bitethehand.org

Insect Carnival in The Peace Press!

Posted on October 4th, 2008 by The Captain.
Categories: The Boogie Room and Gardens, The Peace and Justice Center, Music, Events, Philosophy, The Pharmakon.

Here is an the article that Bite the Hand and The Boogie Room and Gardens composed for The Peace Press.  Enjoy!

The Insect Carnival
An Experiment Towards Sustainability and Peace
by Bite the Hand Productions &
The Boogie Room and Gardens

On Labor Day weekend, a group of young artists and activists worked together to create an event called “The Insect Carnival.”  For three days and three nights, this do-it-yourself festival celebrated the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. People from all around biked and carpooled to the small farm where The Carnival was held, and shared in a lively and inspired weekend with over 30 music acts, public workshops on poetry and farming, a huge mud pit, bonfires, storytelling, and theater.  It was an event that embraced local art and was created by a local consciousness.

The young people of Sonoma County have been working together for quite some time to create a strong underground community.  We are seriously discussing and implementing principles of sustainability, peace, and self-sufficiency. The time we are living in can be discouraging and fearful, and we are responding to a population that is feeling hopeless and bored.  Events like The Insect Carnival are hopeful expressions of our intention for sustainability through creative expression.

This strong new community has been forming out of the creativity and courage of artists and activists.  The two groups who put on The Carnival have been working hard to steward this growth.  They are called Bite the Hand Productions and The Boogie Room and Gardens…

Bite the Hand Productions is the group that organized the Insect Carnival.  It is a collective of artists who put on local events and produce a monthly publication called “The Pharmakon.”  Bite the Hand works to publicize and comment on local activity, and to help artists and activists connect.  According to their manifesto, “‘Bite the Hand’ means to refuse to be led into a life you had no part in creating and instead find real sustenance in the world around you… to feed yourself.”

The Boogie Room and Gardens is the group that hosted The Insect Carnival.  They are a small group of people who believe that there is beauty in self-reliance and self-representation.  They encourage people to provide for themselves and find the balance between work and play, teaching and learning, under the umbrella of artistic expression.  By creating a space to share arts and skill The Boogie Room encourages others to recreate their own culture.

The Insect Carnival was the product of these two groups and a community that was willing to evolve a simple musical event into something greater. It was an effort to look beyond the huge and costly mega-festivals that seem to dominate the summer and to create a rewarding experience that is more about inspiration than inebriation.  At the Insect Carnival, the performers were part of the community: workers, neighbors, and friends

If you want to stay informed on what we are doing, you can pick up The Pharmakon at coffee shops for free.  There will also be a film coming out titled “Pharmakon” which documents some of Bite the Hand and The Boogie Room.  Now, more than ever, we need to reach out, participate, and make connections with each other.  We hope to inspire others, as we have been inspired.

This is a crucial time to be active in Sonoma County. We are standing at a point of great decision and it will take a sustained effort and an open heart from everyone in order to change our course and protect our future.  The Insect Carnival is a gesture in that direction.  Now, it is time to settle into the dirt, find our roots, and rise up.  It is time to learn how to work together.

To learn more about Bite the Hand Productions, go to www.bitethehand.org or e-mail thepharmakon@gmail.com

To learn more about The Boogie Room and Gardens, go to www.myspace.com/theboogieroom

2 comments.

Insect Carnival 2008

Posted on August 21st, 2008 by The Captain.
Categories: The Boogie Room and Gardens, Immediate Theatre, Annie The Ghost's Art, The Crux, Music, Events, Films, Workshops.

Bite the Hand Productions and The Boogie Room and Gardens invite you to celebrate with us on August 29, 30, and 31 at the Second Annual Insect Carnival! Come camp out with us and share in a weekend of music, theater, workshops, gardening, games, and more!

This is a conscious event that is being held at a private residence. We appreciate your cooperation and your respect. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you attend the celebration:

• We encourage bike riding and camping at the Carnival. Our guided bike rides will be departing from Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, and Cotati. See the schedule for departure times.
• If you cannot bike to the Carnival, please carpool.
• Please show up before 6:30pm if you intend on camping at The Boogie Room.
• Gates close at 10:30pm each night.
• We are asking a $5 donation per day that you attend the Carnival.

