A Decade of Decadence

             Ten years.  This one has been a long time coming.  Long before I ever discovered the culture of the rave.  I remember hearing about the first Decadence so long ago, back in my senior year of high school.  My friends were excited about the festival coming to Arizona and for the chance to see Kaskade perform live.  I wasn’t able to attend, because I wouldn’t turn 18 until the spring, but damn did it seem like fun.  After we all returned from winter break they were all raving about how much fun they had, and how they couldn’t wait until next year.  I didn’t make it out to the next one, or any thereafter for a long time for that matter.  I went to college the next year, for an extremely brief semester, before life swept me off my feet and I got whisked away on an altogether different path through the military.  Six long years went by, and went I came out the other end, I was eager to rediscover all that the world had to offer.  My siblings brought me along to Coachella and I immediately fell in love with the magic of music festivals.  The experience just restored all of the spirit I had lost from being a cog in the machine.  I couldn’t wait to experience it again, and when I returned home, I remembered Decadence.  The biggest New Years Eve party in all of Arizona. I bought my ticket before I even unpacked my bags.

             Decadence ’22: Ancient Future.  That was the first time I celebrated the New Year with all of my perfect strangers.  I didn’t know what to wear, so I just went with an old pair of black ripped jeans and my merch shirt from Coachella.  I had planned to go alone, but many I had recently opened a new bar in Tempe and a few of my coworkers happened to also be attending that year.  It was a miracle we all managed to get the time off request for New Years Eve, considering it was the first year the bar was open, but we weren’t going to miss this for the world.  As you probably guessed, we had a blast, and I am lucky enough to say that I have been back every year since.  It’s pretty incredible how vastly different every experience has been, as I have personally been in a different place socially and mentally each time.  The celebration is a beautiful way to mark that passage of time, and take the moment to reflect on the year, and truly indulge in the time spent together.  My first year, my eyes were opened to a new way of life.  Last year, I fell in love.  This year, I went to work.  Literally.  I am extremely honored to say that I was finally able to secure a photo credential for this year’s celebration!  And for the ten-year anniversary no less!  A Decade of Decadence: The Age of Indulgence.

             Having the chance to work side by side with the professionals that work at this daily to put together such a fantastic production for all of us was such a privilege.  I had to make sure to do my best to step up to the opportunity.  I did everything I could to prepare myself ahead of time, but unfortunately, I would be unable to attend for the main event: New Years Eve.  I recently joined a bar team that I had to prioritize over all else, because they brought me into the fold at a time that I really needed a break.  I owed it to them to be there when they needed me in return, so despite the glaring temptation to skirt that responsibility and indulge in another year of New Year’s celebrations, I showed up.  As for my Decadence experience?  I showed up to that to.  I customized my Lunchbox backpack with LED light strips, shaped like a heart, loaded it up with fully charged batteries and film for my cameras, put together the best fit I’ve ever worn to a festival.  Decked out with dual-tone, embroidered pants, brand new Chuck Taylors, an oversized Arcane graphic tee, my pashmina, refractive goggles, blue hair, and sprouts up and down my camera straps; I was ready for war. 

            In case you didn’t know, photographers for these events are allowed into the photo pit (the section in front of the rail) for the first three songs or first fifteen minutes of each set, whichever comes first.  Because I was only able to attend the first night of the festival this year, I needed to make the most of my time, and capture as much content as I could.  I downloaded the set times for the night, and set alarms for ten minutes prior to each artist to allow time to rotate to each stage, and capture shots in transit.  Thankfully, I had the foresight to charge and use my apple watch, to avoid relying on my phone for these reminders.  The vibration and notification for each set time was a godsend.  Definitely a must have for every event I work moving forward.  With all of that said and done, I was as prepared as I ever was going to be for this thing, so why not add one more complication to the mix?  A friend of mine reached out and asked what I was up to for New Years, and mentioned he wanted to go to a rave.  I chuckled, sighed, and invited him along.  He had never been to a music festival before, let alone a rave, but he was going through a lot of the same things that I was when I first discovered this lifestyle, so I felt obligated to bring him along, despite knowing how busy I would be.  Welcome to the family Dylan.

