Lightning in a Bottle taps REZZ, SOFI TUKKER & ZHU as headliners for ‘transformational’ festival’s 20th anniversary in 2023

Lightning in a Bottle - 2023 lineup - Phase 1

Lightning in a Bottle //
Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area – Bakersfield, CA
May 24th-29th, 2023 //

Lightning in a Bottle, believe it or not, is turning 20 this year.

After 2022 marked its first installment in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic with Glass Animals, Kaytranada and GRiZ headlining, the “transformational” festival is back at it this Memorial Day weekend and ready to enter a third decade.

Sitting atop the poster for The Do LaB’s signature event will be three electronic heavyweights in REZZ, SOFI TUKKER and ZHU following its Phase 1 lineup announcement, but the undercard has more than enough dance-forward music to keep you moving and grooving into the early-morning hours, too.

Below the top line, some of the artists standing out at the Lightning Stage in 2023 include Phantogram, Tobe Nwigwe, 070 Shake, Caribou, DRAMA, Sampa the Great, MINDCHATTER, Uncle Waffles, Beats Antique and Ozomatli with Chali 2na & Cut Chemist. The Thunder Stage, meanwhile, has its own crop of acts worth highlighting here in Liquid Stranger, LSDREAM, TOKiMONSTA (DJ set), The Glitch Mob, LTJ Bukem with Armanni, MEUTE, Deathpact, The Polish Ambassador and The Floozies, yet so does the Woogie Stage with sets by Tale of Us, Diplo, Purple Disco Machine, Ben Böhmer, Stephan Bodzin (Live), Blond:ish, LP Giobbi, Giorgia Angiuli and more. Peep the poster above for the rest of the roster.

LIB has long been considered to be one of the country’s premier boutique festivals and a great way to cure any Coachella blues just one month later. Though there aren’t a lot of names — besides DRAMA — crossing over from the famed two-weekend, three-day extravaganza in the desert this April, both of them have previously shared the same electronic-leaning talent from RÜFÜS DU SOL, SG Lewis and Bob Moses to Four Tet, Bonobo and Tycho. Still, for as much as the music has been the main draw for fans over the last 10 years, promoting the ideals of sustainability, social cohesion, personal health and creative expression through art, yoga, workshops and speakers continues to play an essential part of the experience and The Do LaB’s overall mission since the very beginning.

GA and VIP tickets to LIB 2023 can be purchased here for $439 and $775, respectively, plus fees as well as car camping and parking passes. Group campsites in addition to admission for RVs and kids ages 1-17 will also be available, so feel free to bring the whole family to Buena Vista Lake for a long weekend of fun!

Lightning in a Bottle 2023 - Grand Artique

UPDATE (February 28th): The lineup for the Grand Artique stage has now been announced featuring performances by Band of Gringos, Bootleg Sunshine and more. You can find the rest of the scheduled acts in the poster above.

Lightning in a Bottle 2023 - The Junkyard

UPDATE (March 2nd): Two days after telling us which artists will play the Grand Artique stage, the festival has shared the roster for The Junkyard with Ali Khalili, Armando Kroma and Beau Sebastian leading the way. See who else will be there in the poster above.

Lightning in a Bottle 2023 - Compass Music

UPDATE (March 7th): Feeling a little spiritual in 2023? LIB has revealed more of its Phase 2 lineup as LIGHTCODE by LSDREAM and Sunday Service with The Polish Ambassador lead the Compass Music stage with their ambient, chill vibes. Take a look at the poster above to familiarize yourself with the other artists on the bill.

Lightning in a Bottle 2023 - The Stacks

UPDATE (March 9th): Hey, bass heads! The fest has dropped more music (like it’s hot) by delivering its roster for The Stacks that boasts The Gaslamp Killer and so much more, including special guests. Peek at the poster above for the full list of performers.

