The Dream Oven is named for the giant steel bread oven [pictured as the profile avatar], which soon became an altar to the sublime peace of dream punk. This oven was found in the basement of its original location on Frankford Avenue
The Dream Oven was a dream exhibition that took place in a house, as well as a few other alternative spaces in Northeast Philly (generally the Fishtown and East Kensi
ngton neighborhoods of Philadelphia). Started in January 2011, it hosted a vast array of local artists and touring acts from around the world through out the years on through to the end of 2014. Its main dream laborer, Marshall James Kavanaugh, used the space to build a living novel that navigated the ongoing narrative of dream punk. Audience members and performing artists became characters in these collaborative vignettes that explored the collective subconscious of what is “the now”. Creating happenings and cosmic manifestations, the red-blue tie-dyed ambiance got a lot of “This reminds me of the 60s!” comments, but always maintained the argument, “No, this is now! Overtime, the dream space found inside continued to evolve with hundreds of dream catchers hanging from the ceiling beams, incense and herbs burning in the moonlight, TV installations scattered about playing various video art, an art salon up on the walls featuring a vast collection of local works as well as pieces collected during travels, a residency for wanderers and vacationers, and of course live music and poetry read aloud. Over the years thousands of guests walked through its quarters and enjoyed its embers. And though, maybe not all of them were conscious of the magnitude of what they were witnessing, they all walked home feeling the rapture of its good vibes.
/
/
Now, The Dream Oven is over (or at least it has returned back into the underground where it came from), but the dream lives on. You can find some of its many memories here: http://thedreamoven.tumblr.com