            It was actually a great help having him along.  By this point I have braved many a rave on my own, and I was fully prepared to do so again, but having an extra pair of hands for my first official function as a photographer was such a boon, and he was just so happy to be there.  Honestly, it was impressive how much shit I packed into my bag, and stuffed into my pockets for quick access, but it was so necessary.  The starburst filters and extra lens that I had picked up for my kit just before the event made all the difference in what I was able to accomplish in just one night.  Having the assistance in holding my bag open, or holding a camera for me while I changed gear saved so much time and effort, so thanks for that.  Plus, it was good to have a wingman with me to break the ice as I approached groups for photos, since this was my time out, officially speaking.  Together, we ran the circuit, hit every set, and made some memories along the way.  I introduced him to the concept of Kandi, sprouting, trinket exchanges, and just the PLUR mentality in total.  Seeing the wonder in his eyes as they lit up, taking this all in… I couldn’t help but smile, and feel like I was doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing.  I lost him a few times throughout the night, but I prepared him for this inevitability beforehand, as I knew I would be rushing to make it to my set times, and he wouldn’t have access to the photo pit.  I taught him to text with timestamps, and we set a meeting point in the event we get separated, but most importantly, I told him it was okay to be on your own in the madness of the rave, and to embrace the spirit of adventure when that time comes.  When we finally caught up at the end of the night, I found him in VIP chatting up his neighbor.  We don’t need to talk about how that happened, but it was just silly to say the least.  He was living his best life, and I am just happy that I got to play a part in that. 

            Shooting from the photo pit for the first time was an experience I will never forget, but me being me, and my brand being what it is, my heart longed to be in the mosh.  It’s the only way to capture the crowd in its natural form.  You have to be a part of it.  As the night went on, the time between sets spaced out a bit more, allowing me the freedom to explore.  It was then that I ran into my people.  My rave regulars.  The ones that I unavoidably run into at each of these events.  First, I saw Kristina, headed to tend the bar in VIP.  Then I ran into my sister in the crowd for the first time all night.  We took a moment to catch up, take pictures, and share all the fun we were having, before I had to continue on…

            I went on to capture an energizing set by Troyboi, where I ran into my photographer friend Stacey, who I had met at Better Together, by capturing silly candids of her while she worked the festival.  We caught up during the performance, then took a wrong turn on the way to Wooli and ended up sprinting through the crowd between Grand Palace and Royal Ballroom to make it in time for the set.  We caught the tail end of Le Youth, and got in position just in time for Wooli to take the stage.  The hive was buzzing with energy.  Diehards had laid out their merch on display for us, and damn did they earn every minute of their time on the rail.  The bass shook the earth, and I felt the vibration in my core.  A girl in a Wooli jersey caught the cameras eye, and she put on her best bass face, breaking her neck head banging across the rail, laying into the movement with all of her momentum.  I crossed over to her, locked hands and we raged together for the next drop.  I’m not sure if it is frowned upon, because technically I am supposed to be there working to capture moments of the artist, but to me, this was exactly that.  I captured her moment on the rail, and took the time to become a part of it.  When we were done, I took out my Polaroid, snapped a picture of her, clipped on my favorite sprout and gave it to her to put safely away.  She screamed with excitement and gifted me a badass home-made clip with EXCISION super glued on with skulls on either end in exchange.  One of my best trades of the night.  I went on to continue this process with every Polaroid I gave out until I ran out of sprouts.  Most notably, I gave one to a couple I found in the Quiet Quarters.  They were locked in, eyes glued to each other, expressing their love through the ever so fleeting medium of dance. The two didn’t even notice I was capturing their time together, despite the glaring flash.  In that moment, they displayed the feeling I had been searching to capture for months.  An incredibly intimate connection that you have to experience to really understand.  I gave them the print, and shared the capture out of camera and the girl jumped with joy and the guy gave me a huge hug.  We exchanged socials because I needed to get them this footage.  I caught up with them after the fact, and found out that they got engaged on New Years Eve at Decadence.  They were living the dream that so many of us fantasize about, and I got to play a part in capturing that memory forever.  This is why I love what I do.

