NW is their first journey to these parts. Don’t miss it, cousins.

Little Claw are one of Kim and Thurston’s fave bands (he just put out there 2nd album on Ecstatic Peace) and they leave a trail of fire in their wake wherever they go. Check out some of their new tunes HERE.

Little Claw in the light of day...

Brother Raven are a local Seattle duo who deserve your undivided attention. Their analog virtuosity will take you on an awesome voyage through the pineapple portal and into interstellar space. Dig up on that shit right HERE.