[6/22-6/24] [BOI] Esthetic Evolution

[TProphet]

I'm sitting in the Boise Wal-Mart waiting to get my tire repaired, and couldn't wait to log on with a review of this incredible event.

So the first thing I have to say is... WOW! Going into this, my expectations were pretty low. After all, it's Idaho--what ever happens there? I'm delighted to report that not only were my expectations wildly exceeded, but they still would have been wildly exceeded even if I went into this with the assumption that serious underground promoters in Washington or Oregon were behind it. Think Phoenix Festival in 1999, and that's the caliber of event we're talking about.

Not only do these Idaho kids know how to throw a party, they're really cool people too. This was surprising, because many elements of my experience had a uniquely Idaho twist. From my campsite neighbors offering me a lovely potato and vegetable dish with my breakfast to a free-for-all-comers elk roast, this wasn't your garden variety Seattle-area outdoor party.

Friday, I made the long drive from Seattle and arrived just in time for the main stage to become an orgasmic frenzy of sound, dancing, and fire. Speaking of fire, there was lots of it, and it was delightful! To begin with, the stage breathed fire like a dragon--propane torches were hung above it, and the DJs could press a button to unleash a tremendous blast of flame. There are few things that could better add to the ecstasy of an incredible set than punctuating it with a powerful blast of heat and light, with its accompanying roar! Even though I was exhausted from the drive, I got my second and third winds and danced like mad until 3 in the morning. Completely sober, no less--I can't imagine anything that would have improved the experience.

On Saturday morning, I was awoken by noisy people. When I looked out of my tent to see what the fuss was about, it turned out that they were noisy naked people. None of them were cute, though, and in particular none of them were in my tent, so I went back to sleep until the heat became too much to bear. My campsite neighbors introduced themselves; they were a bunch of really friendly people from Boise and they invited me to join them at the beach.

I took a brief detour to the nearby USFS campsite (I never thought a pit toilet would look attractive, but compared to the vomit-smeared portable toilets at the festival, it was bilss), and then drove to the beach. This has to be the coolest Saturday I've had in recent memory. There was a generator, turntables, a PA system, and plenty of DJs to rock the party late into the afternoon. I alternated between swimming and dancing on the beach, but when I felt myself starting to sunburn (despite my spf30 sunscreen), it was time to get under cover. Unfortunately, on the way back, I ran over a beer bottle that some asshole had thrown in the road. It punctured my tire, but I jacked up the car and installed the spare without incident.

As it turned out, I got back just in time. The DJ in the chill tent had been playing nonstop since about 4 in the morning, and really needed a break. Delighted that I'd brought my road case, I happily obliged for the next 6 hours. I played a pretty good 4 hour set (well, pretty good for me anyway--I'm just a beginner), and when the tent cleared out during dinnertime, I put on some Buddha Lounge and took a quick nap.

Saturday night, the main stage was electro until about 3 in the morning. I'm not a big fan of electro, so I stopped by the chill tent to catch the last bit of the 10pm-12am DJs set. I was delighted to hear him playing Theory in Motion - hardly anyone else plays them and I was kicking myself for forgetting to throw in some of their tracks while I was playing. The crowd responded really well to it, and there were smiles all around.

By around 1am, I was pretty much done--I'd had barely any sleep since I arrived and the electro just wasn't motivating me to dance. I crashed in my tent. At about 3am, I suddenly woke up--I thought I was dreaming, but it was real (I often dream really awesome music that I love and that disappointingly only exists in my head). Someone (I think DJ Shadow) was doing a live PA with live vocals. The set was blissful and heavenly, and the female vocals were top-notch and truly gorgeous. I really wish I'd been able to drag myself out to dance, but lying in my tent listening to it half-awake was still amazing.

Sunday morning, it was time to head home. The drive back to Boise along the reservoir was absolutely stunning. It was my first time seeing it since I'd gotten in late at night on Friday. Boise, on the other hand, strikes me as corporate and plastic. It's like an oversized version of Redmond or Beaverton, with slightly more blue-collar businesses (and Micron Technology, of all the random things).

And that's the story from the Boise Wal-Mart McDonald's. I'll post pictures later if they turned out, sometime after I get home. I hate to leave Idaho (and never thought I'd say that), since the weather is gorgeous and I hear it's pissing rain back in Seattle.

[Suff-x]

I'm dying to see them!

I had SO much fun! Very glad I bombed all the way out there from PDX to play your show.

I met SO many cool new Idahomies, plenty of Seattlehomies and even a few Portland homies I hadn't officially met yet, or had lost contact with.
Too many to count!

I left feeling a bit sad... kind of like at summer camp when you were a kid, after making lifelong friends... :(
I know that I'll see lots of you again though! So that makes me happy!

Had fun kicking it with the following people (I'm really digging deep, as most of these names I just learned!)

