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10 California music festivals you won’t want to miss in 2022

March 1, 2022 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

With live music returning to stages across the U.S. during the second half of last year and spring now right around the corner, 2022 is shaping up to be a monumental year for the industry and a big reason for that is the comeback of the music festival. California has certainly played a major part in its revival coming out of a global pandemic, with a number of single-day and multi-day events already scheduled to take place up and down the Golden State over the next six-plus months. So, who’s ready for festival season to begin?

If you’re itching to hit a music festival, here are 10 in California you should save your cash for this year.

CRSSD Festival
Location: Waterfront Park – San Diego
Dates: March 5th-6th
Tickets: Buy them here!

One North American concert promoter who wasn’t deterred by the news surrounding the coronavirus’ omicron variant a few months ago happens to be FNGRS CRSSD, the San Diego-based brand that debuted CRSSD Festival back in 2015 and has been going strong ever since with a spring and fall edition of the event each year. Unleashing another electronic-leaning roster for its first installment in 2022 with Glass Animals and SOFI TUKKER as headliners, CRSSD has managed to hold tight with its plans. Four Tet, Get Real (Claude VonStroke and Green Velvet), Gorgon City, 070 Shake, Blu DeTiger, Cautious Clay, Chet Faker, Parcels, Franc Moody, Lastlings, SG Lewis and more stack the undercard.

READ MORE HERE

Smokin Grooves Fest
Location: LA State Historic Park – Los Angeles
Dates: March 19th
Tickets: Buy them here!

Smookin Grooves’ lineup has easily matched what it offered fans in 2018 (read our review here) and 2019 (read our review here) after putting on excellent showings both years sheerly by landing Erykah Badu, Nas, The Roots, Miguel and Jhené Aiko to lead the charge. But adding The Internet, Flying Lotus, Kamasi Washington, Thundercat, Smino, Toro y Moi, SiR, Little Dragon, Hiatus Kaiyote and more to the roster makes this another must-see production. The one-day fest is also getting a change of scenery as it relocates north to the 32-acre LA State Historic Park in the Chinatown neighborhood of downtown LA that once hosted FYF Fest and several HARD events.

READ MORE HERE

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Location: Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
Dates: April 15th-17th & April 22nd-24th
Tickets: Buy them here!

The three-day, two-weekend event is finally ready to give it another go in April after becoming one of the first large-scale music festivals in the U.S. to postpone its plans when the COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm almost two years ago. Harry Styles and Billie Eilish will spearhead the 2022 lineup, with Swedish House Mafia back at Coachella for the first time in a decade since the electronic supergroup’s closing set on the main stage in 2012 and The Weeknd added late to help replace Ye (fka Kanye West). The famed California fest has had a penchant for booking more international acts — from BLACKPINK to Bad Bunny — in recent years, and 2022 will be no different.

READ MORE HERE

BeachLife Festival
Location: Seaside Lagoon – Redondo Beach, CA
Dates: May 13th-15th
Tickets: Buy them here!

The three-day event moved to September in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s back to its normal month of May this year with plenty to get excited about. Leading the fest’s third installment will be Weezer and 311 as co-headliners on Friday while The Smashing Pumpkins and Steve Miller Band will have their own days — Saturday and Sunday, respectively — to shine even after the sun dips into the Pacific Ocean. Black Pumas, Vance Joy, Sheryl Crow, Stone Temple Pilots and Lord Huron, in the meantime, anchor an impressive undercard for what’s sure to be a party down by the shore.

READ MORE HERE

Just Like Heaven
Location: Brookside at the Rose Bowl – Pasadena, CA
Dates: May 21st
Tickets: Buy them here!

The one-day music festival put on by Goldenvoice, which debuted in 2019 and was an instant success, has dropped a 2022 roster that should be a dream come true for any indie music fan. And after a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show is ready to go on again — although this time it’s migrating north from the Queen Mary Park in Long Beach to take over the Brookside Golf Course at the Rose Bowl — and we still can’t remember the last time heaven ever looked this good. NYC indie rockers Interpol will have the honor of headlining this time around, but sets by Modest Mouse, The Shins, M.I.A., Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, Chromeo, Santigold, Cut Copy, The Hives, Wolf Parade, Peaches, !!!, The Raveonettes and more are likely to leave a lasting impression.

READ MORE HERE

Lightning in a Bottle
Location: Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area – Bakersfield, CA
Dates: May 25th-30th
Tickets: Buy them here!

After being forced to cancel its 15th edition more than 18 months ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the “transformational festival” is returning to Kern County over Memorial Day weekend and The Do LaB has retained a handful of acts on the 2020 roster from headliners like Kaytranada and GRiZ to several undercard standouts such as Purity Ring, Big Wild, Four Tet, Empress Of and Jon Hopkins. But LIB in 2022 will also feature some new blood, starting right at the top of the poster with Glass Animals as well as a pair of Brits in SG Lewis and Little Simz — who are newcomers to the event — on the bill. Other notable names include Chet Faker, Black Coffee, CloZee, Seth Troxler, Monolink, G Jones B2B Eprom, Maya Jane Coles, Goldlink, OPIUO, Chika, Mr. Carmack, Big Freedia, Dirtwire and more, including a Desert Hearts launch party with Lee Reynolds.

