Burning Man 13

I walked away from the Noodle Camp feeling satisfied on multiple levels.The sun was starting to sag in the sky, darkening my surroundings.Blinking LED lights began to illuminate darkened costumed bodies along Chaos Street.

My bike was standing upright, when I arrived at my tent, resting on its kickstand with a small note stuffed into the wheel spokes.

"Hey Hassan, she is fixed.Let me know if it breaks on you again. " It read.

Nice I thought.Well, at least that is taken care of.

I stumbled into my tent in search of my guidebook.I had the night off from my Fishbug duties and was looking for something to do.I found it covered in dust wedged under my cooler.The cover was starting to tear from the abuse it was taking.For the first time I really noticed the cover.On the front, were two wolves were on the front staring across an open grassy plain, at a large rock formation and a small house. At the top in large lettering was Evolution."Wonder what they are trying to say here?" I thought.

I flipped open to Thursday evening.

Pool Party @ Shallow end of the Gene Pool.Mutate in the Shallow End for a Pool Party.Have a drink of pool water, swimsuit contest and vote for the shallowest.4:00pm to 7:00pm at Martini village.

Next, was the Zombie Pub Crawl at Extinct and 7:30.Join our evil dead army in a march through the playa with surprise displays of terror.Meet at the crypt and be prepared to attack.

That sounds intense…

Next I read, Boston & New England Reunion Pahhty!Calling all Bostonians & New Englanders both present and former.The longest running Boston camp in BRC invites you for drinks and Moxie cocktails.Located inside Auto Sub dome.Check @ playa info.

Cool.I'll go meet some Bostonians.Where the hell is the Auto Sub Dome though?I knew I had to go to Playa info to find my way.That was right by Center Camp, which was pretty close.I was close enough at my campsite, to see the ring of flagpoles that circled Center Camp, stretching over the shade structures around me.

I was soon off on my newly repaired bike to Playa Info.

I pedaled into Center Camp and noticed a huge line stretching out of the Playa info tent.This is going to take forever I cringed.

Near the line, I noticed a gigantic chessboard and a few people busy strategizing their next move.In an attempt to avoid immediately waiting in the long line, I stopped to check out the game.A smooth slab of marble checkered in black and white tiles supported bulky chess figures.I looked a little closer and saw that the pieces were a bit unusual, when compared to the standard chess figurines.They had been shaped into social and religious icons of our day and age.On one side of the board, there were pieces representing religion.In place of a king was the pope if I remember correctly.To his left were other religious figureheads intent on maintaining control over man's morality and passage into paradise.On the other side, staring their enemies down, were pieces representing reason, scientific study, and human enlightenment. The king on this side was a mini version of the Man. I looked out onto the playa and saw it towering high over Black Rock City.The chess pieces faced each other on the smooth marble surface in a final battle of ideology.

"Interesting." I thought to myself.

"Hey do you know where the Auto Sub Dome is?" I asked briefly interrupting a brief lull in the match.

"Never heard of it. Try Playa info."He said glancing behind him at the giant line. "Oh, I see." He chuckled. "What do you want there anyway?"

"There is a pahhty their." I said trying to forget my Rs in homage to the crass accent of my hometown, which at this point, felt like an eternity away from me.

"If you want a party, you need to head to Tangled up in Blues.They have some live music tonight.It's right on the other side of center camp.I can almost see it from here.Go check it out.That is if you are into soul and blues music."

"Well, actually…"

My feet pumped my bike pedals, spinning my tires over the hard packed desert floor.

The sign for the club glowed in multi colored lights, illuminating the dark red fabric of the shade structure.

I walked through the curtains at the door, and found a room that stretched about 30 feet to the back of the room and about 20 across.A blues jam chunking away steady rhythms played for a small audience to my left as I walked in.A white haired older gentleman riffed on piano.His fingers moved flawlessly over the faded keys catching notes to classic blues standards from the first half of the 20th century. He had a white beard and silver hair that reflected the dim Christmas lights strung inside the room.The piano looked old and worn but was in tune except for some of the notes in the upper register.Not bad considering it had been in the desert for the past week most likely. (Another in tune piano in the desert… remarkable I thought)

A small band was formed around him including a stand up bass, a sax player, and a drummer. It seemed liked the jam had just started.People continued to slowly trickle in drawn in by the sounds they were hearing. Many of them took a seat in a large pile of cushions.They sat all spread out, Arabic lounge style as they listened to the live blues show.

I saw a guitar stand with a black and white telecaster resting in it, adjacent to the piano.My mouth began to water.No one was playing it.The strings looked old and worn, but still completely playable.The excess string off the head of the guitar hadn't been trimmed.Thick layers of dust had collected underneath the strings, covering the dull chrome-plated humbuckers.I've always wanted a guitar like that one.

"Hey, do you play?" the piano player asked, noticing that my saliva had practically covered the fret board.

"Well, umm, yea I do." I said in response.

"We need a guitar player.Sit in. You know 12 bar right?"

"I do." I tried to say casually.

"My name is Yuri." The silver haired piano player stated. "That's Dave and Mike.They gave me a quick nod."Lets try Rock me Baby." He offered.

I sat down on a stool next to the piano and picked up the telecaster.It was light as a feather. I quickly got it in tune and flipped the on switch to beat up homemade amplifier on the floor. The tubes slowly warmed up and glowed a dim orange light from the back.The rig was soon ready to go.I played a few notes that sounded fuzzy like Muddy Water's guitar on some of the early Chess Records sessions.Just the way I like it.