            Cutting out of the silent disco, I made my way through the Bazaar, back to the Grand Palace for DeadMau5, making some new friends along the way.  I was happy to see the crystal trees made another appearance this year.  Lying down beneath their light to catch my breath with my partner in crime is one of my favorite memories from last year’s festival.  I caught myself gravitating toward them throughout the night, looking to capture that same energy, reflected in the strangers of this year’s celebration.  And maybe hoping that she would do the same…
I arrived at the gates of the photo pit to find that the set had been blocked out for media. Quickly pivoting, I cut through the crowd in VIP and got as close to center as I could to capture this iconic artist.  The lights dimmed down, and lasers blared as some dude in a Buckey’s t-shirt took the stage, opening for the artist I guess (I kid!).  After a few bangers, Joel donned his signature helm, and became DeadMau5 once more.  The crowd went wild as the beat let loose.  I got the shots I needed, and for the first time in the night, I had time to kill and enjoy myself before the next set.  Just so happens that my friend Daniel spotted the heart on my bag from across the section in VIP and weaved his way over to say hello and invited me along to meet his group.  I put the camera away for the time being and danced.  Sure, the work is important, but so is remembering to embrace the night, because the love of the production, music, and culture is why I am doing this in the first place.  I have burned myself out of previous passions before, and I refuse to let that happen again here. 

            A few songs passed by and I said my farewells so that I could rotate to the back of the venue to capture some coverage of the production. I may or may not have also caught a glimpse of the lasers through my refractive goggles.  Here I ran into fellow Dragon Dreamers.  Out on display for all to see were three beautiful tails, all lit up, and flowing flawlessly in the space at the back of the venue.  One of which was a friend of mine, who I had connected with over the art after the last festival.  The footage I got of her was breathtaking.  I shared it with her and promised to develop it for her soon.  We took a couple photos and then I moved on and found a position in the ADA viewpoint at the back of the tent and set up the camera to record footage of the set while I reloaded my Polaroid camera.  The attendee watched and laughed as I struggled to carefully detangle myself from my camera straps and backpack, so as not to lose or break any sprouts in the process.  I caught her gaze and laughed at myself in turn, and as a result of that moment, I snapped a polaroid of her and gave her the print with a sprout as well.  I guess it might have been a first for her, because she seemed a little confused, but once I explained she was all about it.  We stopped and spoke for a minute about my work, and I invited her to check out the blog.  I would stop by several times throughout the night to capture more production footage, and reload the camera, each time with newly acquired sprouts and trinkets.  My wrist was vibrating.  It was time to move on.  Eptic and Space Laces were about to start.  It was once again time to rage.

            The photo pit at the Royal Ballroom was a fun one to post up and gather content in.  The set list for the venue grew into a techno mob as the night went on, and the energy was tangible in the air.  Lasers lit up above, and pillars of smoke spewed with the release of each beat.  The mob roared and the barricades shook with excitement.  Thank the wook spirits for my Loop earplugs, because without them I’d certainly have lost all hearing by now.  It wasn’t long before the shoulder riders came out to play.  The dj’s demanded to open up the pit.  It took some convincing but we got there eventually, and when the beat dropped the mosh poured back in.  What’s fun without a little danger?  Maybe it’s not for everyone, but hell, Svdden Death was up next.  If you can’t handle a little rage pit, it was probably time to head over to Dom Dolla.  He was coming on just past midnight, and The Grand Palace was filling up quick.  For many people, this was the set that we came to see, and Excision was the icing on the cake to top it all off.  I barely made it in time to find my position, and even the photo pit was full with activity. I ducked between the cameras and found a spot on a rail step where I had a clear shot of the stage, and as the overhead dulled down, and the uproar of the crowd rose to a peak, the man himself, fresh from his Vegas set, here to kick things off with “Dreamin”, the new IP that we’ve all been itching to experience firsthand.  It did not disappoint.  I don’t think I stopped smiling the entire time I was in the pit.  The audience was electrified, and the performers came through, decorated in gold, garnering flow toys, and showcasing intricate costumes on stilts for all to take in.  Totems soared, the rail riders raved, and even the media team got hype, jumping around and energizing all around them, eager to make it on camera.  My lens focused in on a girl riding shoulders high above the crowd.  She spotted me honed in on her, waved, and flashed the camera for a split second.  She laughed and covered up and I quickly turned to catch the lasers flare as the next beat dropped, but I couldn’t stop laughing about it.  It was the kind of thing you’d hear about, or see in the movies, but never really expect to see in real time.  I’m curious how many others caught onto what happened, but it was definitely a welcome surprise.  Once we were kicked from the photo pit I made my way over to where I saw the couple in the crowd and somehow managed to find them.  The girl asked if I got the shot and I smirked and nodded, pulled up the footage to show her and she and her boyfriend nearly died laughing.  I asked her if she wanted me to give it to her and/or delete it and she said “Hell no! That’s for you!”  I looked to the boyfriend and he just chuckled and shook his head.  I shrugged, snapped a Polaroid for them, and moved on.  My alarm was going off.  It was time for Svdden Death.

