Episode 146: Burning Man 2024 (First 24 hours at Burning Man)

0:00 Hello, welcome to this week's episode of Uncle Dad Talks. As always, I'm Uncle Dad, and with me is the burningest of men, the one and only Mike Hampton. What's up, man? I am burning, man. Is that a thing you want to say to me? Burning, comma, man. Yeah. What's up, man? This is a very special episode, man. This is one of our, I would argue, probably one of the episodes that's been leading up to happen at some point, right? Right. Like it's been talked about so many times and now it's finally happening. Not in the sense that it's your first time, but it'll be my first time attending Burning Man. And we know that Burning Man has been such a, I think it's like there was like five pillars of Uncle Dad Talks.

0:44 That's one of the pillars right next to Bruce Willis, you know. And yes, it's about to happen. So I think like I don't really know how to kick this off, but I think the best way to do it is you kind of just telling us what is happening very soon. Right. Yeah, it is. It's definitely one of the pillars, one of my pillars of our show. I find a way to wedge it in wherever I can. That's always fun. Yeah. People, you want to know how someone goes to Burning Man? They will tell you they go to Burning Man. Just like they'll tell you if they're vegan. Just like they'll tell you if they're in the CrossFit. That too, yeah. Yeah. So, yeah. So Burning Man, yeah, I've been going on and off since 2009.

1:26 And this year, I finally get to experience it with Uncle Dad, with you. And so I'm super stoked about that. And we're going to do something I've never done at Burning Man, and that's record. Yeah. That is going to be interesting. I was thinking about that, too. We had a little pre-meeting here, and something I didn't think about. I probably should have something for the mic to not get the sand in the mic or the dust in the mic. Yeah. You want to get, you probably want to get a little cover for it. Yeah. But for the, for the actual microphone part, but yeah, it'll be fun. I think it'll be great to see what your experience feels like in your first 24 hours.

2:10 That's what we should do, right? Like a check-in every 24 hours, right? Like, you know how we do those check-ins every 24 hours. Are you, are you dead yet, uncle dad? Yeah, so I was talking to Callie Dunlap-Art, as you like to say, and she'll be there as well, along with my sister, who is also her first burn. Wow. So that'll also add another element to everything, and I'm sure we'll have her on the show as well. But Callie had this great idea of what if for everyone that you meet that it's their first burn, you got them to give a quick... Talk of what their first 24 hours felt like and i thought that was a great idea and so yeah i know i think we could start with you and then maybe monica my sister and then go on down from there that's a great idea wow that'll actually add to that yeah that'd be awesome that almost sounds like journalism uh-oh.

3:05 Unauthorized journalism at burning man yeah well But, you know, I'm excited about that because, you know, we talked about this on and off the mic for years. And while, well, admittedly, I am a little nervous, but, you know, I'll get through that. I think I have anxiety. We all know that already, but I'll get through it every time. But I'm excited to be a part of something that means a lot to you, but not just you, like just a lot of people. And I met so many people while doing the show with you and that are so involved in this world of Burning Man. And so it's so fascinating to finally be a part of that and see that and, you know, be part of the bigger picture of things. Right. You know, and, you know, you're you're one of the few like obviously not like super OG, but pretty OG burners out there, you know, and you don't really meet those kind of people anymore. You know, at least at least in my experience.

3:58 Yeah, you will when you're out there. It's changed a lot. you know, it changed a lot in the early 2000s. And then it changed a lot again in the later part of the 2000s. And then I think after 2009 or 10 is when it really shifted. And that's when, you know, social media became a big part of everyone's life. And so that brought in a whole bunch of other people that otherwise never heard of it or could actually see it more real as as opposed to just Googling images of it. And so, brought a lot of people in. A lot of people put it on their bucket list as something they just gotta do, which is fine. But, you know, when you're out there, especially in the camp that we are in, we're camping with lamplighters who light lamps along some of the main streets out there.

4:45 So you can find your way at night amongst all the LED lights. A lot of those guys have been around for many years. And so I think you'll get a lot of both worlds, I think. You know, I'm excited about that. I'm also excited to see all the art. I'm excited to see all the, you know, we did DesignerCon at the end of last year. And I wish I could remember their name. and it drives me crazy that I can't they gave me a sticker and everything but I lost it they were a mobile coffee dj which I've never seen before I don't know if you've ever seen that there but it's basically like a giant dj setup and they make coffee while djing and they're just constantly driving yeah that sounds about right yeah there's lots of there's lots of mobile mobile services I guess you could say like there's a there's a dust city diner and it looks like a 50s style diner and it's just driving around and you when it stops you can just hop on a seat and it's a flat it looks like you're it's flat so you don't really see how it's really driving when you're sitting down on there there's lots of mobile bars some of them have swings slides whippers snappers zippers zappers uppers downers it's gonna blow your mind and i really can't wait to see your face when you actually see it because and experience it because it's like you see things online you see things in pictures you hear about it you know the grand canyon's like that right like you go there and it's the experience is nothing like what it looks like when you see a picture of it and i think burning man especially at night when you look around and 360 degrees is just a sea of colorful lights and sounds it just kind

6:20 of you know and you look up and you're in the middle of desert and so it's just stars and and it's it's quite it's quite the moment for you yes. Man burning man i'm excited though i am i think it's i'm also a big fan of uh just experiences right experiences are so important to us as humans right so it's gonna be just so exciting to be a part of that and you know just again i i you know to get a little sentimental here it's exciting to do this with you as i've known you for so long and you know i've always we've talked about it so many times being you're being my mentor and looking up to you and all those good things to finally experience this thing that you are so passionate about feels like it'll bring a sense of closeness that I haven't had with you in a long time and I'm excited about that yeah yeah it is it's you know and I know you mentioned you're a little nervous, maybe a little scared and that's part of that is probably the unknown and you know Burning Man will push you push your limits a bit and it's extreme you're in extreme condition which humans.

7:26 Really have no business being out there. There's nothing out there. Yeah. So, but that's part of what makes it so great. And it helps you learn your limits and it's, it'll, it'll kind of show you where you're at in your life. And, and also just how to relate to people in a different way outside of, you know, society and have a new sense of what community actually can feel like. And so I'm stoked that you're going to take a step into that world. Maybe, you know, it'll, made them do something to you where you want to come back every year so that's what it did to me and so i'm happy that you're going to experience this part of uh just mike's world i thought you were gonna say this part of me i was like oh okay yeah well yeah yeah no no but yeah you know it's it's exciting to to also i think i'll be able to make the burn of the man right because that's on On Saturday, right?

8:23 That's correct. Yeah. So that's one of the things I really wanted to see because one of the things that really captivated me was a few years ago, there was a burning man, a burning sculpture, I guess you would call it, right? And it was of a couple. It looked like a non-gendered couple. It looked like looking up and then looking down. And then it was on fire, right? Do you know what I'm talking about? I think it was called Embrace. Yes. It was the name of the piece. Yeah. That piece blew my fucking mind. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it was a huge structure made of wood. I don't know how many feet tall, maybe 15. I don't know. I'm horrible at estimating how many feet something is. Maybe 50 feet? I don't know. Huge, yes. A hundred feet.

9:06 Yeah, probably more than that, but okay. Yeah, and they burn it. The burning of the man is very special. It's a whole show. It's like, I don't know, an hour or something. Fireworks, huge explosions. Explosions where you feel the ground quake. And you feel the rush of the heat from the explosion. Oh, it's huge. It's like a movie explosion. Yeah, it's insane. But then there are lots of other pieces of art that are amazing that get burned throughout the week. And it's fun to make those too, you know, because then everyone gathers. Then there's always a circle of art cars around.

9:47 And, you know, a lot of times you can go hop on an art car that people invite you up so you can watch from above. Of and yeah and some some of these things they burn and then there's like a metal sculpture underneath the the pieces of wood that burn off and so it's a whole nother piece of art after it burns so yeah there's there's lots of cool stuff to see i'm excited i'm very very very excited and yeah we'll be reporting on it quotations and it's gonna be a lot of fun but mike i got a little game ready for you. Are you ready for that? Okay. Love games being thrown at me. Yeah, we do, don't we? Okay. A little trivia here. Can you name the 1973 horror film that has a burning man?

10:30 No. Are you sure? 1973? Yeah. It was remade. It was remade, starring Nicolas Cage. It has a burning man. Yeah. The Wicker Man. There we go. One point for Mike. The Nicolas Cage helps, yeah. Yeah, I figured. I was like, I probably have to throw that to get him to know what he's talking about. Okay, here's another one for you. Can you name... A movie with a burning, if you haven't realized the thing by now, a burning center in the middle of Los Angeles.

11:12 What year was it? 1997. Oh, was that like earthquake or something? Close. You're in the realm of that. Quake? No. Know think about structure think about nature disasters that shouldn't be happening in la volcano yeah there we go volcano and then they made la in volcano like they did something with the letters la in the volcano i think yeah oh my god you're right yeah yeah i remember that now, okay two for two buddy that was a deep one that was a deep one hold on i got one more for you, details real quick alright a burning center sorry a 2003 science fiction film with a burning center in the middle of the earth, 2003 that's the one where they had to drill into the earth or something yep yep, journey to the center of the earth no but think about what you said good drilling to the to the center of the earth what would you call the center core yeah.

12:31 Poor wow i never thought of vaguely but but you knew the premise you were like oh they're drilling yeah no i like it's crazy where things go in your mind and like what brings out the memory like that i hadn't thought of that i didn't even think about that i don't think about much i definitely didn't think about that i was thinking in my mind i go i'm gonna play a quick game trivia game where you're the name of three burning things yeah well i just did a three-point play you did and there's one more the burning sensation wouldn't be no don't answer no no, nobody wants to hear about that nobody wants to hear about that indeed but yes mike we'll be at burning man and when this airs this should air oh sorry deep breath this should air, I'd say I'll have it scheduled to be aired before I leave. So let's say the 26th.

13:23 Right. You're going to air this before the 26th. On the 26th. Okay. Does that sound good? I think so. Because if I do the 26th, right? Wait, no, no, no, no. I'm sorry. No, I'm not going to air this 26th because we're going to be in Burning Man because that's the whole point of this episode. I know. I was a little confused, but I was just trying to go with it because we're recording. No, no, you're right. You're right. My bad. Usually we do an intro and then that, you know what I mean? That's it. But you're right. This is the intro for the work we're going to do. Yeah i mean the burning man ends on on september 2nd i know you already have left so it'll probably air the end of that week which would be september 6th yes so when you hear this yeah when you guys hear this it should be between september 4th and 6th so uh we're very much looking forward to it mike i mean i think that's kind of it do you have anything else you want to add, oh i'm sure i do but we'll just leave it for the playa we'll leave it for the playa we will i will take you to midnight poutine we will go for that midnight poutine do you know what time we serve it at midnight yeah that's correct very good in pure burning man fun they list it out and they're posted on their midnight poutine instagram here's our schedule midnight poutine and then they put midnight for each day of the burn and it was great yes he's a damn good poutine yeah especially at midnight oh yeah

14:56 yeah i believe that especially especially in the desert at midnight yeah okay i'm excited man i'm very excited all right everybody we'll be right back uh after this break so get Get ready. This is the first time we're doing this. Break, then we'll be on the playa, and then later on a break again, and then we'll be home. Just like that. We'll see you on the playa. Hey, what's up? This is Suli McCullough. Crazy legs from Don't Be a Menace to South Central while drinking your juice in the hood. And you're listening to Uncle Dad Talks Podcast. That's right. Hey, everybody. That itchiness in my voice can only mean one thing.

