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What’s With Burning Man?
So what the hell is the deal with Burning Man? I’ve never actually gone. Although I almost managed to a year or two ago. I guess this year’s one just ended couple days ago. So what’s it like? Is it worth going? Is there anybody out there besides me who hears stories of the excesses of Burning Man and thinks they sound a little - dare I say - cheesy? There’s just something really, I don’t know, 1990’s about how it sounds. Does that sound crazy? I mean some of it sounds awesome. But some of it sounds silly in a way that I’m not sure I could handle. Do all those types of feelings get washed away when you’re actually out there in the desert shaking your ass on a lot of drugs? Has anybody ever actually had a really bad time there? Cause I’ve never heard anybody admit to that, but there must be somebody out there. I guess the most compelling thing I’ve heard about it is that it kind of sandblasts your mental picture of what’s possible in this world. And that sounds like the greatest aspect of it I’ve heard, above and beyond all the sex, drugs, dancing, art, etc. What do you think? What’s your take - whether you’ve been there or not?
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September 7th, 2005 at 11:24 am
I’m not going to any festival that claims copyright on any pictures I take there. Spectacle.
September 7th, 2005 at 11:31 am
What? They do that? Why?
September 7th, 2005 at 1:04 pm
I had one of the worst times of my life ever there. I got really messed up on a copmbination of mushrooms and speed and wound up seeing giant parasitic black mantas rays flying through the air trying to suck my energy and whispering into my ears like the clown from STeven King’s IT.
The Burning Man organizers announced my name over the camp PA system and asked me to go home because i was ruining burning man for everyone else with my bad attitude.
The next thing I knew, I was sitting in the middle of the desert surrounded by Viet Cong snipers trying to sneak up on me so they could shove bamboo stakes under my fingernails.
This was many years ago, now. Maybe its fun maybe its not. Mixing mushrooms and speed is definitely NOT fun though. I was trapped in an ultra-paranoid state for 5 days. I felt like Martin SHeen in APocalypse now or something.
Next time I will just stick to beer.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:08 pm
CYA, I guess, but it seems a little unrevolutionary to me to be so concerned about a 200-year old legal fiction.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:18 pm
A good friend of mine goes every year and loves it. Throughout the year he even goes to these camp meetings where they plan and design their themes and costumes. The stories he brings back are usually good enough for me, but sometimes I think I might check it out for myself. I think I could handle about as much as I can handle Vegas — one or two days max.
September 7th, 2005 at 1:21 pm
it does seem, upon reading thier position regarding film and video, to be reasonable for not only the participants of the event but also to maintain the mystique. i guess it falls back the the discussion earlier about copyright versus creative commons. it is, in my opinion, hard enough to turn a profit as an artist, performer etc. without some protections. so, go ahead register your cameras, film and photograph your stoned and naked blue-painted friends and remember where the fuck you put the damn camera for when you come down.
September 7th, 2005 at 2:33 pm
My sister goes there every year and she loves it. Lot’s of beer, naked people, and lesbians. She raves about the giant works of art, like the bar in the shape of a pirate ship that sails over the sand.
September 7th, 2005 at 4:06 pm
rave out dude.
never been to burning man, but i would qualify myself a raver….
been to hundreds of raves over the years, and i truly believe that they keep the world in balance.
of course, it might just be one big long acid trip ive never come out of……..
one
human?
September 7th, 2005 at 4:21 pm
I’ve been invited many times by friends who go yearly. They even wanted to sneak me in, but I couldn’t tkae all the time off of work. I wouldn’t go unless I had a project in mind– my idea has been to bring junky audio equipment (so that if the desert sand ruins them it’s no big loss) and create an interactive music interface where fellow BMers can jam along to “virtual DJ sets” comprising of a drum machine MIDI’d to a sampler. It would be a mind-blower to pull off, and that’s the appeal of BM to me. Rather than being some far out desert party, I am attratced to the idea of bringing something to the table. I have a feeling that, if I were out there with nothing to offer, I would feel like I was taking too much and not giving enough back.
Maybe next year I’ll go, now that my car is all paid off.
September 7th, 2005 at 6:45 pm
Burning man has always sounded like an awesome time to me, but it’s always been outside my means to go. Perhaps next summer, now that I’m in a relatively closer geographical location (though it’s still, what, 700 miles from here?)…
September 8th, 2005 at 11:19 am
Never been to Burning Man myself, because it’s too far to travel, too expensive for my limited means, and I’m not thrilled at the idea of being in the desert with 25,000 people for 5-6 days straight. However (heh), I’m an organizer for a yearly festival that’s much smaller than Burning Man, but similar in intent: X-Day, the SubGenius End of the World festival. What we have most in common with Burning Man is this: it is a DO-IT-YOURSELF festival.
You go on a long trek to head out to the festival and set up camp…and once you’re there, you need to find things to do. A lot of people go there to set up camp, sit around, and do nothing except wait for “the show” to start…just like at your typical rock concert. Almost without exception, these people end up being unbelievably bored. They keep asking, “When is something gonna happen, man?” and “I came all the way out here for this?”
On the other hand, there are people who head out to the festival, and they go around and DO THINGS. Here’s where the real fun at this kind of thing happens: you can do just about ANYTHING you want! You can be outrageous, you can be offensive. Lots of people plan for it in advance, and some people sink huge amounts of money into preparing for it…but blowing lots of money really isn’t necessary. You can organize a sporting event, or a cookout and barbeque, or bring your instruments and jam with musicians, or paint, or build stuff (like those fancy tents and scuptures), or hold a book burning…OR, you can just go around and meet people! Say hi to everyone, hang out, meet new friends, share food and drink and herbs, take part in the ongoing activities…if you do that, then stuff will happen all the time, often when you least expect it. This is the best part about a festival like Burning Man (or X-Day) - it’s entirely spontaneous, with no corporate sponsorship hanging over everything. And when a bunch of people get together to have a good time, then good times are had.
Festivals like this can be the best party of the year, something that can easily draw you in and make you a regular “Burner.” In my case, I plan for X-Day months in advance, so that by the time it arrives, I’m all pumped and psyched for it. So it is with Burning Man.
September 8th, 2005 at 11:37 am
Hey, do you have a website for this festival for people who are interested?
September 8th, 2005 at 12:06 pm
Always glad to plug the end of the world!
X-Day: The End Is Coming
http://www.modemac.com/x-day
September 9th, 2005 at 10:10 am
i second the X-Day suggestion, though it’s been several years since i’ve attended. There are lots of things to do, or not do, and it has this temporary autonomous zone feel, but it’s not huge and in the middle of a desert. Some of the best times of my life were at X-Day. The world ends every July 7th, and most of us don’t even know it!
September 9th, 2005 at 10:24 am
Man, what a brain fart!!! July, 5th, 5th, 5th!!! The seventh is my husband’s birthday. More proof it’s been TOO LONG since i saw an X-Day. The ‘official’ 2006 dates are June 29-July 5th.