READ MORE HERE

BottleRock Napa Valley
Location: Napa Valley Expo – Napa, CA
Dates: May 27th-29th
Tickets: Buy them here!

Despite announcing its lineup at the beginning of this year when COVID-19 cases were skyrocketing across the U.S. due to the omicron variant, the three-day event is marching ahead toward its normal timing of Memorial Day weekend after canceling in 2020 and sliding the festivities back to Labor Day weekend in 2021. And much like BottleRock’s previous rosters, 2022’s follows very much in the same vein (i.e. lots of rock ‘n’ roll) with Metallica, P!NK, Twenty One Pilots and Luke Combs topping the bill. The Napa fest’s ninth edition should serve as a special performance for Metallica no less, considering that the legendary heavy-metal band has called the Bay Area home for almost three decades.

READ MORE HERE

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival
Location: Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
Dates: August 5-7th
Tickets: Buy them here!

After being forced in 2021 to push back its 13th year (read our review here) to Halloween weekend due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the three-day music festival is finally returning to its usual timing in August and spring is when we normally anticipate the lineup dropping every year. But the latest installment of SF’s signature event has a slightly different feel than in years past as Green Day, Post Malone and SZA assume headlining duties with Jack Harlow, Weezer, Phoebe Bridgers, Illenium, Lil Uzi Vert, Kali Uchis, Disclosure, Mitski, Polo & Pan and Anitta leading the undercard. And though all three headliners will be topping the poster at OSL for the first time, Green Day’s performance should carry a little extra weight given that the legacy act is originally from the East Bay.

READ MORE HERE

This Ain’t No Picnic
Brookside at the Rose Bowl – Pasadena, CA
Dates: August 27th-28th
Tickets: Buy them here!

Concert promoter Goldenvoice is bringing back This Ain’t No Picnic to SoCal for the first time since 2002 and taking over the Brookside Golf Course at the Rose Bowl for two days in late August (warning: it will be hot) with a killer two-day roster that screams “Pitchfork Fest!” The event has a history of exposing the raw energy of punk-leaning, indie darlings such as Sonic Youth, Sleater-Kinney and Guided by Voices in 1999 before taking another step toward the mainstream by booking Beck, Yo La Tengo, Built to Spill, At the Drive-In and Modest Mouse for its 2000 edition. A couple of NYC products in The Strokes and LCD Soundsystem will serve as headliners in 2022 while the fest’s undercard offers its own set of highlights starting with the reunion of Le Tigre, another NYC product who last reunited in 2016 to give us “I’m with Her” as their latest single.

READ MORE HERE

Primavera Sound Los Angeles
LA State Historic Park – Los Angeles
Dates: September 16-18th
Tickets: Buy them here!

Primavera Sound has been a staple across the music festival circuit since launching back in 2001 with its Spanish roots firmly planted in Barcelona. But we would be lying if we didn’t admit here that we have eagerly been anticipating the release of Primavera Sound LA’s inaugural lineup, which was originally set to make its U.S. debut in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic put a hold on things, and that news has finally become a reality with Arctic Monkeys, Lorde and Nine Inch Nails set to headline. That said, Arca, Bicep (Live), Buscabulla, Cigarettes After Sex, Clairo, DARKSIDE, Faye Webster, James Blake, Jehnny Beth, Khruangbin, Kim Gordon, King Krule, Low, Mitski, Stereolab and Tierra Whack have all signed on as well to mark what’s looking like a banner year for live music in the City of Angels.

READ MORE HERE

Which of these music festivals are you going to? Which are you looking forward to the most?