Jess (nyxie) -- you go girl!
Juanita -- my new fabulous friend
Miranda -- great time roadtrippin it with you!
Devon & Masil --Thanks for the hospitality!
Lindsay -- cute as a button!
KJ and the Band -- lived it up like goddamn rockstars at the cabin!
the VJ --god! forgot name! sorry! thanks for letting me scratch it up on the DVDJ!!!!
Tim yeeeah! I had no idea what the term "shirtcocking" meant till you played your set at the beach! (dripping with tec-funk... very sassy!)
Eric --way to groove it up on the rocks all by yourself at the river!
Sam AKA Elroy.... good to reconcile!
The photographer guy who brought the blowtorches! you rule! made my set!
Dave Matthews --cool dood
Gel Sol --was it matt? having a hard time remembering... you and homie on the live pa was makin' some wicked soundscapes!
Matt "Matilda2000" and Kim "burly" --wished we couldhave kicked it more.. sorry you got a bellyache!
Damien --thanks for the herbal relief!
Mike "the soundsystem owner" GREAT to meet you. you're a true pioneer! Lovely family too!
Dood who I played frisbee with in the river. Thanks!
Girl from Utah that runs the record store... hope you dig the tunes!
---more soon.
B

[Elroy]

So this is likely the only outdoor rave-ish thing I will be attending this summer (but waaaaaaait for Earthdance *snicker*), but it totally made me feel like I won't be missing anything.

I met up with the VJ (his name is Barry, Bryce ;)), and had made friends with him almost as soon as we met. Totally rad guy. We drove down there and talked about a wide variety of things, but largely about the history of what I have known about outdoor parties in the nw (Inertia labs, seelie court beach parties, phoenix festivals etc). He had actually never BEEN to something like that which was a shock but interesting. I did my best to give him perspective, but also admitted that I didn't really know what it would be like (because it was idaho and I don't go to these anymore really).

Stopped at a few small towns and drove through Boise... we were kind of shocked. It was like people were sorta redneck seeming but if I'd look at them they'd look away like they were scared and lock they're car because I look 'rugged' to them with my shaggy hair and beard... or something.

So I was a bit concerned...

Then we arrive and Barry has to start setting up... I saw a few friends but not anybody I had a bunch of history with and wanted to seriously talk to a bunch. I walk around and get nervous... some of the people looked like they might be totally 'weird' to party with. I'll admit fully that I was judging based on appearence and not necessarily aware of where they come from etc... but I was scared. However, then once the sun goes down everybody is TOTALLY down and has a really great time. Nobody gave off bad vibes the entire weekend minus that ONE DRUNK ASS-HOLE with the pick-up truck. You guys know the one... the dude who got kicked off the dance-floor etc. Not only did he do those things you saw, but he sped his car up and pretended that he was going to run my friend Billy and I down when we were walking down to the hot springs... then slammed on the breaks a few feet in front of us. I really don't think that is cool -- he was wasted and could have easily hit us. Also, Billy was a boy wearing a dress at the time so you gotta wonder.... :(

Anyhow, the music was really very good the entire weekend. Not everything was for me but none of it was bad - they did an excellent job of picking DJs who each did an excellent job of selecting tracks for the party.

Guy who played oldschool hip-hop then electro: such a relief to hear after the psytrance in the early evening... got me dancing and feeling like I was at home on a moutaintop
Brooklyn: first dj of the weekend that created a REAL dance-floor really tight, chunky-ass house/techno or whatever. No cheese, just tight beats.
Suff-XAwesome sounding scratching noises and good, clean breaks with an eerie undertone. It was also totally rad to meet you and have that talk - that was really a big relief to me and kick started my good vibe for the whole weekend.
Recess Awesome set as usual... bring on the rave! I totally danced... you saw me :)
Jen Wolf I was totally stoked to finally see you play and thought you were great. I mean, I didn't really have any expectations but never realized that you'd actually play music that *I* like... because I am a picky bastard. Also, I hope you are glad to know that I think you recieved the funniest joke I told all weekend... y'know, when I asked if your friends were 'boyfriends.' hehe... I kill me...
Adlib + friend ROCKED OUT! I never realized how much punch you could pack... I totally got down!
The dj who played 'we all have a map of the piano' by mum: Thank you!!! I woke up just at the end to say something, but was hearing it in my dreams and it must have made them better because that song is PERFECT for dreams.

Chill room in general: Kinda never really wanted to be in there. It wasn't 'Chill,' usually... it was either crowded and party-ish or 'chiiiiiiiilllllll,' in the kind of uncomfortable sorta way where my friends and I kept leaving.

Main-stage: Really awesome set-up. Visuals were rad and well thought out (;)), and the dome was sweet. I also liked the fire a bunch. I also liked that there weren't any other loud stages so everybody could hear EVERYTHING in the music. I think this is important.

