As the wheel turns, and autumn approaches, we celebrate the waning part of the year. In a unique, once in a lifetime event, Secrets of the Beehive will perform their complete ritual cycle of nine songs from their forthcoming album, Songs for the Fire. Beginning with the Fall Equinox to Samhain, Winter Solstice, and on into the new year, each song represents a distinct stop on the journey through the Pagan Wheel of the Year. Performed as a ritual of music, storytelling, and dance, Secrets of the Beehive will present tales of death and rebirth, sacrifice, quest, transformation, and transcendence.
Led by Jason Winslade, the founder of the Beehive, on vocals, shruti box, melodica, and percussion, Davis Krieg on guitars, Brett Taylor on acoustic fretless bass, and Julian Daniell on drums and native flutes, and joined by special guests Mehtab Kirtan on additional percussion, Allison Hill on cello, Tony Krempa on violin, Holly Lipper on acoustic guitar and backing vocals, and Heather Engholm on backing vocals, with dancers Kitty Khaos, Noori, and Stacy manifesting the stories through dance, Secrets of the Beehive will bring to Elastic Arts the culmination of seventeen years of songwriting and storytelling, borne from the rituals and bonfires of the American Pagan festival experience.
The evening will begin with a performance of Death Songs, a new improvisational project by Mehtab Kirtan, exploring the journey to the beyond, featuring the haunting vocals of Ultra-Violet Archer.
We will also feature art by Caskets and Co, tarot by The Storm’s Eye, jewelry by Revel with a Cause, and snacks and non-alcoholic drinks by Sage and Sigil Catering.
Doors open at 7pm. Show at 7:30. Tickets are $20 at the door.
Discount advanced tickets here!
Performers
Secrets of the Beehive
Founded by singer/songwriter Jason Winslade as a vehicle for his ritual music, Secrets of the Beehive has been part of the alternative folk scene in Chicago for over twelve years. After various incarnations, guitarist Davis Krieg provided the musical foundation for the group when he joined in 2022. Bassist Brett Taylor and drummer Julian Daniels round out the sound, with influences from prog rock, jazz, post-punk, folk, alternative, traditional Irish, and African and Arabic drumming. The Beehive takes its audiences on sacred and personal journeys with their songs.
Death Songs
Mehtab Kirtan’s “Death Songs” is a peace-giving, ambient-experimental group singing to and from the other side.
No one really knows what happens when we cross over. This group creates improvised, ambient pieces contemplating “the great beyond.” A concept is shared with the audience (and group!), and brand new sonic meditations emerge to aid our wonders, introspections, and full-bodied feeling into unsolvable mysteries.
Mehtab Kirtan – percussion, voice, concept, Ultra-Violet Archer – vocals, Justin Peterson – bass, Victor Sanders – guitar, Venus Sabay – crystal bowls, percussion, keys, Sam Genualdi – guitar.
Kitty Khaos
Kitty brings fluid chaos to the stage, playfully blending improv fusion belly dance, pop and lock, flow arts and many other dances styles She is a student of Dawn Xiana Moon, Kamrah Raks, Lee na Moon and Tila von Twirl, and is deeply influenced by Eva la Feva, Bazuka Joe, Willy la Que and Mocha Mocha 2.0. She has been dancing with Wicked Fox Fusion, the student troupe for Raks Inferno, for two years and enjoys costuming, cooking and neuroscience.
Noori
Radia Ali, also known as Noori, is a multidisciplinary Bangladeshi performing artist, poet, educator, and fire dancer whose work blends South Asian classical and folk dance with belly dance, flamenco, samba, and burlesque. Drawing on experiences growing up across Asia and Europe, she creates fusion performances using props such as silk veils, fire fans, and swords to tell cross-cultural stories of personal and collective liberation.
Radia has also studied whirling and Semah dance, instructed by Sufi teachers in Turkey. At first as a private devotional practice, and later on as public performance and an act of spiritual freedom, she has been engaging in this style of movement since 2001.
Radia has performed at venues including Electric Forest, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Chicago Summer Dance, Festival of Nations St Louis and Old Town School of Folk Music. She has also performed with Egyptian indie artist NAXÖ, and teaches movement, fusion dance, and fire performance.
In 2024, Radia founded East Winds Festival, a Chicago-based Arts Festival highlighting pan-Asian artistry and providing a creative platform for marginalized voices.
Stacy
A dedicated belly dancer for nearly 20 years, Stacy has spent the majority of her dance journey training under the renowned Sonya at Arabesque Dance Studio, and spent many years dancing with troupe Ro-He. Here she honed her technique and stage presence, and deep love for Middle Eastern dance. Though Arabesque has since closed, the foundation built there continues to inspire her artistic expression!
VENDORS
Sage and Sigil Catering Co
A little witchcraft, a lot of flavor. Our catering brings together bold, comforting food with a magical twist, creating an experience that feels right at home among candles, corsets, and the strange and unusual.
Think spellbinding snacks, refreshing potions, and familiar flavors with a witchy little edge.
For this event, we’ll be serving a completely gluten-free and dairy-free menu designed for easy snacking and sharing throughout the night.
Menu
- Elote-style corn
- Fresh layered guacamole and black beans with chips
- Coconut Chocolate Chia seed pudding
- Horchata
- Jamaica, traditional hibiscus agua fresca
The Storm’s Eye
Tarot and divination services.
Revel With A Cause Designs
I make handmade jewelry, where every piece is as one-of-a-kind as its wearer! I drop a themed collection regularly and NEVER make the same item twice, for a truly unique look. Everything comes with a coordinating, handmade bag for a great set to wear or a gift you don’t have to wrap. From the glamorous to the bohemian to the minimalist, I can make something for just about everyone’s sense of style. It’s always a great time to REVEL with a cause and to find the celebration in our daily life!
Caskets and Co
I’m Brynn (they/them), a multidisciplinary artist from Rogers Park. I work in many different mediums, including acrylic, pen & ink, digital drawing, linocut printing, and occasionally photography. Being from Massachusetts originally, I spent a lot of my time in Salem, growing up on horror movies, comics, and scary stories. Thus, my work is largely inspired by macabre and classically dark imagery and themes. With some exceptions, I tend to use little color in my work to create a visually striking piece that gives depth and character using linework and contrast.