RR Primer: The FS Interview

RR PRIMER
May 23, 24 & 25 2009
Crystal Springs Campground
31478 Bagley Rd
North Ridgeville, OH 44039
(440) 748-3200
$10

www.recycledrainbow.org


This is an interview with Twinkles who we caught up with after hearing about the RR meeting held this past weekend. A lot of details about the upcoming Recycled Rainbow event were released on Saturday, but try as we might to get information about RR 2009, Twinkles would only talk to us about something called Primer. After fifteen minutes we got sick of trying to pry RR information out of him and decided to ask questions about this Primer thing. Both Twinkles and our interviewer were very sleepy when this interview was recorded, at 5am on Monday morning.

What is Recycled Rainbow Primer and how does it differ from Recycled Rainbow?
First off, let me say DRIVE FIVE MILES AN HOUR OR SLOWER IN THE CAMPGROUND!

Also, I'd like to say that I dislike the term "differ"- I also dislike the term "Recycled Rainbow Primer" it should be called simply "Primer"- or better yet "PRIMER". But I suppose you need to know for what you are being "primed". You might be being primed for RR. Or not.

That's pronounced "Arr Arr", by the way.

Indeed.
Primer is a two or three day free-for-all in North Ridgeville, OH put on by the Recycled Rainbow people as an excuse to build things. They like building things, the Recycled Rainbow people- it has been suggested by more than one person- or actually I think it was one person- that Recycled Rainbow is an event where there are no spectators and everyone is building something- so you get a ton of interesting bars, sculptures, camps and unusual spaces that are mostly empty because the people who would inhabit these structures are all building their own structures. And then there's Saturday night and to some extent, Friday night where those who have finished their "projects" begin to get out and hang out with other people's stuff- but Primer is the pre-event-

Primer was originally put together as a promotional tool?
Sort of. It was both a way to show people what we're doing and also to prototype projects.

People have a low tolerance for discomfort and while Primer isn't 100% comfortable- like sitting on a cushion in a house watching people perform- but you're not driving two hours and you have amenities nearby. And it's also 15 minutes away.

Did I mention it's only 15 minutes from Cleveland?

There is a port-a-potty (which is our own special monument) and usually more than one fire.

And there's no electricity?
Correct. Recycled Rainbow has plenty of electricity and water. It has a restroom and sometimes showers. Primer has none of these things- except a port-a-potty and a pavilion that's infested with wasps and yellow jackets.

But it's fun anyway?
Fun is an interesting idea.

Fun is what you make it. Everyman usually brings out the battery array and lights and I'll bring out my PA and projector (mostly because I'm stupid enough to subject my projector to rain) and we'll set up a DJ station and late at night play video mash-ups of pornography and horror films. There's also a very loud train that passes by every 15 minutes or so.

Sounds terrible!
It is. But it's one of the most fun events any of us have been to because it's a little uncomfortable. The train is a good example of this. Because of the train we can play music or whatnot as loud as we want at any hour of the night. Last year I remember waking up at 4am because I had to pee- and was greeted with the sounds of amplified fornication. I looked around and found people roasting marshmallows in a thunderstorm.

This is the second year for Primer?
Yes. Last year Primer was only one night. We wanted one day to prototype our structures and I wanted to burn mine because there was a specific thing I wanted to have happen when [the project] burned and didn't know if it would work.

And did it?
Yes. But I discovered a different way of doing it there. I was originally going to use wax and ended up using hot glue.

Ok...
But yes, Primer this year is going to be for three days- almost as long as Recycled Rainbow. It will be on Memorial Day Weekend (which is when the house events used to regularly occur) which means we'll really have to prepare for the rain.

Is it going to rain?
That's a terribly stupid question. Who knows? Probably.

I'm not a fan of rain, but we're just starting to figure out creative ways of dealing with [rain]. I think the way this works with us is at first we experience a discomfort or a problem and then the next year you start seeing people building stuff or planning things to deal with that discomfort. They usually end up using the discomfort or addressing it in creative ways. In 2007, for example, we were gifting dry socks to people.