THE TOWER THING: Okay listen dude, I don't know who you are and what you are thinking, but listen to a few things. If you are going to build a tower that is tall enough for somebody to DIE if they fell off of, you better make for DAMN SURE you have designed it well. Also, flat surfice is preferable... but I guess you made it mostly upright. Regardless, I found myself wondering WHY ON EARTH you didn't build something to grab onto when you got to the top of the ladders or were deciding to get off. Most ladders have bars that extend past the surface of the tower, but yours did not... so people could easily be left without anything to hold onto when they are getting on or off. Especially if they are high, or it is at night and they don't realize it will be like that... and APPARENTLY some girl actually did fall off. I am not sure of this or not, but the point is: IF YOU CREATE UNSAFE STRUCTURES, AT LEAST MAKE THEM AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE. There is no excuse for bad design if you put as much effort into it as you did.

CHILDREN AT THE FESTIVAL: This is always an issue for me but it wasn't so bad at this festival. There were only a handful of under the age of 15 or so. Multiple people mentioned to me that they weren't happy seeing kids around the main-stage unsupervised past midnight or so. I wasn't either. It simply doesn't make me feel comfortable and I wish you would find a sitter.

OVERALL: This was one of the best outdoor parties I have been to in my life. I say this not because of my experience (which wasn't anything earth-shaking), but because of the extreme happiness of the attendents, the solid organization, the sweet location and the feeling that it was something NEEDED in Idaho... that it wasn't just something people were doing because they didn't know what else to do. So yeah, it definitely had that Earthdance ninety-nine, early phoenix fest vibe to it... reminded me what the bigger parts of the Northwest has lost.

Shouts:

Kimberlily it was soooo great to finally catch up with you. I will write you in private and send you some stuff in the mail.
Matty You were a totally rad dude and we'll talk more... sorry I hogged your fiance friday but we had that comin'!!
Billy You are the sweetest! I hope you don't mind that I told people you were my straight boyfriend for the weekend!;)
Marshall It was totally awesome to meet you! I think you were the only Idaho person I really talked to in detail and was very interested.
Devon I am so glad you talked me into going... sorry that Barry and I almost gave you a heart-attack.;)
Mazzle Lovely as always!
Alison I was really glad to finally hear about your studies! Rock on!
Tim Same thing, except I had heard that before! Fight the good fight!
Eddie Can I smoke that? haha

Finally, the best line of the weekend (as delivered by the gay boy with the hair dyed multiple colors in the chill room when passing around a jug of liquid while I attempted sleep saturday after noon):

'There is like NO alcohol in here at all, it hurts my feelings!'

THANK YOU AND GOOD NIGHT!!!

[Suff-x]

Barry! Dude, YES!!!! You seriously made my night Saturday... I just about busted a gut making ninjas dance and people make funny/awkward movements back and forth to the music with the DVDJ.... fucking BLAST!

Also, Sam reminded me of a couple I forgot...

Mazzle and Alison
and Eddie.

Fuck yeah you guys! Good to be neighborly with ya!
Don't be a stranger if you're in Portland! Call up!
B

PS still trying to figure out the girl from the record store in Utah's name and contact info...

[pixelflip]

for my first real outdoor party - what a blast! the drive, the people, the music, the people, the fire, the water, the beach, the beats, the sun, the sleeplessness....

thanks to adlib for the invite, menami for the ride-share organization (although i am PISSED to have been stuck with someone soooo closed minded and i might not ever forgive)... elroy for the conversation and instant friendship... will and the kids for tomorrow for yesterday's fun, epiphanous, furry fire-breathing photographer with the wet bar, ...and all of the organizers who totally took care of me. special shouts out to vj lindsey rae and the kid who found my car key in the last porto-potty on the left (absent of any vomit I might add - which ones were you using tprofit??) oh and nice work dave matthews and levi for their sunday am slideshow on the big screen - brilliant!

i truly loved everything i heard, but especially loved illoom's, suff-x's and jen woolfe's sets... oh and i had never heard kj sawka before and thought they did a rad job of whipping up a frenzy.

a great first experience and no doubt a tough act to follow..

[Nyxie]

Originally posted by Elroy


Guy who played oldschool hip-hop then electro: such a relief to hear after the psytrance in the early evening... got me dancing and feeling like I was at home on a moutaintop


That was CobyOne, he killed it!

The whole party was insane, and amazing, so many beautiful people and such a beautiful location and fantastic music. More to come after I catch up on sleep. =)

[Nyxie]

Originally posted by Suff-x

PS still trying to figure out the girl from the record store in Utah's name and contact info...

The store is probably either UpRok, or Mechanoise. Get at me and I'll help you figure it out. It was amazing to see you! Thanks for the wine and your bed to nap in, and thanks as well for letting me steal your car!!! keep in touch better, I miss you!

[Nyxie]

Originally posted by TProphet
I

Someone (I think DJ Shadow) was doing a live PA with live vocals. The set was blissful and heavenly, and the female vocals were top-notch and truly gorgeous. I really wish I'd been able to drag myself out to dance, but lying in my tent listening to it half-awake was still amazing.


That was KJ Sawka, he announced that it was a remix of a DJ Shadow track. is was the the shit.

All the music at the party was impressive.

