Live! at Burning Man 2006!

[Bob]

One solution that I've been working on is to dissolve the line between audience and performer. Any ideas?

[Ms Mutaytor]

It truly is a hard line to cross. Playing live music at Burning Man is hard on camping & family, hard on instruments and a trick to keep it interactive while being safe. My advice is to not focus your Burn on your concerts - let that be part of your art, your gift to the community. But all your off-stage time, you'll be on the Playa in THAT experience - don't go just to play you music...you should want to experience Burning Man first and foremost.

Since it was brought up (and I can't imagine you've been to a concert of ours lately Ivy), at current shows our performers are interacting in the audience, we arrange for clubs to allow fans' LED poi and hoops and whenever we safely can, the audience is pulled up onstage every set (last week's Fillmore was a doozy).

The Mutaytor proper stopped playing at Burning Man for many reasons, but mainly, we had put on large shows for 5 years, and hoped other bands would step up. Plus, we couldn't keep spending $10,000 every burn while trying to build a business with 35 performers. Instead, the fire team did Cirque Bezerque, Kevin did Skin, and others did their own projects.

I've seen a ton of great live music on the playa, from Spock Mtn Research porch jams, Extra Action Marching Band, the Mermen, Skin, Lost At Last, Soul In The Machine, Rodd Rundgren's camp, the little blues bar in 2003 out in the abyss, Pyrocussion, and countless bands that just set up and play once if you're lucky to happen by.

Personally, I wish more bands, dance troupes etc would step up and play rather than just complain about the lack of live music.

Good luck to your band and hope more and more artists join you in performing!

[Jennyp]

[quote="PatternInterrupt"]

One solution that I've been working on is to dissolve the line between audience and performer. Any ideas?

It seems to me that Burning Man deserves more live music. 8)

¥[/quote]

I don't see that you ned to dissolve this at all - you are performers, and teh audiece participates by giving you something to perform TO - they don't have to actually perform in order to be involved. Same way as if when I read a book, do I need to make comments in the margin, try and write a different ending and so forth? No, I just need to complete the creative cycle by reading. By listening/watching/just being an audience, everyone is contributing.

Selling your performance/being blatantly commercial is probably different, but you have to make a living, just because you make music doesn't mean you should starve for your art.

Yes, bring on the live music!

I've never been to Burning Man, want to come this year - if I make it, I'll come and say hi. :D

[loritrek]

[img] live music is always good. audience participation can dissolve the line[/img]

[Ivy]

and I can't imagine you've been to a concert of ours lately Ivy

You're right, I haven't. Being blacklisted by the community kinda puts a damper on my desire to participate in those sorts of events. Radical inclusion and all that, eh?

[Kinetic IV]

Ivy, blacklisted? Huh?

[PatternInterrupt]

Speaking of crappy music going on at Center Camp... here's when we're performing this year at Burning Man

Wednesday 10PM - Center Camp
Thursday 11PM - K-SVERT @ 4:20 & Esplanade
Friday 8PM - Red Nose District outdoor stage @ 7:30 & Esplanade

Listen to some old tunes that we're sure to play: http://www.PatternInterrupt.com


¥

Hmmm. I definitely hear what you're saying. It is a fine line to walk, isn't it?

One solution that I've been working on is to dissolve the line between audience and performer. Any ideas?

It seems to me that Burning Man deserves more live music.

¥

Yeah, it is a fine line. Fortunately I have a short attention span and usually post-it-and-forget-it.

Anyhoo, yes, live music would be nice. In fact, I don't think I've EVER seen a live band at Burnign Man (outside of the Burning Band and whatever crappy "music" is going on at Center Crap, er, Center Camp).

[GonzoRock]

Speaking of dissolving the line between Audience Participation and the Performer...

This turns the Audience into Performers when it rolls up to a stage where
someone is playing. Suddenly there are 5 more percussionists in the band!

Sometimes the stage is cool with it... other times... well... we all like
the spotlight don't we... why the hell do you think I made this thing ;-))

I call it Rhythm Jism

[ravenluv]

recently i ran into an acquaintance who saw mutaytor at wakarusa. she was very impressed with the performance and knew of their association with burning man. she'd never seen anything like it before.

this led me to think:

mutaytor is mutayting into a living slice of burnimg man that is traveling the land and showing samples to the unburned of what they might find if they dare to make the pilgrimage.

i say: good job!

and if any mutaynts are looking in....have you ever heard of spoon fed tribe? they have a similar vibe going on, though they are much smaller. just saw them recently for the first time. great show, nice bunch. i'm glad to see the 'genre' is spreading. i believe mutaytor is helping with that as well.

[mo_corleone]

i've seen several live bands at burning man and it's always an awesome thing to stumble upon. i can't say i get quite as excited about the scheduled, announced performances that people adjust their itineraries around but that's just a personal preference and applies to any performance.

it's not a "live band" per se, but Want It will have a small stage this year with a full drumset, guitar, bass, amps, etc. and we'll be doing unscheduled jams at random times throughout the week. we've got a trombone player and a tuba player at camp as well, so it should be a good time. while we're going to be a bit controlling over who gets onto the actual stage (it is small and can only fit a few people), anyone is welcome to bring instruments by and jam out with us. i'm hoping the main "show" becomes the surrounding musicians that come out from the woodwork and start rocking out with us.

gonzorock: if you get a chance, please cruise by with that drum beast! we'll be at 9:30 and chance or very close to that intersection.

[delstons]

Oh shit... Please tell me someone recorded Skin's on Friday.

I caught the last 10 minutes of their set and it freaking rocked. Hard. I'd love to hear the whole performance. (In the meantime, I'm obeying my capitalist masters by downloading Skin's album via the Apple Music Store.)