Category: Artists

“Space Cat Invocation and Ceremonial Dance of the Cat Priestesses of Pussiopolis”.

This all happened spontaneously in the true spirit of Crazyology! All the right players came together at the serendipitous moments to allow this to transpire at the the Inaugural Crazyology Ball.

Lukas What-What came over one night to help with lighting and atmosphere, and brought the lovely Miss Lita (@hotsaucehotel) along. Lita was compelled by the power of Holofelinity, and she was determined to create a “Cat Priestess Ceremony” for the Institute of Crazyology. Cacophony Society’s, John Law, suggested that Dr. Hal of the Church of the Subgenius, make a “Space Cat Invocation”. My long-time collaborator, Rex Mundi, came out all the way from Lawrence, Kansas and wrangled mad piano virtuoso, William Benjamin, down from Seattle (by train) to play the the Jan August piano arrangement of lavish Oriental romance standard, “Misirlou”, as an accompaniment for the “Cat Dance of the Cat Priestesses of Pussiopolis”.

In the planning for this spectacle uncertainty presided, yet was overcome by determination: The dancer, Lita, though interred in the Alta-Bates Psychiatric hospital in Berkeley, arranged everything. It wasn’t clear that she would be released on time because she was having her hormones re-balanced after the removal of her thyroid gland. This major surgery she underwent to cure her of Tachycardia (accelerated heart rate) that threatened her 30 years with heart attack, stroke, etc. Personally, I was concerned first for her health, and when she would call me from the hospital I asked her repeatedly if she really felt up to dancing at the Ball. She was firm that not only was she up for it, but that such a ceremony would heal her.

It seems that Lita was released directly from the psychiatric ward to the Institute of Crazyology (she was released just the previous evening). She arrived at the Institute with the coven of beautiful Cat Priestesses she had gathered together. All of them had been prepped on the song; “Misirlou”, the “Cat Chakra” concept, and changed into costume, readied themselves for the dance, radiating “Holofelinity” (Universal Cat Consciousness). They were joined by Hannah Wise, gymnast, who performed a number of dazzling leaps and flips during the dance. So there were a total of six cat priestesses – one for each Catolith!

Meanwhile, William Benjamin, the virtuoso pianist had been practicing “Misirlou” for days on the beautiful Baldwin baby grand (courtesy, Sunset Piano). As showtime approached he became increasingly temperamental as his obsession with perfecting his performance reached a fever-pitch. Yet, he never crossed any boundary of unprofessionalism. On the contrary, to me; he was merely exhibiting those side-effects of a specific breed of genius that demands uncompromised focus and concentration: The Great Concert Pianist. And when it came time to perform, his exacting attention to detail showed through in a spellbinding performance!

Who knows what realms of madness lurk in the pseudo-evangelical pop-culture hysterical depths of the hallowed Church of the Subgenius. Only Dr. Hal can tell for certain. The master thaumaturgist was as unflappable as he was impeccable, seemingly the unmoving eye of the hurricane around which the capricious powers of the space cats were assembling, awaiting the opening of the Gates of Holofelinity to allow them to transubstantiate in our dimension, while he, Dr. Hal, with an oracular precision made the invocation in an even and dispassionate manner.

And transubstantiate the Space Cats did!!! The Cat Priestesses cavorted and leaped, catharted and wriggled – seemingly spontaneously possessed by the Ancient Lyrans of Lemewria (Space Cats of Earth’s Lost Civilization) themselves.

This performance – the entire exercise – is an object lesson in a central principle of Crazyology: “The Lunatics Run the Asylum”. Give those who others scorn as “mad” a chance to do things on their own terms, and all traces of “insanity” disappear and only inspiration remains.