One of my favorite quotes of the party. sitting around the fire pit sunday morning in wonderland, watching the sun come up and burning marshmallows, while simultaneously watching Juanita chase fellow Evolutionists up into the mountains to here the Gospel of Ezekiel preached... Psytrance started banging in the back ground and Kellen paused and then profoundly explains "PsyTrance Makes me want to go steal gasoline"

I love it!

[derekandrew]

I have to admit that previous to playing Earthdance last year I would have had no desire to even think about playing in Idaho. When I met some cool Idaho peeps there, I changed my mind and almost made it my mission to play in Idaho. Since the mission has been accomplished, I can say I had such a blast out there that I had to call out of work to finish recovering, lol.

Thanks to veryone who made this event happen! Thanks to everyone at our camps for making the night time party time and day time down time just as great; thanks to everyone who made the river happen all day Saturday (whoever thought I would be exposed to the wonders (horrors?) of shirt cocking, lol; Thanks to Brookelyn for hooking up the before and after bed and intorducing us to the peeps in camp; thanks to the guys with the flame throwers (the 800 was already a highlight, but that by far is my favorite FX button); Thanks to all the great performers that played throughout, some nice to here again, others great to hear the first time over ( I hope Pete and I didn't dissapoint); and thanks to everyone I am forgetting because I am still too tired to think, lol

I hope for sure we can make it out again next year. This was amazing and I can only imagine what next year will be like. Much love to everyone, and good times all around.

[Pete Spinning]

So, I haven't been able to stop going over the memories of last weekend in my head, since we came back to Cali.
I saw SOOOO many friends out there, from all different areas. It was Unity at it's best. I can think of only a few friends that weren't there, and they had good excuses.

It was nice to finally meet some of the people I have been in contact with, so we could put the name to the face. It was great vibes on an INTENSE level. I was overwhelmed with the kindness, the togetherness, the quality of the event, and of course....THAT BEAUTIFUL LOCATION... that's what dreams are made of, folks = )

Mad props, and shoutouts:

First - to the organizers of this wonderful event. I hope that you feel very good about what you gave us, because you should. A real treat.

Second - to the people who came from near, and far, to make this an extroardinary experience in the Idaho mountains. I saw little that made me cringe, and was proud to be a part of the vibe, and the different scenes involved.
Yes there is still hope... LOL!

Thirdly - to all of the wonderful performances that I saw... whether it was DJ's, visualists, drummers, artists, dancers, fire spinners, flame throwers, parachute domers, shirt cockers, up-n-comers, turntable bumpers, boutique propreitors, or in general... all of the people who gave a little piece of themselves for everyone else to enjoy. I'm glad to have been a part of it...

It seems like this family is growing, and becoming more diverse. I know that this is a beautiful sign of what new, and exciting, events are to come in the future.

Bigger, and better experiences... and EE3 should be one of the guidelines. Very impressed.

Take care, and keep in touch with each other.... all of you.
It's important

Much Love

BOOM

[djBrooklyn]

This party was exactly what I needed....

After a decade of dance music, we become very hard to please... it takes efforts of herculean proportions to impress us. Sound and lights have to be on point... Music impeccable. All of this was accomplished. I had high expectations, and they were blown out of the water.

I want to say thank you for the amazing amount of work put into this. And thank you to everyone who showed up and became a part of it. Everyone melded beautifully. The beach was unexpected... Think MTV Spring Break for freaks... I loved watching people interact. Everyone was smiling, hugging, enjoying the moment, each other. I saw a lot of respect.... for each other for the land. It was amazing.

Sometimes we need reassurance, that the reason we are doing this still exists. Esthetic has always been a good source of this for me, but this year was really special. It could be because I moved away from Boise a couple of years ago and seeing my friends again was amazing. But I really think Idaho has an amazing vibe period. People who come in from the outside expect some less than average party, rednecks, etc... little do they know we have one of the coolest tightest knit familes period. For those of you who came, trust me this was not a fluke. Next time spend a night in Boise on your way out. Get your grub on downtown, and hit up the Lux for a drink. Boise is not "plasitc", or "redneck". I live in LA now, and going home to Boise for 10 days not once did I get bored. It is an amazing place. So if you go next year, try to spend some time in the city and above all else keep your mind open, your city is not cooler than that city by default! They all have something to offer :)

Back to Esthetic...

I want to thank the promoters for the awesome opportunity. That was easily favorite gig in a couple a years. All day I was calm but excited.. I really didn't know what I was going to play, but I was ok with that... Just had a feeling it was going to be allright. From the moment I put on my intro I could feel this electric energy, people were waiting... it was all too easy. From the people dancing right up front to the people listening from their camp I felt this opening, it's hard to explain really but the tracks were picking themselves and the mixing was no contest. It's happened before but I can only count those sets on my hands... and I've played for a long time now.

I'm going to post my set as soon as I get a second to work on it.. probably later this week. For now you can find Me, Coby One, and C. Coelho mixes up on my site www.thefunkykind.com

Thank you to all the dancers, the djs, the promoters, the photographers, the flame thrower bringers, the shirt cockers, the pudding makers, the gift takers, the music makers, the vjs, the poi spinners, the fire tenders... and everyone in between.