Lightning in a Bottle 2023 - Wednesday & Thursday

Lightning in a Bottle 2023 - Friday

Lightning in a Bottle 2023 - Saturday

Lightning in a Bottle 2023 - Sunday

UPDATE (March 14th): With 10 weeks to go before LIB’s 20th anniversary, daily lineups have officially arrived. Scan the posters above for all of the acts taking the stage from Wednesday to Sunday.

Lightning in a Bottle 2023 - Wednesday & Thursday

Lightning in a Bottle 2023 - Friday

Lightning in a Bottle 2023 - Saturday

Lightning in a Bottle 2023 - Sunday

UPDATE (May 16th): LIB has released its set times as the 2023 edition quickly approaches, and while there are certainly some conflicts to work through, at least they’re giving you more than a week’s notice, right? Also, the music goes until 4 a.m. on Friday-Sunday so don’t forget to pace yourself if you’ll be at Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area next weekend. See more details above.

Lightning in a Bottle 2023 - map

UPDATE (May 19th): Heading to LIB next weekend? Make sure to check out the festival map above before you get there!

Lightning in a Bottle 2023 - High Noon Camp

Lightning in a Bottle 2023 - Sunrise Camp

Lightning in a Bottle 2023 - Sunset Camp

Lightning in a Bottle 2023 - Sunset Group Camp

UPDATE (May 22nd): More maps for all of your camping needs! If you’re going to LIB this weekend, take a closer look above at the four camping areas: High Noon Camp, Sunrise Camp, Sunset Group Camp or Sunset Camp. Also, those of you staying in an RV will be placed in the Sunrise Camp.

UPDATE (May 24th): Due to unforeseen circumstances, Berlin-based duo Tale of Us will not perform at LIB this weekend and will be replaced by British DJ Lee Burridge, who has been an LIB staple for years, on the Woogie Stage.

Dive back into our past coverage of LIB here.

Coachella reveals 2019 set times

Coachella 2019

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival //
Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
April 12th-14th & April 19th-21st, 2019 //

It’s officially Coachella week, and we all know what that means: scheduling conflicts galore.

The three-day, two-weekend music and arts festival has revealed the set times for its 20th edition just after 11 a.m. PT (11:04 a.m. to be exact), about 16 hours later than it did in 2018.

Coachellans often have some tough decisions to make as to which artists they should see, and 2019 is no different in that respect. But if you’re headed to the desert this month, take a look at the set times below so you can survive all three days at the Empire Polo Club.

Tell us, though … what’s your biggest conflict this year and which performance are you most excited for?

WEEKEND 1 SET TIMES

Coachella 2019 - Weekend 1 - Friday set times

Coachella 2019 - Weekend 1 - Saturday set times

Coachella 2019 - Weekend 1 - Sunday set times

Coachella 2019 - Weekend 1 - Do LaB Stage set times

WEEKEND 2 SET TIMES

Coachella 2019 - Weekend 2 - Friday set times

Coachella 2019 - Weekend 2 - Saturday set times

Coachella 2019 - Weekend 2 - Sunday set times

Coachella 2019 - Weekend 2 - Do LaB Stage set times

There are a few minor schedule tweaks for Weekend 2, as Big Game takes Friday’s opening slot on the Outdoor Theatre at 3 p.m. for Jimbo Jenkins, who has been moved to the Sahara Tent on Saturday at 12:25 p.m. More Saturday changes include More Fire Mondays replacing Gabe Real on the Coachella Stage at 1:50 p.m., CPTN KIRK taking Fundido’s spot in the Gobi Tent at 12:45 p.m. and Lealani kicking things off in the Mojave Tent rather than Yeti Out at 12 p.m. bright and early (and hot, most likely).

On Sunday, Ugly Primo will now be the first act — instead of Alf Alpha — to take the Coachella Stage at 2:15 p.m. while Subsuelo gets things started in the Mojave Tent at 1:40 p.m., replacing Ericalandia, and Cre-8 has been moved in place of R3LL in the Sahara Tent at 1:50 p.m.