I screeched the main riff of the song and the band jumped in after one 12 bar cycle.The place was tuned into our groove and tapping their feet.The Piano player slammed the keys as he entered, riding a top the sonic waves of blues music.He then started howling the lyrics to one of my favorite BB King tunes like he had a tear in his soul that could never be fixed.

"Rock me baby.Rock me all night long.I want you to rock me baby, like my back ain't got no bone."

"I want you to roll me baby, like you roll a wagon wheel.I want you to roll me baby like you roll a wagon wheel.I want you to roll me baby, you don't know how it makes me feel."

The piano player signaled me with a quick head nod and I jumped off the chords progression into a solo.Trying to prove my worth as their sit in guitar player for the night, I really let that guitar have it.I dug in so hard, the piano player gave me a sharp look.I lay off a bit after that.

We all took turns with 12 bar solos. After we had all gone, the piano player raised his hand on the last phrase of his solo and came down with a crash of the drummer's cymbals as we ended.

The small crowd clapped for us.

"Not bad kid he said looking at me." he said in a gruff voice."You can stay. What's your name by the way"

"Hassan." I said."You guys sound great.This your guitar?"

"It is.You are welcome to play it.Take it easy on her though.I don't have any extra stings." He said laughing a bit."So you know, tonight we are playing music for a blues dance lesson.See that pretty thing with the blonde hair." He said pointing to a leggy woman by the bar.

In the corner of the room I saw woman with tender curves that seemed to go on for days.She was dressed like she was at a classy jazz club from the 50s.Her silk blue dress hugged her body and sent shards of light in every direction. She had long blonde hair that flowed past her soft neck to a completely exposed back.Her blue eyes burned into the room, resulting in the ionizing of every atom in a 10-mile radius. I had to consciously remind myself every so often not to stare.

"She'll be leading it.Her name's Cindy.Listen to her and follow the changes, and you'll be fine."

"No worries."I said casually.

People continued to trickle in to the room and onto the dance floor waiting for the lessons to begin.Cindy grabbed the wireless mic when she was about satisfied with the numbers on the dance floor and introduced herself.

"Welcome everyone.Let me introduce myself. My students know me as Madam Cindy.I am a professional dance instructor. I have taught dance all over the world, and now I am here teaching it to you guys. Tonight we are going to work on how to dance to blues music.We are fortunate enough to have a live band here to help us.Can we give them a round of applause."She instructed.

"Ok." She whispered to the band, getting our attention without letting the dancers hear her. "Guys when I give you the cue, switch up the tempo.Start at a medium pace and then kick it up a notch."

The dancers paired off as we prepared to start the music.

"1,2,3,4." the piano player counted off at a medium tempo and we jumped into a 12 bar blues in A.

The couples began swaying to the beat.We all traded solos after a full cycle waiting and listening to our next cue from Madam Cindy.

"Keep moving.Keep that beat in your head, 1234.1234.Step left step right, back step and again."She said over the mic to the dance students.

Cindy went around and corrected everyone's dance moves one by one.She would sometimes straighten their backs, or even jump right and dance with an especially unrhythmic pair for a 12 bar cycle.Every once in a while I heard her say good job, though it was few and far between.She seemed pretty strict from where I was sitting.I was glad I wasn't dancing.

She gave Yuri a head nod and he have us a 1234 count at a faster tempo.The band was really moving now.Many of the dancers were still going the same rhythm.After a few bars Cindy got on the mic again.

"Hold up. Everyone hold up." She said with the slightest touch of condescension.The band stopped and silence pursued waiting for Cindy's response."The music got faster and everyone stayed dancing at the same tempo.That tells me that you aren't listening to the music!" she said in a schoolteacher's scolding tone. "Lets try again."

She nodded to Yuri. He gave a quick 1234 count and we were back in on the one chord.I chopped at the rhythm, as Yuri began to play the head of the melody.

Class went on like this for what seemed to me like a good few hours.The band got tighter and tighter as the night progressed. (Despite the martinis that were brought to us in between just about every other song)I even noticed the dancers getting better as well.Whatever Cindy was doing seemed to be working.

"Ok, guys this will be the last one of the night.I think I'll sing it." Cindy said over the mic.

She walked over to us and asked us if we knew the tune Summer Time.Yuri quickly found an E minor chord and counted off a slow tempo.Cindy began to sing in a raspy soulful voice.

"Summer time and the living is easy.Fish are jumping and the cotton is high.Your daddy's rich and your mama's good looking.So hush little baby, don't you cry."

Cindy put her left arm in the air as she belted out and sustained the last few notes of the song, for what seemed to me an eternity.

"A bit dramatic." I thought as she wailed and wailed…. And wailed.I thought I was watching American Idol or something… You know, I had a whole long thing about my disgust with that show.I thought I would save you from having to read a whole page of my contemptuous social ramblings from my cyber soapbox.Feel free to just ask me what I think of it if you care to know that bad…. Anyway, moving on…

The crowed cheered for our house band.A DJ behind us turned on his stereo and began to play some 1960s soul music to fill the air, which was now vacant of music.Now that the lesson was over, I noticed the dancers on the floor to be a bit looser.Cindy's watchful eye was now preoccupied with people fawning over her performance.

She stepped away for a second and thanked the band.

"Hey you guys.That was great.I think it was perfect." She said to us.

"No worries." we said.

"Glad to do it." Yuri piped in over the rest of us with a smile about as wide as the Grand Canyon after a million more years of erosion.I noticed the twinkle in their eyes as they looked at each other.

I finished my 8th martini of the evening and stumbled out into the night, then stumbling back to get my bike.I was feeling really good about what I had just accomplished in there and not just because of the booze.(Although, I am sure that influenced me some)I had just spent an evening playing music for the sake of music… hiccup…You know, the way it should be… hiccup…