Solstice/Convergence 2023

[japhy]

The dates are June 23-25. There will be numerous events going on around the valley which we will participate in. Defix got a request from a former KU professor who is a member of the Iron Tribe to do something....in his words...."canned snake. Dog food cans stacked on a vertically curved steel rod. Each can is filled with thermite and steel shot. Ignited at the top there would be a cascade of steel pouring down into a mould of a snake."

I can't really put my head around what the fuck this all means, but I like it a lot! There are also art dept. people at Adams State in Alamosa, CO who are members of this organization as well. They are already pretty excited about Solstice, but this might light a fire under them as well.

In case you don't know what the Iron Tribe is ( I didn't until recently either) this video gives you a bit of insight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OQzbsm5N_c

[pdub]

So June 23rd AND July 31st?

[japhy]

On the same date as the Solstice event this reVision installation will open in nearby Fort Garland. There will be an after-party and Chip and some of his crew will be in the Empire to participate in the festivities. The will be a convergence of artists from around the world in the Empire that weekend and we will be providing a big ass space for them to gather and talk and party. Hence the name for this year's event Solstice/Convergence.

https://www.historycolorado.org/exhibit ... s-revision

[japhy]

So June 23rd AND July 31st?

I told everyone earlier, I am a busy muthafuckah.

We have maybe three events planned for this summer. Not everyone can make, or has interest in, every one of them. Except me of course cuz I plan and sponsor this shit.

Solstice is an annual thing and will continue for an indeterminate period of time. Crimson/Blue Fest is a one off thing cuz there was some thought that it needed to happen and sooner rather than later. The thing coming later in the year will likely be a harvest festival.

This is why I wanted to get everyone on board who is interested in the Crimson/Blue Fest to commit, cuz I have a lot of balls in the air this summer. Each event has a lot of moving parts and there is real money involved.

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This is the third event associated with our "convergence", "orisons" which will be in nearby Hooper CO. It doesn't officially open until June 25 but it sounds like we can get a sneak peek on June 23.

https://rain-mag.com/marguerite-humeau- ... he-desert/

[japhy]

So we are sitting in my office at the Saturday morning art coffee gathering and we are discussing the logistics of having thermite in dog food cans and how to engage with the local police department ahead of time. About halfway thru coffee I get a text from artist Ron Rael, it says simply "Thermite and dog food cans!!Yes!". In the discussion a local art impresario mentions "Survival Research Laboratories" and how the leader of that group got half his hand burned off while making solid rocket fuel. Sounds like a cautionary tale there, I should look into that shit.

So I roam the interwebs in search of this "SRL" group and find out they started in SF in the early 80's. My first thought was, "hey I know somebody who was a out there at the time". So I text Defix...because, like a moth to a flame....and nailed it.

Defix: "I used to hang out with them in their shop--Matt, Eric, and Mark. My friend Patrick used to walk through the commuter train tunnels high as fuck around 3:30 in the morning and find dead animals. They'd skin them and drape the skins over tiny machines. They're all pretty cool....I saw just about every performance..... My favorites were the crossbow and the buzz saw arm..... Their explosions were something to honor."

I expected nothing less from my adopted big brother.

There was a follow up query from Defix....."are they coming to Center?" My first thought was, we would need a much bigger yard.

But there is an old military training runway out in the desert north of town, but then I really feel like I could use both of my hands right now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cp7aD0q63g&t

[Shirley]

"...this is dedicated to the guilt they should have felt, but never did..."

Great story about Defix.

Not too surprised.

[japhy]

I spoke to the City Manager yesterday. He likes the idea of setting off thermite in the middle of town. We will both be at an economic development conference in Loveland CO next week so we can discuss how to engage the police and fire departments to get them on board. The police sometimes show up at Solstice just to hang out, and to keep an eye on Overlander. They brought the drug dog in once and K9 got his ass kicked by Udoka. Dok don't like drug dogs sniffing around the place.

[Overlander]

The police sometimes show up at Solstice just to hang out, and to keep an eye on Overlander.-As they should.
Dok don't like drug dogs sniffing around the place.-I wonder why?

[japhy]

A quick update on Solstice/Convergence, the arts group (Black Cube) from Denver that had the Frontier Drive Inn reserved for that weekend has dropped their reservation as their event has been postponed. Our event is still on, and now there are yurts/quonsets at the Frontier available to book that weekend. So if you are thinking about coming out and want to stay at the Frontier, book soon. There are folks from Denver who found out a week ago and they have started booking rooms.

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official poster


no pomp, all circumstance

[KUTradition]

i smell a bait and switch…nothing related to kcrim or KU

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June 23-24 is Solstice

July 31-Aug 1 is Crimson/Blue Fest

I am busy this summer. I am also building out a residence in an old storefront. And there is a still a Harvest Festival to work out the logistics of.

And I have a company to help run but there are enough employees and layers of management these days for that to take care of itself for the most part.

[KUTradition]

i don’t know…seems like a lure to support a bunch of starving-hippy-artist-liberals

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Annie found a party game the other day while sorting the detritus of an office. She asked if she should bring it home...fuck yeah!

The Solstice Party Committee unanimously voted to include it in this year's festivities. It might be an event in our Stoned Olympics.

[Shirley]

"Depressants"?

who knew?

[defixione]

I don't think I've ever had Wild Card. Does anyone know what it does?

[japhy]

I don't think I've ever had Wild Card. Does anyone know what it does?

We used to pass "wild card" pills out at parties in college. I asked every women I knew at KU to save up the week of placebo pills that came with their birth control pills. We put them in a bowl and offered them to everyone as they came in the door and when asked we said, "just take one, you are gonna love this." Many of the women at the parties recognized them and played along as if they were getting high. But most men didn't know what they were taking.

The "wild card" was how fucked up did they think they got. Did they not drink in anticipation of a reaction? Some admitted they got nothing, but most thought the placebo did something wild. I had one guy call up a couple of days later claiming to have tripped balls for two days and wanting to buy more.

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Dance party in the Big Party Garage one week from today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haVaaDLwWvI

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Get ready for a big dose of cumbia psychedelica!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAap4MCq6WY