15:41 We're here on the flyer. That's right. For this episode, you guys know we've been talking about it. We're now officially here at Burning Man. I'm not alone, of course. When I say we, I don't mean me. I mean we as in us, as us, as I mean Just Mike. Just Mike, how are you? Well, here at Burning Man. He probably sounds more tired because this dude has been here for how long now? About two weeks. About two weeks and you've got another week to go? Yeah. Yeah. But Mike, I'm going to hand the mic to you. I'm going to hand yourself to you. And you're going to tell me. You're going to ask me questions, I hear. You're going to hand the keys over? Yeah. Yeah. So welcome, everyone, to our Burning Man exclusive episode.

16:25 And one of the things that we thought would be a great topic was people's first 24-hour experience at Burning Man. Because you come in and depending on what time you come in, it can be quite a thing just to arrive to your camp where you're going to be. And then once you get there then there's a whole another experience of getting settled in then you're going to go out and do Burning Man so, what better topic to talk about since it's your first Burning Man than what it's like the first 24 hours so Uncle Dad. What was your first experience when you got off of the highway and you started driving onto what they call the playa out here?

17:12 Okay. So does that count Gate Road or no? Absolutely. Okay. The moment I got onto Gate Road, it was cool. It was exciting. I was like, oh, this is great. There's nobody here. And then I get stopped, which is great because, you know, security is important. They have to check everything. thing. And I waited in line for two and a half hours. So I'll be honest with you, Mike, that wasn't that great. But you know, other than that, I get past the gate, I get to the greeter. For those who don't know, every time you get through like security check, basically, and then you go to what's called a greeter. And the greeter will kind of answer your questions where you got to go for your camp or wherever you're staying. And they asked me, it was my first time. It was my first time.

17:55 And I got out the car and I did a playa angel. Was that right? Yeah. And then I did a playa angel. I rang the bell. She gave me a beautiful hug and she said something very nice to me. She goes, your personality is amazing. I love how extrovert you are, which is kind of funny because I don't think that sometimes, but that was nice to hear. And go ahead, you got something to say? Well, yeah, I wouldn't say that you're an extrovert either, but you do You radiate out a very positive, welcoming energy. And so those people meet thousands of people a day or hundreds of people, whatever. And so obviously something in you stands out. And yeah, you do.

18:35 You radiate a great, positive energy that I think people feel comfortable around, which is part of why I always thought you should come here. Yeah. And you know, when I finally got to the camp, it was a little scary because you have to drive through. How would you describe it? Is it service road, I guess you would call it? Well, first you drive through the city. So our camp, we're lamplighters, which is one of the community service camps for the organization. We light the streets with actual kerosene lamps to help navigate at night amongst all the LED lights. So we're right on the what they call the esplanade at bernie mill which is like the main strip if you will call it that before you go out to where all the art is so you have to drive from gate all the way through the whole entire city just to get to our camp yes and then you have to find the service road which which was kind of hard to find because it was late night because i got a gate at what, And then I didn't get through gate till about 1030, maybe. No, maybe 930. Maybe it was only an hour and a half.

19:41 Definitely seemed like two hours. I didn't think about it. But anyways, we're going through and, you know, you get through all that. And there's just so many people riding bikes that don't care, which is fine because they're doing their thing. And that's great. But you have to drive. You seriously drive five miles because if you don't drive five miles, you're going to hit somebody for sure. But I finally get through there. I get parked. I get to our camp. I get to, you're not here though. You're busy doing your thing, which is awesome. And I get stationed. I get unpacked, and then I come to what's called the Lamplighter's Lounge. Now, the Lamplighter's Lounge was hand-built by Mike and only Mike. No, I'm kidding. That's not true. I did it all. That's not true. Mike, you're a big part of this build, and it's amazing. So the main highlights of that first night, I was just sitting in that corner chair you can see in front of us, Mike, just there for about a good two, three hours, right?

20:26 And just sitting there hanging out, and then new people would come in, right? Right. And within that batch of, let's say, 12 new people, three or four of them came out to me and said, oh, man, I just saw you over here. No, I never left. Are you sure? So that happened quite a bit. And then that's been happening to me on my journey this week so far. But after that, we did connect for a little bit. I don't think we didn't do anything that night, though, right? Mike, do you remember? What night was that? No, it would have been such no true words. Tuesday? No, Wednesday, Wednesday. Wednesday night. Because you went out and you did the playa. You did the temple. You came back. You saw me. But I think we just went to bed, huh? Or you went to bed. I.

21:10 So I. This is your interview. I know. I got to turn that off. I'm sorry. And so I went to back to my camp or my car around camping, having a good time, just hanging out. They're like, you know what? I'm going to go walk around. And I walked around and I got to meet other burners in their camps. 50-50. Some were very friendly. Some were not. That was okay. And when I went to go back to bed, I went to bed, woke up early. Then we connected. and so we're saying the first 24 hours right so okay so then the next day that would have been thursday yesterday 24 hours up to that we went to the the playa itself right that was you would you call it that the grand grand playa or whatever the grand playa well there's there's the inner playa which is the the playa that is inside of the city like city street limits like uh there's shape for those that don't know kind of like a u or a c so everything that's parallel to those, and then beyond that is the outer playa and beyond that is the deep playa yeah so we went to i think the outer playa and then the inner playa or the inner playa and that was great i saw some really great pieces i think the best thing i saw within that first 24 hours though honestly was i don't think he's been on the show but maybe we talked to him alvaro right alvaro alvaro's piece that he worked on the Naga, the water serpent, was absolutely breathtaking.

22:34 Seriously, my favorite thing I think I've seen so far. And that changed, that really to me opened up my mind the most because I just couldn't believe how somebody, you know, with such a sound of people can make such amazing art. I mean, art here is just so, it's amazing, dude. Like you just don't see it anywhere else. I took pictures. I'll probably post them, I think, to show people. But at one point, I ended up on an art car with a beer and bar or bar cart, I guess. That was so awesome. And honestly, man, everybody's been so welcoming, open for the most part, I'd say. And it's something I really – it's going to sound weird when I say this. I know I'm not going to be here as long as you or have been here as long as you. But even the short time that I've been here, it feels so much like a home that I don't know how to describe that feeling.

23:18 But it feels very just i love it man i just thank you so much for always talking about this experience and allowing me to be a part of this finally and experiencing you know what the fly can do it does have a very uh a welcoming uh feel to it once you're here and what and what and as the days go on you become more acclimated to not just the the the desert and the climate but also the people and the pace of life and not being connected to technology all the time and everything that we're used to. But let me ask you this. What was the moment when you, in your first 24 hours, where you were like, whoa, I've heard about this, I've seen this, Justin Mike has talked about this, but now I'm seeing it and experiencing it and this is.

24:12 A lot. It was the moment that I walked into the lounge and I grabbed my first drink and I sat down and I was faced the other way, like my back towards the bar. And I'm just looking out there, you know, those you guys can't see it, of course, but it just looks it looks endless. And then it really hit me like, wow, this is the I don't want to say the epicenter of arts and culture, but in some respects, I would believe that because it is so it's so vast. It's so open. It's so overwhelming. overwhelming it's so beautiful it's so emotional even and just seeing everything at that moment so probably i can't even give you the time i think 11 p.m it really hit me like holy fuck i'm here and then the second moment where i'm like holy shit i'm here is when i thought because you and i didn't we didn't talk really at all and when we finally connected by pure chance really i was like wow dude i'm fucking here right yeah yeah it was sweet i uh i had been out doing a memorial thing for one of our setup crew guys and we came back to the to the lounge here and we're fortunate that our lounge just faces the the playa so you get the front row view of the man and a bunch of pieces of art and i came into the the lounge here at the bar and turn around and uncle dad's there.

25:27 But yeah you know and it is like i would say it is kind of an epicenter of art especially because you have artists from all over the world here putting in their art installations it's not just the States, all over the world. You have musicians from all over the world playing at camps. Obviously, you have DJs. You have such a huge pull from around the globe to Burning Man that it is, I think, a global thing. Epicenter but also just like a place where all of those things can connect without politics or.

26:12 Borders it's just a it's just which is kind of what it feels like in general to be out here so i think that's why the art comes together and the way it does yeah well said i do want to bring something up so my first 25 hours would also help me really solidify where i was at because mike I know you're aware of this. There is a lot of social media influence here, right? There's a lot of different vibes here, right? And I happen to run across a super famous Instagrammer here, and that really blew my mind because I've never seen that before, like a big time one. We're talking a 1.5 million follower Instagrammer.

26:54 And I wish I could remember her name, but at the same time, I don't because it's okay. Because she raps in her videos, and she talks about taking acid, and she's a trust fund baby. So there you go. Go ahead. Yeah, well, I mean, I'm sure she's great, whoever that person is. But yeah, there's also that line of influences. You can see people out here who are obviously taking all their pics for their Instagram or for whatever, Graham, looking very pristine and primped and proper. So, you know, for some people, that's what they come out here for. And I hope that they find whatever it is they're looking for within that.

27:36 So right now, as Mike was talking, this is how wild it was. I just saw somebody dressed up as a Ghostbuster with a Ghostbuster flag driving right across from us. You don't see a lot of that out here. Well, what's he going to do, bust some ghosts? I don't know. Let's go flag him down. Let's go flag him down. Yeah. Well, thanks for sharing your experience. And I'm so happy to hear that it's been positive for you. You know, it's not like that for everybody. It's harsh out here. Or it's, you know, you may think that you're in a certain place and it's going to be a certain way when you come. But maybe once you get here, you realize that you're not in that open space.

28:18 And I think Burning Man is always really good at, like, it's just like a, To me, I always relate it to like a Ferris wheel, and it's just always spinning. And you hop on, and wherever you're at is how you're going to experience it. It's not going to make you experience it, if that makes sense. And so I'm happy that you're here, and I'm also excited to talk to some other folks about their first 24 hours. Yeah, and I think it's safe to say we'll be right back after this break. What's up everybody this is aj kirsch uh live event host mc presenter announcer, i don't know i do a bunch of stuff wedding officiant personal trainer who knows ajkirsch.com if you want to learn more about me but you are in for a treat because you're listening to uncle dad talks, Hey, everybody. Welcome to Uncle Dad's Talk. Uncle Dad's. Uncle Dad Talks.

29:14 You know what? Mike, the playa has got me all messed up. I can't remember what the name of our show is. Right. Yeah, it's what they call post-playa brain. It's one of the things that they say I'm experiencing as well. Don't worry about it. It's okay. Okay. So it's nothing different from normal me, right? Completely different. Yes, completely different. Right. Yes, so we are doing a check-in with some people that we know who went to the burn for the first time. You and I did my little fun little interview during the burn. And you and I will do a post thing, too, where we'll talk about my thoughts, post it. But for now, we are with an Uncle Dad alumni, as I like to say.

29:55 He is the incredibly talented, the one and only, the original voice of Boo from Monsters, Inc. Let's get up for mary gibbs how are you proud goes wild hello hello how's it going, uh so good to have you mike i'm gonna go ahead and toss this your weight is kicking off because you're the mr burner and so please yeah mike mr burner that's what they call me. Yeah mary so first off yes it was your first burn which is exciting because because when we met you at Stockton Cone. We kind of talked about it a little bit and lo and behold, it all came together.

30:38 It happened really fast. Yeah. As it does. And yeah, you were out there and I saw you killing it out there. So what was it like? So what day did you arrive and explain, kind of break down that first 24 hours of getting in there and what it was like for you? I arrived the day the main gates opened. I planned to get there. I got an early access pass to try to come early and kind of help set up, But the day that I was going was just on Saturday and got a notification that the main gates were closed because of rain. So I delayed my trip a day. But, you know, when I showed up, it was beautiful weather.

31:19 Oh, that's my dog. Like you said, it wasn't my first time, but I've joked the last four years that I'm like Burning Man adjacent because a ton of my friends are burners, which helped a lot because, you know, I was able to call them and they were able to prep me and give me good Amazon lists and everything. And so first day I'm driving there and I'm going by myself. Like, of course, I camped with you guys with the lamplighters, which I'll get into that a little bit, but such a great experience. But, you know, I was going alone, no partner. I originally was going to go with my dad, but he passed away in 2020, which I think is why it took me so long to actually like go alone. But, you know, I had a friend that prepped me and he was like, all right, you're going to be driving.

