DUSTFISH EMERGENT
Dedicated to the incomparable LORD HUCKLEBERRY and
All the DUSTFISH WHO WORK tirelessly to make the magic
happen
And so on March 10, 2007, in West Oakland, an event occurred that announced loudly and publicly(It was listed on Tribe) to the world DUSTFISH was ready for it’s close-up. In alliance with such groups as ANON SALON, SPACE COWBOYS and others, DUSTFISH served up one of the most exciting events one could ever hope to attend.
MASSIVE it was called and ,true to it’s namesake, it was a gathering of tribes and peoples inside a cavernous space that held all the great things Burning Man has to offer. There were colossal metal sculptures(one of which served as a the lighting grid) marvelous fashions, art installations and three spacious performance stages included everything from AfroFunk to Rock and Roll. Stellar DJ’s manned the turntables
revving up the action and everywhere was dancing, carousing and partying. At turns it could be was overwhelming, even frightening and yet at others thrilling and downright awesome! you couldn’t walk ten feet for not running into someone you knew or someone that you really wanted to meet. A real night of nights, peopled by an exciting cast of characters.
The thump of subterranean bass was the first thing I encountered. It was very reassuring. To me it is the sound of the Burning Man and harbingers of great parties from long ago. Next was the crowds of people lining up at the door. From hardcore freaks to first time partiers(a young woman with a crown of balloons made commented that it was her first real party) all parts of SF nightlife was represented. One of my particular favorite moment was that of a group of hip young dudes looking at each other and nodding that this was indeed “the place.” And everywhere you looked saw faces of so many of great people our community produces. Whether behind the scenes or at the forefront, MASSIVE’S promotional efforts resulted in phenomenal attendance. In fact, some party stalwarts had forgone other commitments of previous evenings rather than miss out on this event! They were rewarded by a theatrical, magical night happens every once in a while. Only grand opera, in my estimate, is comparable.
But for as much as this night sought to stay underground, The dimensions, the scale of the event alone ensured that would not be the case. Like a mushroom cloud above a city,
MASSIVE showed that DUSTFISH(and some extent, The BURNING MAN community) could really throw down the gauntlet. No mere Booty Checkpoint, MASSIVE combined multi-medias together in a seamless ways and spoke of both audacity and polished experience. Knowing some of what to expect, I was totally unprepared for what LORD HUCKLEBERRY and crew had cooked up.
The Flyer said it all: FLAMING LOTUS GIRLS, THE UNIMOG, MARK GROWDEN, THE CORRUPTERS PurEvil, Dan DAS Mann, JOE MANGRUM, Miss Velvet Cream and list goes on and on. In fact the flyer changed three times as more people came on board.
MASSIVE was a force to be reckoned with. It drew people from came different parts of the country and required the kind of commitments of time, energy and money much in way that any big event does.
I arrived just about the time the police did. They wore a look that said they weren’t going to just ask us to turn the bass down. Through pools of black water they trammeled in to rain on our parade. They were everywhere at once and they meant business. Armed with guns and cameras, the police scoured the large space in search of evildoers and contraband. Their attitude was arrogant, cold and suspicious. We had gained their notice and for it they contemptuously ended our revels.
And in that moment I realized that DUSTFISH was no longer underground.
We were emergent, made quite visible with by our outrageousness and wild conduct. From this point forward we’d need to be conscious of those forces we had offended by flaunting our freedoms. DUSTFISH, the missing tooth in the smile that is Burning Man had crested to surface and was making big waves. It is one of the consequences of brilliance. A great performer steps into the spotlight and must be willing to
receive their due, be it catcalls or standing ovations. No longer content to swim in a very small bowl, DUSTFISH’S MASSIVE heralded the arrival of group of individuals and the great promise that they offer.
