In the middle of the desert – or, rather, the deep playa – a mirage materializes. The oasis ahead of you contains no water, only the refreshing sounds of classic country music. A twinkling jukebox perches on the edge of a stage whisked out of a cowboy film. You are in Max Juren’s dream, a near-reality coming to Burning Man this fall.
“We’ll be a liaison to Austin,” Juren says, illustrating his vision. “While many burners bring the city to the country, we’re bringing the country to the country.”
Max Juren is a man of many passions and accompanying talents. Ringleader of the Western tropical band Spliff Kazoo, time traveling internet meme personality, mid-Aughts web humorist, and tireless filmmaker, he has found time to launch a new project – perhaps with help from his lessons in time travel. The plan? Build a self-contained, two-step-ready stage, complete with vintage 1940s Wurlitzer jukebox, hitching post, and swinging saloon doors, at the weeklong experimental Black Rock Desert convergence, which this year takes place from August 24 to September 1.
“You’ll have to wander out pretty far to find it,” he explains.
This two-step oasis traces its inspiration back to 2010, when Juren went to Burning Man for the first time.
“I can tell you that it is a rave. It’s about two-thirds a rave. And that’s fine,” he tells the uninitiated. Amid the electronic sea, he found himself searching for an acoustic sound. “I couldn’t find any acoustic music. I’m not going to say there isn’t, because I’ve seen pictures of people playing, but I didn’t see any, and I was very thirsty for it.”
This experience sat at the back of Juren’s consciousness as the world emerged from COVID-19 lockdown and he, once again, found himself longing for live music and human connection. The two-step beckoned.
“I want[ed] to go out and touch people,” Juren says, reflecting. “If there was ever a time to get over any inhibitions, it was then. [There was a] sense of, oh, this is a privilege to get to do these things. You should go do them when you’re able to.”
His love of the simple country dance soon prompted Juren to build his own stage on his property in Manor, lovingly called “Freak Ranch.” He applied for a Burning Man project grant to construct a similar facility and lead two-step lessons for burners looking for a touch of tapping and twirling.
“Burning Man – the overall flow of it is: no rules. I think part of what we’re doing is in contrast to that,” Juren says. “I mean, you can do whatever you want on this dance floor, [but] the model is: sometimes structure breeds freedom.”
The Burning Man grant team saw his vision, and agreed to partially fund the project. Juren and his crew of dancers – “it’s all personality hires” – will transport the disassembled dance floor, reassemble it, and lead a loosely styled group lesson.
As they construct the dance floor and prepare the jukebox, Juren and his team are still searching for the last fiscal push to make their dream a reality. He imagines a honky-tonk angel investor who will sweep the dance floor to Burning Man on their financial wings.
“If there’s any Austin or Texas culture ambassador, patriot-type patron who’s like, ‘I just want to see some goddamn boots scooting in that fruit basket,’” Juren says, he hopes they’ll find their way to him. In the meantime, the team has set up a GoFundMe and will host a two-stepping fundraising event on the to-be-transported dance floor on Saturday, July 26, at 7:30pm at Juren’s home in far East Austin. Those looking to attend can reach out to the artist for his address on Instagram @maxjuren.
This article appears in July 18 • 2025.