UPDATE (April 18th): Christine and the Queens has canceled her Weekend 2 performance at the Outdoor Theatre, sadly due to her mother’s death. Héloïse Letissier announced the news on Twitter in her native tongue of French (see below).

MAP

A little more than four hours after releasing its Weekend 1 set times, Coachella unveiled this year’s map and it looks fairly similar to what we saw in 2018.

One of most notable differences is the relocation of the Gobi and Sonora Tents, which have traded places with the Indio Central Market and the Antarctica dome, the latter being one of the cooler (no pun intended) experiences that the festival has introduced in the past three years. The Heineken House, meanwhile, has also moved (next to Antarctica) and sits more tucked away from Coachella’s eight other stages than it ever used to be.

Coachella - 2019 map

The Mojave Tent will continue to remain in its same location, with a few new additions to the area, including the Calvin Klein, Pantene and Peet’s Cold Brew tents. Believe it or not, there’s even a designated place where you can pick up your Postmates order. Ah, corporate sponsors … because what would America’s most Instagrammed music festival be without them now?

Happy Coachella!

Coachella drops 2019 lineup with Childish Gambino, Tame Impala & Ariana Grande headlining 20th year

Coachella - 2019 lineup

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival //
Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
April 12th-14th & April 19th-21st, 2019 //

Sorry, Kanye West fans.

Hours after TMZ reported that the rapper would not perform at Coachella due to negotiations over his stage setup falling through, the renowned three-day, two-weekend music festival has announced the lineup for its 20th edition.

Headlining Goldenvoice’s signature event in Indio this time around will be Childish Gambino, Tame Impala and Ariana Grande. While the first two acts had been previously rumored to top the 2019 bill with both expected to unveil new albums in the coming months, the inclusion of Grande comes as somewhat of a surprise (our guess is that she was likely tabbed to be West’s replacement). All three will headline Coachella for the first time, marking the second straight year that the festival has gone in that direction, although Tame Impala have performed on the polo fields several times in the past and as recently as 2015 (on the main stage before AC/DC). And for the record, Grande, at 25 years old, will be the youngest artist ever to headline.

The rest of Coachella’s 2019 roster, meanwhile, includes plenty of other household names, such as Janelle Monáe, Solange, Khalid, The 1975, Kid Cudi, Weezer, Bad Bunny, RÜFÜS DU SOL, J Balvin, Dillon Francis, BLACKPINK, Billie Eilish, CHVRCHES, Anderson .Paak & the Free Nationals, YG, Kacey Musgraves, Juice WRLD, Christine and the Queens, Playboi Carti, Ella Mai, Wiz Khalifa and H.E.R. As you can see, the focus continues to be on hip-hop, pop and R&B while straying away mostly from rock. But unlike in 2018, there seems to be more electronic music once again with Zedd, DJ Snake, Gesaffelstein, Diplo, Aphex Twin, Dillon Francis, Kaytranada, Bassnectar, Four Tet, Cirez D (aka Eric Prydz), Chris Lake, Bob Moses, Gryffin, Jon Hopkins, NGHTMRE, Gorgon City, Nina Kraviz and even 90’s progressive-house duo Deep Dish receiving fairly high placement on the fest’s famed poster.

Coachella’s first weekend is scheduled for April 12th-14th, with its second weekend slated for April 19th-21st. All tickets will go on sale for both weekends this Friday, January 4th at 11 a.m. PT here.

Ready to party in the California desert this April? Relive our five favorite moments, whether it was Jamiroquai or Eminem, from last year’s installment.

Coachella 2018

CRSSD returns with Empire of the Sun, Gorgon City, Bonobo, Little Dragon & more in Spring 2018

CRSSD Festival - Spring 2018 lineup

CRSSD Festival //
Waterfront Park – San Diego
March 3rd-4th, 2018 //

It’s hard to believe that it has been nearly four years since CRSSD made its official debut at San Diego’s scenic Waterfront Park, but the bi-annual music festival is showing no signs of slowing down in the coming year.

