I feel like I’ve been on the road forever. I live out of a suitcase and sleep in unknown beds. I don’t know the people I’m staying with before I arrive, but by the time I leave we are best friends. I fly into each city exhausted and excited, ready for the next chapter. I ring the bell on unfamiliar doors with breath held and excited smiles.
A manicured lawn with sprinkler on a timer in Los Angeles. A buzzer and an elevator in Brooklyn. Brick walls, leaded glass windows, and stairs that go to the top in London. Mystical symbols and a doormat in the shape of a curly moustache in Copenhagen. Graffiti, broken glass, and the smell of coal fires in Berlin. Each city has a doorway to another friend, another community.
In LA they organize Kinky Salon like a movie set. There’s a director, a producer, and all the actors in the play. It’s incredibly well organized with printed, color-coded spreadsheets defining every aspect of the event. On the night it feels effortless.
In New York it’s more like an art project—creative people working together with a sense of struggle and achievement. It’s a ground roots project with its heart firmly rooted in Avant Garde cabaret.
London is like a rally—a passionate crowd who gathers for a cause they believe in. Their process is based in consensus, and everyone in the core team has a say on how things get done. With fifty volunteers at every event and a crowd of 300+, it’s an impressive feat of people wrangling.
The Copenhagen team is fiercely egalitarian and action oriented. With Scandinavian efficiency, every team member has a job to do and they don’t slow each other down. Like a dozen firecrackers going off at the same time, they each shoot out on a trajectory, creating a magnificent spectacle.
Berlin is just cool. It’s laid back and artsy. It’s a jazz band. It’s improv. There are times where it feels like it might degenerate into chaos, but at the last moment the team picks it up for a flawless finale.
Kinky Salon Confessions Podcast
I loved talking to Mads about Kinky Salon. He’s a very clever man and I love his perspecitve. I’m so exhausted from all this traveling that I can’t actually piece together a decent intro, so you’ll just have to trust me. It’s the story from Copenhagen and you know you want to hear it.
Available on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.fm, and Tune In! Please don’t forget to rate the show to help it get better visibility!
If you have some great stories to share about your experiences at Kinky Salon and the surrounding culture please let me know! I’m looking for heartfelt realness rather than titillating tales 🙂
Take This Shit to the Next Level
The Patreon campaign is going strong, and YOU can help support the vision of having Kinky Salons all over the world and spread to the Sex Culture Revolution. Patreon is like Kickstarter but for ongoing projects. You give a set amount (like $1) each month, and that helps create a stable income I can count on. Plus there are some awesome rewards! Watch the video. It’s Hi-larious.
