Thanks to our promotions team here at KSJS, I was able to start the journey of a lifetime to Bakersfield, California to experience Lightning in a Bottle. This journey included five days worth of camping, classes, vegan food, and a music lineup with an insane amount of talent. Every new turn you took included not only the beautiful view of Buena Vista lake, but immaculate sights of eccentric stages, statues, and art fixtures everywhere you looked. Whether day or night, there wasn’t an hour that went by without finding or listening to an artist that was insanely talented. Notable headlining artists at Lightning included: SOFI TUKKER, ZHU, Phantogram, and DRAMA.
This experience was once in a lifetime. For someone who’s never been to a music festival that included five days worth of camping, I am so grateful that Lightning in a Bottle was my first experience. The venue, staff, and vibe of the venue and campsite were so positive and welcoming. “Lightning” or “LiB” as many returners to the festival grounds have called it, is a beacon for not only people across California, but the Pacific Northwest. Two of my favorite stages were the vibrant Woogie Stage and the bass thumping Thunder Stage that was lit all weekend. These two stages are so close to my heart for very different reasons, besides both having such spectacular talent.
The Woogie Stage -definitely inspired by the shape and form of mushrooms- was so intimate and welcoming. Being the furthest stage at the venue, it took about twenty minutes to complete my journey from Sunset Camp to join everyone enjoying the bass and the vibrant colors of the scene. Here, I was able to enjoy the sounds of Nala (@thisisnala), who made her EDC debut the weekend before, and is currently on her own summer tour. Hopefully she shares her Psycho Killer remix with the rest of the world, because that was a moment where I felt like the song was meant just for me.
The Thunder Stage was happening every single day and only got better with each passing hour. Here, I discovered the young talent of Moore Kismet (@moorekismet), an 18-year-old artist hailing from Victorville, California. They played a little bit of everything that you could expect at an electronic music festival, but cranked it up to 11 each time to the point where I just refused to stop dancing. That same night, LSDream (@lsdream) tore down the house with PEACE LOVE & WUBZ, a true masterpiece. Other artists that rocked this stage included Zingara (@zingaramusic) and TOKiMONSTA (@tokimonsta), a justkara favorite.
In conclusion, this festival was so well put together. From the stages, activities, & visuals, to the staff at the Medical and Sanctuary tents. I would personally like to thank the people that helped me when I passed out from heat exhaustion at this location: Riley, Tea. If you go to LiB next year, bring lots of water, good vibes, and be ready to dance the night away!
This was one for the books especially since LiB celebrated 20 years, I am hoping for 20 more! If any of this intrigued you, there are already Lightning Sale for LiB 2024 starting June 15 because as they say, “lightning strikes again and again!” For more information on tickets for 2024 Lightning in a Bottle be sure to check out https://www.libfestival.org