Lighting in a Bottle, which takes place on May 24-29 2018, in Bradley, CA, is a unique experience to each person who attends the affair; no two LIBs are the same. Some focus on seminars and workshops, listening to ideas and inspirations from a cavalcade of gurus, experts, healers, and leaders. Others seek out the litany of visionary installations and collaborative art projects evolving each year. People go to LIB for the diversified yoga programs, the learning kitchen, the spirituality, the tea houses, the improv troupes, the fashion, and the dozens of thriving subcultures. Families, loners, and longtime festival crews come back to LIB to experience what is among the most engaging, socially conscious, and interactive music festivals on the planet. The word “transformational” is thrown around a lot these days, but there is no irony, sarcasm, or tongue planted in cheek here; Lightning in a Bottle is a life-affirming endeavor that can fundamentally change somebody, if they are willing and able to surrender to the flow.
Long an integral part of the LIB family and a luminary of the West Coast’s psychedelic-bass music diaspora, Random Rab has released a dreamy new installment of his Endless Dawn series, a mystical departure just in time for Lightning in a Bottle 2018. The perfect soundtrack to travel the summer festival season, for the beautiful weather, and outdoor bliss. As a headliner at festivals around the world, Rab has become more than just a DJ or producer, evolving into an ephemeral wizard whose legendary sunrise/sunset adventures have become festival culture rites of passage.
Endless Dawn Mix Part 2 : Fragments of Twilight is a journey inward, focusing on the darker themes and ethereal sensibilities in his musical persona The 63-minute DJ set unveils an ever-evolving kaleidoscope of styles, each embedded with his idiosyncratic codings and vintage visceral vibration. The mix is a tasty blend of unreleased material, and music found on his most recent full length LPs. You can listen to Part 1 Here. Random Rab will be blessing up the Thunder Stage at this installment of Lightning in a Bottle.
In 2018, LiB continues its decade-spanning dedication to musical and mental diversity with a lineup that boasts big names and killer grooves across styles and tempos. Headlining is the new school’s ultimate funk master Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals. The night will turn noir with a set from ZHU, while Griz will paint bright with organic colors. Fever Ray will make things weird and otherworldly, The Glitch Mob will turn noise into magic, and Modeselektor will hop on the decks, which is always something to see. Performances from Tipper, Emancipator, Nicole Moudaber, The Black Madonna, MK, Yotto, Sofi Tukker, Tune-Yards, Nao, Beats Antique, Tokimonsta, Giraffage and more round out the bill.
Read on for more information about the incredible wonderland of LIB 2018…
The Compass:
Immerse yourself in over 150 talks and discussions with world-renowned visionaries, experts & thought leaders. Learn by doing in hands-on workshops ranging in topics from skill-based trades to medicine making to sacred relationships & more. Reset and restore with a session from world-renowned practitioners, bodyworkers & healers. Connect with global cultures through ancient practices & earth-based wisdom traditions including dance, music & daily Sacred Fire gatherings. Dig into food-focused classes and workshops to feed and nourish your body in a variety of both ancient and modern kitchen traditions. Amateurs and seasoned cooks alike will learn culinary techniques and the fundamentals of health, in order to cook with joy and confidence.
The Grand Artique returns to Lightning in a Bottle for the 8th year in a row! Bringing back to life their town of Frontierville, featuring a fully immersive Trading Post/General Store, hotel, gypsy encampment and a heavy hitting music line up that will have you ripping up the dance floor deep into the night. Really, you don’t want to miss out on this all out, no holds barred, pure unadulterated, down-home good ol’ time!
The true magic begins outside the musical stages. LIB is full of places and spaces packed with lively, participatory fun and shenanigans that go till the sun comes up.
From the Soap Box Derby to the Must-Dash 5K Run and everything in between, be sure to participate in one of the hilarious activities, unique only to LIB. Just because you’re at a festival doesn’t mean you can’t eat well. LIB offers several interactive sit-down dining experiences fully equipped with entertainment, farm-to-table ingredients, and renowned chefs. LIB invites over 40 artists to transform blank canvases into incredible murals and paintings throughout the festival, concluding with an art walk and silent auction Sunday evening. LIB offers art classes and hands-on workshops at LIB’s new interactive creative space, ArtClave. Cultivated and created by a community of artists and creators, ArtClave’s environment invites attendees of every skill level to activate the artist within. Get lost exploring LIB’s array of larger than life art installations, carefully curated each year to wow and inspire.
LIB’s iconic structures and stages will transform your festival experience into a unique visual odyssey of creativity and imagination. Whether enchanting on stage or mingling within the crowd, the performance artists at LIB will take your breath away.
The yoga offerings at LIB are purposely varied to encompass all styles and levels of yoga from the traditional practices to the wildly unconventional and fun. Put your body in motion and learn a new groove, all while connecting deeper with yourself and those around you in LIB’s world-spanning dance and movement classes. Away from the main stages, LIB offers spaces and places to slow down and find stillness through meditation, breathwork and more.
words: B. Getz