[photo: Nykk and Krystl by Elisabeth Fall]
The following is excerpted from a recent video hang (see above) at The Sword & Rose on Cole and Carl. Krystl and Nykk, members of the band Galaxy Chamber, are our magickal hosts. Enjoy the vibes!
HSV: I am very excited to introduce you to a place I’ve only recently come to know [open door]. I feel like were in Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood on acid!
K: Welcome to The Sword and Rose, an eclectic, multi-traditional, metaphysical supply shop catering to many different belief systems. Randy David founded this with his husband Patrick. They created all the incenses, oils, and ritual baths that we sell.
HSV: What would you like to say to the Haight community?
K: We can overcome anything with the power of love.
N: The ascension we’re all experiencing right now cannot be stopped. Follow your own hearts and go out into nature more, breathe. Question stuff. The Human Be-In made the whole hippie movement go national because the Berkeley intellectuals finally linked up with the hippies and formed a solid unison. Our mandolin player [Thorn (T.A. Enroht)] was 3 years old on his dad’s shoulder!
HSV: Where are we in 2023?
K: We need less fear and more love. Overall, I think that’s the answer to just about everything.
HSV: You think the essence of the Be-In is still with us?
K: Absolutely! And Galaxy Chamber tries to carry that energy through.
N: We’ve been around since the late ‘80s, played the Haight Street Fair many times. Played within the hippie scene, the goth scene. We’re actually considered “gothadelic”.
K: We played the 45th anniversary of Monterey Pop Festival.
N: Yes, with Sopwith Camel and Big Brother & the Holding Company. It was one of Sam Andrews’ last great shows. He hung out with us and partied. It was his birthday. He passed away maybe a year later. We love Sam.
HSV: So the vibe is still here?
N: What’s funny is you think it’s disappearing and then it will re-emerge again. It’s always here.
https://www.facebook.com/krystl.chamber.5
https://www.facebook.com/nykk.fell
END OF ARTICLE.
Here are a few videos of Nykk and Krystl playing at Haight Ashbury Street Fair!
https://m.facebook.com/117658854924189/posts/3282472205109489/
https://m.facebook.com/117658854924189/posts/4352397094783656/
https://m.facebook.com/117658854924189/posts/3282490885107621/
FULL TRANSCRIPT
K&N: Hello!
HSV: I feel like were on Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood on acid. [laughter]
HSV: Alright, hey y’all. I am very excited to introduce you to a place I’ve only recently come to know and I’m going to bring you in. It’s right here in outer Haight Ashbury, otherwise know as Cole Valley. But here we go! We are going to meet [open door] Krystl and Nykk. Hi guys!
K: Welcome to The Sword and Rose.
Nykk: Indeed.
HSV: And can you guys tell me first of all: What is this place?
N: It is an eclectic, multi-traditional, metaphysical supply shop.
K: Mais oui!
N: It caters to many different belief systems.
HSV: Okay. So it’s not just like an occult place but it’s a healing place …
K: Oh yes. We just ask that no one [about camera filming] the main alter is here, but anything else …
N: … the courtyard or anything else …
HSV: Okay, I just want people to sort of see what the gist is of this beautiful joint.
N: Yeah!
HSV: And how long has this place been here?
N: This has been here since December 13, 1985 at 11am.
K: Yeah, we’ve been here for awhile. And we have everything metaphysical, but we’re mostly known for our incenses, oils, and ritual baths that are made here in the shop in ceremonies. They’re all very powerful.
N: We’re renowned for that. We’re actually on some special European charter when you come not just to San Francisco but to the United States that you need go to San Francisco to The Sword and Rose.
K: And Randy David founded the shop. His picture is on the alter right there.
HSV: Yep, I see him!
K: He founded this shop with his husband Patrick.
N: Patrick Ferry.
K: And he created all the incenses, oils, and ritual baths that we sell.
HSV: Wow.
K: And we are carrying on his traditions. And even though he’s on the other side, he’s still running the shop through us.
N: Yeah.
HSV: That’s beautiful.
N: He was amazing, and an amazing musician as well. He had a band called “Perosha”. It was like metaphysical folk music.
HSV: Wow. And you guys are good friends with Jim Siegel, because this is the merchants section of the magazine, we like to spotlight one of the shops …
K: We love Distractions!
HSV: Hey Jimmy! We love you!
N: I first met Jim in 1985 when I first moved here from Cleveland. I’d been here less than a year and we had a wild adventure and time. And then I re-hooked up with him in the late ‘90s and was like, “Oh my god, it’s you!” And “Oh my god, it’s you!”
K: I think I met him when I — I used to be a lighting director at a club on Haight Street called the IBeam.
HSV: I remember the IBeam.
K: That’s when I met him.
HSV: And he used to bartend there.
N: Yes he did. And I worked as assistant manager, coat check, and security there.
HSV: Oh my god, I met you a million times I bet losing my coat in that joint! Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Replacements, Adam Ant — I mean there were so many amazing bands!
N: I also worked at the Nightbreak that was across the street, another little club.
HSV: Yep!