32:02 And once you get there, you cross what they call the rainbow bridge. Passage it's pretty much like from the default world into burning man world and he was like when you get there people are gonna have a greeter and they're gonna like give you a little spiel and like tell you to commune with the desert maybe like you know pick it pick some up and feel some up like with your hands and he was like but what the true burners do is take off all their clothes and roll around in the dust and i'm like you know what i have to just go all in so that was my first initial experience of Burning Man by myself, all these strangers, I'm like, you know what, I'm just embracing this experience. And I was like, these introduction people were like, oh my gosh, this is your first year, we would have never guessed.

32:44 And once I showed up, I knew a couple of familiar faces, but I showed up, I didn't know anyone. But I felt everyone in Burning Man in general across the board, but especially with the lamplighters, was just so welcoming. So when I came, I felt totally comfortable walking up to someone I've never seen before and just being like, Hey, I'm new here. Where do I go? Who can you direct me to? Like, you know, the placement team and from the get go, everyone was just super welcoming. And I got placed next to, you know, once I got placed and I met my, my neighbors, I was like, just told everyone, Hey, I'm, I'm here alone. It's my first time. And the people, especially the people I camped by were just like, totally took me under their wing. Yeah.

33:28 Anytime they went out, they would ask me or be like, hey, we're going to go do this. Do you want to join us? And it was really nice to like just feel welcomed instantly. And even though I was alone, not really feel alone in the experience. And so, yeah, the first 24 hours, that was a good introduction. And then a lot of it was just kind of like getting familiar with everything. You know, I get directionally challenged on a good day. You know be a burning man trying to figure out the map and kind of take some adventures by myself just to kind of like get the lay of the land there was a lot of that the first 24 hours, and then you know right away you jump into you know being a part of the lamplighters is a working camp i mean i'm sure you guys talked about it but like you know you're there to be a part of this and help light the city with these kerosene lamps and you know just kind of like jumping into that like work mode.

34:24 And it was nice just throughout the event, having that schedule of like, all right, I work at 5pm. I also signed up for the morning shift. So I was like working 8am to 10am every day too. And just like, you know, establishing this community within the community and doing things I never would have thought I would do. And, you know, became like, yeah, I don't know, it was just I'm trying to the whole week blends together. So I'm like, trying to pin down the first 24 hours, but I was really just kind of getting to know my campmates, seeing how, you know, all these people from all walks of life come together. And just, if you forget something, everyone's so willing to be like, oh, like, do you need goggles?

35:04 I see you're like, you know, it's about to be a dust storm. Like, do you need this? I have this. And yeah, it was just like, overall, really, really awesome to be a part of such like a well-established camp. And. It's like adult summer camp, you know, I joined a marching band, became a thumb wrestling champion, all this stuff, all this stuff that you're just like, you know, wouldn't be able to do. And you kind of discover things about yourself that in such like a harsh environment, you realize like one, how to take care of yourself. Cause if you're not, you feel it, you know, how to balance everything. Thing it's been like over a week and i'm still feeling that playa brain but yeah just you know i feel like right at home with with everyone there and as a couple of my friends described it they're like seems like you're what they say becca described it just like felt right at home you know it was just like blended in great and kind of and felt embraced just to be fully myself there so yeah i thought you were um i thought you were like all in every time i saw you i thought that That was great.

36:13 You know, the first night I saw you, you were, you were just, I couldn't tell that was your first time, to be honest. Yeah. Well, thank you. Luckily, again, like I said, I have good friends that kind of prepped me and yeah, just felt right at home with, with everyone, including the lamplighters. I think I'll definitely be back. Oh, I guess you're what, you're what they call a veteran virgin. I feel like I, I won burning man. Yeah. I just made that up right now, but it's, but it sounds like that should be a word, you know, like we, we call, we, you know, they call people who are the first time burners out there, virgins within the, excuse me, within the lamplighter camp, you're also a noob or a newbie, but yeah, some people come in and they just get it, which obviously you seem to get it and you hit the ground rolling and i saw you bartending and.

37:05 Dancing around in the bar and just having a having a hoot yeah take me back so when you get in past the greeter you know we're way through the entire city our camp was we were right on what is called the esplanades which is the the last street that faces the open playa where all the art is so what's that drive like for you coming down i guess i would assume you came down 6 30 which goes right right to our camp you know was it was that drive through overwhelming was your jaw just like completely open did you find the camp okay like what was that part like i mean i know they encouraged not to use phones but i did have the gps and it like put me right to the to the you know our campsite which i didn't have my phone really for the rest of the time but that gave me a little you know i was able to find it okay driving through i mean you know down this dirt road and you see just like the camp still setting up you know you're you're driving through and you just like see people in these crazy outfits and you know yeah my jaw was just dropped I mean I I didn't know what to expect but you know going in with no expectations was good and I was just taking it all in and like yeah just the drive you just see like.

38:20 These crazy art pieces and just everyone letting their freak flags fly however that means for them and i just remember you know pulling up to the lamplighters and like you said it's you know you have to be going through a lot of the the grounds just to get there and just feeling nervous you know it was like the first 24 hours you're just like where am i what did i do like it's hot um it's it's dusty I can barely breathe but yeah just kind of seeing everyone especially in that 24 hour just like really embrace the like just different parts of themselves and like you know seeing that and knowing that I could kind of do the same thing and I'll you know find my people and yeah I mean you're there and like you know it's going to be hot you know it's going to to be a lot of art but you just don't know the full experience until you're there and like first 24 hours was definitely like definitely overwhelming I think like especially that first night it's like it's just easy to get overstimulated you know and especially like that first night you know it starts to get dark and you're just surrounded by a billion leds you know you're walking around to all these different camps and everyone's like luring you in like oh we have this And so we have this like, you know, and you're like, where do I go? Which direction do I go in?

39:48 And I think like kind of going and like making friends with people that have been there before and kind of had a lay of the land. It was made it like more comforting to me to be like, all right, let's like go out and experience this crazy world and had good had a good buddy system going on. And but yeah, I mean, that initial drive in, you're just like, you know, I've been wanting to go to Burning Man for years. And I would hear all my friends' stories and it was just like, wow, I'm here. You know, like to see the man for the first time and like our camp, like you said, it was right on the main road and you see the man like right there and... Yeah, it was really cool being so central to getting the, just kind of be in the middle of it all.

40:30 And yeah, I'm really excited just about the location and, you know, people at that camp have been going to Burning Man for like 30 years, you know, and so to be with all these like OG people, a little intimidating, you know, but even though people like to mess with you and like, it's all out of love and I kind of caught on to the culture, I think. Yeah. Yeah. You can see the pictures and you hear the stories and you see videos on social media and all that stuff, but nothing really parallels that first drive in when you're actually there and you actually feel the dust. Because it's not just like regular dirt or sand, as people say. It's a very significant feeling that's specific to that place.

41:14 Yeah and then yeah you see everybody riding around in their gear or no gear or no gear with with deer antlers on and it's all right well i've landed i'm here yeah yeah like yeah exactly, yeah and it was cool to tell that you came into a camp like lamplighters it's so established this part of the organization they're a service camp so we get you know we kind of get a little extra, extra special treatment with that. So I think for you being a first time to come into that was great. And also, you know, it does, it gives you a purpose to kind of, you know, you have a job, you did two jobs, you did, you did the morning crew too, which is, you know, which is, I did that my first two years there.

41:58 And it's sometimes hard to get up in the morning. I have to be up at 8am, whether I'm staying up all night or what, I gotta be there. Yeah, because Hugslut is coming around with that megaphone to wake you up. You got to get up. Well, that's great. I'm super stoked. You had an awesome time. You fit right in. I'm glad to hear you'll be back. You know, you seem to have a smile. Yeah, people are like, you know, you're going to... You go through all the emotions there, of course. And like, you know, there's part I was talking to, I met one of my people that camped next to me. She was also like a single lady going by herself. And we were kind of talking how I loved being able to do my own thing, but sometimes like not having that emotional support or like, you're going through this big thing and you don't have anyone to kind of process it with, you know, I'd say out of everything, that was kind of the hardest thing.

42:51 And you have all these other couples that you can't just like latch on to all the time because they're doing their own thing. But I think banding together with like, you know, finding those other girls or just people that are there alone and kind of share that experience was, was helpful. And especially the first 24 hours, just be like, what are we doing? Yeah. Yeah. It is cool that even if you don't have your partner or yeah, your friends are partnered up and they're doing their thing, you could probably find someone that if you really needed to help process what you're going through, you probably don't have to look too hard, especially in a, in a camp like ours. So I'm glad you had a little nice neighborly crew there with you to help you through some stuff. Exactly. People would see me crying. They'd be like, do you want a hug?

43:31 You know, so it was definitely like, yeah, it was, it was felt, felt very welcome. I have a question. What was the craziest thing you saw? I mean, one thing that was on my Burning Man list that I, I was just, I just had to see it was the orgy dome. So i won't go into too much detail because i don't know who's listening to this podcast but that was definitely something to see even my mom she was like he got at least you know one hand and one hand out peeking so i mean we just knew that the burning man that you can't see in the room you know it's just things like that but i was that was definitely um something to witness oh yes the infamous orgy dome that's where i got my playa named giggles, because my nervous reaction was just to laugh my way through i wasn't laughing at anyone i was staring at the ceiling just uncontrollably giggling so yeah yeah i mean that's a way that's a way to handle it i mean you know in all my years of going i've seen it from the outside i've never seen it from the inside but it is one of those things that you know one of the first things that comes to people who's never been to their mind is that and that often gets brought up my mom what does she call it the naked tent there's a naked tent there, that's a valid name for it there so, cool well I'm glad you got to experience that and check it off your list yeah I did I just did it on a bucket list and I was the one with the bucket list

45:04 things hell yeah what was something that you didn't that you wanted to check out that you didn't get to check out. Well, I, because there was so much going on, I didn't really look through the book too often. And like, because one time I was like, vetted out by myself and people were like, oh, look through the book, find things you want to do. There was like a sushi making workshop. And I was like, I love sushi. But I go there, I find the camp and like nothing was happening. And so it kind of made me like, I was more kind of like, following like, people were like, oh, we're going to this. And I just kind of tagged along. But I think like, maybe just one thing that I I would do for next time is kind of not that I want to plan out my experience because I think it's in a moment was a great way to go about it but maybe kind of look through it and be like all right what are some workshops that like seem really fun that I could like you know and maybe take some more trips alone and kind of trust that I'd be able to make it back to camp and, yeah so I think looking back there wasn't you know I did a lot I did things that I you know I I think having that spontaneity is kind of what Burning Man is about in a lot of ways.

46:09 But, you know, having like, just kind of looking through it, because there were so many things that people have been telling me that they went to go do. But I just had no idea what's happening just because I was just like, you know, so. Yeah, I think just kind of looking through the book a little bit more and being like, all right, let's go to some cool workshops or whatever. Maybe, you know, go take a yoga class, something like that. But overall, I feel very fulfilled in the experience. That's amazing. I love that now when you say book do you mean this book i mean that book yeah do you know who designed this book i think i got mine right here no who did uh go ahead and tell him mike, oh god yeah i did the artwork for it yeah he's showing to the listener he's showing the what where when book that yes i i did the artwork for it this year oh my gosh which was which was an owner yeah what a great room i mean everyone gets this in their hands you know to be a part of it not everyone goes through it oh mike hampton there you are well i mean i kind of flipped through it but i was just like there's so many things to do what do i do you know what though like sometimes i mean i hardly really look at that book but you know that's one way to do Burning Man is maybe a day.