Instead, CRSSD has assembled another solid, electronic-focused roster in 2018 that should appeal to dance-music fans on the West Coast. Topping the bill in March will once again be Empire of the Sun, the Australian synthpop band that headlined the fest’s first installment back in 2015, as well as Gorgon City, the English DJ duo that played CRSSD in the spring of 2016 as an undercard act.

Other notable names listed on the two-day festival’s Spring 2018 lineup, meanwhile, include Bonobo (Live), Little Dragon, Gryffin, The Presets, SNBRN, Henry Saiz, Rodriguez Jr., Nombe, Lemaitre, Eric Prydz (aka Cirez D), Sasha, Nicole Moudaber, Alan Fitzpatrick, Jai Wolf, Shiba San, Lee Burridge, MK, Anna Lunoe, Nora En Pure and special guest Tchami.

See the poster above for the rest of the lineup. Advanced tickets for the 21-and-over event will be available here starting Tuesday, December 26th.

CRSSD Festival 2016

CRSSD unveils first phase of Fall 2016 lineup

CRSSD Fest - Fall 2016 lineup

CRSSD Festival //
Waterfront Park – San Diego
October 1st-2nd, 2016 //

For its second year on the circuit, CRSSD Festival returned to San Diego’s Waterfront Park this past spring and kicked off festival season on the West Coast in style with headliners ODESZA and Chet Faker.

After turning its attention toward more rock-centric acts like The Flaming Lips and TV on the Radio for its first fall edition last year, the bi-annual SoCal fest went back to curating a mostly electronic-focused lineup in March and has continued that trend with its latest bill of artists for the first weekend of October.

Leading the way as headliners will be Swedish indie-pop band Miike Snow and Chinese-American electronic musician ZHU (born Steven Zhu), while Cashmere Cat, Lido, Flight Facilities, Ta-Ku, Big Wild, MNEK and more will also hit CRSSD’s main stage.

Other notable names who are scheduled to perform at the two-day music festival include Thomas Jack, Trippy Turtle, MALAA, Lee Burridge, Lee Foss and Felix Da Housecat (B2B), Destructo and Busy P (B2B), DJ Harvey, Brodinski, Shiba San, FJK, Sam Feldt, Bakermat, M.A.N.D.Y., AC Slater and Wave Racer, among others. Better yet, fans can expect to hear two-hour extended DJ sets from Bonobo, Maya Jane Coles and Claptone at the City Steps stage, which even boasts Dubfire as a special guest.

Check out the poster above for the rest of the lineup. Advanced tickets for the 21-and-over event will be available here starting Tuesday, July 12th.

CRSSD Festival 2016

Will Lightning in a Bottle continue its rise in 2016?

Lightning in a BottlePhotos 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.

Lightning in a Bottle

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.

Lightning in a Bottle

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.

Lightning in a Bottle 2016 lineup

Win Tix // GO4FREE to Lightning in a Bottle 2016

Lightning in a Bottle 2016 lineup

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 contest flyer


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.

Lightning in a Bottle unveils 2016 lineup

Lightning in a Bottle 2016 lineup

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.

CRSSD makes a big splash in debut as 2015 festival season heats up

CRSSD FestivalBy Josh Herwitt //

CRSSD Festival //
Waterfront Park – San Diego
March 14th-15th, 2015 //

Music festivals rarely ever run smoothly in their inaugural year. Whether they are poorly timed, disorganized or just not well thought-out, first-time festivals often have their fair share of problems.

But Southern California-based event promoters Goldenvoice and FNGRS CRSSD are quickly changing the game after putting on a nearly flawless first edition of CRSSD Festival at San Diego’s Waterfront Park last weekend.