See you next year baby :D

Brooke aka dj Brooklyn

www.myspace.com/djbrooklyn
www.thefunkykind.com

[Adlib]

Hello everyone!

First off, I'd like to direct everyone to EE3 pics. The largest collection belongs to Greg, the owner of the flame cannons and a badass burner. He has loaded over 900 pics on this site:

www.mvgals.net

We also have probably a few thousand more pics on there way (yup, that's right, a few thousand). I imagine the best pics will come from Dave Matthews, whenever he gets them loaded somewhere.

Secondly, I'd like to thank the hundreds of people who made this event possible. At 40+ performers, 100+ volunteers, 80+ out-of-state attendees, and 500+ total attendees, this was easily the biggest, best, and most well organized experimental music and art event in Idaho in the last six years. However, the biggest thanks go to Stevil and Jabu with pr0cess for making the whole thing possible, and to all the pr0cess and P.O.E. friends who put in countless hours to make this work. Thanks for having us on board, guys! I personally consider Esthetic the best dance music event I've ever attended, and I would feel that way even if I wasn't helping with the promotion. I hope it is even better next year.

I think the reviews below sum everything up pretty well. The one thing I'd like to reiterate is that the beach stage was E-P-I-C. It really was like Spring Break up in that joint. The only criticism I have is that I still have nightmares about those two nasty girls on the stage... Yup, you guys know who they are... But I guess it was my fault for not kicking them off earlier ; )

I have hundreds of personal shout-outs I'd like to make. These are but a few..

Greg Thanks for the flame cannons and the pics! I can't wait to see what you've got up your sleeves next year.
Mike You are the best party sound tech I know, bar none. You are also a great friend and mentor. Thanks for putting up with my shit.
Kellen Thanks again for running the beach stage. It was the high point of my weekend. Thanks for chilling on Monday too!
The Monkey Do! crew God, we rock. That's about it. See you later this summer!
The Rockstar Orphans/Leschi Crew Damn, you kids are hardcore. I hope SLC was fun! Thanks for the record, Josh!
Matt G Once again, you win the award for farthest travel. It's so nice to see you at EE, even if it is only once a year.
Lost You were one of the hardest working MoFos in that joint, plus you threw down a sick set.
Pixelflip The visuals were off the hook all weekend. Thanks for working your ass off two nights in a row. I hope your gear isn't too trashed. By the way, you and Elroy are jerks.
Melissa and Justin Thank you guys so much for making the trek from SF. You seriously are awesome peeps and it was a privilege to meet you at Sasquatch
Recess Your set seriously was rave-tastic man. You really blew me out of the water. You remain one of my favorite DJs and promoters in the NW.
Manos I don't remember the last time I've seen someone so stoked for a party. See you on the main stage next year!
Jay It was good to see you back in Boise and doing so well. Thanks for the mixer.
KJ and Kent] I hope your set was as memorable for you as it was for me.
Batt Girl Sorry we couldn't chill more. Hopefully we'll make up for it in P-Town
Cory You are a good friend and a great DJ. It was a pleasure to play with you after all these years!
All the people I love but didn't get to talk to Love ya!
Masil it's true, you are the best thing ever.

[Adlib]

Here are some selected pics. I took what I saw as the best of Greg's photo set. You can access these on my flickr account, http://www.flickr.com/photos/ad-lib/

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1302/651555397_ef61e29fe3_o.jpg

THE BULLETIN BOARD!

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1402/651555379_c90b845951_o.jpg

THE MAP!

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1431/652077961_ecd5f64e08_o.jpg

GRAINY DOME PIC, SATURNIGHT

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1235/652562340_a9380eb68c_o.jpg

MAIN STAGE FROM BURNER SCAFFOLDING CAMP, SATURNIGHT

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1329/652078021_3c5eb672ca_o.jpg

FLAMING DOME PIC, SATURNIGHT

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1161/651714603_3ee892f005_o.jpg

THE DOME FROM OUTSIDE, SATURNIGHT

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1186/652446626_525649b874_o.jpg

THE FIRE PIT DURING THE BURN, SATURNIGHT

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1438/651881335_79ea300314_o.jpg

ART PROJECT IN SMALL DOME, SATURNIGHT

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1280/652562722_26058598e7.jpg

ARCH ENTRANCE TO CHILL AREA, SATURNIGHT


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1192/652562670_59a9a9e710_o.jpg

ARCH FROM FURTHER, SATURNIGHT

[Adlib]

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1255/651714575_71487f4610.jpg

KJ SAWKA FROM BEHIND, SATURNIGHT

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1213/651714429_b4f6d1395d.jpg

KJ AND KENT, SATURNIGHT

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1313/652562852_9011c2f40a.jpg

KJ AND FLAMES, SATURNIGHT

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1340/651869223_caf5332130_o.jpg

LICENSE TO HOOP GIRL, SATURNIGHT

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1105/651869261_9687938ebb_o.jpg