47:26 Let's pick some stuff in the book and go find these things that are going on. Yeah, sometimes you get to the camp and they don't have their shit together because they're doing Burning Man and that's just what happens. Yeah, just kind of go with the flow with it and be like, alright, whatever. But I mean, I went into a sauna in the middle of the desert. I watched Thunderdome. You know, all these things where I'm just like, yeah, it was nice to just have an open book a little bit. That's a regret I have. Mike, I do wish we would have went to Thunderdome. Well, how I got the thumb wrestling was they have Thunderdome with that big dome where they joust. And as a joke, a camp made a Thunderdome, which is a little dome. And that's where I'm an undefeated champion there. So I just had to say that again and rub it in a little bit.

48:09 Yeah, rub it in. Rub it in right hand. I mean, I use it professionally. This is your platform to rub it in. I found that dome one sunrise. Yeah, and it looks like a dome. And then underneath the dome is the smaller Thunderdome. And you just stick your head in there and thumb wrestle. They used to have all sorts of creativity. You know, it's great. It was great. So fun. Well, Mary, wow. Glad you had such a great time. And you found your, it sounds like you found your home. I did. I love it. Another home. I can't wait for next year. I'm ready. I'm exhausted, but I'm ready already. Love it. Love it. Well, you have to go to decompression. Decompression is in October, I think 13th in San Francisco. go so you can get another taste of it.

48:51 Keep me in the loop with that. Okay, I'll write it down. Will do. Cool. I think that's it, Mike. I think we've got it. I think we've got another first-timer. 24. 24 on the fire. Thank you so much, Mary. Mary, if you would like to, would you like to tell our audience where they can connect with you and learn more about you and all your projects? Yeah, Instagram is visualboo. boo. That's kind of, you know, I do comic cons where I'll kind of travel around being so and everything. So that's kind of where I'll post where you guys could find me if you want to meet me in person. Yeah, that's the biggest thing. I'm YouTube is boo grown up, but I haven't posted a vlog there in a while.

49:32 But if you want to see some old videos of me rambling on about my life some more, that's a good, good way to do it. So yeah, fun. All right. Visual boo. Visual boo. A.K.A. Giggles. Yeah you too mary thank you and we'll be right back after this. Music. Love Uncle Dallas, there's burners and everything in between. We are back with a special guest. Mike, how are you? Well, I'm elated and I'm stoked to hear another story here. So I'm going to get right to it.

50:18 So yeah, so we have another lamplighter here and who's also their first burn. And we have a playa name, which is Piney, which Piney, hello, say hello to all of of our listeners here how's it going everyone so i'm interested how did you uh see not everyone gets a ply name their first year so how did you get the name piney and what yeah please tell us that story piney is actually a rainbow name from rainbow gatherings because i've been going to rainbow gatherings for over a decade now and everyone knows me as my name piney so including including the person who brought me Finch.

51:02 So I just went by Piney at Burning Man. Is there a story behind Piney? How do you get that name? Yeah, the story isn't very exciting. It's because I'm from New Jersey, and there's Pine Barrens in New Jersey. So a long time ago, my friend Ewok was like, oh, so your name is Piney, and I said, okay, and there that was. That was that. Case closed. All right. Dig it. Not that exciting. Yeah. Well, you know, to each origin story, judgment their own. So, okay, so you've been to Rainbow, which, you know, I've heard, you know, you mentioned Finch, who also camps with us, and he's been camping with Lamplighters for a few years.

51:48 He's awesome. He helps with setup and teardown. And I know he's been doing Rainbow gatherings for some time. So something like this probably isn't completely new to you. But what was it like, you know, your first 24 hours? How did you get to the playa and then once you get like your your experience to the gate and then finding the camp like please just walk us through that that that time for you okay well i was coming from santa rosa so it's a far drive it's not too far but far and i carpooled with two friends and we drove all the way to south lake tahoe to drop off my dog with a friend, and then drove throughout the night all the way to birding man we didn't wait too long on the road food or at the gate but we did wait some time but it was actually very quick for me even though my gate was out my ticket was at will call because my friend couldn't make it so she sold me her ticket and she said it was at will call so i went there thinking it's going to be an issue my name wasn't even in the their system at will call but i had the email for my ticket that it was in my name So I just was like, here's my email.

52:59 I should have a ticket. And they looked up my friend's name who sold me the ticket and saw their name and just gave me the ticket. It's quite simple, really. really so then there we are we get through we come through and we didn't even i i heard that when it's for someone's first time at burning lady people do things at the gate or something say things to you give you things we only got a book i didn't there was no like nothing exciting i had been at the front of burning man for us for some reason which is fine went all the way to lamplighters it's four o'clock in the morning went to go find where my friend finch and our other groups of campers, lamplighters, which is pretty easy right behind the port-a-potty right there. Very convenient also.

53:46 And we woke them up and there we were. It went straight to bed because we were tired. Yeah, very tired. So when you went to the greeters, you know, and they check your car or whatever, and I guess that's where they give you the book, you didn't get out and ring the bell and roll in the playa? They didn't push you through any of that or guide you through any of that? No. No. I heard I was supposed to go through all that, but no, that didn't happen to any of us. And also the other two girls in the car, that was their first time too, and that never happened to us. Bummer. I was like that was so fun when I got to do that I mean yeah whatever, next time I could be my first next time next time there you go right well yeah or you could just say hey I came from my first burn last year and that creator just kind of pushed me through it didn't I wouldn't ring the damn bell.

54:41 Yeah it was Uncle Dad's first first burn this year and we talk about we talked about that while we were on the playa on a mic and, yeah I remember my first time coming you know it's it's doesn't have to be the biggest thing but it's really it like really puts you in the space i think a bit so welcoming yeah yeah so so so how would you not to compare like, burning man is this and rainbow is that and this is better because of that but like, like how would you come like how would you compare the two like are they comparable are they completely different do you did you enjoy do you enjoy one more than the other like what What is that, those two worlds like for you?

55:25 Well, I'd never, I've been, my friends have been telling me to come to Burning Man for years, like Finch, like I said. And I never came for a few reasons. I didn't have the money, I didn't have the time. I just didn't, it wasn't easy for me. So I was just like, oh, well, I'm not going to go. It's not easy. But this year, everything was easy for me. Got a ticket really quickly, got everything. So it was simple. So I went. And to compare it to Rainbow is like, it's they're comparable in a lot of ways i would like some people so associate rainbow gatherings as festivals and some people would also associate birdie man as festivals but to me they're different than festival and they're on the same spectrum i feel like rainbow gatherings and birdie man just like the opposite sides of the spectrum of something similar there's a lot more community i felt like they had a lot more uh people having fun together not focused around money it's not focused around like trying to compete with each other is more like people being together and expressing a sort of kind of love you know and everyone's sharing a community we go to festivals and it's not so much like that it's more just about music trying to make money trying to come up on each other trying to like sell pins sell hats or whatever just trying to and burning man and rainbow are not like that everything is very you know everyone's trying to like help each other they're out seems like even though you should be radically self-reliant and burning man as they say.

56:51 But yeah so they're comparable because the community and the people are there just to have fun and express that fun with each other and not try to be, go there for being angry or trying to come up on each other we'll just try to enjoy our times, Yeah, that's very well said. I mean, you know, a lot of people who haven't been to either Rainbow or Burning Man, you mention it and they go, oh, you know, I've been to festivals, I've been to festivals and it's like, yeah, well, festivals are usually arranged around paid acts, DJs, music, you know, and going from one stage to the next stage at this time. Then you watch the show and then you go to wait for the next show at this stage.

57:32 And in between those stages are the merch booths and the food vendors and, you know, And those things have their place, sure. I've been to music festivals. But yeah, Burning Man is not a festival and is not a music festival. There's music there, but it's an art. It's a community that is built, right? Around art, yeah. Around art, yeah. The art was the most beautiful thing about Burning Man. All of the amazing art everywhere. It's mind-blowing. It's like the biggest art venue I've ever been to. Some of the most beautiful pieces. Yeah did you have a specific piece that stood out to you the most i really like the the butterfly swing they sit on and flap its wings i had the classical music playing that was really awesome i like that one a lot and the the tunnel that you bike through oh yeah in like deep playa i like that a lot sonic run yeah sonic run that's i think that's the third time they brought that out every Every year, it's a few years removed from the last time it was there.

58:36 And every year it comes out, it gets better and better. And yeah, it's so fun because there'll be an art car that'll park next to it. And the lights that are going through the tunnel sync up to the music. And so you really can feel like you're going down a magic tunnel out there. Yeah, really cool. Good choice. Good choice. It was funky music, too. It was like funk when we went through it. So I like the funk. It was good. Thank you. Yeah, right on. So what was like a big challenge for you out there? Was there something that you didn't expect? I mean, I know you had friends that have been going and so you probably got, you know, a lot of tips and help along the way.

59:17 But was there a really big challenge for you that you ran into out there? Trying to see everything I wanted to see I feel like the first two days I spent too long trying to like plot a course and I realized I should just aim in a direction and just see everything that looks awesome in that direction instead of trying to hit everything out all at once you can't so just letting letting it flow the way it should flow instead of forcing it was like what I realized. Yeah even if you try yeah oh yeah, that that's one of the things I think is, is a good teacher that you can bring out into the, into the default regular world is just sometimes just allowing for things to just be as they are.

1:00:01 Cause you're never see it all. Like I see pictures of stuff on Instagram or whatever this year's burn. And I had no idea that was out there. And that used to bum me out that I didn't see that. I didn't see that or all, but like, but I did see what I did see. And there's no way you will see it all there's just there's just not enough of you to go around if only uh mike before we wrap up here do you have any last questions for him, yeah just so and and you were you were camping with lamplighters so what what are your thoughts on uh so lamplighters is an org camp as they say like an organizational camp where community service camp we provide service to the community so you're working a lot at this camp it's not just to come hang out, party, lay around all day.

1:00:46 You got to do some work at this one. What was your thoughts, experience on being with a camp like that? Well, I enjoy going to places and helping to plug in. When I go to rainbow gatherings, I plug in a lot. I feel like helping out is a benefit for everything. I like to do what I can. So doing the couple hours at lamplighters a day was really awesome. It was fun to walk all the routes and light the lamps. I met some really awesome people doing that, such as Glitterpuss, my favorite lumineer. She's great. And then I took my friend Roach's or not Roach's shift at the evening time for at Lamplighters cleaning up the kitchen. And that was a lot of fun for me because I work in the kitchen a lot.

1:01:28 So I want to, I'm going to come back next year and plug into Lamplighters again because it was a lot of fun. A lot of good people. Awesome. Well, Piney, dude, thanks so much for coming on and sharing your story with us. And I was going to ask, are you coming back next year? And it sounds like you are so stoked about that and i guess we'll see you see you next year if not you do know about decompression right yeah san francisco october 13th we've been we've been talking about it especially you're in the bay so maybe we'll see you there listen thank you for having me all right thank you so much we'll be right back after this break hello and welcome back everybody that's right uncle dad here hanging out with the man the myth legend legend, Mike Hampton. Mike, what's up? Hey, I'm just Mike.

1:02:17 You're just Mike and you're just chilling and we are just chilling with somebody right now. Can you go to introduce this lovely human? Yeah. So we, you know, we've been interviewing several people who this was their first burn and we want to know about their first 24 hours and that's been really fun. But I thought it would be a really fun thing to end the episode with someone who's been burning for a long long time and has done many first 24 hours at a burn and this person will go by the name of josh on the episode and from what i understand josh this was your this was your 15th burn is that correct that's right this was uh it was my quinceanera it was a big party yeah yeah so there you went to a party there you found the party no no no just uh i mean the entire thing because it was my quinceañera nobody i didn't announce it i was trying to get in the book but there was too many quinceañeras already yeah yeah that happened okay so quinceañera uh 15th burn.