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festivals Tagged With: !!!, 070 Shake, 311, Arca, Arctic Monkeys, At the Drive-In, Bad Bunny, Beck, Bicep, Big Freedia, Big Wild, Billie Eilish, Black Coffee, Black Pumas, BLACKPINK, Bloc Party, Blu DeTiger, BottleRock, BOTTLEROCK 2022, BottleRock Napa, BOTTLEROCK NAPA 2022, BottleRock Napa Valley, BOTTLEROCK NAPA VALLEY 2022, Brookside at the Rose Bowl, Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area, Built To Spill, Buscabulla, Cautious Clay, Chet Faker, Chika, Chromeo, Cigarettes After Sex, Clairo, Claude VonStroke, Claude VonStroke and Green Velvet, CloZee, Coachella, Coachella 2022, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2022, Cut Copy, Darkside, Dirtwire, Empire Polo Club, Empress Of, Eprom, Erykah Badu, Faye Webster, Flying Lotus, Four Tet, Franc Moody, Franz Ferdinand, G Jones, G Jones B2B Eprom, Get Real, Glass Animals, Golden Gate Park, Goldenvoice, Goldlink, Gorgon City, Green Velvet, GRIZ, Guided by Voices, Harry Styles, Hiatus Kaiyote, Interpol, James Blake, Jehnny Beth, Jhené Aiko, Jon Hopkins, Just Like Heaven, Just Like Heaven 2022, Kamasi Washington, Kanye West, Kaytranada, Khruangbin, Kim Gordon, King Krule, LA State Historic Park, Lastlings, LCD Soundsystem, Le Tigre, LIB, LIB 2022, Lightning in a Bottle, Lightning in a Bottle 2022, Little Dragon, Little Simz, Lord Huron, Lorde, Los Angeles State Historic Park, Low, Luke Combs, M.I.A., Maya Jane Coles, Metallica, Miguel, Mitski, Modest Mouse, Monolink, Mr. Carmack, Napa Valley Expo, Nas, Nine Inch Nails, Opiuo, Outside Lands, Outside Lands 2022, Outside Lands Music Festival, Outside Lands Music Festival 2022, P!nk, Parcels, Peaches, Primavera Sound, Primavera Sound 2022, Primavera Sound LA, Primavera Sound LA 2022, Primavera Sound Los Angeles, Primavera Sound Los Angeles 2022, Purity Ring, Rose Bowl, Santigold, Seaside Lagoon, Seth Troxler, SG Lewis, Sheryl Crow, SiR, Sleater-Kinney, Smino, Smokin Grooves, Smokin Grooves 2022, Sonic Youth, Stereolab, Stone Temple Pilots, Swedish House Mafia, The Hives, The Raveonettes, The Roots, The Shins, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Strokes, This Ain't No Picnic, This Ain't No Picnic 2022, This Ain't No Picnic Festival, This Ain't No Picnic Festival 2022, Thundercat, Tierra Whack, Toro Y Moi, Twenty One Pilots, Vance Joy, Waterfront Park, Weezer, Wolf Parade, Ye, Yo la Tengo

Lightning in a Bottle lines up Glass Animals, Kaytranada, GRiZ & more to lead festival’s comeback in 2022

November 2, 2021 by Josh Herwitt 4 Comments

Lightning in a Bottle //
Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area – Bakersfield, CA
May 25th-30th, 2022 //

Lightning in a Bottle is alive and well!

After being forced to cancel its 2020 edition more than 18 months ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the “transformational festival” is returning to Kern County over Memorial Day weekend.

And for those who previously purchased tickets and have been waiting for an update on LIB’s future, you might be happy to know that The Do LaB has retained a handful of acts on the 2020 roster from headliners like Kaytranada and GRiZ to such undercard standouts as Purity Ring, Big Wild, Four Tet, Empress Of and Jon Hopkins across the fest’s three stages.

But LIB 2022 will also feature some new blood, starting right at the top of the poster with Glass Animals fresh off their performance at Outside Lands last weekend for Halloween. Joining the English psych-pop band as other LIB newcomers on the bill will be a pair of 27-year-old Brits in SG Lewis and Little Simz.

This is what lightning sounds like ⚡

Sign up for pre-sale access now to get your tickets a day early! https://t.co/bpcGOMTmZ9

🌩 Pre-sale starts Thursday, 11/4 at 10am PST
🌩 Tickets on sale Friday, 11/5 at 10am PST pic.twitter.com/lq4h9TNW8U

— Lightning in a Bottle (@LIBfestival) November 2, 2021

Other notable names on the initial lineup for LIB’s 19th installment include Chet Faker, Black Coffee, CloZee, Seth Troxler, Monolink, G Jones B2B Eprom, Maya Jane Coles, Goldlink, OPIUO, Chika, Mr. Carmack, Big Freedia, Dirtwire and more, including a Desert Hearts launch party with Lee Reynolds.

LIB, which has long been considered to be one of the country’s premier boutique festivals, has served as an excellent follow-up to Coachella over the last decade, often pulling some of the same electronic-leaning talent — whether it’s Bob Moses, Bonobo, Emancipator, RÜFÜS DU SOL or Tycho — who can be seen performing years prior at the famed two-weekend, three-day music festival in the desert.

GA and VIP passes to LIB can be purchased during the presale this Thursday, November 4th at 10 a.m. PT if you sign up here or for $395 and $775, respectively, plus fees here this Friday, November 5th at 10 a.m. PT with payment plans available. As always, promoting the ideals of sustainability, social cohesion, personal health and creative expression through art, yoga, workshops and speakers will remain a critical and prominent element of The Do LaB’s signature event.

UPDATE (March 8th): LIB has shared its daily lineups for 2022, with Glass Animals leading the way on Friday, Kaytranada performing on Saturday and GRiZ closing out the fest on Sunday. Take a closer look at the list of artists scheduled for each day above.

UPDATE (March 15th): The lineup for the festival’s music, learning, and culture programming at the Compass that will feature speakers, workshops and more across seven immersive spaces has arrived. Among some of the discussions are Regenerating Soil with Microbes, Cryptocurrency: The Ownership Economy, Queering the Liminal, Technology of Prayer, Fire Adapted Communities: Building A Wildfire Resilient Future, Transforming Fulfilling Prophecies into Love and Resilience of Chamorro Food. See more details above.

