Week 3: Plants in Your Eyes
Week three of the residency felt like liftoff. The room was packed, the energy was high, and the music came together in that magical way that only happens when everyone’s truly listening. Chaisaray Schenck filled in on drums and absolutely crushed it—locking in instantly with a group that had never played together before. Jonathan Kirby joined us on Fender Rhodes, visiting all the way from Toronto, bringing warm, rich textures to the sound. Kevin Beck played beautifully expressive guitar, and Joseph Dowdy floated between tenor and alto sax and flute, adding color and space in all the right places. I (John Daniel Ray) played bass, synths, and computers.
Early in the night, our friend ps edekot jumped on the mic and improvised a couple of verses with us that lit the room up. Between sets, I connected one of the plants in the venue to a PlantWave and ran it through my synth rig as part of my Floraphonics project. The plant music was especially alive that night—it loved being played loud, and you could feel it in the room. The whole place resonated with this weird, beautiful, positive energy.
Also in the mix was my good friend and collaborator on this whole project, Daniel Fox Johnston of Stillframe Storytelling. He was there filming the entire session, using special prisms and crystals to create improvised visual effects in real time. Daniel has a way of capturing the energy of a session that feels organic and immersive—like painting with a camera instead of just documenting. You can find all the video footage from the night on the session website.
We’re only three weeks in, and the vibe is already something special. Thanks to everyone who showed up, packed the space, and helped make it what it is.
Some great pictures by our friend @jamofilston
