Dee Zee, Doc Indy, and the great Herbie Haven were kind enough to meet up with us this week on our first stop when we went to visit Burning Man in Groovyverse. The trip included a mix of very RL places, and a few little virtual flourishes, but so neatly inserted into the reality of the build that they feel perfectly integrated.
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| Herbie Haven |
Vastness is a key ingredient here. Take a look at the map and you'll realize just how large the canvas on which this masterpiece is drawn. Based on the topography and ecology of California and Nevada, the preferred term is Left Coast, and there are plenty of maps and teleports to help a visitor find their way around.
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| Dee Zee by the Left Coast map |
Jade Serenity: Burning Man? I watched the livestream of the RL one... there were a few sand storms
Spax Orion: both destinations are a complete surprise to me... I could look them up but...
Forest Azure: oh, burning man time?
Thirza Ember: i think it's a little different from the last time Forest, there are more horses
Forest Azure: no train or bus? :)
Forest Azure: a man :)
Ayla Alvarez: are we going horseback riding?
Spax Orion: Now I am confused... the burning horse?
Ayla Alvarez: grins
Forest Azure: well, where there is smoke.. there must be something burning!
We arrived in Gerlach, a small town on the edge of the desert, for many it's the last bit of conventional civilization before going into the Burning Man territories. For half a century, Gerlach's unofficial 'King' was Bruno Selmi, who emigrated to the United States in 1946, and moved to the town, buying up many of the essential businesses, including bars, the motel, the town gas station, a trailer park, and a nearby ranch.
Forest Azure: a horse, a horse, my region for a horse!
Some went on horseback some walked, as we moseyed down main street to see the major landmarks of Gerlach.
dee zee: Here is the Burning Man Gerlach Office has been the nerve center of the festival's rural operations for over two decades. It was originally constructed to house Gerlach's local post office. The building have things inside, you can explore.
Jojo Apple: I am motion challenged inworld! LOL
dee zee: It is important to remember the Black Rock Desert is visited year round. The Black Rock-High Rock Visitor Center & Gift Shop in RL has educational exhibits about the region's unique geology, Great Basin ecology, Emigrant Trail history, and essential desert safety supplies. The staff coordinates guided excursions to nearby restricted natural marvels, most notably the colorful, geothermal Fly Geyser.
Among the reconstructions of real places, Herbie, Dee and company have added something extra, with a great deal of virtual significance.
dee zee: The Cacophony Society Museum is not in RL in Gerlach Nevada. The San Francisco Cacophony Society was an underground network of Dadaist culture jammers and urban pranksters founded in 1986. They specialized in subverting public spaces, throwing absurd themed parties, and exploring forbidden environments.
Jojo Apple: this is all so pretty and real :)
dee zee: In 1990, when San Francisco police banned Larry Harvey from burning his wooden effigy on Baker Beach, Cacophony Society members Michael Mikel (aka Danger Ranger) and John Law invited Harvey to bring the effigy out to Nevada's Black Rock Desert as part of "Zone Trip #4: Bad Day at Black Rock". This event officially birthed the desert-bound, temporary city model of Burning Man Project. The Cacophony principles of radical self-expression, active participation, and creating a "Temporary Autonomous Zone" became the very pillars of Burner culture.
Jade Serenity: this is awesome
Thirza Ember: the bar opposite the Cacophony Museum is pretty neat. The posters and photos on this build are great...so much in the little details!
dee zee: In 1999, Philip Rosedale visited Burning Man for the first time—the same year he founded Linden Lab, the parent company of Second Life. He was deeply inspired by the concept of Black Rock City: a blank canvas where people came together to build a functional society entirely out of pure creativity and art. He envisioned Second Life as a digital continuation of this concept.
Jade Serenity: is really of horses :P
Koshari Mahana: I love the trailer park :)
dee zee: The Burning Man organization officially sanctioned a digital regional event inside Second Life, originally called Burning Life (now known as Burn2).
dee zee: The most concrete link connecting all three domains is Michael Mikel. He was a founding member of the San Francisco Cacophony Society. He became a co-founder and director of the Burning Man Project. In 2008, Mikel officially managed the development of Burning Man's virtual presence inside Second Life. originally called Burning Life, the group is still active in SL.
Ayla Alvarez: there goes the Flying Nun!
Thirza Ember: oh I thought i was imagining that
Koshari Mahana: my horse won't move
There is a flat spot on the way down the hill where you can stop and maybe try to MAX your Draw Distance. We guarantee the view from there is unique. We will stop at the bottom of the hill by the forest service signs. if you are familiar with Burning Man, you will recognize much of this stuff here
Koshari Mahana: I finally got my horse figured out lol
Jojo Apple: Kind of reminds me of the way Quartzite used to be
Doc Indy: The first stop here is the big tent. That's Center Camp.
Josh Boam: Howdy... Little late but better late than never :P
Jojo Apple: Hi Josh! Huggs!
dee zee: From here we will head out into the desert. In the real world this trip is often a surreal and lengthy traffic jam. It is not uncommon for people who have been "parked in line" for hours to get out of their vehicles and party with the folks waiting with them.
James Atlloud: ok - I'm headed towards Doc.