UPDATE (May 16th): Less than two weeks before LIB’s long-awaited return, the festival has released its set times — so you can sort out your conflicts for all three days in advance — with the music going until 4 a.m. for those who can hang that long. See more details above.

⚡️ LIB Lineup Updates 🧵

— Lightning in a Bottle (@LIBfestival) May 22, 2022

UPDATE (May 22nd): LIB has announced several changes to this year’s lineup as the days count down to the fest. Jhené Aiko will replace Little Simz, who had to cancel her performance. Chromonicci will also step in for Jon Casey while Moodlite and Dirtwire will fill in for Moontricks. Plus, don’t forget to check out the festival and camping maps below before you arrive at Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area.

Can’t wait until May? Tap back into our past coverage of LIB here.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: A Hundred Drums, Austin Millz, ‎J.Gill, Big Freedia, Big Wild, Black Coffee, Blu DeTiger, Caleesi, Caleesi & Sarah Kreis, Carlita, Chet Faker, Chika, Chromonicci, CloZee, Coronavirus, Coronavirus Pandemic, Covid 19, COVID-19 Pandemic, Desert Hearts, Dirtwire, DJ Minx, Edit, Elder Island, Elephant Heart, Eli & Fur, Empress Of, Eprom, Four Tet, G Jones, Glass Animals, Goldlink, Gone Gone Beyond, GRIZ, Hermanos Gutierrez, Hernan Cattaneo, HoneyLuv, Innellea, Ivy Lab, Jeremy Sole, Jeremy Sole & Nickodemus, Jhené Aiko, Joe Kay, Jon Casey, Jon Hopkins, Kaytranada, Khiva, Kilamanzego, Koffee, Kyle Watson, Lastlings, Lee Reynolds, Liam Fitzgerald, LIB, LIB 2022, Lightning in a Bottle, Lightning in a Bottle 2022, Little Simz, LSDREAM, Lubelski, Marbs, Marquess Wyatt, Max Cooper, Maya Jane Coles, Megan Hamilton, Memba, Mikey Lion, Mira, Monolink, Moodlite, Moontricks, Mr. Carmack, Muzi, Nickodemus, Of The Trees, Opiuo, Paraleven, Player Dave, Porky, Purity Ring, Rexx Life Raj, Rome in Silver, Sama' Abdulhadi, Sarah Kreis, Seth Troxler, SG Lewis, SOHMI, Soulection, The Librarian, VNSSA, WhoMadeWho, Yotto, Zebbler Encanti Experience

HARD Summer Music Festival returns in 2021 with Future, DJ Snake B2B Malaa enlisted as headliners

March 30, 2021 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

HARD Summer Music Festival //
NOS Events Center – San Bernardino, CA
July 31st-August 1st, 2021 //

Four months.

With so many of us forced to spend the past year at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it might be hard to believe that live music is slowly returning in the U.S. Yet, that’s exactly how much longer it will be before California hosts its first large-scale music festival again when HARD Summer returns this July and August.

The annual two-day event, which has long leaned in the electronic direction but has incorporated more and more hip-hop acts since 2015, has moved around the greater Los Angeles area over the last several years, occupying Whittier Narrows Recreation Area in South El Monte and the Fairplex in Pomona before eventually migrating to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana for the last four editions, but HARD founder and CEO Gary Richards has found a new home less than 20 miles away.

HARD SUMMER 2021 GET INTO IT. 🤘🔥 Secure your pass for $9.95 down this Friday at 10AM PT 🔗 https://t.co/s83XEylRsM

We'll see you at the NOS Events Center July 31 + August 1, 2021. Secure your pass early to lock in the lowest payment plan. 🤝🎉 pic.twitter.com/JyVvIXeNsz

— HARD Events (@HARDFEST) March 30, 2021

Employing the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino for its 13th installment, HARD Summer 2021 will not only see Atlanta rapper Future headline for the first time but also a rare B2B set by DJ Snake and Malaa. Plus, the fest’s undercard offers enough of its own star power with Rezz, Dillon Francis, Kaytranada, RL Grime B2B Baauer, 2 Chainz, Don Toliver, Skream, Jauz, Kayzo, Ekali, Iann Dior, Lil Durk, Hulk Gang (Valentino Khan + 4B), Maya Jane Coles, Slushii, G Jones B2B Eprom, JOYRYDE, A-Trak, SAYMYNAME, Wax Motif, Solardo and more all scheduled to perform. Check out the poster above for the rest of the lineup.

GA and VIP passes are on sale this Friday, April 2nd at 10 a.m. PT here for fans ages 18 and over, with payment plans also available for one-day or two-day tickets after a $9.95 or $19.99 deposit.

So, who’s ready to go HARD this summer?

