Red Bastard is the thoughtful, surreal, obnoxious stage persona created by Eric Davis, incorporating improvisational acting, experimental theater, stand-up comedy, audience interaction and a bit of what can only be described as shamanic clowning. I hesitate to use the term “clown,” since even he says: “Red Bastard is NOT clown. He is not here to please you. He is here to make you surrender.” He wears a costume that looks like Midwestern late-night TV horror film host Sammy Terry had a child with the Venus of Willendorf. 

Culturebot described a Red Bastard show like this:

“He led us down this crazy, twisting, hilarious and terrifying path of self-discovery in a group setting that felt out of control and yet completely structured. It was truly visceral, harrowing and hilarious. The final 1/4 of the show was, dare I say, Shamanic in a psychotherapeutic way, as Red Bastard continually pushed the audience’s psychological buttons, creating a tangible tension in the room and a genuine sense of chaos and frightening possibility.”

Davis has brought his Red Bastard performances to small fringe festivals all over the country and recently performed at Chicken John’s warehouse in San Francisco.  He comes off as an earnest, sweet person who takes his comedy show very seriously.