We will be having amazing performances in the day and the night! The performances are listed in the order they will be appearing:

• Friday the 29th of August
  • 12:00 noon
    • Guided bike rides leave from Santa Rosa’s Community Market, Sebastopol’s Whole Foods, and Cotati’s Oliver’s Market
    • The Insect Carnival begins!
  • 3:00pm
    • Guided bike ride leaves from Santa Rosa’s Community Market, Sebastopol’s Whole Foods, and Cotati’s Oliver’s Market
  • 3:00-6:30
    • The Crooks, The Mighty Chiplings, Banjomama, Eucalypt, and The Highlands
    • Guided bike ride leaves from Santa Rosa’s Community Market
  • 6:30-7:30
    • “The World’s Biggest Comedy Duo” Improv Comedy Show
  • 7:30-8:30
    • Yarn Arms and Gitar
  • 8:30-9:00
    • “Fire and Ghosts” Storytelling by the Campfire
  • 9:00pm-1:00am
    • The Semi-Evolved Simians, Litany for the Whale, Not to Reason Why, and Goodriddler

• Saturday the 30th of August
  • 10:00am
    • Yoga
  • 12:00 Noon
    • Breakfast and goat-milking
    • Guided bike rides leave from Santa Rosa’s Community Market, Sebastopol’s Whole Foods, and Cotati’s Oliver’s Market
  • 1:00-3:00
    • Mud Wrestling with Laundry Detergent (Batman vs Predator)
  • 3:00pm
    • Guided bike ride leaves from Santa Rosa’s Community Market
  • 3:00-4:30
    • The Haxaw Ditch Dwellers, Travis Hendrix, and Andrew Maurer
    • …and The Free School with Richard Speaks!
  • 4:30-5:00
    • Boogie Room Public Meeting
  • 5:00-8:00
    • Banjomama, Low-Five, Ferocious Few, and Santiago
    • …and workshops on gardening, fermented foods, and cheese-making!
  • 8:00-8:30
    • The Crux Tent Revival, Chapter Two
  • 8:30pm-2:30am
    • Nikos Eliot, Fishbear, A Pack of Wolves, The Iditarod, and DJ Underwater

• Sunday the 31st of August
  • 12:00 Noon
    • Breakfast and Performances
    • Guided bike rides leave from Santa Rosa’s Community Market, Sebastopol’s Whole Foods, and Cotati’s Oliver’s Market
  • 1:00-3:00
    • Lemonade and Open Mic (come play!)
  • 3:00pm
    • Guided bike ride leaves from Santa Rosa’s Community Market
  • 3:00-9:00
    • uMana, Erstwhile Medicine Show, Leila-Anne, Ramon and Jessica, Mark Growden, and Kyle Martin
    • …and a workshops on cheese-making, event-organizing, and goat-milking!
  • 9:00-12:00 midnight
    • I Cut People, Shampoodle, Bill Wild, Brandon the Clown, and The Crux
  • 12:00 midnight
    • “The Pharmakon,” a documentary about Sonoma County

Call us at 707-326-5274 for…
… specific times of performances and workshops!
… directions to The Boogie Room and Gardens!
… help finding carpools and bike rides!
… opportunities to volunteer!

0 comments.

The Iditarod’s Single!

Posted on January 19th, 2008 by The Captain.
Categories: The Boogie Room and Gardens, Needs/Haves, Music, Events.

They’re back in town after a west coast tour… THE IDITAROD!

We’re writing this post to say “welcome back” to one of Sonoma County’s most energetic and talented groups of artists. Max, Guy, and Nick have blown our minds over and over an we look forward to hearing them again (they are playing February 16th at The Boogie Room). You guys are much loved in your hometown.

So, all you Sonoma County folk- support your local artists! Bite the Hand Productions urges anyone and everyone to buy the Iditarod’s new single, “The Horizon.” It is for sale on Lost Lamp Records’ website here: www.myspace.com/lostlamp

0 comments.

Some Thoughts on The Boogie Room and Gardens

Posted on January 12th, 2008 by The Captain.
Categories: The Boogie Room and Gardens, Operation:Venue, Needs/Haves, Local Businesses and Non-Profits, Events, Philosophy.

It was about a year ago that The Boogie Room and Gardens was founded. It has been a crazy whirlwind of activity ever since! What a success! Through the Boogie Room and Gardens, our community has accomplished many things:

We have created a venue of our own. The shows that go on the The Boogie Room stretch the definition of what a house show can be. Here we can see the amazing possibilities that come with having our own space.

We have created our own community garden! Lots of people are getting the opportunity to practice agriculture at the garden at Todd Road. Growing our own food is very important and we are only scratching the surface of The Boogie Room and Gardens’ 10 acres.

We have a team of people who are really working together to build a community. We are talking about the core of this project: Kyle and Kyle, Mark, Ryan, Keri, Andre, Nicko, and Bryce. This crew is doing something very special. They are taking the leap and creating a strong community foundation with one another.

This is a serious step and a big bite. Please, support this community project and donate when you go there. Be sure to bring visiting friends and family there to spread the word.  Also, in the springtime they will be needing volunteers, so contact them and help out!

It is a project for everyone in the community.  The Boogie Room and Gardens is in it for the long haul. They are working on getting non-profit status and reaching out to more people. How can we help?

Check out the Boogie Room and Gardens online by clicking here: Boogie Room Myspace

0 comments.

Winter Poem for Our Community

Posted on January 5th, 2008 by The Captain.
Categories: Bite the Hand Poetry, The Boogie Room and Gardens, The Crux, Events.

Dear Sonoma County,

Peace,
The Crux and Bite the Hand

0 comments.