UPDATE (May 5th): Well, it sure sounds like plenty of people are ready to get down this summer as two-day and Saturday single-day passes are now sold out! Tickets to Sunday’s festivities are still available here so make sure to grab them before it’s too late.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: $NOT, 1788-L, 2 Chainz, 2Deep, 4B, A-Trak, Anabel Englund, Ardalan, Arius, Austin Millz, Baauer, Bad Boys Club, Benda, Biicla, Bijou, Bleep Bloop, Blunts & Blondes, Born Dirty, Cam Girl, Capozzi, Cassian, CharlestheFirst, Coronavirus, Coronavirus Pandemic, Covid 19, COVID-19 Pandemic, Craze, Dack Janiels, Dials, Dillon Francis, DJ Scheme, DJ Snake, Dombresky, Don Toliver, Drezo, Ekali, Elohim, Eprom, Future, G Jones, Godlands, HARD Summer, HARD Summer 2021, HARD Summer Music Festival, HARD Summer Music Festival 2021, Hekler, Hex Cougar, Holly, Hulk Gang, Iann Dior, JAUZ, JOYRYDE, JSTJR, K?D, Kaytranada, Kayzo, Lee Foss, Lick, Lil Durk, Lisbona Sisters, Lucati, Malaa, Manila Killa, Mario Judah, Maya Jane Coles, Monoky, Mr. Carmack, NIna Las Vegas, Nitepunk, Nitti Gritti, Noizu, Nostalgix, Partiboi69, Phantoms, Prospa, Ranger Trucco, Ravell, REZZ, Riot Ten, RL Grime, Rubi Rose, Sage Armstrong, SayMyName, Schade, Sippy, Skream, Slushii, Softest Hard, Solardo, Soul Clap, Thee Mike B, Tynan, Valentino Khan, Virtual Riot, VNSSA, Walker & Royce, Wax Motif, Whipped Cream, Wuki, Yultron, Zia

Lightning in a Bottle 2019 boasts Disclosure (DJ set), Big Gigantic, Flying Lotus & more at a new location

February 15, 2019 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

Lightning in a Bottle //
Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area – Bakersfield, CA
May 8th-13th, 2019 //

After a longer-than-expected wait, Lightning in a Bottle has finally given us the goods.

The “transformational festival,” which has become an excellent hangover cure for West Coast music fans shortly after Coachella, usually drops its lineup sometime in mid-January, but with new dates and a new location in Kern County holding things up, it took an extra month before we could learn more about who will be performing in 2019.

And boy, did The Do LaB go big for the 16th edition of its signature event, booking Disclosure (DJ set), Big Gigantic, Flying Lotus (3D) and Santigold to lead another outstanding lineup that comes to Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area in Bakersfield this May.

Let’s just hope leaving on Monday morning doesn’t take a mind-numbing five hours like it did once at San Antonio Recreation Area, the festival’s previous site in Bradley from 2014-18.

Now a staple in California’s expansive music festival scene, LIB took some more steps toward the mainstream a year ago after securing Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Zhu, Griz and Fever Ray to play its 2018 installlment, and it appears to have continued down that same path with Gramatik, Toro y Moi and Khruangbin on board for this go-around, which will not occur over Memorial Day weekend as has been the tradition.

Other acts earning a spot on the Phase 1 roster include Rising Appalachia, Masego, ELOHIM, Cautious Clay, Jan Bloomqvist & Band, Channel Tres, Framworks, ÌFÉ, LUM, Mobley, Lane 8, DJ Koze, Damian Lazarus, Shiba San, Bedouin, Recondite (Live), Escapade (Walker & Royce + Ardalan), G Jones, The Polish Ambassador, OPIUO, CloZee, Shades, 1788-L and more.

UPDATE (March 5th): The Do LaB has announced the Phase 2 lineup for LIB 2019 with Ozomatli, Rising Appalachia, My Baby, Swingrowers, Próxima Parada, The Fungineers, Frameworks, Vokab Company, Balkan Bump and more all slated to perform across four stages. Check out the poster above for the rest of the bill.

LIB has received praise as one of the nation’s premier boutique festivals over the years, but that label has been called into question as sold-out crowds have become more of the norm. Meanwhile, prior mainstays like Lucent Dossier Experience and William Close & The Earth Harp Collective have also been recently absent as the fest’s organizers look to branch out.

Four- and five-day passes to LIB can be purchased here for $335 and $395, respectively, this Saturday, February 16th at 10 a.m. PT. As attendees have come to expect over the years, The Do LaB will also continue to promote the ideals of sustainability, social cohesion, personal health and creative expression through art, yoga, workshops and speakers.

Itching to attend LIB? Take a peek at our past coverage here.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: 1788-L, Ardalan, ÌFÉ, Balkan Bump, Bedouin, Big Gigantic, Cautious Clay, Channel Tres, CloZee, Damian Lazarus, Disclosure, DJ Koze, Elohim, Escapade, Flying Lotus, Frameworks, Framworks, G Jones, Gramatik, Jan Bloomqvist, Jan Bloomqvist & Band, Khruangbin, Lane 8, Lightning in a Bottle, Lightning in a Bottle 2019, Lucent Dossier Experience, LUM, Masego, MOBLEY, My Baby, Opiuo, Ozomatli, Próxima Parada, Recondite, Rising Appalachia, Santigold, Shades, Shiba San, The Fungineers, The Polish Ambassador, Toro Y Moi, Vokab Company, Walker & Royce, William Close, William Close & The Earth Harp Collective

Will Lightning in a Bottle continue its rise in 2016?