1:03:20 Let's rewind time a little bit and take us back when was your first burn what year was that all right so 2000 it was 2009 evolution i think it was yeah evolution was the theme that year, that's right that was my first burn that's right that was your first burn too nice yes it was yes it was a great year. Yeah, the year of the wedge, if you remember that. The wedge, that was that thing that everybody broke their arms and legs sliding down? Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. There's typically one just about every year. That was the first one for me, too. All right. They had potato sacks and skis and snowboards and just all sorts of bullshit, bikes, whatever.

1:04:00 They could just ride down this 100-foot-tall slide made of AstroTurf, if I recall, something like that. Yes, yes, yeah. Yeah, and they had couch cushions and pillows at the bottom. But I wrote a potato sack down because I did not want to snap a bone. I saw a guy doing, I don't know, flips, turns on a snowboard, and he went to fall and put his arms out to brace the fall, and his hand broke the fall, and I saw his bone come ripping out of his skin. Oh, my Lord. Into the open air. That's what we go for, right? That's where we go. So nevermind. So your first burn 2009, walk us through your first 24 hours.

1:04:43 Like how you got to, how you got to the, the, how do you get to Burning Man? You went through gate, like you found your camp. Did you have a camp? Just give us a quick walk through what that was like for you. Yeah. So, so, so my first burn, I, I, I didn't really plan on going to the burn. I had, I had moved the area the year before and it was, it was just like a couple of weeks after the burn had ended in 2008 and so you know a year passed by i was i was working i'd come there i was working on a drilling rig actually and we're drilling for geothermal resources which is like good stuff i thought still think and then just kind of got abandoned there by my job ended up working for the power plant that we had been drilling to make more you know resource for and along comes the burning man and i had heard of this thing before but i was i was a little busy it was doing other their shit and it was you know far away or whatever and so at this point they were like hey here's free tickets you should really check this out and i was like all right seems like seems worthwhile i mean here's tickets anyway and i'd been exploring the desert for a while like a full year at this point and and there is a ton that that desert has to offer you know whether it is abandoned mining camps there's there are all sorts of opals and minerals out there there's an old naval bombing field there lots of hot springs because the the crust is really thin there that's why we're drilling actually for geothermal resources and so anyway i was like yeah why not.

1:06:08 I don't have to work all the time. And so took the tickets and went out there, checked it out. I had gone out beforehand and set up my trailer because a buddy of mine who lived in town and girl, like he was like, you know, you don't want to wait until the gate and the fence and everything goes up. So just drop your shit early. So I went out there and I didn't have a trailer or anything. I didn't want to invest a ton of money because I don't know what this thing's about. So I was like, yeah, there's this trailer over in the dump over there. Pretty sure we've used it for like a shooting range. There might be some animals in it. Who knows? So I cleaned all the rat shit out of it and, you know, taped up the bullet holes and whatnot, and then drug that sucker out there to 230 and G, which was not a camp per se. It was just where a couple of my buddies were camping. They both live in town. And they said that was the best spot because there was no dust.

1:06:51 I was like, oh, okay. Sounds great. That's the spot. Okay. Right. It is kind of on the far side of town from Gate Road, which does actually, you know, keep you away from some of the dust. Oh, I see. Yeah, he actually knew what he was up to. He used to paint the entrance sign for years, he did. Oh, wow, that guy, cool. They were hanging up in the Black Rock Saloon. Anyway, so I drove over there, and on my way, I just remember kind of being dumbfounded because there were so fucking many people, and I was not used to that, right? The desert was a place of refuge for recluses, if anything. You could go out there, you could see every star in the sky. I know people talk about Utah, remote regions and whatnot, but it's a Black Rock Desert.

1:07:33 That there's not many places with less light than that less artificial light that is and i don't know it was kind of spectacularly imaginary it seemed like almost just a ton of people out here and and you know what exactly are they doing out here so i don't made it over to to my spot and just started talking to people found out you know there was folks from all over the place and that That was pretty neat. Okay, so you were able to put in your stuff before they put the fence up. Is that because you're a resident of the town nearby? No, no, no. It's just because I'm a scofflaw, really. I mean, they don't want people doing that even if you're a resident.

1:08:16 But it was a little bit more of the Wild West then. It still is. Early on, pre-event, things are a little different. You know 50 80 000 people change a community of you know a thousand for sure so yeah no i i just gone out there and dumped it off i'm sure whoever might have happened to drive by just thought it was you know somebody else who was out there working but no i was back in time working and just came out there stuff was already set up it's kind of nice all right that's fucking great. So i get to the camp i'm talking to people, I do like, you know, just interacting with folks and, you know, checking out anything that's kind of novel. And so I just kind of went wandering off.

1:08:57 One thing I do remember really clearly was after dancing a bunch, just being amazed that there was so much fire, fire dancers, which you don't, you don't just encounter in everyday life all the time. And there was a ton of them out there. Danced a bunch and was dragging myself home in the morning, right? I lost probably nearly everything I owned. Most importantly, my sunglasses. I've got really sensitive eyes, right? If I go outside in the daytime and I don't have sunglasses, I'm just kind of squinting and crying a lot. You'll know when you see it. And I'm on my way back to, I think, where my camp is at. And this kind of large, weird-looking car thing pulls up in front of me, a ways in front of me. And I'm just feeling awful. I'm blind. I'm not sure exactly where I'm going.

1:09:38 And then in the distance, I see them pull out these tables and they set up these racks. and then somebody grabs a megaphone and and they're like free sunglasses. Their name was shady sunrise and i don't think they've been out there for a while but that was what they would do is every day at sunrise they would show up and they would just set out a table and they had the racks like the spinning racks you know from like the gas stations and stuff, they're just full of shades you know these were not designer shades or anything but they were all you fucking needed at that moment and thinking like wow like who are these people that would would just show up and and just take care of me for whatever reason like means anything to them like like at that point i just kind of like i've been out i've seen a like a bunch of wild stuff lots of people partying there's some cool art and stuff and and suddenly it struck me you know like that what's behind all of this is the people right and these people like i don't know i came up i started talking to them and yeah had a great conversation got some sunglasses finally made my way back home i think it was my home i mean you know that that story is great because it's like that's that moment right yeah sure you saw the party so the art you saw everybody being crazy and wild i'm like you needed something and you know i know there's that cliche saying the playa provides right but like you needed sunglasses and then here are these people that just that's their purpose is to go out and bring sunglasses for people that need them in the morning who just like you may have lost them in the night or didn't pack them before they went out at night and And I bet if you could,

1:11:10 and it sounds like maybe you did, you just bottled that experience and the way you felt in that moment up. In a sense, like, I don't know, not bottled in the sense that it wasn't releasable, like more so just kind of like captured it and like really appreciated it for what it was and for what they were. You know, yeah, the saying abounds, right? The playa provides. And I feel like I have a better way of saying it. I almost have beef with the saying because having spent a lot of time on the playa, right? Like the playa doesn't really provide anything but an opportunity for death, maybe. Be a whole lot of bright sunshine it's a fucking fish poop that is like dissolved into like tiny clay particles that just kind of get into everything right it's not the plies much at all like 51 weeks out of the year like 50 you know 11 months or whatever the plies not providing much of anything other than an empty palette right but the people go out there and and they provide, to each other right and and that is i don't know like it that is the thing i think that is a really spectacular to, to kind of, I don't know, stumble upon is, is not the, it's not the parties, it's not the art, but it's the people, you know, and, and, and I firmly believe that this, this, this event kind of attracts some of the finest people on the planet. Right.

1:12:30 And, you know, I still believe that today kind of, you know, surely the city has grown a lot and everything, but still at the same time, it's, you know, folks might come, but they're probably not going to come back unless they really believe in and want to invest in what it has to offer and what it means, which, you know, I've been to a bunch of festivals or whatever you want to call like big gatherings, folks with music and art and whatever. But very few like demand that people, you know, sustain themselves and not just themselves. But like, you know, it's not an expectation, but people take care of each other because they care. Right. And all of us have been without something at some point, you know, forgotten something, run out, whatever it is.

1:13:12 And so when we have like a little extra, you know, I think most people would want to like give that to somebody else. And I think that you just find that in abundance out there. And that's what makes me want to keep coming back year after year. Yeah yeah no well said man it's the people provides that's the new that's the new slogan that's the new sticker for next year i think no well yeah people i think the new sticker so i think it's so here's what i'm gonna do so you know that you are beautiful right everybody's got those yeah silver i'm gonna do that one but it's gonna say you are fucked up i'm just gonna hand those out i love it man you better write that down don't forget that one that's a good that's It's a golden one.

1:13:53 All right. So, man, that's an awesome, you know, first encounter. So, you know, so you camp where we camp, you know, you're a lamplighter. And how did you find the lamplighters or did the lamplighters find you? How did you make your way into the camp that was a community service camp? So it was not too awfully terribly long before I bumped into some lamplighters because they're abundant. They're all over the place. They're very active folks and pretty gregarious in general. Loving bunch of people so 2010 i was out there for for the japlaya because you know it's my backyard and there's a big bunch of shit going on out there and i like to light off fireworks and it's better out there than in town ostensibly anyway and so cruising around i i'm on my dirt bike like literally at this point like i can just ride my dirt bike off my back porch like onto the playa which is great and headed over the frog pond because you know hot dusty whatever and i bumped into a couple of gals there that they were kind of like in the middle of the frog pond and there was there was some folks i don't know some guys kind of like circling them almost like like it was like like sharks and minnows or something vibe just seemed a little off so i grabbed this giant bottle of vodka and kind of cannonballed into the middle of it and she's like hey you guys want some vodka to the gals and they were like yeah and they were a couple of lamplighters turned out growing out that day and a little beyond and then and then for a few years i don't know i made a bunch of friends there right but i just kind of

1:15:23 like circled around the lamplighters it was hard you know i don't like committing to things too much maybe or whatever but but one thing that the lamplighters always offered was in the middle of the night nobody was tending bar it seemed like and i could just show up and fuck off and do whatever i wanted. And, you know, bartenders seem like a great job. So I would do that and occasionally sneak into like the group photo. There was just a bunch of caring people there who actually seemed like, you know, we're really invested, not just in the event or anything, but in each other. And that was something that kind of spoke to me. I'd been traveling my whole life. My first three cars were all vans.

1:16:05 I lived in all of them and traveled and never really had a whole lot of like a place that was like a place I belong to or whatever. And, and folks that I felt like, you know, I wanted to belong to or really like get, you know, close with. And, and here were a bunch of, you know, like crazy fucks who also gave a lot of shits about the shit that was important, right about each other. And so they slowly drew me in, you know, like circling the toilet bowl. Finally got sucked in and it started camping with the lamplighters and you know just getting more and more involved i also like that they had something you know that that extended back a while right like things change every year every year right every every few minutes right your part your bike's parked next to something you're like this is an art project i'm sure and then 15 minutes later you come back and it's gone you can't find your bike because of the car right right oh yeah which is beautiful and wonderful and i love it but but but these guys i don't know they had some some sort of continuity about them in a way that was not like i don't know stochastic like i don't know it was it was it was a free-flowing continuity and yeah just started hanging out with them more and more then also i think a big thing was they didn't give a shit who i was or what i did or what i was up to right people who just accepted you completely for who you were you know this is the burn at large and lamplighters in general i think and and and that was easy for me to you finally comes to terms with because I don't know, maybe I've got some partages or whatever. And.

1:17:35 Don't always can like to conform with shit. Right. But these people don't know. Well, and I think that's how those hard edges get softened is when you learn that you can just be who you are and be accepted for that. And, you know, almost be embraced for doing so, you know, as long as you're not, you know, ruining someone's life, but, uh, you know, I think that's how those edges get softened and, you know, and obviously you, you keep coming back and, and, and I love having you there. You're one of my favorite people in camp. So I'm super happy to hear that. That was just an awesome way of explaining how you find such a camp. So taking all that we just talked about, your first burn, how you got in, your experience, you with lamplighters.

