Photo: Christopher Boyer

Christopher Bright, November 30, 2003

I recently attended a wonderful party called “Full Lunar Eclipse,” on the evening of, you guessed it, the lunar eclipse; I did so with great pleasure. The location is well known, time-tested, and perfect. In 2001, Moontribe hosted a late summer celebration of dance at this same spot. This turned out to be one of the finest gatherings I have ever experienced, so I was enthusiastic as soon as I heard about Full Lunar Eclipse. The first thing I noticed was how good the music sounded. I call this style “Cosmic Booty,” and I thank you for bringing it. I have been left cold at some events where the DJ laid down hours of relentless, unchanging beats. Not so on this occasion! All three of the musical alchemists kept it bright, unusual, and a bit sexy. A severe fifteen-foot steel figure watched over us and kept us warm, as its maker stoked the fire within its belly. It had come from Burning Man, and its warmth was much appreciated. The enlightened people who own that land and made the party possible are serious Burners, and should be applauded for their vision and effort.

I want to say hello to the lovely woman who picked me out from the crowd, led me to the dance floor, and with joyous abandon, grabbed my scarf and spun herself like a top while I held on. It was just a dance, but what a cool memory! This leads me to my last thought. I approached my friend Netanya and asked her to look at the full moon through a huge telescope that someone had brought. She said, “Thankyou for coming to me, because I was feeling so lonely.” I have noticed the lack of conversation between the groups who attend these gatherings. I cut my teeth on DJ Spooky and Soulslinger in Brooklyn during the early 1990s. People of all ages talked to one another in New York, and they still do. I have a suggestion for the young people who come to these events: you should engage those over thirty in conversation, or engage one another for that matter, because you could learn some interesting history about the culture you so dearly embrace ... and make an ally.

Burn ’til you learn! Peace is where I live. – The Brooklyn Tranzplant