Bridging the gap between the EDM and alternative electronic worlds much like HARD Events founder and CEO Gary Richards has done with his own festival series, the two-day, 21-and-over event initially caught fans’ eyes with electro-rock bands like Empire of the Sun and Chromeo topping an impressive, dance-oriented bill that also included ODESZA, Flight Facilities, Hot Natured, Classixx, Maceo Plex, Justin Martin, Lee Burridge and Pete Tong.

Then, a month later, CRSSD organizers drew even more attention to the festival when they announced Phase II of the lineup, adding James Murphy, Damian Lazarus & The Ancient Moons and Trippy Turtle to an already stacked list of performers.

And with temperatures hitting the high 80’s on both Saturday and Sunday, CRSSD Festival couldn’t have served as a better warm-up (no pun intended) for Coachella, which, by the way, is only three weeks away.

Here are our awards from the first-ever CRSSD Festival.


CRSSD Festival - Empire of the Sun

Most Epic Set: Empire of the Sun

The Aussie glam-pop giant has been headlining festivals for a while now and continues to do so in epic fashion. Empire of the Sun’s live performance is as much of a spectacle as it is a psychedelic dance party, and when they intertwine the two so fluidly as they did to close out the first day of festivities at CRSSD, they’re able to leave lasting memories for both new and old fans.


CRSSD Festival - Chromeo

Biggest Dance Party: Chromeo

These two childhood friends from Montreal have been igniting dance parties all over the world since dropping their 2004 debut She’s in Control, and while their synthpop sound hasn’t necessarily evolved leaps and bounds over the last decade, they still know how to get a crowd moving, whatever the occasion may be. With the weekend winding down, you could find plenty of festivalgoers all over the grounds grooving to Chromeo’s signature brand of disco funk. We even saw people dancing on their way to the porta potties!


CRSSD Festival - Classixx

Most Uplifting Set: Classixx

As we found out at Treasure Island Music Festival last fall, LA electronic duo Classixx have come a long way since their early days remixing artists like Phoenix, Mayer Hawthorne and Holy Ghost! Scheduled to play the always-important post-sunset set on the Ocean View Live stage, they stepped up to the challenge and delivered one of the most awe-inspiring shows of the weekend. With their wide range of influences, the sky — especially when it’s tinged orange, red and blue — appears to be the limit for these two beatmakers.


CRSSD Festival - Lido

Biggest Surprise: Lido

Quite frankly, we didn’t know anything about Norwegian producer Lido (aka 22-year-old Peder Losnegård) prior to his 4:30 p.m. set on Sunday. Well, maybe we should have. After watching him drop remixes of Bill Withers, The Weeknd and alt-j all while maneuvering between keyboards, electronic drums and a variety of programming equipment, we were thoroughly impressed with this young stud’s skills. Oh, and his pipes aren’t shabby either.


CRSSD Festival - ODESZA

Best Stage Visuals: ODESZA

The Seattle production duo has been on fire of late, and its Sunday night set was easily one of the most anticipated of the weekend thanks to the release of its second full-length album In Return this past September. While “Say My Name” has taken the airwaves by storm over the last few months, it was their stage visuals that really stood out. Artistic and abstract at the same time, you couldn’t help but stare at the huge LED screen directly behind Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight as they worked their magic on us.


CRSSD Festival - Robert DeLong

Most Enthusiastic Performance: Robert DeLong

Is there a more entertaining live performer in dance music right now than Robert DeLong? Whether he’s singing or banging away ferociously on the drums (his stage setup includes both acoustic and electronic), the 29-year-old Washington state native is one of the most animated acts in electronic music. Fusing house, moombahton and a handful of other EDM sub-genres into his Sunday afternoon slot, he showed an enthusiasm unparalleled to any other artist on the CRSSD lineup.


