things you liked about burningman...

[ranger magnum]

With all recent shit talking about Larry & Co, JT, and all the rest, how about recalling all the positive things about this years burn (or any other year)?

I was totally blown away that Thievery Corp. was on Playa. That's the kind of thing that amazes me about the Playa......that incredibly awesome musicians like them, come out to the middle of nowhere, and play for free. These people could have made tens of thousands of dollars playing at any other venue, yet they chose to gift us an incredible evening in the desert.

[ygmir]

I liked the rain, what happened, what it caused, and how people reacted.

[danibel]

I like the sunrise at the temple. I always say I am going to get up early during the week, but Sunday morning seems to be the only day I make it for the sunrise. Probably because I stay up all night Saturday!

[Captain Goddammit]

I liked how I barely remembered it from Kauai!!

[ranger magnum]

The rain! Man it was awesome. Unless you were stuck outside the gate....

[digital]

The rain! Man it was awesome. Unless you were stuck outside the gate....

The HAIL if you were awake at night. I had my feet sticking out the back of my car and remember being awoken by huge chunks of ice hitting them! Awesome.

Even better was opening day. The city was so peacefully quiet. Just a few souls walking around with trash bag boots.

[theCryptofishist]

Just another heartbreak.

[motskyroonmatick]

The Detroit Speed Cult Rollercoaster.

[Ratty]

I like the noise. I sleep in my van with the back open. No need for earplugs. All the music and booms and whoosh of fire being spit from art cars. It's exciting and comforting. Oh, and the rain was pretty awesome.

[mgb327]

The rain....I was just finishing setting up when it happened. Made my sparse neighborhood really band together....wish I woulda saved my trash-bag shoes. I think my best music this year was Crystal Method at OT, Thursday night, 3-4 a.m.-ish? Can't remember. Oh, and exodus. 45 minutes to blacktop. Epic.

[GreyCoyote]

Ragging on UnJohn.

Me: Mornin' Gramps. Aint you dead yet?
Him: I cant tell without coffee. Ugh. God your still ugly. And stupid-looking. And *there* is the coffee! So I must be alive. Now get the hell out of my chair, asshole...

Or;

Him: You know the difference between you and that Capt Goddammit guy?
Me: I'm younger, smarter, cuter, richer, and better hung?
Him: No.
Me: No. No what?
Him: No. As in "no" he isnt here, and you still are. Now get out of my chair or you will get to "no" the back side of my cane, Blinky Boy. And bring me some coffee before you leave.

We both loved it. :mrgreen:Hhopefully we are camping close together next year.

[Simon of the Playa]

for me, it's mostly the sex, drugs, and debauchery. The Satanism and Masonic Magick Rituals are pretty cool too.

I'm Totally doing the Bohemian Grove Regionals this year.

[Aurelia]

Dancing in the rain with a tutu garbed dude who I fell in love with right then

meanwhile all my campmates were admonishing me to not get wet !

xoA.

[Captain Goddammit]

Ragging on UnJohn.

Me: Mornin' Gramps. Aint you dead yet?
Him: I cant tell without coffee. Ugh. God your still ugly. And stupid-looking. And *there* is the coffee! So I must be alive. Now get the hell out of my chair, asshole...

Or;

Him: You know the difference between you and that Capt Goddammit guy?
Me: I'm younger, smarter, cuter, richer, and better hung?
Him: No.
Me: No. No what?
Him: No. As in "no" he isnt here, and you still are. Now get out of my chair or you will get to "no" the back side of my cane, Blinky Boy. And bring me some coffee before you leave.

We both loved it. :mrgreen:Hhopefully we are camping close together next year.

And the difference between me & Unjon is since I wasn't there, he was the ugliest person on the playa!

[tatonka]

meeting the people of BM

[unjonharley]

Aside from watching GC try to explain his existence..

Or LMAO when Cow Toes found the lost camera in his jock..(numb nuts)

And the absents of that ugly Captain..

There is no way I can explain how I enjoy Burning Man..

[digital]

He is the most adorable grandpa.

I didn't know it was him on that chair every morning until the last day. Next year, I'll be sure to coffee him up!

(And oh, those suspenders!)

[smiffman]

The rain! Man it was awesome. Unless you were stuck outside the gate....

Outside the gate ruled! Waited 20 hrs or so give or take, the anticipation of all those lost souls was exciting. Props to the dudes that set up the wait in line dance party for 12 plus hrs.


Outside the gate was it's own experience.

[tamarakay]

Being a very small part of the souk.
The 12 year old girl who was "so done with burning man and her dad" and the transformation of her attitude and smile as she dyed her silk scarf and played with us.

[Eric]

Like everyone, the glorious rain. We camped on Esplanade, and when it was still really wet we sat & looked out the window at the quiet, and the puddles, and the few people moving around.

Rootie Bootie - man, I love that set. I can never thank Simon enough for making that possible, and watching the EDM DJ before us leave us a crowd of 100ish people, and our DJs growing it until a packed dance floor in less than 30 minutes was amazing.

Playing Trivial Pursuit at Fandango on the last Sunday, when it was pretty much just friends and family hanging out. Being accused of memorizing the deck was a lovely ego boost.

