IN MEMORIAM
DOUG
Knott
PERFORMANCE
DOUG KNOTT PRESENTS
at the infamous Lhasa Club, LA
"From 1985 to 1987, Doug produced the weekly show “Doug Knott Presents” at downtown Los Angeles art/performance nook, THE LHASA CLUB. The forty-four incomparable shows balanced at point of intersection of the punk rock, poetry and art scenes, variously described in calendar listings as “eclectic,” “bizarre,” and “esoteric”—words that would apply equally well to Doug himself. No one else could host a single show featuring El Duce of The Mentors, English Frank, Merrill Ward of SWA, and confrontational poet Jerry the Priest; another show with Exene Cervenka of X, James Intveld, Robin the Percussionist, his own performance troupe The Lost Tribe, and Paul M. Roessler of Twisted Roots, 45 Grave and Nina Hagen Band; and yet another night with a “World Class Grand Drum-A-Thon” featuring D.J. Bonebrake of X, Bill Bateman of the Blasters and John Densmore of the Doors, along with music from The Holy Sisters of the Gaga Dada, and Heather Haley & the Zealots, plus a film by Modi and Exene. It was that kind of way of bringing people together that made Doug special."
Flyers created by Doug Knott
performance troupes
Doug was a founding member of two legendary performance poetry troupes: "The Lost Tribe" and "The Carma Bums." Along with his fellow poets, he wrote and performed more than 100 shows. The Carma Bums won the late 80’s network-TV “Gong Show” and performed at many venues in Denver, Albuquerque, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, Ashland, Portland Vancouver, and many other cities. The performances and antics of the Carma Bums were the subject of the book, Twisted Cadillac, from 1996.
The Lost Tribe
1985-1988 + 1992
Michael Bruner, S.A. Griffin, Doug Knott and Mike Mollet
photo: John Leslie Foxx
A page from the Lost Tribe Wedding book, 1986. | Photo: Gary Leonard
The Carma Bums
1989-2009
Michael Bruner, S.A. Griffin, Doug Knott, Mike Mollett, Bobbo Staron and Scott Wannberg
rants & raves by & about Lost Tribe and Carma Bums
A book of Carma Bums poetry published by Sacred Beverage Press, 1996. “A hot rod of a book.” ~ Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Luxurious Tigers of Obnoxious Agreement
Documentary on the Carma Bums released in 1998. Directed by Bruce Dickson.
M. Lane Bruner
Liminalities: A Journal of Performance Studies Vol. 9, No. 4, November 2013
The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry
The Carma Bums are also represented in this seminal anthology from 1999. Edited by Alan Kaufman. Thunder’s Mouth Press.
riffle through performance posters
POETRY PERFORMANCES
"Night of the Living Sidemen" by Doug Knott
"Night of the Living Sidemen" by Doug Knott
"In the Hebrew Cemetery" by Doug Knott
"I Become Surreal at an Art Opening" by Doug Knott
"Wings: That Which Takes Flight" by Laurel Ann Bogen
Heather Haley screened Doug’s work several times over the years at "The Visible Verse Festival" at the Pacfiic Cinematheque in Vancouver. These works are archived at the Edgewise ElectroLit Centre archive at Simon Fraser University Library’s Special Collections.
Last of the Knotts
2011
LAST OF THE KNOTTS is a semi-autobiographical, solo show written and performed by Doug Knott,
The play was chosen BEST OF THE HOLLYWOOD FRINGE FESTIVAL 2011 and was performed over thirty times, including at the Asylum Lab Theatre, the Santa Monica Playhouse and the Soho Playhouse.