            I had spent too much time at Dom’s set, and only got the tail end of my fifteen minutes in the pit at Svdden Death, but that was enough.  I’m not sure if I could have handled a full fifteen within arm’s length from the massive wall of speakers up front, shaking my soul with the weight of the heavy bass emanating from their performance.  The crowd at this set truly reflected his presence, fulfilling the ride or die enthusiasm that the name would suggest.  He brought out Space Laces again as a surprise Master Hand set for the die-hard fans that stuck around into the start of Excision, and together they summoned the Wall of Death.  Everyone knew what to do.  The pit split down the middle from the stage to the back of the tent.  Anticipation built, slowly at first, and then all at once.  The disciples that held back the masses raced across the vast emptiness in the pit toward the opposite side and the walls closed in a fit of rage and aggression.  Everything that needed to be let out was left on that dance floor.  Like I said, what’s fun without a little danger?  I captured what I was looking for here.  Time for the main event.  Excision.

            Ducking through VIP, I took my post in the photo pit.  A place I had become all too familiar with tonight.  A place that I would fall in love with due to the sheer excitement and exclusivity; not to mention the incredible access I have to capture such fun shots of the talent.
The lights would dim for one last time as the Excision “X” filled the display.  The visuals that would follow left little to imagination, as they commanded the energy of the mob in tune with the music.  The mosh raged on.  I looked down at the Excision clip on my sleeve that had been gifted to me earlier in the night and smiled as I got the shots I needed.  One raver rose up above the rest to lead the pit in head banging, slamming his arms across each other to form the legendary X that represented all that this daring dj had accomplished through his music.  Everyone was locked in.  Eyes were wide with excitement, bass faces filled the crowd, and nothing else in the world mattered.   We were here to bear witness to this outstanding production, and let the rhythm of his music infect us all.  The set expertly rode a series of highs and lows, allowing the liberty to rage with hues of red and blues and then come up for a breath of fresh air with shades of purple shimmering overhead. 

            As time began to wind down, I reminded myself that were was more work to be done.  I rotated to the Playground to experience Tommy Toole’s first closing Decadence set.  Tommy is a local artist that I have seen a handful of times throughout the valley and I have never been disappointed.  I had to pay my respects.  It’s always important to support the smaller artists.  All ships rise together with the tide.  After I gathered what I needed there, I closed out my night at Decadence as I always have… in the Quiet Quarters.  While everyone else raged at the finale, I wound down with competing beats by Svnday Driver, Elwer, and Justin Knight, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I sent a message to Dylan and my sister to meet with me at the Decadence sign after close, and we all froze our asses off as we made the long walk back to where I had parked, but we hardly noticed as we all shared our stories from the night.  Usually, the parking lot is where I would perform my dragon poi for people as they battled traffic, or would sit atop my car with my camera out, windows down blaring music for passersby, but tonight I wasn’t traveling solo, and I had to get people home.  I fired up the car, handed out waters and blankets, got the heaters going and that was that.  Traffic was a nightmare, as it always is, following these things, but that’s just part of it.  The cost of admission.  It gave us time to talk and wind down and the others drifted off as I put on synthwave for the long drive home.  I couldn’t stop grinning.  Sure, I wouldn’t be able to be back for night two, but I had accomplished all that I set out to this night, and then some.  I don’t regret my decision to show fealty to my bar over a third New Year’s Eve spent away from work.  I have been a bartender a lot longer than I have been a photographer, but now I have the unique opportunity to fulfil both creative avenues and fuel both passions. They say you’ll never work a day in your life if you do what you love, and both ways, I got to do just that this holiday.  I did return after the close on New Years.  Objectively to attend the after party, and give my sister a ride home, but on a more honest note, to try and find someone in the crowd…  Isoxo was headlining the afters, and if nothing else we had a blast.

This was my third year at Decadence, the ten-year anniversary, and I got to work it with photo credentials!  That alone is something that I wouldn’t have ever even dreamed of a mere three months ago before I made the decision to invest in myself and pick up a camera again.  It’s hard to believe how far I have come in such a short time, and I can’t wait to see where this adventure takes me.  I know I still have so much still to learn, and such a long way left to go, but I am eager, willing, and ready.

I have nothing but love for this wonderful culture and everyone that I have been so fortunate to share it with.  Thank you for another fantastic year, for reigniting my passion, and giving me the inspiration to create and capture these special moments. 

Rock on party stars.  I’ll catch you later.

~ Nate Burk