This past weekend, the four-day Lightning in a Bottle Festival took place at the San Antonio Recreation Area in Bradley, CA. Organized by the Los Angeles event production company, the Do LaB, the group’s single stage at Coachella was nothing compared to their production on a full-scale festival level.
Surrounded by positive energy, smiles were contagious and high-fives were plenty. In contrast with the packed, standoffish crowd that scowls at you for getting within their dancing space at many concerts, the LiB crowd could not have been more loving-dancing with strangers was highly encouraged. Not to mention all of the outstanding artists that performed at this year’s Lightning in a Bottle…
Friday, May 22nd
Thomas Jack
Arguably the pioneer and inventor of the tropical house genre, Australian DJ Thomas Jack was a must-see. Flutes, saxophones, and deep house beats abounded throughout his two-hour set forcing even the stiffest fans to groove and shake like never before. Practically just as captivating was his get-up: a red, suede jacket straight off of a pirate ship and a stage adorned with numerous pineapples. Although this set was more deep and mellow than his tropical-dominated performances in the past, the crowd was definitely feeling it.
Bakermat
Continuing the deep, tropical house vibe at the same stage as Thomas Jack was Bakermat, with a more mellow flow than the previous performer. He extended “One Day,” his hit single incorporating parts of MLK Jr’s famous speech, into a hypnotic, melodic anthem while experimenting with his take on hits like “Faded” by Zhu.
Odesza
Amongst the EDM community, the legitimacy of live performances is hotly debated. Some fans of other genres of music believe that EDM isn’t real music due to the way it’s created. Instead of tangible instruments and vocals, DJs often make songs using computer programs and samples, sometimes simply “pressing play” during live performances. Odesza, as expected, defied this myth in a big way. The duo from Seattle put on an incredible show in their headlining spot on Friday. The energy the two brought as they banged on drumpads and mixed all the sounds live was incredible. Upon announcing the debut of a newly finished remix of “Something About You” by Hayden James, the crowd was even happier to be a part of such a special performance.
GRiZ
The rarity and uniqueness that is GRiZ was totally different than anything else at the festival. For those who don’t realize what “electro-sax” is, GRiZ’s ability to simultaneously play saxophone and spin incredible sounds is incredible. With a style reminiscent of electro-jazz, funk, and even dubstep when he played Snails and Big Gigantic’s new song “Funk With Me;” this was certainly one of the highlights.
Saturday, May 23rd
Lindsay Lowend
The self-proclaimed king of “neon music” performed a set that was incredibly entertaining, funny, and hard-hitting. His style includes elements of jazz, bass, and video game sounds that can transfix an audience. Throughout his set, he would stop the music and say something funny, whether it be apologizing for messing up or ensuring the crowd he would play “We Like to Party!” by the Venga Boys in its entirety.
Goldroom
This LA-native has a sound best described as indie-electronic, using vocals and remixing hits to create a sound similar to RAC’s. His remix of MØ’s “Don’t Wanna Dance” was a favorite, considering my sudden discovery that I was the best dancer at the whole festival.
Flume
Perhaps the most anticipated set of the weekend, thousands of fans flocked to the stage to see the Australian producer. Although he’s only 23 years old, he commanded the audience and had the whole group in the palms of his hands. What differentiates Flume from other DJs is his arsenal of hits: he was well over 100,000,000 plays on his Soundcloud and Spotify profiles including work completed with Emoh Instead under his separate act, What So Not. Consequently, he played anthem after anthem including visceral drops with bass that seemed to actually shake the atmosphere and stun everyone there. Closing off the night with his viral remix of Lorde’s “Tennis Court,” this was easily one of the best sets of the weekend.
Sunday, May 24th
Big Wild
Although one of the lesser-known acts of the weekend, Big Wild’s recent signing with Foreign Family Collective, Odesza’s label, brought some anticipation to this set. Incorporating sounds like whistling, chimes, and brass into basslines, Big Wild can create a sound that is very characteristic and unique.
Snakehips
Snakehips consists of two producers teaming up to create electro R&B-style songs. They have gained fame for their mellow remixes of The Weeknd, Banks, and Bondax, but have proved themselves in the creation of original songs with their hit single “Gone.” As expected, the two delivered a psychedelic set.
Shiba San
A member of the EDM label Dirty Bird Records, Shiba San is synonymous with groovy in congruence with the overall deep style of Dirty Bird. He blended some of his hit songs like “OKAY” and “Show Me, Show Me” to present a house style that seemed to transport fans back to his roots in a club in France.
SNBRN
This LA native has made his name through remixes of 50 Cent’s “21 Questions” and Ace of Base’s “All She Wants,” and delivered a phenomenal set. His style can best be described as heavy house with a touch of tropical elements.
Hermitude
In a similar fashion as Odesza, the duo of Hermitude played instruments on stage to create live electronic sounds. Keyboard and drum pad solos were abundant, adding to the excitement of the crowd. Since this was the group’s first time playing a festival in California, there were clearly some jitters that technical difficulties only worsened. That being said, this duo should be watched, as their new EP will be released in August and will feature a new tune that was debuted at Lightning in a Bottle.
Tycho
The perfect cap to an incredible weekend. Tycho’s ambient, melodic sounds have production value that make you wonder if you’re actually listening to sounds made by a human or the soundtrack to a dreamscape made by a superhuman. The visuals combined with calm sounds to close out an incredible weekend, and, as expected, “Awake” put the crowd into a trance.