May 2, 2016 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

Photos courtesy of Juliana Bernstein // Written by Josh Herwitt //

Lightning in a Bottle //
San Antonio Recreation Area – Bradley, CA
May 25th-30th, 2016 //

So you’re all recovered from Coachella by now, and you’re feeling like you’re ready to get back out there pretty soon.

Sure, you could wait until Outside Lands returns to San Francisco this summer, but that’s not until the first weekend of August anyway. Three months between music festivals, after all, can be a long time for some passionate music fans.

If you’re itching to go to another fest in between Coachella and Outside Lands but also feeling a little more adventurous than usual, Lightning in a Bottle (LIB) might be just what the doctor ordered.

Geographically, the “transformational” festival remains perfectly located to tap into both the LA and SF markets since adopting San Antonio Recreation Area in Bradley, Calif., as its home for what will be the third straight year this Memorial Day weekend.

But LIB has always been so much more than merely a music festival. In what has been The Do LaB’s crown jewel of all the events it puts on throughout the year, LIB offers its own unique melange of art, yoga, workshops and speakers that few other U.S. festivals have been able to replicate; Symbiosis Gathering in Northern California and Further Future near Las Vegas are the closest comparison to date in matching LIB’s Burning Man-esque vibe. Major corporate sponsors like Heineken, American Express, H&M or T-Mobile don’t exist. Instead, it has made lasting partnerships with small to mid-size companies like New Belgium, Reed’s, KIND and your favorite coconut water brand (LIB had partnerships with three different ones last year). For California’s music scene in particular, what has been dubbed the “Greenest Festival in America” the past five years continues to serve as a stopgap between the state’s two largest music festivals in its two largest geographic regions.

And for that very reason, we’ve noticed that LIB may be undergoing a bit of a transformation after selling out for the first time in 15 years last May (read our review here), with attendance numbers reaching as high as 20,000, roughly 5,000 more than in previous editions. But even at this juncture more than a decade since LIB started as a friend’s birthday party in the Santa Ynez Mountains outside of Santa Barbara, each year is just as critical as the last in shaping its identity. Of course, it remains to be seen whether the festival’s boutique roots can stay firmly planted in the ground, and as the music migrates further and further toward the mainstream with indie-electronic artists like Chet Faker, Grimes and Jamie xx topping this year’s lineup, toeing that line can start to look rather murky. In fact, it’s become fairly commonplace to see Coachella and LIB share artists who either played in Indio the year before (i.e. Jamie xx, Chet Faker and Cashmere Cat) or less than two months prior (i.e. Grimes, TOKiMONSTA and Lucent Dossier Experience). Who knows, you may even see LIB newcomers like Moderat and Tourist making their debuts in the desert next year, too.

LIB has not officially sold out yet, but with 80 percent of its tickets already accounted for, you can bet that it will by the time we reach Memorial Day weekend. This year’s bill is as strong as its ever been, with an undercard that will see international acts like Cashmere Cat, Ibeyi, Four Tet and Guy Gerber perform on The Do LaB’s three innovatively designed stages.

That’s not to say the U.S. is not well-represented at LIB, however. Portland-based electronic producer Emancipator (born Douglas Appling) and Colorado “jazztronica” duo Big Gigantic are two of the bigger names to grace the festival’s poster this year, while Florida electro-rock trio Hundred Waters and Brooklyn indie-dance quartet Rubblebucket are two other domestic groups bolstering an already-impressive collection of artists.

It should be no surprise then why LIB has become one of California’s fastest-growing festivals over the last five years as the lineup steadily improves with each spring that passes. Yet, only time will tell what kind of impact it makes in what’s been one wild and crazy 2016 so far.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Alina Baraz, AndHim, Big Gigantic, Cashmere Cat, Emancipator Ensemble, Four Tet, G Jones, Grimes, Guy Gerber, Hundred Waters, Ibeyi, Jamie xx, Josh Wink, Lee Burridge, LIB, LIB 2016, Lightning in a Bottle, Lightning in Bottle 2016, Lucent Dossier Experience, Mija, Minnesota, Moderat, PANTyRAiD, Pimps of Joytime, Rubblebucket, The Do LaB, The Polish Ambassador, The Russ Liquid Test, Tokimonsta, Tourist, William Close, William Close & The Earth Harp Collective

Win Tix // GO4FREE to Lightning in a Bottle 2016

April 28, 2016 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Lightning in a Bottle //
San Antonio Recreation Area – Bradley, CA
May 25th-30th, 2016 //

Masterful event creators and production innovators The Do LaB are offering an incredible opportunity to win the ultimate VIP package for the 11th annual Lightning in a Bottle (LIB) music, arts, yoga and camping festival taking place Memorial Day weekend at San Antonio Recreation Area.

