Last Weekend, when Danny and I gallivanted up the California Coast for our friend’s beautiful wedding at the Falkirk Cultural Center – we took a necessary deviation from what’s seemingly become our standard road-tripping playlists, bass heavy, glitch infused tracks that more often than not lack a vocal track. Don’t get me wrong, I thrive on the complexities, deviations in structure and the plethora of noises that stem from Electronic Music. But, now that I’ve had my ‘Robot Ears’ on for the better part of the last decade – songs from individual genres seem to blend together effortlessly into musical amalgamation of Dubstep, Deep House and Trance.
If it weren’t for the varied live groups like Modestep, Odesza, Keys n Krates, EOTO, Emancipator Ensemble and STS9, expertly fused live DJ sets from the likes of Bassnectar, Andy C, Beardyman, Kastle, Disclosure, Bonobo and Shpongle and exceptional one off live Trance shows like Armin van Buuren’s Armin Only and Above & Beyond’s Acoustic at the Greek – I wouldn’t lost my faith in the umbrella genre of EDM long ago. So, for this 10 hour cruise – we put up our disco duds and busted it old school thanks to some help from Spotify, and a whole lot of great memories from our childhood. On my infinite list of things I love about Danny, it’s that even though we didn’t grow up near each other nor share any childhood memories – we both used to rock out to the same ol’ songs and that fact brings us so much closer together. Music, as it already stands, is a building block of our relationship (hell, we met EDC weekend 2010, said the magic words at LIB then got engaged at Shambhala) – but it’s also an emotive, binding force.
As only children, a lot of the time we were left alone with music and our own thoughts – meaning that these artists had a substantial impact on our childhood, as well as our world view. For the drive, we listened to it all. From Rock and Roll like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sum 41, blink182 and Sublime to Linkin Park, Foo Fighters and the Barenaked Ladies to Hip Hop and Rap from Run DMC, A Tribe Called Quest, The Fugees, Nas, Puff Daddy (back when he was actually Puff Daddy), Notorious B.I.G. and some guilty pleasure pop music a la Celine, Whitney, Mariah, Alanis and Fiona – we went back, way back – and it was the best time ever. So good, in fact, that I’ve made a collaborative playlist on Spotify and y’all can add your favorite 90’s tracks, too! So take your hair down, put your feet up and let’s kick it old school for Throwback Thursday.
What’s your go to 90’s track? Leave it some love in the comments below – or better yet, head on over to Spotify and add to my collaborative playlist!
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
Depending on who you ask, there are a host of variable definitions for Summer – dogs sticking their tongues out while riding shotgun in cars, short shorts and flip-flops, beach days and sunkissed skin, time away from school or an excellent reason to play hooky from work, and last – but certainly not least – festival season. Where before I would inhabit boisterous spaces and sparking places like Coachella, Together as One, How Sweet It Is, Electric Daisy Carnival and HARD events – I’ve caught myself yearning for something more: that cherry on top of the ice cream sundae, that je-ne-sais-quoi, that extra ounce of oomph and pizzazz. I’m beyond grateful to have found all of that in more in events sponsored and influenced by members of The Do Lab, my favorite rump shakers and taste makers inside the music industry.
Starting with New Years Eve in San Francisco at Sea of Dreams, this has been a formidable year of firsts for me. Not only was it the first festival that I covered for The DJ List, but it was my first event outside of Southern California. Then, just the other week – I gallivanting across the MidWest to Colorado and Red Rocks for the 13th anniversary of Global Dance Festival and my first out-of-state festival. And now, it looks like I’m going to fulfill yet another first this weekend as Danny and I road trip up to Salmo, BC! I’m packing my bags, exchanging currencies, making playlists and preparing to embark to my first festival outside of the US, and according to friends, musicians and mentors alike – there’s no better place than the hallowed grounds of Shambhala Music Festival.