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| Doc Indy takes a seat in the big tent |
dee zee: While we travel, I can tell you a little bit about the Black Rock City Municipal Airport. It features two compacted dirt runways, real-world air traffic controllers operating out of custom stilted shipping containers, and its own "Customs and Immigration" checkpoint. During its peak operating hours, it handles up to 800 takeoffs and landings a day, briefly making it one of the top 100 busiest airports in the United States. Built completely by volunteers each summer for the Burning Man festival, it exists for just 13 days before disappearing without a trace.
James Atlloud: Seen Donn DeVore play here in the big tent.
dee zee: Center Camp Cafe Tent. It is the heart of Black Rock City. It covers about an acre of space and is one of the largest temporary tensile fabric structures in the world.
Fun fact, since 2022 they stopped selling coffee here - individuals bring it brew it and give it away, rather than selling it.
Jojo.Apple: I's definitely work the HUG DELI if I was there!
dee zee: If you look towards the airport from Center Camp, you will see Arctica, one of the more popular camps on the Playa. Arctica is entirely run by a vibrant sub-culture of volunteers known as "Ice Pushers". Volunteering for a 4-hour shift at Arctica is widely considered one of the most coveted gigs on the playa. 
Spax Orion: the comfort of manual labor in a freezer
Thirza Ember: so many horses.... there will be a fine crop of veggies later this fall
Herbie Haven: you are just in time for the famous black rock ice sculpture contest in Arctica camp :)
We also learned about other jobs that form part of the infrastructure of the eevent - lamplighters, who provide illumination when twilight comes, Rangers who are there to keep the peace, and a local temporary radio station.
Forest Azure: are we supposed to go somewhere?
Thirza Ember: follow dee, Forest. She has the sandwiches
Forest Azure: aahhh!
Spax Orion: hold the mayo on my sandwich
dee zee: Next is the Fashionista Camp Fashionistas reject standard off-the-rack fashion, contributing complex, handmade, or heavily up-cycled garments. For example, when the sun sets, Black Rock City becomes completely dark, creating a significant hazard for speeding bicycles and art cars. Fashionistas contribute heavily to public safety by treating their nighttime wardrobes as lighting grids.
By weaving wearable EL wire (electroluminescent wire), LEDs, and fiber optics into their costumes, they make themselves visible, keeping the city's thoroughfares safer for everyone.
Ayla Alvarez: sounds like a good time day or night
dee zee: The Death Guild Thunderdome is one of the oldest, loudest, and most iconic theme camps in Burning Man history, widely considered the "dark, undead heart" of the playa.
Spax Orion: Waiting for Tina Turner to come out!
James Atlloud: eek
dee zee: Now lets gather at "the Man" - it's the ultimate focal point, namesake, and geographical anchor of Black Rock City, functioning as the symbolic epicenter of celebration, radical self-expression, and community unity. While the Temple represents quiet reflection and grief, the Man is the catalyst for high-energy joy and renewal.
Ayla Alvarez: is smoking allowed?
Spax Orion: how many particle emitters?
dee zee: The Man does not sit on the bare ground; it is elevated atop a massive, uniquely designed architectural Man Base that changes every year to match the festival's annual theme. This base functions as an interactive public art museum.
Ayla Alvarez: "Man Base" ...I love it
James Atlloud: Like bees fill a honeycomb
dee zee: From here we will follow the path to the Empyrean Temple. Like the effigy, the design of the temple changes each year. On the real world Playa there would only be one temple. We have placed a few of our favorite designs out for you to explore. Throughout the week, thousands of participants cover it with deeply personal memorials.
Spax Orion: beautiful structure
Thirza Ember: toasty
dee zee: On the final Sunday night of the event, the Temple is burned to the ground in total silence, a stark contrast to the fireworks and raucous celebration that accompany the burning of the Man the night before. This ritualistic fire serves as a literal and symbolic release, transforming the community's accumulated grief, pain, and attachments into ash and smoke, allowing participants to let go and move forward.
Jojo Apple: Dee, this is absolutely amazing and soooo much info that I have never heard
dee zee: As I mentioned at the beginning our our tour, most of our Left Coast regions are occupied by collaborative builds. As you can see, we have a LOT of empty campsites at the moment. We would love for some of you builders and artists to feel the need to share in this unique corner of our culture. If you are interested in participating, please IM me, or Herbie directly.
Jojo Apple: I'd love to go to the real Burning Man
Koshari Mahana: Oh, me too!
Spax Orion: very nice designs here. I did not know what to expect.
Jojo Apple: wonderful place and fabulous tour! Thank you Dee!
Spax Orion: Thank you dee zee
Josh Boam: Im here but not here.. lots going on hahaha but this is soo cool
James Atlloud: I've been to BM builds in Sansar, VRchat and SL and I like this one the best.
dee zee: Thank you all very much for taking the time to visit
Kashi Takeshi: All enjoy and be safe! Thanks Safari Team :)
Bink Draconia: thanks for the tour
Roffellos Kisses: well done Dee that was excellent
Yara Eilde: Thank you for showing :-)
Koshari Mahana: This is so amazing. Thank you for taking us on this tour, and thanks to everyone at GroovyVerse for all of their hard work.
Angelic Kisses: it was so informative...learned a lot
Doc Indy: There's a history of Burning Man posted on the side of Media Mecca, near Center Camp. It is shared here with permission of it's creator - Matt Silverman.. One of the cartoonists for The Simpsons
Alex Salamander: Thanks for showing us your wonderful region :-)
Forest Azure: this was great! thank you so much!
Herbie Haven: Thank you
HG Address: groovyverse.com:8002:Black Rock Desert
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