however, we are fans. BIG FANS. and participants. MADD PARTICIPANTS. totally dig the free spirit atmosphere of it all. so much creative energy. so much passion. so much diabolical ingenuity.
and this year's go 'round on the playa was just as killer as the first. perhaps not as mind-blowing (since we had a better clue of what to expect). but just as mind-bending. clearly, a little experience goes a long way.
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so here are a couple random musings about the scene...
ART INSTALLATIONS...perhaps the most impressive element of the equation. structures of all shapes and sizes. all with a purpose, all with a meaning. a 70 ton Temple of Gravity with curved steel rods suspending slabs of granite, a large sculture of a hand (the Hand of God) throwing flames 500 feet in the air, an over-sized chandellier meant to look like it fell from heaven, an 80-foot-tall, kremlin-like temple devoted to the spirits of the living and the dead...each piece totally thought out and amazing. collectively, simply freakin' incredible.
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THEME CAMPS...with names such as Biolumaniti, Metamorhphia, LaserKaba, The Kaleidosphere, The Rabbit Hole (Drive Thru), and Ubercarney, theme camps were anything from two tents and an attitude to full-fledged, self-sustaining villages. each camp more or less had its own angle, and each welcomed visitors throughout the day. we mainly hung out at the Deep End and Pinky's, but any number of places would have been killer.
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BIKING THE PLAYA...is the bomb. traversing black rock city on foot is no way to check things out. bikes are the primary transport of choice and the best way to get to see it all [VIDEO]. besides, it's down hill in all directions.
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ART VEHICLES...provide yet another convenient means for scoping out the scene. or making the scene, as the case may be. no way to classify the art vehicles on the playa: they range from kicked-back, motorized recliners [VIDEO] to 40 foot white whales to mad max hover crafts. and everything in between. and more.
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DAILY EVENTS...what events? oh, the scheduled events: activities like yoga classess, face painting, star gazing, cross dressing, ankle biting, basket(ball) weaving, archery, chicanery, and so on. and, of course, critical tits. we missed most of this stuff. most, but not all.
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SOCIALIZING...no holds barred. sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll. well, very little rock-n-roll. mostly techno. but plenty of sex and drugs. and a heavy doze of hanging out with cool people, friends and strangers alike.
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THE MAN...and yes, virginia, there is a Man, and he is at the center of it all, both literally and figuratively. i guess you could try to avoid forging a personal relationship with The Man. but why? get to know The Man and you get to know a little more about yourself. watch The Man burn, grieve for the loss. but then venture on injected with insight, knowing that the cathartic burn awards you a fresh start. and yes, The Man does burn [VIDEO].
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if there's a better festival out there, somebody tell me where it is. there may be, but i'm guessing it's not on this planet.
anyway, i could go on and on, but, either you've been there and you know what it's all about, or you haven't and you really need to go check it out in person.