Widely considered as California’s premier camping, music and art boutique festival, LIB brings together a community of inspired individuals, internationally acclaimed musicians, enlightening speakers and illuminating workshops designed to expand the mind and open the heart.

This year’s festival features headliners Chet Faker, Jamie XX and Grimes while TOKiMONSTA, Guy Gerber, Cashmere Cat, Four Tet and many more are also scheduled to perform on The Do LaB’s multiple majestically structured stages. Furthermore, LIB features visionary artists and interactive zones, including The Village, the Grand Artique, Amori’s Cafe, Kid’s Village and the Lucent Temple of Consciousness, in addition to an expanded Learning Kitchen, Healing Sanctuary, Meditation Nest, Mystery School, Pineal Playground, two yoga tents and more.

For a peek inside the magic of LIB, watch the LIB 2016 official video below and learn more by visiting the festival’s website here.

Click here to purchase tickets if you know you want to go!

LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE 2016 PRIZE PACKAGES

Grand Prize “Ultimate LIB VIP Package” (one winner)

• Two passes to LIB 2016
• Two early-arrival passes allowing entry into the festival when the gates open on May 25th
• LIB’s uber-great camping experience, which includes:

— One 16-foot-wide Luxury Canvas Bell tent with a 9-foot-8 interior height and 200 square feet of living space that includes one full-size, elevated bed complete with a real mattress, fresh linens, shower towels, indoor furniture, lighting, power outlets, a personal cooler with complimentary ice, an outdoor seating area and access to upgraded restroom suites with full-length mirrors
— Two keepsake Lightning in a Bottle water bottles
— Two lush lounge visitor wristbands for friends not staying in boutique
— On-site concierge service
— One welcome package from LIB sponsors

• Two tickets to a sit-down dinner at Amori’s Cafe, Giggle Juice Cafe or The Last Supper Club
• Two LIB 2016 official T-shirts

Second-Tier Prize (one winner)

• Two LIB festival tickets and one on-site car camping pass

Third-Tier Prizes (five winners)

• One free pizza from The Dough LaB on site at Lightning in a Bottle

Please read below for the list of rules before you enter the giveaway. The contest will end this Sunday, May 1st at 11:59 p.m. PT. Winners will be notified by email on Monday, May 2th.

CONTEST RULES

• Entries can be submitted until May 1st at 11:59 p.m. PT.

• Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, but you can gain extra entries through social media shares.

• Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given out to any third parties.

• Must be 18+ to enter. Contestants can come from anywhere in the world but need valid ID. Travel out to the Lightning in a Bottle festival will not covered.

• Winners will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive VIP Prize Package, One (1) winner will win the Second Tier Prize, and Five (5) winners will receive the Third Tier Prize.

• Winners will be notified via email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted to redeem prize. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen at random.

• Make sure that the email account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a working email.

• Prize packages are part of a promotional giveaway and non-transferable.

CONTEST CLOSED.

Filed Under: Contests Tagged With: Alina Baraz, AndHim, Big Gigantic, Cashmere Cat, Chet Faker, Emancipator, Emancipator Ensemble, Four Tet, G Jones, Grimes, Guy Gerber, Hundred Waters, Ibeyi, Jamie xx, Josh Wink, Lee Burridge, LIB, LIB 2016, Lightning in a Bottle, Lightning in a Bottle 2016, Lucent Dossier Experience, Mija, Minnesota, Moderat, Pimps of Joytime, Rubblebucket, The Do LaB, The Polish Ambassador, The Russ Liquid Test, Tokimonsta, Tourist, William Close, William Close & The Earth Harp Collective

Lightning in a Bottle unveils 2016 lineup

January 20, 2016 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

Lightning in a Bottle //
San Antonio Recreation Area – Bradley, CA
May 25th-30th, 2016 //

Returning to San Antonio Recreation Area for a third straight year, Lightning in a Bottle will once again take place over Memorial Day weekend — and this year’s bill is as strong as ever.

Led by headliners Chet Faker, Grimes and Jamie xx, the famed boutique festival that began more than 15 years ago as a birthday party among friends (and who would eventually start The Do LaB, a Los Angeles-based event production company) in the Santa Ynez Mountains will also feature performances from Big Gigantic, Moderat, Ibeyi, Emancipator Ensemble, Four Tet, Tourist, Cashmere Cat, Guy Gerber, Tokimonsta, The Polish Ambassador, Alina Baraz, Josh Wink, Hundred Waters, Lee Burridge, Minnesota and G Jones (B2B), Pimps of Joytime, Mija, Rubblebucket, PANTyRAiD, The Russ Liquid Test, AndHim and many more.

Furthermore, The Do LaB will welcome back the LA avant-garde circus act Lucent Dossier Experience and William Close & The Earth Harp Collective, which both have become LIB mainstays over the years. Check out the poster above for the rest of the lineup.

Tabbed as the “Greenest Festival in America” each of the last five years, LIB offers more than just live music on three different stages, with art, yoga, workshops and speakers all playing a crucial role in maintaining the festival’s identity, which centers around sustainability, social cohesion, personal health and creative expression. The word has certainly gotten out about LIB since its early beginnings, as last year’s festival, which boasted Australian DJ/producer Flume as its main headliner and included sets from SBTRKT, ODESZA, RL Grime and Tycho, was the first reported sellout in its longstanding history.