All the great random run-ins with people. For me it's always about people first, art second, and it was a great people year.

[Lonesomebri]

....riding my bike on the open playa, sitting on my chariot in a dust storm drinking a beer, giant structures on fire, huge explosions, flames being shot out into the night, fireworks, meeting and seeing weirdos, lots of weirdos, the ease at being able to be the weirdo I am, more fire, more explosions, dust devils and white-outs, the vastness, the imagination and vision of creative people coming to life, art, lots of art, drinking and sharing ice cold drinks out by the trash fence, camping out, giving out gifted food and drinks, getting free gifted food and drinks, pounding stakes, stuff burning up, the sounds of robots fighting in the distance, flitering around the soundcamps as the bass is dropped, beautiful people, oddballs, me throwing stuff in the fire, the Front Porch after the Temple Burn, how this event allows cool enlightened people to be cool (note: not how this enlightened event makes otherwise non-enlightened people enlightened, i.e. the Project theory of Burning Man Values). Fire, People, Art, Booze, Playa, Bike.

[Simon of the Playa]

the ease at being able to be the weirdo I am

yes...so much ^this^



for me, these are the same thing every year.

that first taste, the first whiff, the crunch that the playa makes when you walk on it.

i try to go out at sunset every day too, and stand in the middle of the city, and look at the mountains.

the inevitable dust storm.


from this past year:

seeing AntiM and HerLarry™ first thing when we arrived, totally out of the blue, pun intended.

the wednesday night kick off party that eric described.

breakfast beer at goatheads homebrew

sitting around in MASH one morning drinking luke warm beer.

illumination village and all of their super neat stuff

staying at the morris on the way out.

Reno.....yeah, i said it....i Love Reno...

[digital]

And this effect...

[lucky420]

the ease at being able to be the weirdo I am

yes...so much ^this^



for me, these are the same thing every year.

that first taste, the first whiff, the crunch that the playa makes when you walk on it.

i try to go out at sunset every day too, and stand in the middle of the city, and look at the mountains.

the inevitable dust storm.


from this past year:

seeing AntiM and HerLarry™ first thing when we arrived, totally out of the blue, pun intended.

the wednesday night kick off party that eric described.

breakfast beer at goatheads homebrew

sitting around in MASH one morning drinking luke warm beer.

illumination village and all of their super neat stuff

staying at the morris on the way out.

Reno.....yeah, i said it....i Love Reno...

Reno loves you too

[Lonesomebri]

...also this year I spent alot more time interacting with others on a regular basis out on the playa; I was invited to join a camp. The camp boss and some of the members were great. Then my chariot broke down and I had to haunt the city looking for a fix, which was provided by more fabulous people. I had my chariot welded and the wheels fixed by the freakin salt of this earth, or are they champagne? I had some interaction at the meet and greet also with wonderful spirits. I bumped into an artist/builder/BM god and knew him, and he vaguely knew me. More than any other year, it was people that made this Burn stand out in my mind.

[torrey.smith]

The Detroit Speed Cult Rollercoaster.

What what what??? Please elaborate!!!

[trilobyte]

I'm giving this a nudge to the 2014 Stories board, since that's a better fit (even with people including favorite stuff from years prior to 2014).

I think Mots is referring to the Roaster Coaster, I think its last year was 2004 or 2005. Came out all the way from Michigan, that thing was insane!

Ranger Magnum - glad to hear you caught them on the playa this year (they've been coming off and on again for years). I'm constantly blown away by some of the talented artists who come out and perform each year. Some I may already know, others are completely unknown to me (but with their own massive followings in Defaultia), every year dazzles me in different ways like that.

This year, I think The Alien Siege Machine was a major highlight. It was big enough that even before I finished building my own camp and art, I could follow along as chiefdanfox and his crew made progress with TASM. Then I got to pass by it a few times as I pedaled from one place to the next, and a day or two later finally got to come check the piece out by day. So amazing and fun. Then I was able to make it over to the machine for the Wednesday ceremony to 'switch it on' and that was a lot of Burning Opera style fun. Back again on Thursday, and finally got my girlfriend (who's not fond of heights) to climb up inside and explore it in the middle of the night. And then the epic burn on Friday night - really epic stuff.

There were lots and lots of other highlights, just from 2014. To anyone who's feeling bogged down from the recent brouhaha - if you're unable to immediately come up with a long list of highlights from your own personal adventure in 2014... take next year off. Don't go because you feel a sense of obligation, or because you let people talk you into it or convince you to give it another go... go because it's an overwhelmingly great experience for you, and you can't wait to go back and do even more for your friends neighbors and campmates.

[motskyroonmatick]

The Detroit Speed Cult Rollercoaster.

What what what??? Please elaborate!!!

[media]

Here ya go!!! I saw the 2004 appearance at my first burn.

[torrey.smith]

Well, shit. We're working on our response.

[Eric]

The Detroit Speed Cult Rollercoaster.

What what what??? Please elaborate!!!

[media]

Here ya go!!! I saw the 2004 appearance at my first burn.

Oh fuck, I remember that. I was waaaay to chicken to go on it, but watched camp-mates scream their way through a ride or two.