The Trashion Show

Resplendent , spectacular, decadent. Many words can and could be used to describe Flambe Lounge and the Trashion show. Dustfish, dubbed the Trashiest Camp at Burning, was in full flower, both up front and behind the scenes, putting the "camp" back into Theme camp. These amazing pictures, taken by Warren DiFranco Hsu are filled with glamour and haute couture as the trashion show raised Dumpster diving to high art.

www.flickr.com More of eio san's photos

DUSTFISH EMRGENT

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.

Televison, A Vast and Terrible Wasteland

Why is it that all the Television I've seen in the past month consists of Police arresting people, Judges judging them and endless array of butchery in the form of forensic examinations, surgeries and psychic vivisection through televised "Reality" Shows. Television is the land of the lost, filled will people who suffer in some way and indicate to us all the pessimist components of life. Time after time I found myself shaking my head at the catalog of death, destruction or misfortune. I'm sure I'm in danger of generalizing, but, whether it's a Judge scowling at some miscreant or cops wrestling some angry drunk to the ground or a plastic surgeon applying acid to an aging starlet face, TV is a exploitative, cheap foray into worst that life has to offer. 24 hour news is both fearsome and pallid, reaching into a kind of abstract kind of angst that there are really bad, people and awful things that we should really be afeard of. And their stabs at entertainment are just the dregs of what they can provide. The scabs of wounds not work picking.

On Funky Side of Town

The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, The Godfather of Funk has left us to dwell in the realm of the super heavy Funk. I can't thank you enough for making the world we know so funky, but you couldn't help yourself. May God bless your Funky soul. And you know it's always on the One. RIP James Brown.

History

LAST NIGHT I HAD EXPLAIN TO SOMEONE WHO MAO ZEDONG WAS.

I was wearing this T-shirt which is a black and white portrait of Mao done in benday dots. The shirt is unique in that its an off kilter portrait of Mao head (including the back of his head). A friend bought it for me as a birthday when she went to China and I like to think of it as more of a nod to Andy Warhol than to Chairman Mao (And yes, I once had to explain to someone who Andy Warhol was). Mao Zedong! The Little Red Book! Here we have a man whose very name stirred up controversy. He changed the course of China History and caused the deaths of many of its citizen. I can go on but the thing that last night impressed upon me was strange new world I live in. Granted I probably can't recall a Member of Harding's Cabinet or Union generals other than Grant or when the White house was rebuilt but I actively seek knowledge of that which created our nation and the world which within we live. With the understanding that each successive generation has a need to focus the most pressing concerns and issues I can accept the ignorance with regard to the Cultural Revolution or the Great Leap Forward. But this is the Cold War I'm talking about. It isn’t ancient history. Oblivion was only a kiss away. I don't need jingoism or catchphrases or propaganda from either side but this is our history, a time that can be reasonable documented with the tools that Internet (Google, Wikipedia, Chinese History website anyone?). The very internet I write this missive into now, can offer vast amount mind numbing information.

As a student of Frank Herbert and George Orwell, I realize That History (a product of Memory) can be quite mutable in the hands of adept historian, demagogue or drunken party guest. But now having said that, how can we command so many vast bits of data that no one has the time to regard? Take in account that again one’s own interests, preoccupations and desires frame their point of reference I don’t expect you to know EVERYTHING but how can you not aware of recent history. I was both disturbed and amused. With no more that Library books, print media and hearsay I still possessed a catalog of information far great than some who claimed to be on the net all the time

Mercury Retrograde ends Tomorrow

The Mercury Retrograde Ends tomorrow at 8:45 pm Pacific Time. Now realize that Retrograde will shake things up a bit when it goes direct but any setback or delays will serve some useful function. The group of five planets in Scorpio are now breaking up a bit but we're about experience yet another Stellium into the coming weeks in the sign of Sagittarius. Breathe a sigh of relief and where you can reflect upon areas that Retrograde may have helped in.