1:18:18 What was this? What was your experience? I know you were out in play for a long time, not just the event. So I don't know if I should say your first 24 hours this year, but... 24 hours was, yeah, it was a lot of blank and a lot of dust. It was windy early on, which was still great. I love that. It's always a reminder of what actually is going on out there. But yeah, this year, like relative to every other year and relative to my experiences in general, I guess, you know, for one, this year was very emotional, which I really appreciate. You know, I grew up with very, very religious folks. I didn't really see eye to eye with any of that at all.

1:19:00 And then I found this place and like after a bunch of, you know, looking at stuff, dancing, talking to people and everything, I found my way into the temple at one point. And that was a very, like... Like, you know, you could feel the energy in there and everything. And I think it's an important yang to the yin that is the man, right? And like I found a spirituality that I had not found in any other place than just like nature and whatnot. And that place continues to hold a lot of importance for me. And it did this year as well. I think it's great to be able to go out there and have a release, you know, in a way that you cannot in a lot of places. Aside from that in general, the other thing that this year actually made me want really bad was kind of to go back to my roots, honestly, and to kind of disappear into the nether regions and go burn like, you know, open playa or something, honestly.

1:19:52 This year, we were downtown, downtown, right on a split line and everything. Mm-hmm. A lot of intensity with that. that and i don't know for one like you know and like one of the things i came out here for was new experiences right like like it was like what is this i don't know i'm coming here, and continued coming back because of all the originality that that people bring which creates like experiences that are unique because we have this giant open ballot and so this year being so close so downtown like it was like you know a lot of the camps around like i have a ton of friends and everything and i love that and it's great and it's wonderful seeing all these people again in at the same time it's like holy shit a lot of this has been like that i was here doing this before and i kind of wanted to it made me want to go and and go back into nothing change my name right and disappear a little bit i like that yeah yeah i mean it's if if you find that it's it's you're maybe not getting the the things that you were getting you know maybe for a while you did enjoy that it was kind of the same thing and you see the same people and you're like oh this is This is, you know, lamplighters like to say, this is my family.

1:20:58 And this feels like a family that I get to see once a year on holiday. Yeah, maybe now it's time to shake it up and find a new experience. I totally get that. Well, and I can still come back for the lamplighters any time, any moment of day or night, right? I could fall asleep behind the bar again, I'm sure, and very few people, maybe a few, would step on me. Yeah, and you can also sneak into the group picture again. It sounds like that's easy for you to do. Well, and that's what family is, is somebody that you could disappear for a little bit, and you can come back to, and you're going to pick up right where you left off, right? And that is what I feel like with the community there. Right on. Oh, man, that's beautiful. Well, Josh, thank you so much for sharing all those stories with us and walking us through, you know, your history there. It's really sweet.

1:21:46 And yeah, you know, I will say that a lot of times it does feel like a family. And some of the relationships I have with people that are out there feel more deep than relationships I have with people that I see almost every day or every week out here in the default world. And it's just something that you only feel when you when you when you go through it so anyways, yo thank you so much for coming on i'm sorry to interrupt i do love that like and that is like i feel like you know like so much of a way that what i yeah you just lift off that that is real family those are those are true friends those are people who you know you're going to be able to bump into or talk to anytime for any reason and it doesn't matter if you're gone for a few moments or a few days or whatever, right? Yeah, well said.

1:22:33 All right, Josh, Uncle Dad, that is it for this piece. And man, I'm going to go look to my Burning Man swag and I still haven't done that and probably maybe shed a tear or two because it's always emotional, decompressing. So we will be right back after this. Cheers, guys. Music. We're hanging out with somebody very cool, but I'll let you introduce her. This is probably the crown jewel of all the interviews. What do you think?

1:23:15 Yeah, this was the toughest one to get. We had to really work hard to land this one, so I finally got this one. I can't believe it. Without further ado, Mike, go ahead and introduce who we're talking to. Yeah, so this is one of our past guests. Guests uncle dad what do you like to call them oh part of the uncle dad alumni that's right yes the uncle dad alumni you know folks that have been on this show that have returned and here we have another one this is one of my favorite guests from the past my sister monica hampton who's joining us who was also experienced her first burning man this year let's give it up for monica everybody Everybody loves Monica.

1:24:04 Hi. What an introduction. I'm not worthy. Well, don't ever say that about yourself ever. So, yeah, it was exciting to have both of you guys here. Burning Man this year, at the same time, it was like a double. And yeah, Monica, so what was, you know, I've been trying to get you to come to Burning Man since I went first in 2009. And we finally got you in. You finally did the thing. So please walk us through like how you got there. What was your experience getting to the playa, getting on the playa, feeling the playa for the first time, realizing that it's not dirt or sand, that it's actually dust? Just walk us through all that.

1:24:55 Oh, wow. All right. I'll start with how it came to be that I was going to go. Yeah. Well, so you, my brother, you were visiting out where I live in Asheville. And it was pretty spontaneous. As you said, you've been trying to get me to go for a long time. And we were sitting down, enjoying some music at a bar. And I said, all right, bro, next year is going to be the year. And you looked at me and you're like, well, actually, it's going to be this year because I'm going to get you in there. So and we'll set you up. You just need to get out there. And so that was three weeks, I think, before before Burning Man week and two weeks or whatever before you were going to go out there for Build Week.

1:25:40 So that that was all pretty quick, which I actually found to be a common theme this year with people that were going was very last minute decision makers. So I felt like one of those one of those folks I guess but I I flew flew out to Reno got on a burner express bus with a bunch of other burners I sat next to this really amazing woman from Australia who had been there nine times as well just like you and she gave me some tips and lotion for my hens and, which came in handy and I got out there and, I mean, the bus ride was nice. Everybody was super, super excited. Clean, very clean.

1:26:31 Yeah. You've got to love a clean bus, am I right? Well, I'll tell you that the bus ride back to Reno was not so clean. Everybody was wiping themselves down with wet wipes. Oh yeah the old wet wipe a wash down that's a that's a quick shower yeah yeah but yeah i made it out to the playa and there's a tradition when you are a virgin out there that you ring a bell and you do a uh what is it a dust bunny so uh a dressed angel thank you and so i rang the bell well that's the corner of the corner of the room i'm sitting in right now but close very close sorry go ahead yeah pretty sure i have dust bunnies now from my luggage but yeah so i rang the bell did a dust angel and you and my and callie came to pick me up from the bus depot, and took me on over to your camp to lamplighter camp and by callie she means callie dunlap art oh yeah that's right we must specify it's callie dunlap art.

1:27:51 So okay right so you had a great sounds like getting you know you made some friends already on the bus so when you get you know you did the dust angel which we talked to someone else on in this episode that uh they did not they did not get that they must have had a grumpy greeter because they didn't get anything they didn't get a book they didn't get to ring the bell they didn't do a dust angel they just got pushed through and and they said they didn't even have to wait so i'm not sure what what that was all about maybe this greeter was having a bad bad time but wow who knows so so when you actually when you actually start riding down the road you're We picked you up in a pickup truck. We're driving.

1:28:34 You have to drive five miles per hour on the roads there when you drive. And everybody else is on bikes or walking unless it's like a working vehicle, which is what mine was, or an art car. So what's it like when you're – you've seen the pictures, right? Now you're riding down the road and you're seeing all of this stuff. What does it feel like to you when you're seeing all this for the first time in person? Yeah, it felt like I was driving through an established city that was there all the time. It seemed like... Yeah, it's, it just, it felt like it was a place that exists year round.

1:29:17 Yeah. That was my first, that was, yeah. Like a municipal place. Sure. Yes, exactly. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Cause yeah, I mean, uh, so, so, okay. So then you get to camp and, you know, you got it pretty hooked. You got hooked up pretty nice. Cause we, we have set up everything for you so that you could land easy and just and then just slide right in and then so uh what was one of the first things we did after we got to camp i probably introduced you to 100 people and it was probably a whirlwind yeah i i met 100 people and had to learn 200 names because everyone has their default or their their name and then they have their playa name so I was doing my best to to catch those and capture those and then we pretty much just hightailed it right out to the man to to walk about the man and and just you gave me some you know some info on the basics of getting around kind of orienting me to the directions and and everything so that was my that's pretty much what we did in the first 30 minutes of me being being on the playa yeah yeah for some it's a it's a it's a tradition i think a lot of people.

1:30:41 That i know you know the first thing you do when you get out there and you get you know you throw your stuff down is you ride out to the man and yeah it was a cool man this year had a nice you know, all these little in coves at the base of the man. And, you know, it was again, and it was a beautiful weather, excuse me. And so, so, okay. So we're there, you know, you're finally seeing it in person. And when does it really sit in or is there a moment that it really sits in that like, Holy crap, I'm actually, I'm really here. Or is it just like surreal? Like, you know, you realize, man, and I'm here for another, what, five days, six days, or however many days you were there.

1:31:21 Like where was that? What was it? Was there a moment where that really hit you? I feel like I worked really hard to let it sink in that I was going to be at Burning Man before I even left North Carolina. Typically, I put these expectations on myself as to what an experience is going to be like, already try to fill in blanks and know what's going to happen ahead of time and anticipate things so I don't get anxiety or this and that. But I really worked hard to just be present as much as I could with one foot in front of the other or one pedal in front of the other. I don't know.

1:32:06 I think that works. That works. So it's still sinking in. I'm still trying to catch up to the experience, I guess you could say. But I just remember feeling really comfortable. And I remember feeling like this was just something I needed to do this was a place I needed to be and I just felt very I mean it's just great to be there with my family of course you know and have that warm welcome and introduction but the man itself was I mean that was incredible to see that to see that what someone's vision come to life like that and all the different art pieces that are out there on playa and, you know, the deep playa.

1:32:55 And I just, I mean, it's, it's incredible. It's an incredible place that you really, it's, it's like you're trying to ask me to, you're asking me to explain it and it's hard to. You know, I want to say something real fast. So with, you know, kind of combining my, my first 24 hours and seeing you, we, within our first 24 hours, we got to write to the man, all of us together and one of my favorite moments is hanging out with you and monica and we were just walking around checking out the art pieces inside of the uh inside of the man i really cherish that because i loved seeing how excited you were explaining it to me and you gave me a little bit of history here and there you were like oh look i found this history and that's one of my things that i love about you so you're always so like you express those things and and i remember telling you i was so infatuated with spotting a an influencer sir like yeah but i really just really appreciate that moment because that was just you and i hanging out and uh you know we don't get to do that that often so just thank you for that too i feel like that's part of the the magic out there is that like i was given that by others and so then you just do it for others then it just continues and then i from what i'm gathering you know that's That's sort of the idea of Burning Man really is to take this with you and to continue on, with that in your Gili life, you know, in your community.

1:34:21 Yeah, totally. That's, that's, uh, I think something else that we, you know, we discussed on this episode too, is that, yeah, it's almost like any kind of thing you go to experience. Where you're doing some kind of, some kind of self work or, you know, bettering yourself or going to a place where, where things are, are a certain type of way is how, how you integrate that back into the regular world once you go out there. Because it's great when it's contained in that space but part of the part of the magic of burning man and what makes it a global community is that you bring what you learn out there into the world and then that reverberates from from the people that you give that to you know you hope and i'm so glad that you picked up on that and that's kind of your experience and and yeah you know like, you get to have these experiences with people that you may, you know, you might not otherwise ever, ever, I've ever talked to, you know?

1:35:19 And so it allows for, it allows for lots of open space within that. And, and so then, so you, you know, you really enjoyed seeing the man when we got there, you experienced it with uncle dad here. One of my favorite moments of the burn is watching you, Monica, when the man burned on, on Saturday night, you know, So all the art cars are circling around. Everybody's there. You know, it's like this 30-minute long firework show. And then there's this huge mushroom cloud explosion. And just watching your face and your excitement while all that was happening was, it was, it was like, I don't know, it was very sweet.

