Spellbreakers Ep. 180: Let's Check Out Burning Man!

Host Matt Trump (pre-recording on a Thursday after a soundless first take) declares this a costume-changing romp through Burning Man, which is happening in the Black Rock Desert as he speaks. Drawing on his own three-year run (2012 to 2014), he plays internet footage from the festival's 40th year and cheerfully warns you it looks basically unchanged: same bicycles, same lights, same beautiful chaos. Expect an affectionate, warts-and-all tour: how to survive the desert, the sacred art of the decorated night bike, why finding a "tribe" is everything, and the surprising mix of Bay Area billionaires, Aspen ski bums, and salt-of-the-earth Nevada locals all sharing an open bar. He gets into the ritual burning of the Man and the Temple, the world-class art installations, Elon sightings on the art cars, and the festival's tense relationship with Christianity. Part travelogue, part confession from a self-described "stealth Christian." Have a great burn.