“Altering perception alters the claims reality makes on you."
– Erik Davis
– Erik Davis
"The only way to do great work is to love what you do."
It's that time of year again – when I cast myself out onto the open road and throw myself wholeheartedly into the blessing and crucible of festival season. Part fishing expedition, part pilgrimage, I cherish this season for all of the new friends made and old friends revisited, the meditation of the highway, the sizzle and fervor of the festival weekend.
This year I'm not only playing music and live painting, but giving talks on entertainment as social action and leading open discussions on transformational sobriety at festivals across the country. My summer tour calendar is below. I hope to see you out there...in the meantime, enjoy the abundance of music, art, and ideas I have for you in this newsletter. May they alter the claims reality makes on you.
Thank you so much for reading and listening!
Guest Appearance on Skytree's New Album
The opening track of crystalline bass wizard Skytree's new album Cirrus Sapiens features some glitchy guitar and ukulele courtesy of yours truly – along with samples from ethnobotanist Dennis McKenna talking about the curious part of our brain responsible for religious experiences. Check out "God Detector," and the rest of this amazing album, here. LostInSound.org gave it a great review you can read here.
Visionary Plant Medicines – Panel Discussion
This February I was lucky enough to participate in a panel discussion on indigenous plant medicine traditions, modern entheogenic experiences, and the future of human consciousness with documentary directors Rak Razam (Aya Awakenings) and Mitch Schultz (DMT: The Spirit Molecule). Stream or download our far-ranging conversation for free here.
In this video excerpt from the discussion, I explain how a DMT trip in 2008 taught me about mind, nature, and reality:
New Visionary Guitar Electronica Live Sets
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Upbeat, cinematic, invigorating – great for a "getting things done" montage or a drive across the sunset. I was honored to be the first musical guest for Create Culture, a new First Wednesdays monthly by the Third Coast Visions art collective here in Austin at Lanai Rooftop Lounge. About a dozen of us get together for live painting to DJs and the occasional live musical act in a slick upstairs open-air nightclub.
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Real bluesy and deep. A performance at Wake the Dead Coffee House (San Marcos, TX) supporting Texas Wild Rice Festival – improvised to live visuals by Topher Sipes of ARTheism, featuring Ashleigh Stone on vocals & George Matthews on human beatbox.
Custom Painted Hats
This hat and the one below were painted as a pair for a couple that loves hummingbirds. Since my own recent hummingbird visitation on a hike in the gorgeous Texas hill country – and because it is the spirit animal of Sonic Bloom Festival, my longest-running annual festival engagement – these beautiful birds have been on my mind a lot of late.
Metaphysically they represent love, joy, buoyancy...a kiss from the sky. But my paleontologist friend once pointed out to me that they're always on a sugar high from all the nectar and extremely territorial – if they were the size of turkeys we would fear them. Funny how that works.
My Summer Festival Calendar
Every year I get better at picking only the juiciest, heartiest, most dialed-in transformational festivals to give my time, love, and energy. These events are some of the finest boutique small festivals in the country. Look them up if you're not familiar – good things are happening everywhere, these days!