What were you gifting in 2008?
Medical attention and meatheads.

Medical attention?
Yeah. We really look forward to all the medical attention. Wait. No, we DON'T look forward to medical attention. We like attention.

Meatheads?
Did I say we like attention? We don't like attention. Yes, meatheads- we don't care for meatheads either.

That's pronounced "meeeth-eeeds", by the way.

But you just pronounced it "meat-heads"
No I didn't.

Do people get hurt often at Primer or RR?
You can't have fun in a vaccuum. Something has to happen to have fun- or at least there has to be the possibility of something happening. If you make things as safe as you possibly can, we tend to think you're going to reduce the possibility for fun.

So the possibility for danger is proportional to the possibility for fun?
Well... I don't know much about math.

If the possibility exists for a little danger- like with fire spinners or a large fire- or a naked guy running around with a big pair of scissors- the possibility for fun increases. That's the theory anyway. It's not ours.

But no, people don't get hurt often.

One thing that's important to remember at Primer tho-

FIVE MILES PER HOUR!

RR doesn't have much in the way of injury. Most of it's just minor burns and people busting their heads open because they're falling from great heights. I think that's why we've chosen the theme "Elevation" this year- to get the people higher in the air so they have a longer distance to fall.

That doesn't sound safe.
It doesn't? Hm.

So, tell me a little about what to expect this year at Primer.
That's another pretty stupid question. I can't. I don't know what to expect.

We've just begun putting our plans together. It's always going to be different. I can say that you'll see people building things and you'll have a good time.

Primer is a little more laid back than RR is- meaning you can come and go as you please, you can buy beer at the local store in Elyria and come by after you've paid your cover- you can visit just during the day- return- you know.

I've heard you lock people in the event during RR
Well, I don't know about "lock in". We discourage people from leaving to go get things they forgot and we want you to be a part of the event- for the duration of the event. It's just another obstacle to make things more interesting. We're in to making things interesting. We're kind of like gluttons for punishment. While others like to party and get wasted... wait. We like to get wasted too....

I think it has something to do with camping and power tools...

Anyway, a big difference between RR and Primer is... there are fewer barriers to deal with at Primer. That makes it less fun to me, personally, but most people aren't used to that idea of this important relationship between fun and discomfort.

So you have more fun the more uncomfortable you are?
For me, and for alot of us, it's always more fun when it's harder to get to the fun.

How much is admission to Primer?
Primer cost $10 last year- it all goes to port-a-potties. The port-a-potty is the most important thing- without them you can't have the event. With them, you can have the event anywhere.

Where is it?
We usually put the porta-potty right under a big Jesus-Cross. It has a superman sticker on it and if you go into the porta-potty you can turn into Jesus- or you can poop.

Where is the event??
Crystal Springs campground in North Ridgeville, OH.

It's only about 15 minutes from Cleveland across I-80 from the Autorama. Its easy to get there and easy to get back. If you don't want to camp, you don't have to. You can come, have fun, go home and sleep in your own bed, then come back the next day and do it again. And this year you can do that for three days!

We don't know why anyone in their right mind wouldn't come. You get music, performance, sake, crazy people, trains, porn and fire. If you or someone brings those things, of course. We're not spoon-feeding it to you- we don't spoon feed anyone anything. Fuck that shit. You still have to come to the event. We won't bring the event to you. If you don't want to come, DON'T COME. We're always telling people not to come to our events.

And you have to bring your own stuff. And you might have to endure rain or heat or a flying ball of fire whizzing past your head-

The only thing we ask is that you truck your trash out with you. Leave No Trace.

Oh, and FIVE MILES PER HOUR.

Any final words?
Flyers will be out soon.

Oh, and success is overrated and failure is underrated.

And DRIVE FIVE MILES AN HOUR ON THE CAMPGROUND!


RR PRIMER
May 23, 24 & 25 2009

Crystal Springs Campground
31478 Bagley Rd
North Ridgeville, OH 44039
(440) 748-3200
$10