This is my story of the origins of Burning Man festival. You can fact check it if you wish – I didn’t, but please, be my guest.
The Black Rock Desert Playa is located on the tribal lands of the Northern Paiute people; one of the flattest and most inhospitable places on the planet. The average lifespan of an unprepared urban human is about 6 ½ hours, a Survivor contestant could stretch this to about 12 hours.
No coyotes, no begonias – nothing survives here save some tiny shrimp that lay dormant for years until the winter rains come. Sea-Monkeys, as they are widely known, once a year put on a spectacle. During a certain full moon and with sufficient vodka, the tiny shrimp begin to bioluminescence in amazing colors and intensity.
The entire Playa becomes an orgy of brilliantly mating shrimp.
This spectacle did not go unnoticed by the Burning Man Organization.
It’s a bird, it’s a plane - it’s a mutant vehicle?
Typical Car ≠ Mutant Vehicle,
Mutant Vehicle ≠ Contextual Environment
Approx. 800 mutant vehicle licenses were granted in 2022. These performance art & kinetic travelling sculptures were omnipresent, each one highly original.
Steampunk, carousel, retro, fire-snorting octopus. Sometimes it felt like I was in someone else's dream.
Some of the world’s best sculptors and industrial designers crafted these amazing creations; the only characteristic shared amongst them is a top speed of 5mph.
The Playa will Provide
Without currency, the Playa relies on generosity. Giving without expectation of receiving in return is not a cultural norm anywhere except Burning Man. This extraordinary social experiment seems to work.
The contrast between inhospitable environmental conditions and munching on a snow-cone named after disgraced Harvey Weinstein’s ‘Hollywood Ending’ - pop rocks and condensed milk drizzled over top. Damn good!
I was told the 3 guiding rules of Burning Man: look good, be open to yes, and stay alive.
Music makes the people come together
Music, mix the bourgeoisie and the rebel (Madge)
For those old enough to remember the ‘scan’ function on a car’s FM dial, riding a bike at night on the Playa was pretty much the same. Every conceivable type of music competed for attention.
From Diplo to Tchaikovsky, there was something for everyone. I’ve been told major artists test-market new material at Burning Man to see how the crowd responds.
Art on the Moon & F*&K BUILDING CODES!
Freed from the confines of climate-controlled galleries, artists and sculpturers dreamt big on the Playa. Pieces had to function not only during the day, but at night, withstand punishing dust storms, and even more punishing Burners vying for the best Insta shot.
Social commentary and contextual contrast were everywhere.
An enormous illuminated ‘$’ shone across the nightscape; in daylight it turned out to be an assembly of discarded washing machines and fridges.
A climbable wooden tower contained hundreds of sawed-off metal soft-water canisters, shell casing, and other metal elements.
When rung with provided mallets, the tower resounded like a Tibetan gong meditation app.
A 30’ suspended parasol of fast-spinning LED ropes created a disc for light, color, and music. Hundreds of Burners assembled underneath, mesmerized by the spinning ropes.
The harsh conditions created the most incredible atmosphere, color and lighting. I’ve only seen such soft blues and greys during a Miami sunset. The softness of the horizon line made for the most dramatic backdrops. Spectacular!
I dedicate this blog to the amazing team at the Playa Burner Express depot. In hospitality biz the first impression is the most lasting, and the team at BX Playa were outstanding.
Under exceptional circumstances they took me in as their own, intent on providing me a Burning Man experience. A huge shout-out to Sharif, maybe Sheriff? I dunno. Everyone had Playa code-names. Mine was ‘dust-nap’, but that’s a story for later. NostroThomas and MOP, I love you!
Now, the big question ... will I return to burn again?
Thanks for chillin' with me on the Playa!