1:36:00 Because I've experienced it so many times. And to see you experience that for the first time was one of the highlights of my burn. So what was that night like for you? Oh, that's sweet. Well so we're calling her callie dunlap art yeah also known as my sister brother so callie was a carrier of the flame to light the man is that how you would describe that yeah yeah the lamp lighters push a cart that carries the flame that is ignited by crimson rose at the beginning of the burn week it stays lit the entire week in a cauldron called el diablo and then is pushed by lamplighters five lamplighters down to the man where she takes the flame and then ignites the man to burn and that that card is called the lumina ferris and yeah callie dunlap art was one of those uh pushers to the man so that was our it already felt very special to me i mean the whole experience is special and we're walking around with you know you're one of your closest friends from camp who i found to be a very lovely human as well and i'm talking about oh gosh now i'm forgetting all the names josh from australia and this lovely lady and anyway we're walking around with them seeing all the art cars

1:37:31 and you know everyone parked all around the man in a circle and we we we did. An entire loop around the man before we parked our butts somewhere to watch the fireworks and the burn. But the whole time I, I know that Callie is out there in the inner circle, part of that ceremony. And, um. I felt more connected to it, I think, because of, because of that, because some, I know how she was feeling, and how serious she was taking it leading up to that, and it was just nice to, to be a supporter for her from afar, so there's that piece, and then being with you, bro, was, you know, that's a one-of-a-kind experience, that's something I'll treasure forever, ever to be able to have the joy and excitement but also just this uh collection of people all around, experiencing the same thing together being in that moment together with all of those people that you don't know but some you're still connected to because you just lived this experience together yeah and that's probably the best way i could describe it i don't really.

1:38:44 Remember the fireworks so much as I just remember how I was feeling like you know I really can't remember all the visuals but I can remember feeling just this pure excitement yeah that's a great way to put it it's like I mean it's it's all of the energy built up all all week or all year from the last time this all happened so it's it's you know it you know anytime you know it's even the same thing when you get a bunch of people in a in an arena for a game a sports sports game and you can feel the energy in that building and that's a real thing like when a bunch of people get together and they're all focused on one thing like all the people are focused on the game all these people are focused on the man all this energy is going to it it's electric you can feel it there's no doubt about it you know when you ask me why do they burn the man and i and i kind of gave you some some answer but i thought about the best way to describe why they burn the man is so they can build them again next year and burn them again you know and yeah that's a great answer and that's why we do all of it out there is so that we can build it again the next year and in and enjoy building and working with our friends and celebrating life at night you know that's kind of like a good way to think about it so yeah so what was a what was a big challenge for you what was your biggest challenge out there do you think being your first time i.

1:40:10 Think you know not probably not sleeping enough honestly was the i mean there's there's some emotional challenges i do think some of them came from not getting enough sleep probably and just Just, you know, hey, you're hot. It's freaking hot out there. And there's the elements. Just, you know, being in the elements out there makes you vulnerable. It definitely makes you vulnerable. And... Feeling like I needed to protect myself from, or others from my vulnerability. So there's a, there's a moment there. I remember where I, I let it out. I mean, I was waterworks for a little bit and feeling like I, you know, didn't belong or there's not a place for me there and this and that.

1:41:00 So, uh, which is a thing I have regard, you know, no matter where I am. So it was, that, but it was received with, with love from, you know, again, my community. So just allow myself to be open and honest and push, push the envelope a little bit. I love that. I think also too, you saying that Monica, just know no matter where you go, you always belong and the right people will always accept you for who you are. Well, thank you. Yeah. Before we kind of close this up here, two things. What was your favorite art piece out there? Did you have one that was a favorite of yours?

1:41:42 There's two. I'm going to tell you both. One was actually the three of us wrote out to it together. There was the kaleidoscope. I forget the name of the piece, but it was from a group from New Orleans, I believe. Lots of steel, tall. it was a man looking through a kaleidoscope do you know what it was uncle i don't remember what it was called but i do remember what you're talking about and like a little kaleidoscope the screen underneath it right yeah yeah and you can look in there and yeah yeah it was it was a very it was it was an incredible piece it it i mean the the majesty of it against the mountain backdrop the plied ground just just sitting there just this beautiful art piece just just sitting there i mean it was surreal so that was that was incredible that piece was named zozobot and the curious clown droid just just to clarify but yeah a really cool piece from a from from a new orleans group yeah and then then there was the serpent and the naga what is it, it was Naga the sea serpent and something.

1:42:57 Naga and the Captainess is the name of the piece that whole scene out there with the shipwreck and the serpent who you know one of your really good close friends who were helped build, Mike and I loved how they used the playa to make it seem as though it was you know coming weaving in and out of the, you know, the playa. Just use it utilizing what was there. I love that part. Then there's one little more thing I'll mention. It was a funny one. We were out in deep playa by the trash fence one night, which we walked. We walked about 20 miles within 10 hours, I think it was.

1:43:40 And there was a tanning bed out there. That's right. I just thought the irony of a tanning bed out there was hilarious. And I love that about Burning Man is the playfulness of it. Just remind you just to have fun and play and, you know, you could get in. So you did, Mike. You got into the tanning bed and I interviewed you while you were in there. And it was just a good laugh. And I mean, I loved how interactive a lot of the pieces were. Yeah. It really does allow for a lot of playfulness, interactiveness, and to just see things without, without any kind of construct around them. You're just there.

1:44:26 It's there. And you can just be with it however you be. And, you know, I think some people, it takes a couple of days to really get that and understand that. So I'm glad you found it. And so, correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you had a good time and you may be coming back. Does that be correct? Did you even go to Burning Man if you don't go more than once? Oh, look at me. Ooh, that's a good poll question. Can you call yourself a burner if you don't go twice? We're going to have to put this as a poll. According to Dragnet, who we met one night out somewhere.

1:45:06 Dragnet. I remember that name, yeah. He was one of the artists. He made something, the furthest art piece by the Trash Fence. And he's been going like 30 years to Burning Man. and he just was walking around like a curious man one night by an art piece we were at and we just got to talking to him for a while. What was my point to bringing him up? I don't remember. There's nothing along the lines of if you've gone to Burning Man, only once will you go to Burning Man. That was him. He said, you've got to go twice. Yeah. Twice or more and you're a burner.

1:45:46 I like that. Yeah, I agree. You know, your first time you kind of soak it in. The second time, I think you kind of find your own self in it a little more, you know, because you already know what to expect. And so now you're just kind of, you're ready to have your own experience a little more, I think. And so I guess we'll see you next year then. Oh. Yeah. We'll see you then. Keep the momentum going, right? Love it. I love it. I love it. That was absolutely amazing. Amazing. Thank you so much, Monica, for sharing your story, your tale. I think logical will resonate with that. So thank you so much for that. And Mike, we'll be right back after this lovely break.

1:46:27 Hey, this is Dan Brereton, creator of The Nocturnals, the spookiest comic this side of the Cemetery Hill. And you're listening to The Uncle Dad Talks Show. Wow, wow, wow. What a episode, Mike, full of so many wonderful, incredible stories, personal stories from all walks of life, including family, close friends, bio friends. Absolutely amazing. Mike. Yeah. I mean, it's like being a Burning Man. It's like you were really there listening and talking to people and you know, it's everybody experiences the same exact thing, but in a very different way.

1:47:11 Everybody's going to the same place. People that we talked to are at the same camp and everybody got there in their own way and experienced Burning Man in their own way. Yeah that's the that's the you know i was talking about it was you know who really helped me out a lot with the burn was uh callie done that part and and right and uh you know she said something great to me that really kind of eased my nerves she goes it doesn't matter how you want to do your burn it doesn't as long as you just do your burn like you want to spend it alone spend it alone you want to whatever it doesn't matter and i really kind of and i really saw that she goes just you be you and that's okay yeah that's a great great word of advice you know it's like you know also and within that like don't don't try to control someone else's burn too because they're having their own thing i mean that's i think that's a lot of where the expression fuck your burn comes from it's just like hey man fuck your burn i've got my burn you do yours and i think that's one of the great things that that that teaches it teaches you and one of the principles of Burning Man is radical self-reliance and just relying on yourself and doing yourself. And then from there and you'll find yourself.

1:48:23 Right. Yeah. And I think that's pretty well said. And I think, you know, you do find yourself. I definitely found myself, you know, I was, I was definitely leaving earlier than you guys were, but I was just totally okay with that. I'm glad I did because it really helped me kind of pace myself to getting myself into everything, you know? And I think if I would have went hard, like in any way, like just staying up late all night or, you know, whatever, I think it would have been a little too much for me. And I'm really thankful that I was able to have that, you know, I didn't feel pressured like, oh, I got to be out. I got to be out. You know what I'm saying? Because I know some people feel that pressure and it's like, you shouldn't have to feel that, right? Yeah. I mean, to each their own, you know, some people go and they're like, you know, maybe they've paid a ton of dough to be there. And so that's the one thing that they get to do all year.

1:49:06 You know, it's their big vacation or it's their one time they're going to market off their bucket list. You know, so people have different reasons for wanting to push and go hard and see everything. thing. And you know, maybe if you, if you get gifted a ticket or you go there to work or you do fun things that are not burning, man, but you travel and do fun things all the time. Maybe it's not that you don't feel the same urgency to like go all and do all and see all. So again, you have your burn, right? Yeah. I love that, man. I had a story I wanted to share with you post burn that I haven't shared with you yet. I don't think I have at least. Did I tell you the story that I drove somebody to the bus station there no yes so you know i i'm a pretty open dude i would say and i'm usually pretty like oh yeah whatever but i've never really taken somebody a stranger in my car and taken them somewhere never done that before in the camp next to me that was where my car was parked right there i've i wish i could remember his name entirely but all i remember is that it started with Tug, if that means anything to you. No.

1:50:10 Okay. His name was Tug. He was from San Francisco. And if you're listening, Tug, I really enjoyed the conversation with you, but he was a 40 something year old white male. Okay. You know, he, he saw me packing up and as I turned the car on and he goes, Hey, wait, where, where are you going right now? And I was like, I'm leaving. And he goes, if you don't mind, can you wait like 15 minutes and I will go with you so So you can drop me off at the bus station, please. Because I really don't want Snoddo to take me later, you know, like I guess like at one o'clock and he wanted to be there before that. And he goes, and I also don't want to burden Sonata with that too. And I was like, yeah. And for a second there, I felt like I was going to say no because I just didn't know the guy. But I was like, you know what?

1:50:53 Fuck that. I need to kind of let that barrier down. And I said, yeah, let's do it. Hell yeah. You can come with me. And I'm so glad that I did. He was incredibly nice. He filled up his two buckets and he put it in my car. And I drove into the bus station. We had a beautiful chat. He was telling me his life story. I don't want to say that on air, but just telling me a lot of crazy things about his life. And this man lived such a wild life. And then he left and he gave me the most beautiful hug I've ever gotten in a long time. And I was thinking about that almost the entire ride home because I was like, that was something so out of my comfort zone. You know me pretty well. I think that definitely was something I wouldn't normally do. And I'm so glad I did it because it really opened my mind that it doesn't matter who you are. We're just people.

1:51:38 And I don't know if that makes any sense. I hope that story made sense. Yeah, sure. I mean, it sounds like, you know, it sounds like you got out of your comfort zone a little bit, opened up to someone else who was also out there experiencing what you were experiencing, Burning Man. And without any kind of looking for a reward, you just help someone who asked for help. Yeah and within that you had a great conversation and allowed yourself to kind of. Maybe feel a little more comfortable in in a space like that with someone that you don't know which you in more ways beautiful yeah in more ways you realize because i've seen that affect me here now because i was like dude i just let a stranger in my car whenever i could talk to anybody yeah yeah i mean that's the thing about burning man is it's like it's not that you just go there you do it you come home and you jump right back to work i mean maybe for some people Yes, but I think that you take the things that you learn out there and the experiences that you have out there or how the 10 principles relate to you and you...