CRSSD Festival - Flight Facilities

Best Guest Performance: Flight Facilities

Since their inception in 2009, Australian production duo Flight Facilities have continued to soar by dropping new singles year after year. Exceeding all expectations at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco during Noise Pop 2015, they arrived at CRSSD on Sunday night and didn’t disappoint, employing guest vocalists like Brooke Addamo (aka Owl Eyes) to engage the crowd and supplement their disco-house grooves.


CRSSD Festival - STRFKR

Most Under-Appreciated Set: STRFKR

Portland electronic quartet STRFKR have been going strong for more than eight years now. With four studio albums to their name, Joshua Hodges, Shawn Glassford, Keil Corcoran and Patrick Morris have continued to build on their synth-heavy sound. Unfortunately with DJ Harvey and Thomas Jack playing sets on the festival’s two other stages at the same time, STRFKR’s rather fun and upbeat performance on Saturday went relatively unnoticed.


CRSSD Festival - Goldroom

Sexiest Stage Presence: Goldroom

We unexpectedly caught Goldroom at Lightning in a Bottle a couple years ago, so we were already familiar with Josh Legg’s breezy, chilled-out arrangements. But somehow we did forget how sexy Mereki Beach can be when she takes over the mic, as she strutted her stuff in her shiny kicks midway through Goldroom’s Saturday afternoon set. With Legg getting the live band back together, fans of the LA-based act should be seeing a lot more of Beach.


CRSSD Festival - Slow Magic

Most Mysterious Performance: Slow Magic

One of the biggest enigmas in electronic music these days is the man behind a Technicolor wolf mask. While his identity still remains unknown to most, his fans know him best by his stage name Slow Magic (read our review of his SF show from the fall). Though a small, yet passionate crowd assembled for his early-afternoon set on the main stage Sunday, you had to feel for a guy wearing a mask and playing drums in almost 90-degree heat.


Five reasons why you won’t want to miss CRSSD

CRSSD FestivalBy Josh Herwitt //

CRSSD Festival //
Waterfront Park – San Diego
March 14th-15th, 2015 //

Making its debut this spring at San Diego’s Waterfront Park, CRSSD Festival is the newest music festival to call California home.

Los Angeles promoter Goldenvoice and San Diego promoter FNGRS CRSSD have teamed up to assemble an eclectic lineup of electronic talent, one that’s suited for a more sophisticated, mature audience with headliners like Empire of the Sun, Chromeo, Justin Martin, Jamie Jones and more. Simian Mobile Disco, Classixx, ODESZA, STRFKR, Flight Facilities, Breakbot, DJ Harvey, Robert DeLong, Lee Burridge, Pete Tong and Aeroplane are some of the other names rounding out this year’s impressive two-day bill.

With CRSSD serving as a nice warm-up before Coachella in April, here are five other reasons why you’ll want to be in SD for all the festivities.

5. Tickets are going fast

Both early-bird and advance tickets are sold out, and only weekend GA passes, which started at $85 and are now up to $145, are left for purchase at this point. You won’t want to wait until the last minute to buy your pass and risk seeing the festival sell out.

4. There are more than just DJs

Portland-based quartet STRFKR provide an intriguing blend of synthpop and indie pop, while Robert DeLong and Slow Magic employ the one-man-band philosophy when performing live. Trust us, your weekend down south won’t be filled with only a bunch of button pushers.

3. You will definitely dance

With Empire of the Sun and Chromeo leading the way, there’s little chance that you won’t be dancing your ass off by the end of the night. Not to mention, electronica vets Pete Tong and Simian Mobile Disco certainly know how to throw down, too.

2. The location

Overlooking the San Diego Bay, Waterfront Park offers one of the best backdrops you could find for a music festival. Between the sunshine and sweet tunes, it’s sure to feel like mid-summer in mid-March.

1. The music

While the lineup leans heavy on the electronic, there is enough talent from top to bottom to keep you entertained and not overwhelmed over two days. With its laid-back vibes, CRSSD feels like it could be a perfect fit in sunny San Diego.

Waterfront Park - San Diego