Our New Year’s Poster!

Posted on December 26th, 2007 by The Captain.
Categories: Annie The Ghost's Art, The Boogie Room and Gardens, The Crux, Music, Events.

 Here is the poster we are using for our New Year’s Mystery Play.  It was composed by Annie the Ghost, a fantastic artist and one of the central Pharmakeus who work monthly on our Pharmakon periodical.  To look at it, click on the image below.  And remember to come and enjoy our celebration!

0 comments.

Our New Years Mystery Play!

Posted on December 21st, 2007 by The Captain.
Categories: The Boogie Room and Gardens, The Crux, Music, Events.

Bite the Hand Presents a New Years Eve to remember…

We will be putting on a very special celebration at The Boogie Room and Gardens on New Year’s Eve. The theme of the day is… The Garden of Eden! We will be working with many local musicians and artists to create a dramatic celebration of innocence, good, and (of course) evil!

The celebration consists of a play in twelve parts. A different band will present each chapter of the story. We will begin at 2:00 in the afternoon and will continue until about 3 in the morning.

I. THE GARDEN presented by ERST WHILE MEDICINE SHOW and TRAVIS HENDRIX AND THE BLESSED MOONSHINERS

II. INNOCENCE presented by EUCALYPT and YARN ARMS

III. GOD presented by GOOD RIDDLER (At Sundown)

IV. THE TREE OF LIFE presented by SEMI EVOLVED SIMIANS

V. THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE presented by BATMAN VS PREDATOR

VI. MAN WITHOUT SELF presented by CARLOS K

VII. THE SERPENT presented by BRIGHT MOMENTS

VIII. TEMPTATION presented by A PACK OF WOLVES

IX. FORBIDDEN FRUIT presented by THE IDITAROD

X. THE BITE presented by THE CRUX (At Midnight)

XI. EXPULSION presented by THE FISTIFUX

XII. NEW LIFE presented by KYLE MARTIN AND HIS BAND

We suggest $5-7 as a donation. Funds raised are going towards the production of The Crux’s first album! No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

The Boogie Room is at 663 Todd Road. Call 326-5274 for more details or specific times when bands will be playing.

0 comments.

And Now… The Insect Carnival Collage!

Posted on December 17th, 2007 by The Captain.
Categories: The Boogie Room and Gardens, Our Webpage, Tim Dixon's Art, Music, Events.

Remember the Insect Carnival? It was our three day celebration of Summer and it was a raging success! Today, we have uploaded our Insect Carnival 2007 Collage onto our website. Click on the image below to see it full-size. For more Insect Carnival pictures, look at the “IC 2007″ page on the sidebar to the left.

1 comment.

Be a Sound Intern at The Boogie Room!

Posted on December 12th, 2007 by The Captain.
Categories: The Boogie Room and Gardens, Needs/Haves.

The good folks at The Boogie Room and Gardens need a sound intern to help them manage the many shows they are putting on in our community! The current technichian has eight years of experience and is one seriously talented son-of-a-gun. He will teach you how to use all of the equipment and you will help him run some shows.

It’s free! The skills you learn will be priceless!

3 comments.

Six Month Success!

Posted on November 19th, 2007 by The Captain.
Categories: The Boogie Room and Gardens, Free Mind Media, Food Not Bombs, The Crux, Music, Workshops, Events, Local Businesses and Non-Profits, The Pharmakon.

We had great time during our Six Month Spectacular this past Saturday! We played the music, danced the jig, ate the food, read The Pharmakon, drank the cider, and ate the grub!  Click on an of the images above to zoom in on them (they are pictures of Button Making, The Semi-Evolved Simians in our basement, and Food Not Bombs grub).

Something that was really amazing about this event was the fact that so many local organizations and collectives showed up together.  Here is a list of who represented themselves:

Bite the Hand Productions ran the whole shindig.  We booked the bands, sold The Pharmakon, organized the button making workshop, and the whole thing happened at Bite the Hand Studios.

Food Not Bombs made food for every guest.  No one went hungry and the grub went great with Bite the Hand’s Crux Theatre Bread (baked fresh that day).

Free Mind Media set up in the studio’s “Free Mind Free Nook” and sat happily, slinging information at the guests and discussing issues.

The Boogie Room and Gardens sold cider by candlelight.  They were fundraising for the ol’ B R and G.  Kyle Martin rocked our socks off!

The Pirate Punx and The Lost Boys showed up in astonishing numbers. These guys and girls can teach us a lot about community.

Lots of local groups (We know Brown Bangs and Lost Lamp Recording were in there in spirit!). It got us thinking… let’s co-ordinate our projects more and come together when we put on events! If we work together, we all will excel in our projects because the community will grow stronger and supportive. We can have more successful events like this Six Month Spectacular!

Of course, thanks to everyone who dug deep into their pockets and dished out some cash to Bite the Hand Productions!  We can now afford to print a jumbo-sized issue of The Pharmakon this December! We done good, folks.

0 comments.