The Cacophony Society

"The Cacophony Society is a randomly gathered network of individuals united in the pursuit of experiences beyond the pale of mainstream society through subversion, pranks, art, fringe explorations and meaningless madness" [www.cacophony.org] 

In 1986, by a surviving member of the "Suicide Club" of San Francisco is when the Cacophony Society started. The "Suicide Club" is a secret [now not so secret] society credited as the 1st modern extreme urban exploration society and also known for their anarchic group pranks. 

Cacophony has been described as an indirect cultural movement through the "Dada" movement.  The "Dada" movement is a cultural movement that began in Zurich, Switzerland during WW1.  It involved visual arts, poetry, theater... etc They had many public gatherings and movements.  

The Cacophony Society tagline is : "You may already be a member!" Which is their way of saying that they aren't trying to push new things onto people, but rather gather people who are like them and create and do new things together! Anyone can host an event; however, it doesn't mean the attendance of the event will be large. Tests people to see if they are truly a "member"! 

Cacophony events include costumes, pranks in public places, going into places that the public usually isn't allowed, and such! 

One of their popular events in most of their chapters the "Santa Con" is a big event.  They all dress up as Santa Claus and greet Christmas shoppers with enhanced Christmas Carols and and invite strippers to "come and sit on Santa's lap"- it represents a flash mob. 

The primary Cacophony Society started in San Francisco, CA and they were the primary organizers of the "Burning Man" ritual.  John Law was the cofounder of this chapter. Other events from the San Francisco chapter are: "Atomic Cafe" which is a film, "Chinese New Years Treasure Hunt", "Picnic on the Golden Gate Bridge", "Brides of March", "Urban Iditarod" , "Sewer Walk". 

There became a lull in this chapter and that is when a group of subscribers to the "Rough Draft" (the newsletter this chapter put out) recreated the chapter as their own and were known as the "Cacophony 2.0" and had their newsletter "2econd Draft". Their motto was: "If you don't live it, it won't come out your [bull]horn." 

The next biggest chapter was the LA Chapter which also had a newsletter which was online called "Tales from the Zone".  They pushed the "prankerstism" with events such as "Cement Cuddlers" where they filled a dozen teddy bears with cement and put them back on toy shelves with bar codes and all. "Pet cemetery Bingp", "Crucifixation of the Easter Bunny", "Klowns against Commerce" where there was a clown that tested limits to abuse businessmen in downtown LA before being assaulted or arrested. 

The LA Chapter splintered off in 2000 when leader, Reverend Al, declared a new direction joining an Orthodox Christian Community after mourning the deaths of 2 members of his group which turned out that 1 member was ficitional and the other was found very much alive a few years later.  Reverend Al resurfaced as Dr. A.P. Ridenour as a safety consciousness organization "The Art of Bleeding". In 2008, a new member revived the LA Cacophony but lost the creative energy as the original.  They would set up events but hardly anyone would show.  

The Portland Chapter, hosted the infamous "Naughty Santa" outside of San Francisco where they would hand out wrapped presents which could be anything from a "normal" gift to a wrapped Playboy magazine.  This chapter heavily incorporated nudity into their events.  One of their main events was "Helping Unite More People In Trouble"[HUMPIT] Where they marched for "Portlanders" in need of help, naked.  Many of individuals within this group did smaller events. 

A well known novelist: Chuch Palahniuk- who was pranked himself at one of his book signing in San Francisco wrote about the Cacophony Society. "Fugitives and Refugees: A walk in Portland, Oregon" was the name of his book about the Portland chapter.  They are known as the PDX Cacophony Stumpton Lodge.  

There are about 2 dozen North American cities that participate in the Cacophony Society and about half a dozen in other countries.  

Are you a member?