e-rawk

Well the Man burned 2 weeks ago and I’m just now getting to this blog. The time really flew by, but I think I also came out of Burning Man in a very different way than last year. Last year everything was new, and I mean everything. Last summer I was just starting to get the feeling that I needed to make some changes. The summer culminated with Burning Man and a lot of soul searching. As a result I came back with so much to write about. This year, by contrast, I went into it with a pretty solid idea of what I was doing and where I stand. (I’d had my ‘moment’ back in June at the top of the Alps.) I think this year BM was much more just about having a good time and hanging out with friends.

On top of it, this year felt a little discombobulated. I got there early on Monday morning (or so I thought) to set up camp. We were planning on camping near 8&C (the location we had last year). When I got there at 10am 8&C was totally packed and I ended up wandering around trying to find someplace close. No luck. I ended up way out in the boonies, and just as I parked and started to set up, a huge sandstorm hit. I won’t go into too much detail ’cause I don’t want to bring y’all down, but Monday sucked.

It took a few days to get the party started, but when it did I was reminded why I came back. I think it was Wednesday, which coincidentally was the 1st day of singing. PlayaChoir in the morning and Acapplaya in the evening. There is something about singing that changes me. I go through life so self conscious (about my body, how I interact with people, etc etc) but when we start singing it’s very different. I don’t really know why, but I find it so much easier to let go. I guess the closest analogy would be meditation. Singing distracts my mind from being obsessed with itself. I find myself going places on stage that I wouldn’t think of otherwise. As a result I come out of each singing experience invigorated.

One of the real joys of this year was watching my friends get into the spirit (albeit in their own unique ways). I brought along two good friends from PME; Jim Hale (aka Breakfast of Champions, BOC for short) and Gene Hern (aka Blazmo). BOC found the conditions a bit harsh and I can’t really blame him. It can take a lot out of you. I was a bit concerned but when we got back I found that he really enjoyed it and had some great moments. Blazmo, by contrast, dove right in. I think when folks saw us together they assumed that he was the seasoned burner and I the newbie. The signature moment of the week found Blazmo upside down at the top of a stripper pole at The Deep End dance club. I hear there are pictures. Someday they will make it to the internets…

There was some great art out there in the desert. By most accounts it was kind of a mellow year, and that reflected itself in the offerings. Some very cool and clever stuff, but honestly not to many ‘holy crap I can’t believe they did that’ pieces. One of the more interesting pieces was an immigration center to the land of dreams. Blazmo and I hit that one night totally unprepared for what we were about to experience (as is often the best with Playa art). The immigration center officers make you fill out a 47 part questionnaire and subject you to arbitrary rules that change on their whim. After a while I noticed that some of the other ‘immigrants’ were getting upset about their unfair treatment. I found it fascinating as the lost their perspective on the piece and began to become a part of it! In the end we made it through and got our passports. By far one of the more ingenious experiences on the playa this year.

Most of the other cool stuff was largely visual and not so interactive so I’ll leave it for the slide show. Before I go I do have to make mention of the kitchen table. It’s surprising what can cause an emotional response. As I said before I had a largely unemotional time this year. But when we went to go burn the table I started to well up a bit. I’m not sure exactly why but I can guess. That door was in a way a symbol of Burning Man for me this year, and a symbol of maybe something larger. It is very easy for me to retreat into my cocoon, especially when I’m not happy with how things are going in my life. I sometimes forget that I have friends and that they care about me. The door was covered in little notes that folks wrote during the last Pork Stump. They were all about Burning Man of course, but they felt like much more. As the door caught fire and started to burn I found myself reading it to catch one last glimpse of the messages. I need to remember that feeling of support as I go out on my next adventure. It would be so easy to disappear from society altogether. So easy. I can’t let that happen. Any time I start to think about it all I gotta do is remember the sight of that door with all those messages catching fire.

Ah enough with the navel gazing! Time for some pictures. I will spare you the story of the exodus. Sometime when we are both drunk you can ask me and I’ll tell you. Here’s the link to my slide show. A word of warning, one or two of the pictures are not work-safe. If you are easily offended, you might want to skip.

Burning Man 2008 pics

See you next year on the Playa!
-Nipples

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