Okay, as far as this being a merchant’s spotlight, I’d like to say that this is the first one off the beaten track of Haight Street proper, and I want to point out that a lot of people don’t know that … “Cole Valley” they call it now, but this really was considered the Haight back in the day.
K: Oh I still consider this the Haight.
HSV: The Free Store was over here on Cole and Carl, right?
N: That’s right. Yes indeed.
HSV: Peter Coyote’s joint with the Diggers, right?
N: Yes!
HSV: So I kind of want people to be hip to the fact that, because people call it Cole Valley now, it’s still considered the Haight.
K: Yes it is, it absolutely is.
N: Yes.
K: I still think of it that way.
HSV: It’s important.
N: Yes, big time!
HSV: And so what would you guys like to say to the Haight community? It’s “hyper-local with a global perspective, so it’s saying hello to the Haight community itself as well as communities all over the world. What would you like to say?
K: We can overcome anything with the power of love.
N: And the ascension that we’re all experiencing right now, our planet cannot be stopped. And for people to follow their own hearts and go out into nature more and breathe and question stuff, follow the money and again, follow your own heart.
HSV: Question the … wait, what did you say?
N: Question where the money trails are going …
HSV: Got it!
N: … but follow your own heart. And I can’t stress enough, going into nature, being by water, feeling your feet on the ground, breathing, and HUG A TREE! [laughter]
HSV: Full moon tonight in Cancer by the way!
N: Thank you! On Full Moon Friday in Cancer.
HSV: [to Krystl]: Sorry to interrupt! [she waves me off like, no problem!]
N: And the feast of Epiphany of the (re) Zoroastrians who were probably more like metaphysical magician king types who followed — we wonder if it was actually a star or a spaceship cuz they say it hovered so we’re wondering.
K: Stars don’t hover!
HSV: And I should bring up that this is edition #14 of the Haight Street Voice and it’s sort of a tip of the hat, looking backwards but also looking forward, of the Human Be-In in 1967, which was January 14. And the cover of this one is going to be the “Tribe Vibe” because it was the Gathering of the Tribes, so it’s going to be “Tribe Vibe: Where Are We in 2023?”
N: One thing I wanted to mention is that the original Human Be-In was the big catapult that kind of made the whole hippie movement go national because the Berkeley intellectuals finally linked up with the hippies and formed a solid unison. And Allen Ginsberg was a great moderator at that first show, and our mandolin player was 3 years old and he was on his dad’s shoulder. There’s a picture.
HSV: We are going to get that picture, people, down the road.
How would you answer the question: The Tribe Vibe: Where Are We in 2023?
K: I would say we need less fear and more love. Overall, I think that’s the answer to just about everything.
HSV: So you think the essence of the Be-In is still with us though, it’s still lingering?
K: Absolutely!
N: Definitely.
K: And Galaxy Chamber tries to carry that energy through.
N: [Galaxy Chamber] is our band. We’ve been around since the late ‘80s. Played the Haight Street Fair many times. Played between within the hippie scene, the goth scene. We’re actually considered “gothadelic”.
K: We played the 45th anniversary of Monterey Pop Festival …
N: …with Sopwith Camel and Big Brother and the Holding Company and it was one of Sam Andrews’ last great shows. He hung out with us and partied. It was his birthday. He passed away maybe a year later. We love Sam.
HSV: Speaking of passing away, we should just say goodbye to Alice who passed away last night. We love you, Alice!
K: I can’t believe it. Alice Rules and her daughter had been longtime fans of our band and the shop. Our condolences.
HSV: She had her kitty cat with her, which is a really beautiful thing. That’s part of the deal, I’m not trying to lighten it up, but …
N: Well you know we only change frequencies when we die, and we’re still around. It’s kind of like the old Star Trek episode where they’re floating around and they’re still there.
HSV: Yeah, Alice is in the room!
K: Yes she is, definitely!
HSV: Thank you so much. And if you want to say anything more about your band. I’ll definitely put a link for those who are watching this.
N: Sure! I just want to say that Amoeba Records, a local — the largest independent record store on the West Coast, carries our CD, and many other fine CDs, on Haight at Stanyan. And kudos to the Haight Street Fair! We hope it continues every year.
K: Also, you can find us on Facebook as Galaxy Chamber, and you can find us on Instagram as galaxxychamber. And we’re also on BandCamp and SoundCloud.
N: And we just introduced on SoundCloud today two songs, Nash Bridges the show, used our song “Millennia Madness” and we’re still getting royalties. And also our weird trippy version of “We Three Kings” and we put our SoundCloud today with that.
….
HSV: So the Human Be-In, Gathering of the Tribes, the vibe is still here, isn’t it?
K: Absolutely!
N: Oh, yes it is!
K: And we’re gonna keep it going!
N: And what’s funny is you think it’s disappearing and then it will re-emerge again. It’s always here.
HSV: Alright! Lots of love and thanks for hanging out!
N: We have some free gifts for you!
HSV: I gotta turn off the camera! Y’all are gonna have to find out! Alright, peace!