There’s something just so right about a weekend where costumes are encouraged, so you can either come as you are right now – or you can come as you really are. So, whether you choose to dress up as a cat, superhero, a tried and true tie-dyed hippie – or simply yourself – there’s a community out there right now that’s been waiting for you. One last caveat: not that it should matter – but this is a dry festival. Meaning not only are there no obnoxious alcohol sponsors promoting a $22 beer, you get to actual enjoy your surroundings. If you’re sitting there saying “But, I can enjoy them with a drink or two…” – sure, you can; but do you enjoy the music, your community and your social circle of friends and peers without a drink or two? It not, you’re doing it wrong.
In ’98, 500 friends joined forces on the Bunschuh family’s Sunny Salmo River Ranch over Labour Day weekend for a party that would go down in history. Now, 16 years later – it’s one of the foremost festival destinations in North America. Now, boasting over 10,000 attendants – the grounds attract internationally renowned talent and one of the most enigmatic music communities in the world. From live art to music, and organic food – Shambhala reaches out to local vendors to cultivate a rich atmosphere and bonded community. The weekend features food from: Night Owl (locally roasted coffee from Oso Negro), Farm Phresh (fresh, organic ingredients made into smoothies) and Blaze Burgers (meat produced from happy cows raised on the Salmo River Ranch). During the year, the grounds boast a 500 acre farm riddled with horses, cows, pigs, farm dogs, chickens and even miniature donkeys – not to mention the pristine Salmo River, which runs through it all.
From Pre-Festival parties with your new best friends, to theatrics, acrobatics and amazing music on one of the 6th specially curated stages – no matter what you’re craving this weekend, there’s an exciting, costumed adventure to go on that’ll satiate your most immediate cravings for Wanderlust.
Shambhala’s Side Parties
In preparation for my first Shambhala, friends and peers alike have made one thing clear – the journey is the destination; so when it comes to the menagerie of activities over the coming weekend: soak it in and live it up. For the complete list of side events -check out this thorough schedule put together with help from the entire breadth of their festival family; for quick reference, print a copy – and don’t forget to bring an extra watch in case your cell phone runs out of battery. While the music is turned off, there’s no reason to turn down – there’s plenty of Shambhala shenanigans to indulge in with your new Farm-ily.
Starting tomorrow, there’s TuTu Tuesday, to Day One’s Day Onesie – which would make The Polish Ambassador beyond proud, and well into the weekend with assorted events daily afternoon hoop jams scattered throughout the grounds, Hatha Vinyasa Yoga in the yoga garden,theme parties ranging from Star Wars and Harry Potter to Pokemon, a treasure hunt through The Grove and various full mooncelebrations. From embracing my age to falling down rabbit holes, touring Salmo River Ranch and watching a dance battle during Andy C’s Sunday set – these are the 5 parties that you shouldn’t miss out on.
DJ DAN – 11:00 PM | DONALD GLAUDE – 12:30 AM | MARK FARINA – 2:00 AM
“Crusty old ravers unite for The AMPhitheatre Stage’s House Legends Showcase at Shambhala 2014. Bust out your phat pants, kikwear, kandi… we know you still have it in a box somewhere. Pair it up with a grey-hair wig or old lady / old man mask. And voila… welcome to Team #GeriatricRaver. We’ll show them young whippersnappers how to party. We’ve been listening to electronic music since before you were born, sonny. Now get off my lawn.”
“You are cordially invited to the second annual Funky Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. The location of the event will again be held in the Wonderland section of the Fractal Forest in Shambhala Music Festival at the beautiful Salmo River Ranch. The event will be help during the famous Fractal Funk Jam. Come as your favorite Wonderland character or the character that you are. Until the time is ripe, I bid you adieu.” – The White Rabbit
“Join us on a magical train tour through the mystical land of Shambhala on the opening day of all the stages. We will be touring through all the stages at Shambhala Music Festival on an imaginary train and WE WANT YOU to join us!
Allow the infamous Captain Thomas to guide you along a magical journey through the festival grounds. This tour will feature exclusive entertaining commentary, super special Shambhala secrets, an imaginary train and a whole lot of silly! You should probably just jump on board and…JOIN THE TRAIN TOUR!”
“Cat calling all of our feline friends to share the good mews, it’s our favfurrite time of the year! Caturday Morning Disco returns to the Fractal Forest at Shambhala Music Festival, with your host Joseph Martin. Start your day off with a good strut full of cattitude, we’ll be dressing up & sporting our best cat-themed attire, feline good while pawtying down to funky disco house mewsics!”