ILLOOM IN THE CHILL TENT, SATURNIGHT

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1047/652099051_a04762c9d3_o.jpg

ME AND CORY LEY, 5:30 AM SUNDAY MORNING

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1139/652919590_ca94245e92_o.jpg

RECESS - FLAME ON - SATURNIGHT

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1097/652068451_7439233644_o.jpg

JEN WOOLFE, SATURNIGHT

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1232/652114943_748465a26a_o.jpg

MASIL AND MELISSA, SUNDAY MORNING

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1299/651881349_d45d9c3ea7_o.jpg

MISS MONKEY DO! SATURNIGHT

[Adlib]

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1192/652077945_b14bbb949a_o.jpg

ONE OF THE TORCHES

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1150/652539962_8844726e02_o.jpg

OUR BELOVED VISUALIST AND HIS DIRTY, DIRTY GEAR

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1109/652539908_18cef0f4fe.jpg

SUFF-X LIVE, SATURNIGHT

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1432/651555499_c074ad0c7e.jpg

THE BURNER SCAFFOLDING CAMP, SATURDAY

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1180/652324554_a62577b224.jpg

THE BEACH, SATURDAY

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1343/652324590_fde471098a.jpg

CLIFF JUMPERS, SATURDAY

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1434/651446325_e007fcfa65.jpg

I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS PIC!

[Suff-x]

I'm copying and pasting the link to mvgals.net and the website for twinsprings resort to all my PDX people who don't rekkinize yet.

I've been telling stories all week! This is a neverending source of entertainment for me!

Great documentation!
B

[pixelflip]

I had no concept of dust before EE3. Even the dustiest of clubs that I play have nothing on Idaho ;)

Everything is FINE and cleaned up beautifully... just like new. I'm going to eBay EVERYTHING. Please don't tell any potential buyers.
j/k



It's hard to convey some of the stories to others... cuz they just don't know! ya know?



and Suff-x is coming up in the VJ world - watch out!

[Recess]

Wow. That was an adventure. But Menami & Levi kept their cool throughout the flat tire experience. Fortunately we made it to the event just in time to party our peoples Friday night. Sooooo many kick ass peeps were there. Couldn't believe how many Seattle folks represented. There's no way I'll be able to convey on nwtekno how much fun was had.

Thanks Adlib and the rest of the EE crew for having me out to play! This was what outdoor parties are all about. Let the summer games begin!

[Recess]

Originally posted by Adlib
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1139/652919590_ca94245e92_o.jpg

RECESS - FLAME ON - SATURNIGHT


I thought I might have lost my head during that set and sure enough, this picture proves it!

[Nyxie]

Originally posted by Recess
Wow. . There's no way I'll be able to convey on nwtekno how much fun was had.



an experience beyond words!!!!!!!

[Fuel]

Thanks for all the kind words about the flame throwers and the photos. If you ever see me taking pictures and want one of yourself, please ask! I don't feel like I am intruding as much to your dancing when I am invited over. If anyone hears about more photos being posted be sure to drop a note on the EE myspace site.

Glad to hear such positive reviews of the event. I think next year will be above and beyond!

- GB

[Elroy]

Originally posted by Fuel
We had this tower at The Burn and put about 400 people up it and did not have any problems. The tower will be much larger this year and we expect to see as many as 1500 climbing the ladder. We will take your concerns into account on our design.

Keep in mind that EE is done in the Burning Man vein which teaches "radical self reliance". That means that if you see a rope swing over a pond of crocodiles or a tower tall enough that you could fall and die, you need to ask yourself "Do I want to do this?" Make sure to do personal evaluations of all stuff you find at EE or on The Playa.


OKay, here's where you aren't thinking things through too well.

This wasn't burningman. It really didn't have much in common with it besides 'leave no trace.' There was nothing 'radical' about the self reliance there... This was a short, weekend party with easily obtainable water, shade and free re-entrance so people could go and get anything they need if they wanted. There wasn't as much dust, it didn't get as cold at night - it was NOT burningman.

This made it very possible for children and teenagers to attend the party. I saw probably as many children at this small party as I did at the entire burningman festival when I went in 2003. Burningman is such a huge commitment and undertaking that teenagers generally don't even attend... I was a youngin' at 21.

At this party there were many groups of kids that I'm sure were under 18. There were also a lot of intoxicating substances. Now, I am not going to say that it isn't partially somebody's fault if they climb a huge tower and fall off... but many kids don't know how to handle drugs and alcohol too well and you are setting up a dangerous situation...

... also a likely law-suit.

