The Opulent Temple :: a little history.

Below is some history on the camp to date. The Opulent Temple is a San Francicso based collective of Burning Man enthusiasts who get some twisted fun out of building a large scale art and sound camp. We exist with the intention of gifting a space for sacred dance to world class dance music in Black Rock City and beyond.

For more on our Vision, check it.

We are entirely self funded through fundraising parties in San Francisco, and camp members paying dues. We get no help from Burning Man. We've never paid dj's to play and wouldn't even if we had the money to do so. We could use help all year round with donations if you want to support us. Please see the Donations page if you're feeling generous!

To learn more about our history, read on below...

The Opulent Temple was started by 3 different strands of the SF underground community. In 2000 Syd started volunteering with Raise the Frequency, at first a hodge podge of people from a collective called 'The Community,' as well as from Red Melon. R.T.F., as they were known, threw a party called Radiance, an 'intentional' party that got it's start at Kelly's Mission Rock. Originally attracted to their integration of ceremony into dance events, Syd was on their core team and then later started his own incarnation Opel Productions. Opel was intended to fuse the values of the underground intentional parties such as Radiance, with the 'over-ground' talent of parties like Spundae. Spundae was another crew Syd got involved with throwing parties, in this case benefit charity events for the likes of Greenpeace, the Bay Area Girls Center, Seneca Center, and the September 11th Children's Fund. In 2002 Syd Gris met Rich Martin and Chris Sia. Chris was the leader (of sorts) of the Infinite Kaos (IK) performance and music collective when they still had their space on Taylor St. Rich, a fabricator and general mad scientist, worked with IK on their camp in 2002 building a huge steel pyramid and doing sound for them. Rich wanted to work on a new and bigger project for 2003 and approached Syd to get involved on the production end to make it a proper sound camp on 10:00 along with Infinite Kaos. Syd had previously helped fund and build the Garage Mahal's double decker party bus that debuted in 2002. He had also been inspired from such past camps as Lush, Space Lounge and Illuminaughty, and wanted to take on the grand task of bringing sound to the playa at a higher level than the art car afforded. The theme of BM in 2003 was 'Beyond Belief', so to reflect the theme and the communities we called it the Opulent (Opel laced with decadence) Temple (to reflect the spiritual implications of the Beyond Belief Theme) of Kaos (IK).

2003: We were located at 10:00 and Creed and built a huge open air steel tension dome (aka the Synergy Dome), as well as other art projects for the camp such as paper mache statues, a stage that never made it up, and fire lanterns that dripped kerosene. The Infinite Kaos crew lived up to their name. Nevertheless, we had a great time. Our guests included dj's such as Sandra Collins, Tipper, Josh Gabriel (from Gabriel & Dresden), Bassnectar, An-ten-ae, Syd Gris, John Schiffer, Jeff Richmond, IKarus, Geeno, Andres, IKAmy, etc. It was the beginning.

In 2004 IK disbanded, and Chris Sia went on to join El Circo. Syd and Rich teamed up with Damien and Jillian (who went on to start the Raw Love parties) who wanted to head up a new concept, the Temple of Venus, where the goddesses of the playa can come and get nutured and serviced in a number of ways - body, sensually, emotionaly, spiritually, etc. We put our visions together, and thus we became the Opulent Temple of Venus. We were located on 2:00 and Venus. That was the first year for the 'O'Pod, our enclosed DJ booth to protect the gear from the elements, with a great look and design by Rich Martin, who led the fabrication team that summer out at the Box Shop in Hunter's Point. We also had large tall fabric columns, a flaming arch known as 'The Gate' borrowed from the Flaming Lotus Girls, a lit dj schedule, visual screens on a stage you could dance behind, and a decadent chill dome. Guests that year included Hybrid (who had the set of the week), D:Fuse, The Scumfrog, Stu Bradley, Syd Gris, Damien, Kramer, Tamo, Nathan Vain, Jeffrey Allen, Hoj, Adam Ohana, Spivak, Kevin Knapp, and others.

In 2005 we were up for it again, once again with the Temple of Venus, though they were led by different people than the year prior. That year the Opulent Temple of Venus moved over to high profile spot that is the 2:00 corner. We added a flame throwing effect to the O Pod, (controlled by the DJ), built visual screens no one could see cause they were too low to the ground, and another chill dome too close behind the bass bins! Our big art project of that year was the Eye of God Wall, 2 long beautiful string art walls that were black light reactive. Concept by Andres Amador (Analogia), Syd Gris, and Annette Chu. Andres led the building and execution along with Isabel Santis. We drilled literally 15,000 holes into which we screwed 15,000 screws into the PVC pipe that framed the string. Wow! Through Syd's efforts and some luck, our guests that year included 2 of the biggest names in global dance culture, both Tiesto & Paul Oakenfold, along with Lee Coombs, The Scumfrog, Bassnectar, Michelle Bass, Syd Gris, Smoove, Murphstar, Donna Matrix, Chris Sia, Clarkie, Layne Loomis, Jeffrey Allen, Nathan Vain, and many others. Certain segments of the BM community slammed us for having Tiesto and Paul, but we couldn't give a shit. Both have done more for dance music culture than most EDM artists ever will.

After 2005 we thought we were done. We were spent, crispy, and tired. As the months went on, as it happens, the pain subsides and the joy remains. We decided we still had some juice in us, made eaiser by the joining of the camp by Thump Radio's Dutch and Jason Teplitsky (also the owner of Blowfish Sushi), both production vets with skills and resources. We decided just to be simply the Opulent Temple and not team up with another community.

