Dave Booda

Something I’ve come to understand after performing live as Boodananda at various festivals and concerts for the last 18 months, is that he’s actually an education tool disguised as a musical comedy act. I’ve written and spoken extensively about the nuances of safe containers, facilitation and bad incentives, but the reality is most beginners aren’t reading my 5,000 word essays so that’s mostly useful other facilitators and community organizers. Boodananda speaks to a completely different audience. He’s entertaining, bizarre and ridiculous (also has a nice singing voice 😛). Instead of me on stage preaching about taking responsibility, Boodananda is out in the crowd (literally) demonstrating all the red flags of predatory and unethical teachers. I believe the only way we collectively move on from the type of gaslighting, manipulation, coercion and predatory harms that is all-too-common in the world of sacred sexuality is by people becoming more resilient. We’re never going to be able to hunt down all the bad apples (doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try), but we can definitely inoculate the new people by educating them and showing them what to watch out for. For the first time, at this festival, I’m leading a session the day after Boodananda’s performance I’m calling “Boodananda Aftercare”. It will be a discussion with me and the audience that functions as a sort of “behind the actors studio”. That’s my chance to put words to and get nerdy about how we can protect ourselves from the kinds of harmful character traits that Boodananda displays. On a personal level, the chance for me to get to be a musician, comedian, performer and public intellectual all in the same festival is deeply satisfying! It’s like an orgasm of personal expression. I rarely get to do all those things at once. Catch me at Firelight this year as both Dave & Boodananda 🔥

Is it me, or is being in your forties kinda weird? Some days I wake up and I feel young, some days I feel old. Anyway, I decided to put my thoughts into a song, it’s off an EP I’m recording right now called “A Little More Honest” and I hope it’s... well... a little more honest. If you want to hear this song and a bunch of other new ones I wrote on my road trip, I’m doing a show with my friend Mikey Pauker in Bonsall on May 9th. It’s a beautiful outdoor stage, great community vibes and Mikey’s music is deep, meaningful and delivered with talent and sincerity. I’m really looking forward to the show. Tickets and RSVPs are in my bio.

Excited for this show with @mikeypauker , he’s a deep soul and I love his tunes! Also, this venue is gorgeous. Don’t miss it. Link for tickets in my bio!

Quitters Have More Fun [live acoustic from Carlsbad]