"CRITICS' CHOICE!" raves LA TIMES. "Equal parts William S. Burroughs and saxophone. Raw, fluid and quirky, Knott's saga zigzags between twisted hilarity and arresting gravitas... An unsparingly honest solo treatise.. tickling, touching portrait of considerable reach and impact... This monologist virtually defines the form." "GO!" raves LA Weekly." Doug Knott, a carefree hipster, faces the ultimate choice: Fatherhood or Knott? Set in exuberant, darkly permissive 1980's Los Angeles, this hour-long comi-tragedy shadows his search for redemptive love with an exotic woman who deals cocaine and keeps a pet seven-foot boa constrictor. "Last Of The Knotts," helmed by acclaimed director Chris DeCarlo, returns to the Playhouse as the first benefit production of 2016, after having toured New York City, San Francisco, Winnipeg, and West Palm Beach, Florida. Performance poet and stage performer Knott produced and emceed a cult variety show at the Lhasa club, co-owned and hosted his own nightclub, Famous/Knott, in the 80's, toured the western US states and won the revived Gong Show as a member of the performance group, The Carma Bums. As part of the 2011 Hollywood Fringe Festival (where he won "Best of the Fest"), he performed "Last of the Knotts" at the Fanatic Salon Theater and the Lounge Theater, and subsequently at the Asylum Lab Theatre in Hollywood. Doug is the author of several poetry books including Small Dogs Bark Cartoons, published by Seven Wolves Press. His poetry video Psychic Defense Training for Ex-Lovers was a "poetry spot" on WNYC-TV; He has been published in local and national poetry magazines ranging from Caffeine and Pearl, to Chiron Review. Knots' work has been included in several anthologies such as Grand Passion: Poets of Los Angeles and Beyond, and the Outlaw Poetry Bible.
Prior to his performance and literary career, Doug was a practicing California attorney. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Yale College. Director DeCarlo, Artistic Director of Santa Monica Playhouse, has been responsible for bringing over 600 productions to the boards. Recent credits include Lisa Phillips' Visca's CLIMAX starring Rae Dawn Chong and Jerry Mayer's Aspirin & ELEPHANTS (LA Times Critic's Choice). Produced by Meadowbrook Entertainment & Santa Monica Playhouse. Rounding out the team are dramaturg Eric Trules and scenic artist Gilbert Johnquest.
David C. Nichols | published March 8, 2013
other reviews
BAD DAY
Featuring Doug Knott along with director/actor Kevin Costner, X front man John Doe, musician Dave Alvin and writer Michael Blake.
Shot in 1986 at a secret location near Chatsworth, California “Bad Day” is a 20-minute tribute to the early days of the one-reel, silent Westerns. Photographed and co-written by the Queen of L.A. Punk, X singer Exene Cervenka, and directed by award-winning filmmaker and music video director, Modi Frank, this film also offers an elegant and poignant soundtrack by Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Dave Alvin along with X and The Knitters drummer, D. J. Bonebrake.
SUNSET STRIP
self improvement affirmations
Lone Spy Productions, 2018. Produced and directed by Joseph Culp.
Performance poet Doug Knott takes us on a 'pilgrim's progress' into the dark heart of LA's legendary Sunset Strip, seeking that illusive religious experience only being close to fame can bring.
Naked Lunch, The Musical
2016 | Performed during the "Yale ’66 at 50" anniversary at Doug's Alma Mater
Two Yale graduates created a clever and funny musical about Boston’s effort to ban “the dirtiest book ever written.” In 1965, the Beat Generation was put on trial, and now that trial is on stage as a musical! It’s a song-strewn courtroom comedy called “Naked Lunch: The Musical.” Publishers, prosecutors, professors, and poets step down from the witness stand to attack or defend Burroughs’ novel ... in song. The cast featured standout L.A. performers Chris Bonno and Colleen Villard and professional opera singer Joanna Ceciliani from Portland, Oregon, as well as nine members of the Yale Class of 1966 from around the country: Bill Hannay (book & lyrics), Damon Baker (music), Don Copley (saxophone), Rich Look (William Burroughs), Doug Knott (U.S. Publisher), Jeff Parish (Maurice Girodias), Jeff Hill (Allen Ginsberg), Terry Mullin (Jack Kerouac), Jim Munson (Judge), Peter Lownds (Norman Mailer), and John Carney (Prof. John Ciardi)