“We will be meeting at the Village, dead-center, for a Drum & Bass Dance Party! At the build-up to the set, we will politely ask people to step back to make room for a spacious, but modest pit. That way, we can show Shambhala how the Drum & Bass people really groove! Bring your most outrageous costumes, muster all of your endurance, and prepare your war face for a super-stepping dance battle extravaganza you will never forget! Sunday Night at 12:30am!”
Stages and Solid Sets
For five fun-filled days, a seemingly deserted ranch manifests into the biggest city in the West Kootenays. Staffed by 1,000 dedicated workers and volunteers – over five days, 10,000 happy humans will bustle and bounce through the majestic grounds, enjoying a seductive synthesis of live art, live music, the workshops above – and most importantly, one of the most beautiful music communities on North America. In a world where the majority of music has become infiltrated with dollar signs, watered down with mainstream techno-pop and rich with musical monopolies – Shambhala’s 100% Attendee-Sponsorship offers a breath of fresh air. In a bold move that I hope US festivals follow, Shambhala River Ranch – referred to by Vets as ‘The Farm’ – rejects all forms of corporate sponsorship in an effort to mirror their vision of their musical community at large. Each of the six uniquely themed stages is maintained and manage by their own Stage Director – they’re not only music curators, they’re dream weavers; providing for an exceptionally unique, exquisite, astounding festival experience that you simply can’t get anywhere else. To make your festival schedule ahead of time, head on to the Shambhala Schedule page right here; now, onto the stages!
The Pagoda stage is the main stage of the weekend, and essentially embodies the vibe of the entire festival – the curators simply want to make you dance the night away with a huge smile on your face. Not to mention, the stage is one of the world’s foremost pioneers in video mapping technology since the idea first became possible, and it’s home to one of the best audio / visual productions on the planet. My top sets on the Pagoda are Bassnectar, Beats Antique, Hannah Wants, What So Not, Justin Martin, J.Phlip and Skream.
If the Pagoda stage is the main course, consider The Fractal Forest™ your dessert. A show within a show, the talent plays in the heart of the forest out of a burnt out old-growth cedar tree stump in an enchanted forest. I’ve been told this is the crème de la crème of stages, and something that should really be experienced in person, so I’m beyond excited to report back! No matter who’s performing, the The Fractal Forest™ will be the place to be all weekend – highlights include Z-Trip, Griz, Rob Garza from Thievery Corp and my first official Beardyman experience. Oh man, yes! Check out the video below and get familiar with this guy; he’s amazing.
Oh, The Village – where do I start with my unrequited love. From the epic Drum & Bass infused, Andy C spun dance battle on Sunday to my first Danny Byrd experience, an unprecedented Hip-Hop showcase hosted by Emotionz with Zion I, Eligh and Amp Live, EOTO (Half of String Cheese Incident), Excision, Griz and the last live season for the Lucent Dossier Experience – in the words of Griz, this stage is getting live. Breakdancers, tree forts, turntabelists, catwalks to tree bridges, performance art and the most epic of stages nestled underneath a half geodesic structure – The Village has it all. Oh, and did we mention a 200,000 watt premium PK Sound System ready to shake your soul silly? Yeah, it has that, too.
For the past 16 years, the AMPhitheatre/Rock Pit has been known to cover a diverse spectrum of top-quality music. And now that it’s under new management, you’ll get a menagerie of musicians – from former favorites to a new variety from around the world, all ready to delivery a dose of bass straight to your face. With artists from G.Jones to Thriftworks, Grandtheft and Commodo – you’ll get a firsthand experience of the evolution of EDM.
If Shambhala is home, this stage – well, the name has it all – it’s your living room. That comfortable space that you can curl up with your crew. The only non-permanent stage of the festival, The Living Room evolves with the needs of the ranch, and it’s ever changing musical atmosphere. And in an effort to reclaim an endangered art form, they’re devoting an entire day to Vinyl and it’s where you’ll find Mark Farina’s epic three hour extended Mushroom jazz set.
