Insanity Circus Brigade Inspires Creative Reveling

“The weird are winning the good fight!” cheered Satory Palmer. Indeed, they were. The Insanity Circus Brigade, a carnival organized by Erin Rosenthal (the founder of the troupe Berzercus) began at the Biko House in Isla Vista on Sunday, May 23 and marched to parks in the neighborhood, bringing with it the strange and wonderfully colored upheaval that only a carnival can bring on a merry spring afternoon.

Rosenthal said that her goal in rounding up the circus was to help people “access their creative side and break out of themselves.” About sixty people joined the festivities. There were supplies to make masks, food and drinks; it was a neo-tribal event. Neo-tribalism is the idea that human beings evolved to live in tribes and form natural tribes around, say, flags — and the one standing center there was particularly freaky.

Some celebrators wore fox tails pinned to their jeans — others strung bangles from their skirts. Local bands Sprout, PLOTZ!, Acabella and Oso brought live music to the park, and people danced, lounged, spun fire from chains, or hula-hooped. There was a 15 foot tall geo-dome in Biko’s yard, as well as aerial rigging. Local businesses took part in the event: Echo and Megan from Raw Sangha served tea.