In this episode of Music Festivals Podcast, I sat down with Adam Pergament, better known as Flow Poetry, to talk about his creative journey, how poetry found its way onto festival stages, and why collaboration has become such an important part of his work. Along the way, we also took a fascinating detour into one of the most unique adventures imaginable—joining the 2014 Going Further Tour, where Zane Kesey retraced the legendary Merry Pranksters route made famous by his father, author Ken Kesey.
One of the things I love most about traveling the festival circuit is meeting artists who don't fit neatly into a single category.
Some are musicians, some are painters, some build incredible sculptures or create immersive art installations. And then there are artists like Adam, whose work lives somewhere between spoken word, improvisation, music, and storytelling.
This is one of those conversations that reminds you creativity often grows in unexpected places.
Adam has been performing under the name Flow Poetry since 2002, beginning as a spoken-word poet in the open mic scene around Madison, Wisconsin. Like many artists, his path wasn't carefully planned. It evolved one conversation, one collaboration, and one performance at a time.
As he met more musicians, his poetry naturally found its way into live music settings. Bands invited him to perform. Festival opportunities followed. Before long, spoken word became something much bigger than reading poems from a page—it became a live, improvisational experience.
One thing that stood out during our conversation was Adam's willingness to embrace the unknown.
Rather than scripting every performance, he often works with musicians he's never played with before, trusting that the poem provides enough of a foundation for everyone to build from together. It's a creative process rooted in listening as much as performing, where each collaboration becomes a one-of-a-kind experience.
That philosophy feels surprisingly familiar to anyone who's spent time around jam bands or music festivals.
Sometimes the magic comes from not knowing exactly where the journey will lead.
Watching Flow Poetry perform is a reminder that improvisation isn't limited to music.
Words can jam, too.
Adam described how he has grown comfortable allowing his poems to breathe and change depending on the musicians around him, the audience in front of him, and the energy of the moment. The poem remains at the center, but everything surrounding it is free to evolve.
That kind of creative trust is something I've seen again and again throughout festival culture.
Whether it's a late-night jam session, an impromptu collaboration between artists, or a conversation around a campfire, the best moments often aren't rehearsed.
They're discovered together.
Our conversation also explored Adam's unforgettable experience joining the 2014 Going Further Tour, where Zane Kesey and a new generation of travelers retraced the legendary Merry Pranksters' cross-country journey aboard the iconic
Furthur bus.
For anyone fascinated by counterculture history, it was an incredible opportunity to experience a living piece of American cultural history while meeting artists, musicians, and free thinkers from across the country.
Like so much of festival culture today, the tour wasn't simply about reaching a destination. It was about the people, the conversations, and the shared experiences that unfolded along the way.
Adam's story is really a story about community. Open mics introduced him to musicians. Musicians introduced him to festivals. Festivals introduced him to collaborators from around the country. Every step of the journey was shaped by people who were willing to create something together.
That's one of the reasons I enjoy conversations like this so much.
They remind us that festivals aren't just places where we consume art.
They're places where art is created.
Sometimes it's a song, sometimes it's a painting, sometimes it's a poem delivered over an improvised soundtrack with musicians meeting for the very first time.
And sometimes those moments become the ones we remember long after the festival ends.
If there's one lesson to take from Adam's journey, it's this: stay open to collaboration, trust the creative process, and don't be afraid to see where the next conversation might lead.
You never know what kind of magic is waiting on the other side.
Willow Osborne and Water Tower led the nightly campfire jams at Camp Cosmic 2025, a music festival produced by Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country and held annually at The Caverns in Pelham, Tennessee. This is the second year for this insanely fun music festival where a shows are held in the iconic cave stage.
Video Credit: @musicfestivalspodcast — Willow Osborne and Water Tower Deliver EPIC Campfire Jams 🔥 Camp Cosmic