Burning Man

Club Candids: Thriller Costume Ball at Monsterland

Fetish freaks, goth groupies, and costumed geeks...oh my. All of these types turned out by the hundreds for the Thriller Costume Party at Monsterland in Mesa this past Saturday for one last hurrah before the haunted house-themed nightspot headed for the gallows. They weren't only party monsters pa ... More >>

Valley Fever's 12 Most Popular Arizona News Stories of 2012

It seems like every year there's one local story that defines the news more than others. Last year, it was the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson (which we got a horrific reminder of with the recent mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary). This year, as far as actual readership g ... More >>

Construction Worker Dead After Accident at Former Home of "Burning Man" Michael Marin

A construction worker died yesterday morning at the still-ruined former mansion of "Burning Man" Michael Marin, who torched the house at 71 Biltmore Estates Drive in July, 2009.Phoenix police Sergeant Trent Crump tells New Times that a man working for the home's new owner was crushed by a large, rol ... More >>

Five Things You Need to Know About Apache Lake Music Festival

Sarah Ghasedi spent her summer interning at KWSS' TMI morning program, learning the ins-and-outs of local music. This past weekend, she headed to the Apache Lake Music Festival, where over 50 Arizona bands showed of their stuff. Here are her findings. By Sarah Ghasedi The stretch of washboard roa ... More >>

Top Five Must-See Shows This Week

Yeah, yeah, yeah...we get it. Mondays suck (we've read Garfield). But it means the start of a new week, which means a bunch of killer shows in and around Phoenix. And here are a few of the coolest, our top five must-see shows this week.

Bassnectar @ Marquee Theatre

Michael Marin's Cyanide Stash Made It Into His Mouth, Medical Examiner Confirms

See also: Burning Man: Attorney Says He Escaped His Blazing Home Using Scuba Gear See also: Michael Marin, "Burning Man," May Have Committed Suicide in the CourtroomThe Maricopa County medical examiner's office confirmed the expected this morning -- "Burning Man" Michael Marin definitely ingested so ... More >>

Michael Marin Probably Took Cyanide, MCSO Says; Joe Arpaio Tells Everyone Where to Buy It

See also: Burning Man: An Attorney Says He Escaped His Blazing Home Using Scuba Gear; Now He's Charged with ArsonSee also: Michael Marin, "Burning Man," May Have Committed Suicide in the CourtroomMichael Marin probably popped a cyanide pill after a jury handed down a guilty verdict against him in hi ... More >>

Michael Marin's Bizarre Courtroom Death To Be Explored By CNN's Anderson Cooper Tonight

See also: Burning Man: An Attorney Says He Escaped His Blazing Home Using Scuba Gear; Now He's Charged with Arson We were in New York City when word came via numerous texts from the Maricopa County Superior Court (Judge Bruce Cohen's courtroom) that Michael Marin had been convicted of burning down h ... More >>

Michael Marin, "Burning Man," May Have Committed Suicide in the Courtroom *Updated*

Also Read: Michael Marin, "Burning Man," Had Some Sort of "Medical Emergency" After Verdict Read Michael Marin, "Burning Man," Found Guilty of Arson Burning Man: An Attorney Says He Escaped His Blazing Home Using Scuba Gear; Now He's Charged with Arson UPDATE: We've received confirmation tha ... More >>

Michael Marin, "Burning Man," Found Guilty of Arson

UPDATE: Michael Marin has been transported to a hospital. He collapsed shortly after the verdict was read.A jury found "Burning Man" Michael Marin guilty of arson of an occupied structure today for burning down his Biltmore Estates mansion in July 2009. Marin gave his explanation to New Times writer ... More >>

Spyder on Psytrance, Performing at Burning Man, His Multiple DJ Identities, and Comparing EDM to Heavy Metal

While most DJs are content with having only one slick-sound moniker, Matthew Hinman has almost a half-dozen nom de guerres at his disposal. Depending on the particular gig he's working, the 39-year-old could be performing as Spyder, Franck Matthews, Cosmic Sea, or any of the other idenities he's dev ... More >>

Michael Marin, a.k.a. "Burning Man," Decides Not to Testify at His Arson Trial

Michael Marin, the onetime Wall Street trader, Yale-educated lawyer and world adventurer, declined yesterday to take the witness stand in his own defense as his arson trial winds down.Marin is on trial in Maricopa County Superior Court for allegedly burning down his Biltmore Estates mansion in July ... More >>

"Burning Man" Michael Marin Criminal Trial Heading Down Homestretch

We will know in a few days if Michael Marin, the onetime attorney and Wall Street trader now on trial for torching his Biltmore Estates mansion, will be taking the stand in his own defense. County prosecutors have been trying to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Marin burned down the beautif ... More >>

Michael "Scuba Man" Marin Trial Ongoing In Downtown Phoenix

Been finishing a yarn for next week's paper this week, and didn't have much time to check out other stuff, including the ongoing Michael Marin arson trial at Maricopa County Superior Court.You probably will remember the quirky case if you read our paper, but here is the link to the original story, " ... More >>

Michael Marin "Burning Man" Trial Under Way -- Judge Kicks New Times Out of Court

As we write this, the attorneys litigating the arson case of State of Arizona v. Michael Marin are presenting their opening statements to a Maricopa County jury in downtown Phoenix. We planned on blogging about the opposing sides' hope to show in their efforts to win a conviction of the so-called "B ... More >>

`Burning Man' Michael Marin Arson Trial To Start Next Week

Remember the quirky case of onetime Wall Street broker, Yale Law School-educated attorney, art collector and man about town Michael Marin, who was accused in 2009 of criminally torching his Biltmore Estates mansion? The highly publicized case perhaps was most notable for how Marin said he h ... More >>

Feat of Clay

Coachella: What The Hell Is That Giant Flower?

