One show that comes to mind was a campout in Saratoga Springs. It is an annual mini techno festival organized by radical queers from San Francisco called GHT (or Gays Hate Techno), and it features artists and musicians from all over the United States. The setting is at a natural reserve where the main stage is a farmhouse featuring a mix of live and DJ acts.
I had just rushed to the event after completing my last day at work, ending a decade’s long career working a desk job in San Francisco. I thought the best way to celebrate this milestone was a live show with real analogue gear from my studio like an Octave Cat, LinnDrum, or a Roland Juno-60. At some point in my performance, I started singing into the vocoder and the audience took their enthusiasm to another level. It was a scene right out of Ken Keasy’s Merry Pranksters – like a real freak out straight outta the ‘60s.
Shortly after my set, I dropped acid and had a twelve-hour cathartic experience on the farm questioning my life choices, thinking about my family, wondering what I was doing there, figuring out why I couldn’t move from my tent, how much time had passed, did I make the right decision, why does the music I’m listening to right now sound like this, did I say something weird, are these my friends, should I have another tequila shot, how will I face the world, who is that looking at me on the other side of the window (oh, that’s my reflection), and so on and so forth...