Music on the Playa

If there's one definitive thing I can say about music on the playa this year, it's that I've now heard all the James Brown I need to hear for an entire year. Every day, several times a day, I would hear The Godfather testifying from somewhere, and even saw him being towed in effigy around the Esplanade behind a bicycle one day.

The aural omipresence of James Brown was an indication of what seemed like the general musical mood; breaks and big electronic thumps certainly had their place at 10 O'clock and along the Esplanade, but when you got into the small soundsystems the vibe was much more about easygoing party pop 'n' rock. On Thursday night, trying to find my way among various pathways of the mind, the dance party at a camp down Allante made me think I had stumbled back into Drunk and Horny, while during the day I had happened into a Rolling Stones party at the Solar Snow Cone camp.

There were of course plenty of big whoo-whoo parties with electronic music, but distance and the difficulty of getting around on bikes due to the sand traps kept me from really going out to the big dance camps like Opulent Temple. There's something about the scale of those camps, too, that I find a bit off-putting; if being around a thousand fucked-up people at 1015 seems a little much to deal with, try adding a couple thousand more people to the mix. Just think about the amount of dust generated by all those stomping feet.

My best musical moment came on Friday at the Deep End, where Worthy of Dirty Bird fame had the opening set. I had been up for a pretty intense twenty-four hours at that point, and had become even more doggie than usual, but Worthy's set sparked me back to life for a few more hours. After that, though, I was basically done with dancing at Burning Man; I checked into the Honey Sound System party at Comfort and Joy after midnight that night, deemed it too hot and reeking of sweaty faeries for my physical condition, and soon after was passed out in my tent (J, though, later told me that Pee Play laid out a fun set).

I did play a set at Camp Zoom on Wednesday night, but it was Lord Kook who can lay claim to two truly awesome sets, both at Glitter Camp on the Esplanade. On Tuesday, after struggling through a dust storm on Monday and then spending all day Tuesday working on our camp art project, we were ready to party, and so, it seemed, was everyone else there. LK held that space for a solid two hours that night, drawing in lots of wandering gay boys, including Pee Play, who was drawn in by the whoops that went up when LK dropped Lindstrom's "Another Station." LK returned on Wednesday to play a tag-team with Jovino that lasted a full five hours, until both of them were just too exhausted to play another track.

On the Burning Man census this year there was a section to check off the things that brought you to the playa, and one of them was "the music scene." I ticked this off as one of my attractions, but I really think that the version of the Burning Man music scene that I experience here, through Opulent Temple, Space Cowboys, and the host of fundraisers is a lot more interesting for me than what I've encountered on the playa. In many ways, the sound of the playa has become pretty predictable, and the scale of the event makes it both very difficult to find things that are more off the beaten path, and to get to them when you do find them. I know, though, that all these things move in cycles, and just as breaks superseded trance as the sound of the playa, something else new will eventually come along; I just wish it would hurry up and happen already.

Mix to Download: Dex Stakker of Opulent Temple

A recorded version of Dex's electro set from the Audible from Space party at DNA, a recorded version of his opening set for Elite Force at Mighty, and another set of self-described "pop and fluff" can all be had at dexstakker.com.

Upcoming Event: Opulent Temple Underground, Saturday June 9

SATURDAY JUNE 9TH - OPULENT TEMPLE UNDERGROUND

Funky Dust! The OT returns for its next installment of events to raise the temple like never before in BRC '07. For this one we'll be throwing a proper underground with undisclosed location in SF and all night revelry. Dirty house, electro and breaks provided by Syd Gris, Smoove, Icon, Hoj, Dulce Vita, Nathan Vain, Jeffrey Allen, & Astro.