Just my .02. I appreciate your passion to make something fun for people to enjoy. :)

[jamesdean]

Oh hell Yes !! More, More, More , More !!!!! I think i may go back this weekend just to feed off all the remaining vibes that must be floating around the meadow. So Ya . My Camp ruled. I was lucky enough to camp at thefunkykind.com. It was the shitttt!! The monkeys were kicking it LA Style and i was taking it all in. I've been to a show or two, but for real By saturday afternoon, yes after the beach, it was the show of the year for me. I was so psyched that saturday night was was just like bonus rounds. It was like extra goodies i use to steal as a kid. Yes ill talk about the elephant in the room. NO MORE LIVE DRINKING WHILE HOLDING A MICROPHONE. I Cant drink as much with the Mohalk. Its my fault, but when you hear Dj Brooklyn's set i magical dissappear. ... I wasnt on the main feed:) :) (btw thefunkykind.com to listen to the sets in about a week) To say i had a good time would be a lie. Off the chain !! I cant shout out everyone , their were just too many cool peeps to possibly try and mention. My highlights include the beach, with wallace running the dancing island for me, Miss Monkey Do and I .. Boots and all ,,, and " fuck your flying couch " .. i got pics bitches. And throwing the mic at the crowd after the bill gates shout out. ( i later passed out on my face) Next Year if their could be more guys shirt-cockin it at the beach, I'd appericate it. :) Im serious. Never enough of the freebies :) lol ... lolololool ..
To all my fellow campers and fellow music lovers, THANK YOU >
To the promoters ... "the nod indeed" Thank you ....

[elementalx]

... I dont know what to say that hasnt already been said....

I knew it was going to be fun... but really... I had NO idear....

From the music, to the people, to the vibe, to the fire!!!..... everything was right... and to boot it ended up as my last time to party at all for a while due to a surgery I had the Wed after..... I couldnt have asked for a better send off...

My favorite Artists of the party:

Lost
Dave Epstein
Suff-X
Brooklyn
Kids of Tomorrow
KJ and Kent
James Dean
Bacchus
Pixelflip
Menami
Jen Woolfe
Ad-Lib
Corey Ley

and lets not forget my personal favorite set of the weekend...

Recess's spectacularly rave-tastic set
(you just cant fuck with the head like a hole remix!!!)


to anyone I missed...

I probably would have enjoyed your sets as well... just didnt get the opportunity to see them....


Thanks to everyone involved with this party... I will be there next year fo sho!

worrd.

KDJ

[Adlib]

Originally posted by elementalx
...

Recess's spectacularly rave-tastic set
(you just cant fuck with the head like a hole remix!!!)


Seriously man... That was the most fun I've had listening to a DJ set in a long, long time...

[derekandrew]

Originally posted by Elroy

At this party there were many groups of kids that I'm sure were under 18. There were also a lot of intoxicating substances. Now, I am not going to say that it isn't partially somebody's fault if they climb a huge tower and fall off... but many kids don't know how to handle drugs and alcohol too well and you are setting up a dangerous situation...

... also a likely law-suit.
[/B]

Trust me, this ain't got nothing on the amount of kiddies that run around a SoCal massives (the main reason I have sworn them off), and of those kiddies that were present, most were there with their parents. Not to say that they did not wander off without parental guidance, but it was still loads above what I see down here (14 y/o's running around on more drugs then I have imbibed in my drug career and without their parent's knowledge or consent!!!).

That being said, there is something to be said about personal responsibility in regards to climbing less then sturdy and reliable structures. If it doesn't look safe, don't do it!!! Burning man or not people really need to start taking personal responsibility for their actions. I was invited to climb up myself, but turned the offer down based on my own inability to keep my balance sober, let alone buzzed.

In addition, one really easy fix on classically rickety scaffolding (that stuff always looks less sturdy then it actually is) SANDBAGS!!!! You'd be surprised what a couple of 10 lb bags can hold up when they are doubled up per a corner.

Finally, you can always put up a sign that says "You must be this tall to ride this ride", lol

[djBrooklyn]

Coby One Live @ EE3

http://youtube.com/watch?v=7YcU7e22XN4

More to come :D

[Elroy]

Originally posted by derekandrew
Trust me, this ain't got nothing on the amount of kiddies that run around a SoCal massives (the main reason I have sworn them off), and of those kiddies that were present, most were there with their parents. Not to say that they did not wander off without parental guidance, but it was still loads above what I see down here (14 y/o's running around on more drugs then I have imbibed in my drug career and without their parent's knowledge or consent!!!).

That being said, there is something to be said about personal responsibility in regards to climbing less then sturdy and reliable structures. If it doesn't look safe, don't do it!!! Burning man or not people really need to start taking personal responsibility for their actions. I was invited to climb up myself, but turned the offer down based on my own inability to keep my balance sober, let alone buzzed.

In addition, one really easy fix on classically rickety scaffolding (that stuff always looks less sturdy then it actually is) SANDBAGS!!!! You'd be surprised what a couple of 10 lb bags can hold up when they are doubled up per a corner.

Finally, you can always put up a sign that says "You must be this tall to ride this ride", lol

I don't think comparing this event to others is relevant... there were kids (teenagers especially concern me in this regard) and it was a pretty unsafe structure. Bottom line, it should be made more safely -- I mostly mean the ladder and personally had a bunch of trouble climbing down from the lower part (I didn't even trek all the way to the top).