2006: We moved the dancefloor on the 2:00 corner across the street onto the open playa to open up the dance floor. We used portions of our string art structures to form them into cubes we hung off geometric towers built by Dutch. Syd asked for bettter, more visible visuals screens, that Rich went over the top on and built us some new huge circular screens with dramatic tall spiked towers to hold them up. We also brought in a new sound set up, by Showtech Productions out of Texas, who had never even been to Burning Man but were brave enough to bring their system, an incredible sounding line-array set up with the tops up on scaffold, 2 lasers, and just for fun, a 40' foot pyramid with a viewing platform. It sounded incredible, among the best systems to ever grace the playa. Guests included Stanton Warriors, DJ Dan, Freq Nasty, Lee Coombs, D:Fuse, The Scumfrog, Bassnectar, Syd Gris, Nathan Vain, Dutch, Sentient, Dulce Vita, Cosmic Selector, Atum, Smoove, Murphstar, Aaron Pope, Tamo, ViaJay, Jive, Jeffrey Allen, Hoj, and others. It was our best year to date.

In 2007 we had two projects to choose from to add to the production. One was a bigger version of the Synergy Dome we erected in 2003, and the other was an elevated stage that Rich had designed. Feeling that we wanted to push ourselves hard this year, and take 2008 off from any projects, we decided to do both.

The stage was conceived of back in May, 2006. The idea began as the thought of a gift that could be given to a large group of performers, as it provides, in many ways, an ultimate performance venue for their efforts because it sits 10 feet above the crowd. It would be self funded by Rich (taking loans from anyone that would help, parents included), with about 25% of the costs shared by the camp. It was a massive team effort to get it done, with key help by Vinkalmann, and a range of awesome OT women who learned to weld and generally kick ass to get this project done. Out on the playa, due to a design snag, Rich decided to 'open' the stage and not enclose the star, though it was delayed getting up because of the problems with the Synergy Dome...

The dome, this time made out of bamboo instead of steel, was supposed to be about a 100 feet in diameter. Syd and Dutch led the construction following the same design plans Rich devised in 2003, modified for the bigger size, at a warehouse in West Oakland. Simultaneously while one team was working at the Box Shop on the Star Stage, another dedicated team busted ass to get the dome pieces done, complete with a hellish night of loading the 50 foot truss pieces onto a flat bed semi trailer right before we left for the playa. Our original plan on playa was blessed with a brilliant, on the spot better idea from Greg Briggs of the new Idaho contingent, for how to join the truss pieces together (it's a long story...). Just when we thought we'd have to scrap it due to running out of time, we were ready to lift. We used 2 patient cranes from Art Services, and our own forklift to bring it in the air. We were almost there.....

The Bamboo Dome was one of the all time great failed projects in BM history. During lifting, a rope got caught under a tire, a key truss broke, and the project was still possible but not safe so we had to choose to scrap it. It was not, as had been rumored due to design failure (not directly anyway...) The bamboo sits on a ranch in Livermore, we're looking for a buyer. After the pain of that experience none of us had the heart to go try it again. We're done with bamboo! (Know a buyer?).

Despite all that pain and drama, there was still beauty and epic moments as the music line up included new guests Christopher Lawrence, Dylan Rhymes, Tim Healey, Bunny from Rabbit in the Moon, Fort Knox 5 & Ali B, as well as returning friends Paul Oakenfold, DJ Dan, The Scumfrog, Lee Coombs, and Bassnectar., as well as of course the camp residents such as Syd Gris, Dutch, Vinkalmann, Cosmic Selector, Dex Stakker, Drew Drop, Smoove, Icon, Nathan Vain, Billy Casazza, etc. As it is every year, non of these dj's were paid a dime, and all paid their own way to Burning Man.

After 2007 we ended 31k in debt from all our projects and poor turn out at some of our fundraisers. As costs had escalated with our projects, as they inevitably do, and fundraisers didn't make as much money as they could have / should have, in our minds there was no turning back as we had come too far along in our projects. Different camp members (like 12) payed for things on their credit cards and hoped to be paid back some day. We had again elevated what a sound camp at BM could be. Despite adding significant and clear value to the event above and beyond most every other theme camp (which makes the members of the BM LLC richer), we continue getting only nominal help (on playa equipment access such as the cranes, trencher, etc. ) We have asked for more modest things, like free or even just discounted tickets, to no avail... Read THIS if you want to know that whole story.

After lots of support from the community post BM, and dj's that have played for us, we've come back from this deep '07 debt to show up again for this coming year, 2008, an American Dream. It may be our last year. Look HERE if you want to know how we did that. We are building a new DJ Booth called the Avesta, aka 'O' Pod 2.0, because the original O Pod was irrevocably damaged on the way back from SF LoveFest where it was on the Opel float. It hit a low hanging construction overpass, and the concrete won (though not without a fight...). Despite our hopes to have no project in 2008, here we are... We are also adding flame effects to the Star Stage, and to the new Avesta.

Our line up should include new guests of the OT such as Carl Cox, Adam Freeland, Tom Real, and Mark Lewis, joined by OT alum Lee Coombs, Dylan Rhymes, DJ Dan, the Scumfrog, D:Fuse, Tim Healey, Ali B, and Josh Gabriel, and potentially others. It promises to be yet another epic year at the Opulent Temple. Come say hi to us on playa.

~Syd Gris