Title photo by Jess Gallo (@helloatlasmedia)
Day One: Woogie and Boogie
Last weekend, the I WANT EDM team headed up to Bakersfield to attend Lightning in a Bottle for the first time! Attending EDC b2b LIB is NOT for the weak, but we powered through the weekend with a plethora of energy drinks and Gatorade. Some of the coolest things about this festival are the diverse lineup and the fact that it is all ages. The lineup was stacked with artists of many different backgrounds and sounds, ranging across various genres from experimental bass to UK garage to dubstep to indie to house. It was really cool to see little kids enjoying the festival with their raver veteran parents—there is a whole section of the campgrounds dedicated to families!
After our campsite was set up and secured (this is essential in areas with unpredictable weather), we headed into the festival to check out our beautiful lake oasis for the weekend. Our group made sure to explore all of the nooks and crannies of the festival, like the Mixtape area, which was clad with a bunch of 80s theme decor, vintage antiques, and various cassette tapes we could choose from to play. At night, this area transformed into a house party with live performances.
Image description for the below image: Festival attendees explore the mixtape area. Lights illuminate the room.
Photographer: Julian Bajsel (@jbajsel)
Our next stop was the familiar Woogie stage, which had the same colorful, flowy art installation setup as the DoLab stage at Coachella. Similarly to the DoLab stage’s connotation of strictly EDM, the Woogie stage was the spot to go to for anything house-music related. From afro house to deep house to tech house, the Woogie stage covered every subgenre of house music imaginable.
Pretty soon, it was time to make our way to the Thunder stage for some wubz and womps. Our Day One musical itinerary was very bass-heavy. Mary Droppinz followed by Peekaboo both played some heavy hitters with their wonky experimental bass tracks. Afterwards, we headed to Sammy Virji at the Lightning stage (main stage) for a vibe switch. Virji’s latest single “Nostalgia” with Issey Cross had us reminiscing and soaking in all of the feel-good vibes!
Image description for the below image: DJ plays at the Lightning stage. Rainbow lasers light the air. The crowd dances. 
Photographer: Ivan Meneses (@ai.visuals)
Next up was Tape B. We were on the rail for this one, so we could really feel the bass vibrating in our souls. Hearing one of my favorite songs, Ganja Tape, which is a collaboration Tape B made with Ganja White Night, was definitely a core memory. Our last stop of the night was at the Woogie stage to catch Tinlicker throw down some progressive and melodic house. Their set was extremely euphoric, and I felt extremely grateful to be present in the moment with my friends. I called it an early night and headed back to our campsite to get some rest for the jam-packed weekend ahead.
Day Two: Afro House and Chicken Tender Tragedies
One of the best parts about Lightning in a Bottle is that it is a wellness retreat in addition to a music festival. On Day Two, we made sure to head to the festival early to participate in some of the self-care workshops. I was feeling very inspired and liberated after attending the Empowered Sensual Dance Class taught by Krista Marie. She effortlessly tapped into everyone’s feminine side and brought out a rhythm in me that I didn’t know existed.
Equipped with some new dance moves courtesy of Krista, we were ready to hit the Woogie stage for a day filled with Afro House music. Kilimanjaro, followed by Francis Mercier and Joy Orbison, filled the atmosphere with radiant vibes from their groovy tunes. My friend Ivy described the way she was feeling during these sets as “a leopard and their pack running through the thick grass in the hills of Africa.” Afro House has a way of building community and having attendees feel united through the music. You could practically feel the passion bleeding out from the artists as they danced on stage, sang along to their songs, and interacted with the crowd.
Image description for the below image: Francis Mercier DJs at the Woogie stage. Dancers in colorful outfits move in front of the stage. Festival attendees vibe in the background.
Photographer: Julian Bajsel (@jbajsel)
Did I mention how amazing the food at Lightning in a Bottle was? I am still dreaming about their chicken tenders—and the fact that my friends dropped theirs on the ground. The pizza and ranch at the Dough Lab were equally as to die for. Staff from Cocobear Organic were passing out free coconuts in VIP with the most delicious coconut water I have ever tasted. If you were considering upgrading to VIP next year, take this as your sign…
We closed out the night at the Lightning stage with Shygirl Presents Club Shy, which had a more electronic flair than her normal performance style. The booming bass and sonic synths perfectly encapsulated the vibes of LIB. Hearing “365” live once again reminded me that BRAT Summer lives on.
Image description for the below image: Shygirl sings at the Lightning stage alongside her DJ counterpart during the Club Shy set.
Photographer: Scott Hutchinson (@ScotchPhotos)
Day Three: Amplified Yoga and Afters
Our Day Three started off with an exciting Amplified Yoga Class hosted by Donovan McGrath. Going into this class, I anticipated some mindful breathing exercises and light stretching—boy, was I wrong. McGrath had us dancing, chanting, and tapping into the natural “ecstasy in our artistry.” He took us on an emotional journey of self-love, community connection, and healing; many people were in tears by the end of the exercise.
Still on a high from the yoga class, we headed over to a tamale-making and history class hosted by Chef Jed. The internationally acclaimed chef taught the audience how to prepare the masa, package the tamale, and finally steam them. Once we had devoured our delicious creations, it was time to start getting ready to head to some sets.
Our first set of the day was Magdalena Bay, who had the audience in their feels with their chill indie tracks. Next up was one of my favorite artists—Interplanetary Criminal! The Manchester-born UK garage producer and DJ captivated the audience with his catchy tunes. We then made our way back to the Woogie stage to catch Claude VonStroke’s return to the spotlight. Lightning in a Bottle marked his first festival set back as Claude after taking a step back to focus on Barclay Crenshaw two years ago. With his funky signature grooves, Claude’s set kept the energy up into the night.
Image description for the below image: Interplanetary Criminal hits the decks at the Thunder stage. Green lights illuminate the stage.
Photographer: Scott Hutchinson (@ScotchPhotos)
Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the Thunder stage for Subtronics. I have seen Subtronics over 10 times over the past three-and-a-half years, and this man NEVER disappoints. His signature wonky dubstep sounds permeated the dusty Bakersfield air and had the headbangers’ necks working overtime. Once his set commenced, a lot of the crowd migrated to the main stage for John Summit’s closing set. Out of all of the DJs I have seen during my time as a raver, Summit is the best at reading the crowd. He made sure to appeal to the basshead-dominated crowd at Lightning in a Bottle with a blend of bass remixes sprinkled throughout his track list. The crowd went from singing their hearts out to his hits to hitting a bass face as the wubby sounds tickled their brains.
After John Summit closed out the mainstage, we wandered around the festival grounds and explored the different art carts. We ended up partying on a white fuzzy art cart equipped with a stripper pole while the DJ played some trippy experimental bass beats. Once I devoured another slice of pizza from the Dough Lab, we finally ended the night with the heavily anticipated secret-not-so secret b2b SUBJOHNICS and called it a night (or day) as the sun rose.
Image description for the below image: Subtronics and John Summit go back to back at the Stacks stage. Fans dance behind them.
Photographer: Ivan Meneses (@ai.visuals)
Overall, Lightning in a Bottle was an amazing festival experience! From the lake, to the wellness workshops, to the music, LIB truly has something for everyone of all ages. I left the festival grounds feeling spiritually rejuvenated and fulfilled in a way that only people who attend LIB would understand. See ya next year!