1:52:42 Bring those out into the world. And I think that's what starts there. That's what keeps the, the Burning Man global community going, you know, cause it's, it's not just being out there for those, those days that Burning Man event is happening. It's, it's something that you can do year round. It's how you can choose to live your life in a more intentional way. And, you know, I think people, when they're around that, they feel it and they're probably gravitated towards words it and and i think you're doing a service to to humanity and and community as a whole in the world so i'm glad that you uh had that on your way out so serendipitous you got this one, last little thing on right as you were getting out the door you got a chance to to dive into that that's really cool yeah i was so i was so grateful that i said yes because it really did i mean i'm telling you man it really affected me in a way that i didn't expect because i was like Like, yeah, this is fucking dope.

1:53:38 Like these people, and this kind of goes back to the show almost. It's like, it's what we do, right? We tell stories from all walks of life. And that was like my own personal version of that, you know? Excuse me. Yeah. So didn't mean to go on that tangent, but I wanted to share that story with you on mic. Oh, that's great. I'm glad you did. And I'm glad you did that. Good for you. I'm going to make a tune about that. You're going to be evolving. You're a real person. I know. But I wouldn't be that person without you, bud. So thank you. you yeah man i mean you know i we had to help each other out and that's and now you're helping someone else out and it just continues you know yeah so mike you know as we wrap up this episode what was your you know because for the first time ever you know you had your sister there and you had your bro there me saying that what was that like for you finally post-sporting ben you know No, it was, I loved it.

1:54:32 I loved having, it was almost surreal, you know, and I was really excited to show, show you guys things and, you know, let you experience your own burn, you know, and, you know, I guess, I think there were times where I felt like I was kind of had to take care a little more than I wanted to, you know, more of my sister, not so much you, which, you know, I understand. She's my little sister. Sure. But I think as you go into Burning Man, especially if it's already way outside your comfort zone. It might take you a bit to open up more to that world without feeling like you needed someone there.

1:55:20 But overall, I loved it. I loved watching your guys' faces, see things, to hear you constantly be like, this is so unreal, and to see my sister just be like, I cannot believe this, especially on burn night when we're, you know, this is right after you left, or right before, yeah, you know, walking around and just, like, looking at, All of the, all of the art cars and everybody congregated around the man and this huge fireworks show and mushroom cloud explosion. Like, like I just, and then finally seeing her like kind of find her, her own way, you know, you were able to go walk around and do your thing and talk to people. I think she's a little more challenged in that way. Yeah. Finally saw her doing that more on her own. So I was like, ah, there you go.

1:56:02 And so just seeing the magic of what Burning Man is like work for you guys too, I think was really special. For sure and you know what i'm glad you said that because i definitely saw that too and i'm so happy that she got she got out there man i think you know it wasn't it's nerve-wracking i'll definitely agree with that it's definitely a lot like your first when you first arrive and i said that earlier like it's definitely overwhelming it's overstimulating it's a lot it's a lot a lot a lot especially if you're not used to that kind of setting in the harsh environment you know and but to be honest with you i was really i know that i missed what was it called sunday white Whiteout, they called it, right? Yeah. Yeah. The dust, the whiteout storm for the temple Sunday night was really intense. Yeah.

1:56:43 Yeah. I didn't get to see that. But, you know, overall, when I was there, I would say the weather was almost pretty perfect. I mean, you know what I mean? It wasn't overly hot. This was one of the most perfect weather Burning Mans have ever experienced. Yeah. It got hot in the day, but like it gets hot where we live, you know? Yeah. That's not, it wasn't extreme hot. It wasn't triple digits hot. Yeah. We hardly had any dust storms during the event. You did have some during setup. We had a day of rain during setup. But during the event, main week, perfect, almost perfect weather. Yeah, we lucked out with that. Yeah, that was amazing. Because I remember being so worried about that because you had told me in the past, like, be mindful of this and that.

1:57:24 And then when I got there, I was like, dude, this week is great. I mean, yeah, it was, like you said, hot and I got a little sunburned. But, you know. Dude, it was pretty perfect. I really advise anybody, if you can take the opportunity to go, go and experience it in a way that works for you. And just be open-minded to everything. And don't be afraid to say yes. Wow. I notice a difference in you right now. I can't tell if that's joking, but yeah. I'm serious. I sense a difference. There's a sense of, there's more confidence in you, I feel like, saying that. And i feel like you really mean it and i feel a strength in you in your voice when you say that i'm serious oh thank you brother i appreciate that i mean honestly my biggest regret i was talking about my sister and she even said to me she goes you should have stayed for one more day and i go yeah i should have i should have fucking found a way to make that work and i didn't but and that's one regret i have but you know what next year i want to be fully immersed and really do it big because uh i can't stop thinking about like i'm not just saying that because you're here like i can't i talk about it with our friend uh puffin i cannot stop thinking about that event like it keeps running through my mind oh man i well i'm glad and i i ever since uh we've been back callie denlap art and myself both every every morning we wake up we're like well i dreamed about burning man it's like some weird form of burning man or like you know we do the teardown so it's

1:58:55 It's like some form of breaking things down or setting things up. It's some weird dream-like version of Burning Man every night since we've been back. And it's been a week since we've been back. And it'll do that to you. Well, hey, decompression. It's one more day of Burning Man in San Francisco on October 13th. You should go. I'm going to be there. You should be there. I will be there. Listeners, that means you too. Ha, ha, ha. But before we wrap up entirely, I wanted to quickly play a game with you, sir. Okay, let's do it. This game will win a audience member a special prize. Do you know what prize that is? Hopefully that's okay. And Mike, I can edit this out when you say that.

1:59:38 I want to gift them a signed copy of this. Oh, you're holding up the Where I Win Black Rock City book that I did the artwork for. Yes. We can. I will sign it. Okay. Okay, so I'm going to pick a random listener, but you got to win, though. If you don't win, they don't win. No. All right, and I'll pick that listener post. I'll add that later. All right, we're going to play one true three. I have three stories here. Two are fake. One is real. They all happened in Burning Man. So you have to figure out which one is the true story and which one are the two fakes. After I tell each story, you have three questions for each story, okay? Oh, this is like what we did on BMIR radio on the radio station at Burning Man. Exactly.

2:00:23 Yeah, listeners, we did do that. We don't have it recorded to play for you, but we did get on the radio and play this game out there. So, yeah, let's go. But this is going to be the real version. So this is how it should have went down. Yeah. All right. Here we go. All these stories happened on Burning Man. okay uh day one i was asked to take a shot of of i guess you call it cream creamy like mashed potatoes in between some of these boobies and i said no okay that's story one so i asked three questions i asked three questions yes and i find out if this was real or not you will find out at the end so you're breaking everything down in your head okay was this at our camp it was near near the camp it was at seven o'clock so i guess not really near this was on your way in this was my first night oh your first night did you say no because you were nervous i said no because she wasn't attractive oh damn all right here we go story number two now remember that's the that's the mashed potato story story number two i was cooking on the on my second or third day i I was cooking beans and as I was cooking beans in my little hot pot thing, I had somebody came by and they go, dude, those smell hella good. Can I have some?

2:01:45 And so I gave him some, but he took all my beans because he loved it so much. Oh, God. Assuming this is someone at our camp, did you have any interaction with this person before the beans incident? I saw him pantsless. Oh. So you didn't get any of your beans? I didn't get none of them. That's question two. Okay. Question three. You got one more. Yeah. That's it? I don't did he have his own cup or did he eat him out of your body or and he took my cup and he took your cup all right okay last story when we had went out without you me puffin and your sister, i saw puffin in just a total of three mushroom caps that i believe leave well yeah i don't know you might be wrong yeah did he ingest them with anything else besides the caps an entire thing of presidential juice it was called were you with him throughout his journey of those caps no because we love to go have dinner oh okay um what color was the sky.

2:03:09 Blue all right which ones which two are fake which one's real i don't know i say the beans is fake okay that's right that's one right okay now what's the other thing oh the two are fake ones the first one's fake and why do you think that because of how you answered you didn't do the the shot because she was unattractive oh do you think i have standards i i don't know i mean Yeah, but that doesn't mean you can't take a shot out of that. Of mashed potatoes? Yeah. Yeah. The answer is... So wait, which one do you think is real then? The last one. The mushroom one.

2:03:52 The answer is the last one. You are correct. Oh, wow. I got it. But the first story technically isn't a lie entirely. It wasn't mashed potatoes. It was just a regular shot. And I didn't do it because I was nervous at that time. I figured he was nervous. Yeah. I figured that. Well, very good. We did a great job. Thank you. Whoever wins that book, enjoy. I'm going to DM them, and then I'll get their shipping address, and I'll send that to you. Sound good? Sounds great. All right. Mike, what a great show. We will come back next week, kind of coming back to our regular style. We've got some great things coming up. Mike, we don't have to say the guest at all, but at some point, we have a pretty big guest coming up. Am I right?

2:04:37 We do. We do. It's, you know, it's like catching a mosquito in a net. It's hard to get this guy, but there's a hint. It's a guy. What do you know? I think the term goat gets used a lot, but I would argue that this is a big, this is a real deal one. This is a goat. This is a goat. Yes, yes it is. So at some point you guys will get to see that very, very soon. Without further ado, of course, be sure to follow us on Instagram at UncleDadTalks and at Mike at Hentum Art. Art, Mike, any last words? Well, I will just say this one more time for all the listeners who enjoyed this episode and are interested in Burning Man or want to go to a Burning Man event, please remember, as we've plugged a couple of times in this show, Burning Man San Francisco 2024 Decompression, which is called Blacktop City, is October the 13th from noon to midnight.

2:05:33 Night and then activities go on inside the great Northern until three in the morning. So just go to burningman.com slash events for more information. And tell him, please, if you see us, please come say hi. We would love to meet more people in the audience. Yeah. Come say hello. Hello. All right, everybody take care. We'll see you all next week. All right, Mike. So now is the moment, the moment of truth where we get to pick a winner. Cause you remember you played a great game called one, two, three, and you, you won. You won for our audience, and we're going to do a quick little spin the wheel, and we're going to select the winner. Are you ready, Mike? I love spinning wheels. Yes. Here we go. One, two, three.

2:06:16 The winner. The winner is Catwoman748. It says her name is Selena. Selena. You are the winner. I'm going to reach out to you via DM. We're going to get this all shipped to you. You get yourself. Mike, can you just tell them one more time in the audience what our audience member won? Oh, sure. Yes. Selena, aka Catwoman. Wow. I never. That's very interesting. Yeah. So I was asked to do the artwork for the What, Where, When book, which is what every person should get when they come into the gates of Burning Man. And I did the cover art in about 12 pages of artwork inside and in and around the book, which was an honor for me to do.

2:07:01 So congratulations, Selena, a.k.a. Catwoman Numbers. I forget the numbers. 748. 748, yeah. Now, Mike, also, you can only get this if you attend Burning Man. There's no other way to get it? There's no other way. Wow. What an honor. What a pleasure to share your amazing artwork and your amazing love. It's like you're – you remember a kiss they did? They did a comic book where they put their blood in the ink? You should have did that with this. Yeah, I should have. Yeah. How do you know I didn't bleed when I was drawing it on paper? Maybe that's where the blood is. Yeah, there you go. That's a good point. That's where the blood and tears are. Yes, yes, yes, yes.

2:07:43 That's funny. But, yes, Selena, a.k.a. Catwoman748, look out for his DM. And we will get that shipped to you. We will do whatever you want to do to it and send it to you right away. And after that, that's it. And you know what? When you listen to our show, you never know where you can win, so make sure you follow us at UncleDadTalks.