Garrison Keillor + Burning Man = A Playa Home Companion
If Garrison Keillor went to Burning Man, what would it sound like?
That question popped into my head last Sunday as I was driving to get brunch with some fellow Black Rock Rangers in preparation for this year’s burn. The radio was tuned to A Prairie Home Companion and I found myself thinking… why hasn’t anyone done A Playa Home Companion? That would be a perfect thing for BMIR to play on a quiet midmorning as people are nursing their wounds from the night before.
So… I did it. I dashed out a quick prototype to see what it would sound like. I was aiming for wistfully amusing and not laugh out loud funny. It starts out a little slow, but picks up towards the middle. And I’m quite happy with the ending.
If you’re not familiar with Burning Man, it might not make much sense. And if you’re not familiar with A Prairie Home Companion, it also might not make much sense.
Or maybe it just doesn’t make much sense.
Regardless, here’s the News From Black Rock City, where the town is round, the earth is flat, and the burn was better last year.
[audio:https://musicvstheater.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/PlayaHomeCompanion.8.5.2010.mp3|titles=Playa Home Companion]Or right click to save it to your computer for future listening: Playa Home Companion
I love it! I hardly recognized your voice! Wonderful use of the laughter. Makes me wistful for the playa.
Bravo!!! I think Garrison Keiller should hear this…I’ve been a fan of Lake Wobegon and PHC for years…again…great job.
Thanks! If you have Garrison Keillor’s email address, feel free to forward it. 🙂
I love PHC and I love BRC and you totally just put your chocolate in my peanut butter! Great work. And, good Garrison Keillor impersonation. I hope to hear it on the Playa. Hugs.
i adore this. especially the breathing.
Oh ya. The breathing is a MUST. 🙂
Oh yes, we need this for BMIR!
Brilliant! I hope I hear this on BMIR!
So clever! Well done, BMR! Now onto BMIR!
~N
Beautiful! I just loved it. Well done!
Fantastic and absolutely brilliant. I look forward to hearing it again on the Playa!
I love this. rock on!!
For what it’s worth… I’m that big guy in line for coffee with the tangled beard and wonderwoman underoos, inviting you to attend Karaoke With The Super Friends.
And I think I was puzzled by the quandary of the ‘4 bags for the price of 3’ while trying to decipher the sacred geometry someone wrote on my arm the night before… “Two bags will be fine.”
“Well that’s just the magic of the playa right there, isn’t it?”
Nicely done!
izard… that part comes across less clearly than I’d like. The idea was that our protagonist writes on his arm when he wants to remember something important (like bringing his thermal underwear), but it never ends up legible when he actually needs to remember it. In this case, he wrote “buy more ice than you think you need” on his arm.
Not sure if ANYONE picks that up (which is probably a failure in the writing.)
Glad you enjoyed, and look forward to running into you in the coffee line…
The reference to the ice decision comes through. In fact, it is better that you are not sure what he wrote, but that it might have had something to do with the ice…. or not.
Awesome!
Mind if we play this on The BRBC?! Black Rock City’s first fully solar powered radio?!
We aren’t BMIR… we are better! 🙂
This would go great with out pledge drive!
Brilliant!! Come find us at 4:30 and B at our happy hour, we’ll pour you a great drink!
LOVE,
Mystikal Mysfits
I have to say this was so well executed. After the initial chuckle at the conceit and execution the actual words sunk in….much like the other “News from
“. I found myself just coasting down the stream on the tone and words semi narcotized yet aware. Thanks for starting my burn early!
Thanks for the nice trip to the playa from my living room.
Nicely done.
Are you scheduled for center camp stage?
Yet?
I just heard this for the first time (via Pred). It is awesome. We need a P.A. system at Ranger H.Q.. This would be perfect when we’re gathered around the burn barrel during a sleepy grave shift.
Great Job that was fun