Legally you'll get in a SHIT-LOAD more trouble if some high 16 yo kid falls off your structure... especially if there aren't handles at the top of the ladder for people to grab onto as they start descending... it would be considered wreckless endangerment of a minor. This advice is to keep the builder safe as well -- you can say whatever you want about personal responsibility but teenagers don't have a lot of it in legal terms.

The sign idea might be good. But even still, you could get sued if an adult fell off and it was viewed unsafe. I mean, if I had fallen (and I might have) I would have chewed off the dudes ear about not making the ladder complete.

I am totally for such things, but I find it dangerous when something is even LESS safe than it looks.

[Pete Spinning]

Thanks for the Monkey visuals behind us while Derek and I were playing! That was pretty fucking cool... Gotta love personalized visuals = )

The Monkey Do Crew had an amazing time at this event, and can't wait for another. Keep us posted.

By the way... if any of you guys are interested in venturing down to So-Cal for one of our events... we would love to show you guys some funky desert action.Totally underground style.

Send us your e-mail, if you want to get hooked up with directions, dates, demos, and other info. All of our parties are FREE, so you just gotta make the drive. We already have a great vibe, and it would be cool to have some Northwest peeps add to it.
Adlib, Cory Ley, Brooklyn, Derek, and myself will all be throwin' down at our annual camping event "Remember 8" on September 22nd, if anyone wants to come down. We'll make sure you're hooked up = )

Thanks for a great time

monkeydo2u@yahoo.com

[Fuel]

Please move all scaffolding discussion, art discussion, and liability discussion to:

Community - Promoter Discussion - Structures, Art, Liability (thread)

http://nwtekno.org/vb/showthread.php?threadid=115062

Lets not kill the great vibe of this thread with discussion about liability. I encourage you to edit/delete you tower posts here and move the comments to this new thread.

[Elroy]

Yeah, it was great!

I want positivity!

[Ryan_Duley]

I want to thank everyone that came to the event, I wish there was more time for me to hang out with everyone. I didn't even get to meet many new people because I was busy catching up with those I haven't seen for a while.

A very special thanks has to go to the POE crew for picking up my slack while I was out touring the globe. Devin, Dave and Matt my hat is off to you fellas for sure. I came back to the states with things locked down better then I could have ever expected. Each year we learn more and this event continues to get better. You guys did a great job!

We hope that we keep getting more great energy with the years to come. The majority attendees made for a shadowing and all encompassing super positive vibe. Keep is coming!

This year was so amazing that we are already talking about the evolution into next year. Brace yourself, it will ony get better.

Thanks again!

[TProphet]

That was me... it's one of my favorite tracks! :)

http://www.tprophet.org/scratch/me-djpics/ee3_chilldome.jpg

Originally posted by Elroy

The dj who played 'we all have a map of the piano' by mum: Thank you!!! I woke up just at the end to say something, but was hearing it in my dreams and it must have made them better because that song is PERFECT for dreams.

[Adlib]

Hey everyone!

Here are some more awesome pics, courtesey of Dave Matthews. These give some good perspective on the chill room...

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1122/687082523_2e17d75184.jpg

GEL-SOL AND WILLIAM MEMPA OF KIDS FOR TOMORROW

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1330/687082407_1878ffa958.jpg

CHILLERS CHILLING IN THE CHILL ROOM

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1307/687082387_3c2737f826.jpg

MORE CHILLERS CHILLING

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1272/687082501_0b76427cbc.jpg

AN AWESOME LANDSCAPE SHOT, COURTESEY OF DAVE

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1294/687082457_3790b6b7a9.jpg

THE MAIN STAGE FROM UNDER THE SCAFFOLDING (I think)

[Adlib]

A couple of notes...

I see people are talking a fair amount about underage attendees, the scaffolding setup and liability issues. I appreciate the feedback and I'd like to clear a few things up.

1) By purchasing a ticket, people assume their own liability for their own actions. This is clearly stated on the tickets. Still, a sign by the scaffolding would have been nice, but you guys can discuss that in the other new thread. I think that's fair.

2) We will be talking about the underage attendees issue for next year. Our home-grown little festival is now getting large enough to receive serious attention from the authorities and the press. I personally think I will advocate for the event being 18+ next year, with the exception of people coming with a parent or legal guardian. We will probably also develop a stronger policy on underage drinking, possibly using wristbands. Still, it is impossible for us to monitor everyone, as you all well know.

On another note, thanks everyone for the great reviews! If these are what attendees see as the biggest of our problems, then I can safely say we're doing pretty damned well! See you next year!

[djBrooklyn]

It is safe to say you all did a damn fine job...

Just got the recording of the set... I'll post it soon for anyone who cares to listen.

piece,
Brooke

[Adlib]

There are now literally thousands of EE3 shots online! If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then we've got millions of words for you. Thanks to everyone for documenting such a fun, fun time! See you next year...

[Adlib]

We just announced EE4, taking place over the Solstice 2008, so I thought I'd bump this here thread!!!

[Adlib]

EE08 is taking place in barely two weeks. I thought I'd bump this again to give people a taste of what to expect this year, which will only be even more intense!