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When you hear the name Burning Man your mind goes to dirty half naked hippies tripping on Molly (MDMA) in the desert to a soundtrack of Dubstep. You are partially right there, but there is so much more to Burning Man than rave music and nudity. Once a year an entire city is built in a dry lake bed in Nevada. Thousands of people gather to create art, music and build relationships with complete strangers. My first year I was floored with how generous people were with their time, supplies and spirit. I'm a bad hugger. Seriously, I have a hard time navigating the angle, timing and whether or not it's even appropriate. But at Burning Man there is no bad hugging. People go all in and all the time. Participants don't just hug, they give you gifts, invite you to dinner, tell you their dreams, wash your body, and wear incredibly elaborate costumes.
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| Miguel Montalvo, epic costumer and all around craftsperson |
Did I get dirty? Yes. Did I see nudity? Oh definitely. Did I dance to music that I normally find abhorrent? For sure. But I saw incredible feats of engineering and crazy gorgeous art installations in the middle of dust storms that clogged my every pore. Many people don't know that much of the 'Burner' community is made up of incredibly talented artist building huge works, some vehicles that shoot fire, some buildings that invite interaction, some sensory installations. Each year they gather and develop new works to engage and amaze the participants.
My good friend Miguel Montalvo says it better than I could hope to, "There is a "maker-ness" to the citizens of BRC that is magical. From epic maker-ness like the shipwreck, to the tiny maker-ness of free hugs. Each as valid as the other. It's like Christmas... Where everyone becomes an artist. Even if their art is only to hang some lights on the garage. The playa at night is like Christmas every night."
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| The Golden Mean and Front Porch- my two favorite art cars. |
The other side of the event that I personally love is the DPW, aka Department of Public Works. These are the folks that come months in advance while the site is mere dust and wind to set up the entire infrastructure. There are lights to be rigged, fences and boundaries to set, roads to lay out and a recycling center to name just some of what this group accomplish. They also stay to break down and clean up the mess that an entire city of people can make. Sure the motto of Burning Man is "Leave no trace," but there is certainly a big fat trace left by the participants. It's inevitable when you have that many glow sticks, zip ties, baby wipes and watermelons, you are going to have detritus. You can spot a member of DPW by their gnarly vehicles that look straight out of Mad Max and their generally surly demeanor. For me they are a welcome island of punk rock amongst all the electro-blinking light insanity that can overwhelm a folk musician such as myself. I gladly look forward to sharing bottles of whiskey and swapping profane jokes with the black clad clan of misfits that are the DPW.
I shot a documentary my first year there. It's not the typical experience, but then again there is no typical with Black Rock City.
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