Burningman

[rustyjaw]

I've never been to Burningman, which surprises me since I have many friends that have been, probably more than half my friends. Partly it's because I am afraid of the conditions (the extreme hot and cold, the tremendous storms, wind-blown sand, etc), but I'm also just plain forgetful, so by the time I start seriously thinking about it, it's already too late, more of a hassle, and more expensive.

 

I think this year, I'm finally going to go, I can't wait any longer. I need to see what it's about, to experience it for myself. I've heard so many stories about what it's like, and the common theme is that there is no preparation for what it's really like.

 

I'm curious if anyone here at LCVG has gone, and what they thought of it? Is anyone else planning on going this year?

[rustyjaw]

I'll take that as a "no"

[Bruce B]

Man, I gotta get out more often because I have absolutely no clue what your talking about. Is this a trick? Like I say "what is burningman" and you say " my scrotum because I just got Bengay on it". I apologize up front if its not a joke. Educate me.

[JTello]

Apparently Bruce has never met google,.... that's where I found Burningman

 

Bruce, to quote the website,

"Trying to explain what Burning Man is to someone who has never been to the event is a bit like trying to explain what a particular color looks like to someone who is blind."

 

There you go Bruce, that's all you'll ever need to know! :green:

[JTello]

Yes, Bruce, I originally called you Joel,... guess I shouldn't be in two LCVG threads at once, I get all mixed up.

[Bruce B]

Yes, Bruce, I originally called you Joel,... guess I shouldn't be in two LCVG threads at once, I get all mixed up.

 

No problem Wally

 

I've never been to Burningman

 

I humbly apologize. I should have googled

[rustyjaw]

What is Burningman

 

It's a gathering of people in the Black Rock desert in Nevada. For a week in August they build a city that looks like this from above:

 

 

In the center of the semi-circle, is a huge, multi-story effigy of a man that on the final night of the event they burn.

 

I'm not sure, but a few 10's of thousands of people show up, many of whom bring or create artwork of all kinds and display it, drive it, burn it or do whatever they want with it.

 

Everyone I know whose gone has come back all but speechless about it. Apparently it's 3 parts sensory overload, 5 parts happy chaos and 2 parts delirium and sleepless nights.

[adamsappel]

Ed, I've never been, but it is on my "Someday..." list. Be sure to take lots of pictures for us.

[rustyjaw]

Like I say "what is burningman" and you say " my scrotum because I just got Bengay on it".

 

That was pretty funny...

[Baiter]

I've known about this for 4 or 5 years now but never really understood the draw. I always thought of it as woodstock without the music, and I don't think I would've liked woodstock without the music. :-/

[rustyjaw]

Oh, there's plently of music. From what I understand you can wander the Playa and find just about any kind of music you know of. Lots of DJs go, some bands go, there's no official concert, but music is art, and art is everywhere at Burningman.

[rustyjaw]

there's a good, 2-page rundown of some of the art at the last BM here

 

I'd particularly like to see the Fire Grid:

 

The Fire Grid, an experiment in gestural control of flame, is an 8 by 8 foot grid of flamethrowers controlled by a computer with a pressure sensitive tablet. The grid itself is made of copper, brass, and silver pipe. The system allows you to draw in flame, and translates your touch and pressure into their equivalent in fire.

[kelley]

this is just too hippie for me to go. plus the fact that whatever you bring into burningman you must leave with.

[rustyjaw]

There's definitely a hippie element, but there's also the mad-scientist and Mad Max elements, it's the latter two that attract me.

[Robot Monkey]

Originally posted by gigapower@Jan 29 2004, 05:27 PM

... plus the fact that whatever you bring into burningman you must leave with.

Really? I support Leave No Trace (LNT) policies, so I'm encouraged that the hippies are picking up after themselves.

 

-j

[Whooter]

Originally posted by gigapower@Jan 29 2004, 04:27 PM

plus the fact that whatever you bring into burningman you must leave with.

You could just burn it.

[rustyjaw]

You could just burn it.

 

:lmfao:

[Mark E]

You could just burn it.

 

Cripes, I hope you don't take guests with you Joel .

 

I'm with Kelley on this one, burningman has always struck me as monstrous hippiness, so it's not up my alley at all. I'll save my coin to be a geek at site meets .

[rustyjaw]

It's interesting that it seemingly has a strong hippie connotation elsewhere. During the internet boom here, BM was the place neo-yuppies flocked to in massive numbers. It still is to a large extent, but the boom is over and many of them don't even live here anymore.

 

The geek quotient is off the scales as far as I can tell, based on my friends who have gone.

 

I guess the naked hippies get all the press.

[adamsappel]

I used to be a Deadhead and every summer would follow the Grateful Dead to a few shows. I always suggested to "straight" people that they should go to a concert, even if they hated the music, just to experience the weirdness. I told them to think of it as going to the circus. Burningman is just a crazy circus in the desert, with fire and nudity.

[rustyjaw]

Originally posted by adamsappel@Jan 29 2004, 08:31 PM

I used to be a Deadhead and every summer would follow the Grateful Dead to a few shows. I always suggested to "straight" people that they should go to a concert, even if they hated the music, just to experience the weirdness. I told them to think of it as going to the circus. Burningman is just a crazy circus in the desert, with fire and nudity.

And I think the world needs more weirdness of this kind.