Space is limited so early arrival recommended. When we reach capacity we'll be closing the doors. $15 playafied, $20 normal. First 250 to arrive will automatically be entered into a raffle to win a free Burning Man ticket with your entry!!!
More info: http://www.opulenttemple.org/

Upcoming Event: Opulent Temple Insta-Party, Sunday May 27

Okay kids, I'm literally out the door for a weekend of party camping (whoo-hoo!), but this popped into my inbox and I figured I would share. C'mon, how often do you get to party like a maniac on a Sunday? And since it's Opulent Temple you know it'll be Burner-rific.

*****************

Opulent Bonus Party :: Sunday - May 27th

Opulent Temple spontaneous combustion insta-party!
Sunday, May 27th

The stars have aligned with 2 international superstars in the breaks/ tech funk
world being around for some spontaneous fun for the Opulent Temple. So, to make
it a memorable Memorial Day weekend, we've convinced them to come throw down
for free to help out the Opulent Temple. Insta-epic party!!!

With very special guests ::

Meat Katie (Lot 49 / meatkatie.com, UK) (!)

Dylan Rhymes (Lot 49, UK) (!)
+
Syd Gris (Opel / Opulent Temple)
Hoj (Opel / djhoj.com)
Tamo (Angels of bAss)
Billy Casazza (Opulent Temple / Nutbass)
Raydeus (Pronoia)
Nathan Vain (Opulent Temple)
Cosmic Selector (Opulent Temple)
Dulce Vita (Opulent Temple)
Dex Stakker (Opulent Temple, Deck Ade)
Chad North (Garage Mahal, Deck Ade)
Drew (Opulent Temple)
Astro (Opulent Temple / sonicbridges.com)

$10 dressed funky or simply tell the cashier you're a friend
$15 otherwise
3 dance areas, chill bus, BM visuals
Bring your Toys!

At Mighty
119 Utah St. @ 15th
21+
10pm-late night

Posted by: Little B

Your Saturday Guide for April 21

Well, this Saturday is an embarassment of riches!

Lord Kook Spins at Drunk and Horny!
This week Lord Kook returns to Drunk and Horny at Underground SF on 424 Haight Street. Expect more electro-technofunk than your typical gay bar music, arrive early to get down before things get, um, messy.

Gun Club Underground
The Gun Club kids will be doing their monthly underground thang featuring DJ Kaos from Berlin. If you check it out give us the report back!

Opulent Temple Fundraiser at the Porn Palace
This is sure to be the big event of this Saturday featuring all kinds of electronic dance music, from trance and breaks to house and chill, in one of SF's most interesting and evocative party locations. Security should be easy-going and the party should be rolling. If I didn't already have other committments, this is certainly the party I would hit.

Blasthaus Presents LUSINE with Broker/Dealer at the RxGallery
For those looking for a more intimate space and art-scene crowd.

Upcoming Event: Opulent Temple Fundraiser at the Porn Palace, April 21

Oh, this looks like a winner, kids: Opulent Temple, one of the major Burning Man dance camps, is having their fundraiser at the Porn Palace on Jessie Street this Saturday. If I wasn't already booked in for other obligations I'd be totally down with this. Lots of breaks, trance, hardcore, house, and generally crazy dance music in a swell location.

Here's the line-up and details:

Carbon Community (Sober Music / Bless, Dallas TX)
Dutch (Thump / Opulent Temple)
Ethan Miller (Friends n' Family)
Aaron Jae (Evil Breaks / Space Cowboys)
Dirtyhertz (M Theory / Looq)
Evinrude (Space Cowboys)
Nathan Vain (Opulent Temple)
Cosmic Selector (Opulent Temple / Tech Support)
Sentient (Opulent Temple / Vaporvent Records)
Jason Knight (djjasonknight.com)
Jive (Fix)
Dex Stakker (Opulent Temple)
Billy Seal (Opulent Temple)

At the Porn Palace: 415 Jessie St. @ 6th. (across from Mezzanine)
10pm-5am

Please come in your sexy playa best.

Only $10-$15 sliding donation if you're looking playalicious,
$15-$20 sliding donation in street clothes