Energy: A Documentary About Damo Suzuki had its Los Angeles premiere on Saturday, April 13 at the Philosophical Research Society. Fortunately, I was able to attend, so I’m writing this post now to tell you that you should: 1. Seek out Energy and watch it. 2. Go to the Philosophical Research Society.
Michelle Heighway’s documentary chronicles five years of Suzuki’s life as he undergoes cancer treatment and heads back out on his “Never-Ending Tour.” The film has been screening since 2022 and is available to rent on Vimeo. It was also recently released as a limited edition DVD, but seeing Energy in a theater with no distractions just a few months after Suzuki died was a moving and thought-provoking experience.
Suzuki is best known as the lead singer of Can between 1970 and 1973, a stretch of time that would include some of the band’s most influential work. Tago Mago, Ege Bamyasi (the album with “Vitamin C”) and Future Days are all albums that have been referenced in some way, shape or form by a broad, cross-genre swath of musicians over the course of decades. Immediately after his departure from Can, Suzuki took an extended hiatus from music. However, upon his return, he embarked upon what he called the “never-ending tour” with a project called Damo Suzuki’s Network. He would travel the world and play improvised shows with local musicians, a concept that makes perfect sense if you’ve heard the famous story about how Suzuki was a street performer when he met Can and played his first show with them that night.
The documentary is filled with Suzuki’s insight on life, death and art. It’s an incredibly poignant film for an era filled with so many distractions. Listening to Suzuki made me question how I spend my time and use my talents. I suspect it might have the same impact on other viewers as well.
The Philosophical Research Society campus in Los Feliz was a perfect fit for the L.A. premiere of Energy.. The group was founded by Manly P. Hall, author of The Secret Teachings of All Ages (amongst other books), in 1934 as a way to bring together those seeking wisdom across philosophical and spiritual paths. He was also Hollywood-adjacent, with a screenwriting credit to his name and a number of famous friends. Architecture, Hollywood and esoteric L.A. history converge at the PRS building in L.A., which I wrote about for Discover Los Angeles in 2022, so it’s a fascinating place to visit. Today, it’s still home to a large library filled with rare books on philosophy and spirituality and they regularly host classes and lectures on the various subjects addressed in Energy.
Plus, PRS packs its calendar with loads of indie-minded art, film, book and music events. For example, this Wednesday is the L.A. premiere of the documentary Subotnick: Portrait of an Electronic Music Pioneer. Next weekend is Plantstock, which includes music, film screenings, meditation and other activities that will all be related to plants. There’s also a bookstore on the campus that stocks a small, and incredibly interesting, selection of vinyl. It’s a great place to visit and there are plenty of reasons to do just that. Go to the PRSwebsite, check out the calendar there or sign up for the mailing list (because we all should know by now that social media sucks for keeping updated on events) and make plans.
Liz O. is an L.A.-based writer and DJ. Read her recently published work and check out her upcoming gigs.
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