See also: Best of Coachella: Sunday, April 15 See also: Top 10 Awkward Dance Moves at Coachella (GIFs) By Gabrielle Canon Coachella-goers arrived to the festival Sunday to find a giant 100 foot tall lotus flower on the grounds near the Gobi tent. Trippy! The crazy thing was that the flower swoo ... More >>

Local Burning Man Fanatics React to Ticketing Fiasco, Make Plans for Alternate Events

​When Tempe artist Ian Wender learned he didn't land tickets to this year's Burning Man this year, he started to fume."I got really, really angry when I found out I wasn't getting tickets," says Wender. The painter and photographer is a Burning Man regular who's gone to the annual arts and cultura ... More >>

Art Cars: American Folk Art You Can't Hang on the Wall

September 8 In Blogs: Postville Immigration Raid, Goddess Temple, Anthrax, Latte Art, and Susan Brock

​In the 24-hour news cycle, it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries:

Burning Times

May 11 In Blogs: Russell Pearce, Craig Citizen, Fatboy Slim, Four Peaks, and Meghan McCain

​​​In the 24-hour news cycle, it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries:

Ringing in the New Year Over the Weekend

​New Year's Eve in Scottsdale Scottsdale's Old Town was celebration central as New Year's revelers flocked to the White House, Axis-Radius, The Firehouse, and various other nightspots to fete Auld Lang Syne...see photos ​Epic Red Cup Massive Psycho Circus The freaks and geeks of Warsaw ... More >>

Toubab Krewe at Compound Grill Last Night

Martin CizmarToubab Krewe on stage at Compound Grill in Phoenix.​Toubab KreweCompound GrillSaturday December 4, 2010Here's something amazing that pretty well sums up the vibe at Saturday night's Toubab Krewe show at Compound Grill: They let the chicks bring in their hula hoops and, dammit, they us ... More >>

Flame Game

The 7 Coolest Entries At This Weekend's Idiotarod Race

The participants of the annual Idiotarod depart from in front of the Bikini Lounge.​As that old maudlin saying goes, it's not the destination but the journey that's important. Just ask the participants in the Idiotarod race from this past Saturday. The ultra-colorful annual event, which is put on ... More >>

Status Of "Burning Man" Michael Marin's Criminal Case? The Flame's on Low

We've been getting an unusual number of calls and e-mails from folks wanting to know the status of the felony arson case against Michael Marin, the fascinating, if troubled, fellow we wrote about last summer in "Burning Man." ​Readers may recall the story: Marin's a mountain climber ... More >>

Feedback from the Issue of Thursday, September 17, 2009

Twestival and Richard Cheese Over the Weekend

​Twestival Local Phoenix Raises Money for St. Mary's Food Bank Last night, local twitter-users gathered at the Aloft Hotel in Tempe to socialize, try great food from local businesses as donate money to St. Mary's Food Bank during Twestival Local Phoenix. Twestival started as a Twitter-based me ... More >>

Price Of `Burning Man' Michael Marin's Picasso Etchings Wildly Exaggerated

Our most recent cover story on local philanthropist/real-estate player/art collector and, now, accused arsonist Michael Marin elicited a bunch of E-mails and calls, many of them rabid (see example of typical commenter in photo below). ​Readers seemed to be incensed by Mr. Marin's al ... More >>

Party Crasher: The Epic Red Cup Massive NYE Extravaganza

A trophy thingy was set up in front of the DJ area at the Epic Red Cup Massive NYE Extravaganza. Click here for more pictures from the event. New Year's Eve was a busy night for the Party Crasher. This sultan of celebration had more than a dozen destinations on his shortlist, including hanging with ... More >>

Lee Burridge

Amblin' Man

The "topical pop" creations of a bass-playing adventurer

A Case of the Tuesdays

School night, schmool night

The White Stuff

Ski bums seek Higher Ground

This Year's Models

Fast cars & chicks at Cricket

Illusions of Grandeur

He's done with art. Now Bill Tonnesen wants to build a Holocaust memorial in Phoenix

Dance, Dance Revolution

This was the year electronic dance music got its head -- and its ass -- out of the past

Dalai House

Kick off the weekend with Tibetan culture at fundraiser

Cubed Logic

Burning Man gets boxed in

Scenes From Nowhere

A Coachella diary from that other desert to the left

Where there's smoke, there's ire

Letters from the week of July 4, 2002

Bellrays de Jour

California's amphetamine punk-soul revue wants to knock some sense into America

Perry Farrell

Song Yet to Be Sung (Virgin Records)

Complex Messiah

Black Rock or Combust

Afterthoughts on the 1999 Burning Man Festival, from a four-year veteran

Burn the Man!

Playing with fire at the 1997 Burning Man festival

Freaks in the Desert

Strange days and fiery nights at the 1996 Burning Man Festival