Finding local burners when there is no official local group?

[Dork]

I just moved to Spokane Washington and the nearest "official" burner community is 300 miles away. So far the only burner I know here in town is a guy I work with, and he is no longer attending the event. Other than Myspace, which I am deathly afraid of, I have not found any community websites with more than a handful of Spokanites (Spokanians? Spokes-people? Haven't figured that out yet).

How do you hook up with locals when the ordinary channels are not providing much? Get involved in the closest but still rather distant group? Put bumper stickers on your car and hope people approach you? Make up imaginary friends to work and camp with?

[Rob the Wop]

Try Tribe.net. Also look into the local art car communities and the ones in Seattle. You will probably find outreach loonies in Spokane.

[geekster]

Go down to your largest city park with a flame thower at dusk. It will attract burners, people who just like to look at fire, and cops. It will be just like the playa.

[hunter S]

Dork, I can relate total to this issue! I moved from Reno (very large burner town, even if you've never been you would have to be dead not to know about it!) to very small town in the Mojave desert. for the last year I have tried everything short of "going to the park with a flame thrower"
I actually asked a 30 something woman at a local watering hole whom just sort of looked very burn-ish if she had ever herd of BM? I thought I was get smacked & to make things Evan worse she gets a couple of her male friends involved, next thing I know two construction type guys are accusing me of proposing some thing sexual & kinky to their friend! when I explained it was the name of an event involving art, camping, drinking beer! (The drinking beer part saved my ass!) anyway my solution has been to very carefully and slowly enlighten a few more open minded locals with the hope of them actually attending and then possibly creating something here. Bright ray of hope on my way through town headed to BM last year I saw a rig loaded with gear, bikes, ect. parked in a locals drive way! haven't got the nerve up yet to stop by and tactfully inquire. Hunter

[Steven bradford]

Here's an alternate variation on the topic-- What if there is a local burner community of sorts, but you're not comfortable with their style? I miss the big , inclusive and widely publicized events of my former burner stomping grounds seattle. Here the status quo seems to be keep it small invisible and cliquish, preferably without nettlesome performance or art aspects. It's a house party scene really.

Which is fine by me, but I'd love to organize something more, yet these folks have the official imprimatur. I don't have anything against them, I'd just like to try something more. Yet I know that if I try to do this they'll get royally pissed off, as they see themselves as the keepers of all things burner in this area.

[Desert Duck]

I say, whatever you want to see, do it. Burningman is a do-ocracy, and the local clique can't stop you from throwing down and getting published on the official site. If you can't find burners, or the right burners, I'd bet they're out there wishing someone like YOU would step up to the plate, and say "Here It Is- the One, The Only, the Flying Tricycle Fire Juggling Burningman Regional Joust-off" or whatever. Especially if you offer volunteer contact info enough beforehand, I'm sure you'll be able to get something going that's more to your liking. And who knows, maybe those folks who've been hiding in their houseparties-or just their houses- will come crawling out of the woodwork, and you'll be surprised at how many you are. We're everywhere. Call us out, we'll come and play.

[Steven bradford]

mmmm, Flying Tricylcle Fire Juggling....YUM!

[Rob the Wop]

Dork, I can relate total to this issue! I moved from Reno (very large burner town, even if you've never been you would have to be dead not to know about it!) to very small town in the Mojave desert. for the last year I have tried everything short of "going to the park with a flame thrower"
I actually asked a 30 something woman at a local watering hole whom just sort of looked very burn-ish if she had ever herd of BM? I thought I was get smacked & to make things Evan worse she gets a couple of her male friends involved, next thing I know two construction type guys are accusing me of proposing some thing sexual & kinky to their friend! when I explained it was the name of an event involving art, camping, drinking beer! (The drinking beer part saved my ass!) anyway my solution has been to very carefully and slowly enlighten a few more open minded locals with the hope of them actually attending and then possibly creating something here. Bright ray of hope on my way through town headed to BM last year I saw a rig loaded with gear, bikes, ect. parked in a locals drive way! haven't got the nerve up yet to stop by and tactfully inquire. Hunter

I lived in Ridgecrest for years. The best thing you can do is to move the fuck out. You were probably drinking at Tommy-T's and the owners of that bar only have that bar because their family has cash- they've been thrown out of every other bar in town. Their dad was infamous for beating up everyone in town back in the old days.

Try hitting up the community college in town and getting to know the art students. Also, there is a group (or used to be) called CLOTA that did performance art. The only bar I can think of that might remotely have anyone with ANY artistic bent would be the one in the Carraige Inn. They have a Jeet Kun Do studio on Inyokern Rd. My suggestion is to practice fighting arts as you will probably be getting into fights simply from the rednecks in that town. Unless its changed since I lived there. But I doubt it.

[hunter S]

Damn Rob, who would-a-thunk? :shock: yea no question you did live here!
I'll take this off e-playa and hit you with a personal message. If you and I start at this in public, Sirius red neck shit will fly and Larry the cable guy will look like a city slicker! :wink: