The 1990 event was held, but the Man was never burned due to the arrival and intervention of the park police (read about the event here). Cacophony members helped with the construction, hosting a pre-burn event, and providing some security for the event by posting members with walkie-talkies to watch for police. The following year, Cacophony’s involvement expanded, with a call for volunteers. In June 1989, Cacophony first advertised the Baker Beach Burn to be held on June 24, the Saturday following the June 21 summer solstice. Returning to Covina would be a trip to a Zone a place of uncomfortable oddness, Covina did not hold a fond place in Carrie’s heart she remembered smog, police harassment, the lack of diversity and moreover an emphasis on conformity. She learned that Phil Bewley, a fellow member has from her home town of Covina, and decided to host the club’s first road trip there.
![santa archy santa archy](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TSDHhEeEvWk/TTEHNg-6ZCI/AAAAAAAAJ1M/KmYlSUD74Jo/s1600/5355886756_e25cdbb853_b.jpg)
In the Zone the men seek “the Room” a place rumored to fulfill one’s most deeply held desires.Ĭarrie had been actively hosting Cacophony events, and had desired to do an out-of-town excursion.
SANTA ARCHY FULL
In late 1990, Alexander put forth his views on the club and its directions, and solicited member input (the full exchange is archived here).Ĭarrie Galbraith was a Cacophony member that developed a taste for Russian literature and film making, who became nearly obsessed with the film Stalker , Andrei Tarkovsky’s poetically beautiful and visually striking film, in which two men are led by a guide into forbidden zone, where the mysterious and bizarre are common place. Some viewed the lack of openness to lead to a stale membership base (see the announcement of the SFSC’s demise here). Nonetheless, by the time of its demise, almost all of its events were being hosted by a small group of people. The SFSC had become very insular, avoiding publicity and having virtually no rules and no formal management. They discussed what they wanted to be, what elements of the SFSC they wanted to incorporate and where they wanted to be different. The first meeting of the club consisted of Jean Moshofsky, Louise Jarmilowicz, Lance Alexander, Louis Brill, Sandy Hatch, Saffron Jeziorski, Joe Weinstein and John “Pepper” Dowdell. (Lance later proposed “Cacophony Society” as the organization’s name, keeping Rough Drafts as the name of their newsletter.) They, along with other former SFSC members that had been mulling the idea of a new club met over coffee to discuss ideas and in September 1986, Lance Alexander penned the original manifesto for the group, using “Rough Draft” as a placeholder name (see insert). In August 1986, Louis Brill contacted Lance Alexander inviting him to participate in discussion about forming a new group. Whimsical shenanigans, tomfoolery, and hi jinx were the modes of operation of the Cacophony Society.įollowing the end of the San Francisco Suicide Club (SFSC) in 1983, several former members began to discuss what would become the Cacophony Society. Neither of these acts was meant to be political, they were meant to be works of art and fun. They held a pigeon roast next to a PETA protest in Union Square and staged a Republican rally in People’s Park (ground zero for hippies in Berkeley). While transgression or and law breaking was accepted, overt political statements were discouraged. At the Bay to Breakers run in San Francisco, people dress in salmon costumes and run in the opposite direction as the racers in a Cacophony tradition, now adopted by the wider public. They paraded the streets as a legion of drunken Santas, which continued for many years Santarchy and SantaCon.
![santa archy santa archy](https://s.hdnux.com/photos/07/32/76/1945510/3/1200x0.jpg)
Once they set up a booth offering “Free Casts-arms or legs.” They claimed that a fake injury was all the rage, and they would offer to help passers-by come up with an epic tale to explain their improvised misfortunes.
![santa archy santa archy](https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/glad-jul-21290965.jpg)
They outlined bodies on sidewalks and glued toasters to walls. The Cacophony Society combined art and theater in mischievous ways. Special Note: The definitive and out-of-print book, Tales of the SF Cacophony Society is being reprinted and will be available in soft-cover on J.