Psychobotanikon

Poster for the event being described, showing Rent Romus in performance

By all rights, this announcement should have been included in this week’s Bleeding Edge column. However, since it will be taking place tomorrow and deserves a bit of introduction, I decided to allocate the information to a separate article. Psychobotanikon describes itself as a “monthly low dose mushroom concert series” at which the music is preceded by a “low dose mushroom tea service.”

Tomorrow’s program, entitled Strange Days and hosted by David Samas, will consist of “2 sets of strange soundscapes and songs.” The first set will be a duo performance by Rent Romus (whose name will probably be familiar to readers by now) and Eli Knowles. Romus is a multi-instrumentalist who specializes in saxophones of different sizes. Knowles is also a multi-instrumentalist, as well as a vocalist. The second set will be taken by the Pet the Tiger Instrument Inventor’s Collective, which is led by Samas. The performers either build or deconstruct their own instruments. The performances themselves explore free improvisation, deep timbre, extended techniques, and collaborative composition.

The performance will take place tomorrow, Friday, January 12, at New Mission Yoga at 2415 Mission Street. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m., and the tea service will begin at 8 p.m. No admittance will be allowed after 8:15 p.m. to avoid any distractions during the performances. The entire event is scheduled to last for three and one-half hours. Admission will be $50. A Web page has been created for booking reservations.