Weekend passes to LIB can be purchased here starting at $270, and the festival reports that 50 percent of them have already been sold, leaving us to believe another capacity crowd will be descending upon Bradley, Calif., this May. If you’re getting excited for LIB after reading this, make sure to check out our coverage from 2015.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Alina Baraz, AndHim, Big Gigantic, Cashmere Cat, Chet Faker, Emancipator, Emancipator Ensemble, Four Tet, G Jones, Grimes, Guy Gerber, Hundred Waters, Ibeyi, Jamie xx, Josh Wink, Lee Burridge, LIB, LIB 2016, Lightning in a Bottle, Lightning in a Bottle 2016, Lucent Dossier Experience, Mija, Minnesota, Moderat, Pimps of Joytime, Rubblebucket, The Do LaB, The Polish Ambassador, The Russ Liquid Test, Tokimonsta, Tourist, William Close, William Close & The Earth Harp Collective

Beyond the music: Symbiosis Gathering reinvents the festival experience in 2015

September 29, 2015 by The Bam Team 3 Comments

Photos by Nik Crossman, Jamie Rosenberg & John Felix // Written by Nik Crossman & Brett Ruffenach //

Symbiosis Gathering //
Woodward Reservoir – Oakdale, CA
September 17th-20th, 2015 //

Floating 100 miles east of San Francisco, Symbiosis Gathering brought more than 12,000 incredible humans together to celebrate the power of music, art, education and love at Woodward Reservoir. Symbiosis is leading a paradigm shift in the festival world, and the 10 Year Re:Union proved to be their largest gathering yet.

The recipe for Symbiosis is simple. Start with a conventional music festival — Coachella, FYF Fest or Sasquatch! — and throw in some Burning Man essentials like sustainability, alchemy, yoga and education. Now, sprinkle elements specific to the venue of choice (ahem, art boats and water stages), remove all the corporate sponsorship and alcohol sales, and wrap it up in a community of love and consciousness. The result is the next generation of festival experience — a gathering, not a production.

With minimal funding, an international family of volunteers and festivalgoers come together to make Symbiosis possible. Extending beyond the “everyone contributes” mentality of Burning Man, the gathering curates and organizes many, but not all, of its attractions. The community encourages everyone to contribute to the already stellar experience of Symbiosis. Distributed throughout the 24-hour festival grounds, earth and water art installations provide interactive spaces to create, climb, lounge and float. The spinning balls of fire proved to be a solid meeting place throughout the night and presented some beautiful photo opportunities.

The flagship amenity, aptly named “Swymbiosis”, was a Copacabana-meets-Hippy-Hill drum circle/beach party at the lakeshore. Each afternoon, festivalgoers grabbed their flotation device of choice (a pink flamingo named Karen, an inflatable pizza slice, etc.) and drifted in the sunshine while listening to an impressive lineup through the festival’s Funktion-One sound system. From Raja Ram of Shpongle to Ooah and Edit of The Glitch Mob, “Swymbiosis” offered one of the most unique and fun live music experiences imaginable.

With an impressive, internationally influenced lineup, “Swymbiosis” certainly wasn’t the only noteworthy stage performance. Thursday night kicked off the festival with five hours of house music from the Desert Hearts crew, followed by Eprom’s extraordinary bass. Well into Day 2, The Polish Ambassador’s high-octane set had everyone moving and shaking at The Big Island. Despite some sound issues, G Jones and Minnesota managed to deliver seamless, back-to-back sets, satiating Friday night’s appetite for bass. Spilling into dawn, Four Tet opened a gorgeous, three-hour set with “Digital Arpeggios” from his Percussions alias and closed with “Morning Side”.

From Bob Moses to Nicolas Jaar, Saturday came through with more stellar acts to accompany the transformational journey that was unfolding. Sylvan Esso demonstrated noteworthy growth on stage with a spectacular set, complete with an encore that lit up the crowd in dance. Of course, no 2015 festival experience would be complete without a secret sunrise performance by Tipper, and Symbiosis delivered with a magical welcoming of Sunday morning set to the British producer’s dreamy electro grooves.

Beyond music, Symbiosis offered a myriad of attractions to stimulate the mind, body and soul. Encouraging personal growth and awareness, it created a warm environment to foster deep bonds with friends, lovers and strangers alike. Partner yoga classes and Tantric workshops demonstrated the beauty and strength derived from a connection between two humans.

With talks and workshops ranging from government surveillance and overcoming addiction to the culture of tea, Symbiosis offered much more than the usual “escape from real life” presented by most festivals. Don’t get us wrong — things like the DeLorean hovercraft and Tipper’s secret sunrise set put Symbiosis closer to Neverland than the real world. It’s the underlying focus on consciousness and personal development that engages beyond the typical music festival and makes Symbiosis the poster child for what festivals can and ultimately should represent.