Last, but most certainly not least – it’s The Grove. Deep within the forest, it’s dance floor beckons you – surrounded by art installations and lush lounge spaces. Formerly known as the Labrynth, during the day – the Grove becomes a place of mental manifestations with workshops on creative thought and live painting; at night, it’ll will feature ample downtempo tunes, from live bands to glitch hop, all while listeners can bob and weave through the Dream Temple Art Gallery, the Hive tea Lounge and the Mythosphere. Groups like Emancipator, Opiuo, Odesza, Desert Dwellers and Kaminanda will provide the perfect emotive soundscape for the weekend with their rich music and live performances.
Last weekend, I was both thrilled and honored to cover the Los Angeles based avant-garde performance troupe, and all around fun-makers the Lucent Dossier Experiencence. The brain child of Dream Rockwell, the effervescent and enigmatic leader and co founder of The Do Lab, Lucent Dossier has found it’s way into the hearts and homes of underground music lovers nationwide.
Known for their fusion of Middle Eastern influenced Dubstep beats and emotive soundscapes married with aerial acrobatics, social commentary on our technologically driven society, live music paired with body contortionists and fire dancing – LDE fully immerses their audience within their unique environment and refuses to relinquish their hold until the 2am call time hits. Both before and after the show, the group was scattered about the famed Club Nokia as concertgoers mingled to the music of The Human Experience, an emotive musical journey from local Angelino David Block, pre show; including the debut of a brand new project with Haley Reinhart. Once Lucent was over, Nico Luminous was brought on stage to party with patrons and troupe members alike until the early morning hours.
Drawing well deserved parallels to the famed Canadian ensemble Cirque du Soleil, the latest Lucent Dossier Experience endeavor ‘Light the World’ pushes the boundaries of performance art; eagerly asking it’s audience what emboldens them and makes them come alive. How do we choose to illuminate our lives? And the answer is to take a token from the troupe itself – embrace your individual beauty and let your love shine through, because what the world needs are passionate people that come alive.
“I come from the heavens Stardust soaking up space Regardless of gravity Energy pulling on energy With empathy.
I am made of love Particles of me wanting to come together Fighting daily with the honorable longing to expand by splitting each other & ironically that’s what it humanly feels to love another.
I am made of epic conflicts Chemistry acting to react To produce feelings So that kissing becomes melting galaxies I am a woman & for me kissing Is made of secrets Secrets I must hold trapped in my tower to hide the invincible pool of my power But tonight, right now, right this perpetually propelling forward moment So precious & so unique in its mystique of being ever passing..
Tonight I shift & you will lead me Tonight I celebrate me Calling upon the Athenas, the Minervas, all you goddess warriors Walking upon this earth I wish to rest with Aphrodite I will choose to resurrect with kali
I will take the shape of mother earth & give birth with every single one of you to the glow that will glue us all into one bright lite soft skinned & tainted eyes in one night I will live a thousand lives I will listen to the echo of your dreams I’ll sing through woven threads of connection & I will wear your sorrow & your bliss
& you will wear mine in return I will burn my karma Dharma transcending Understanding the meaning of being A woman, a mother, a sister, a daughter, a lover. I will let man hold my hand in teaching Following devoted the perfection of the reflection Permeated in their offering Man, panning blindly across my softening
Guide me through Wake me & I’ll rise from the root of you To color your leaves with sunset”
– Llinda Borini for Lucent Dossier’
As the Super Moon rose through swaying palm trees, I perched on the love-seat in our kitchen – breathing in new opportunities and breathing out dissuaded anxieties with every beat of my heart. Silence ebbed and flowed through the room, engulfing it one minute – then a cackling laughter would chase it away. My mind raced in circles as my fingers traced a path on the top of my phone. There are exactly 1,000 miles from my doorstep to Red Rocks Amphitheater out in Morrison, Colorado; 1,000 miles between my bedroom and my first music festival outside of California. And it couldn’t come at a better time. For the majority of this calendar year, I’ve been at a mental and emotional crossroads; I’ve been made incredibly aware of my aptitudes as well as my downfalls, and through hard work and dedication – I’ve built an incredibly succinct vision of what I’d like to do with my life. Between my craft (writing) and my crafts (and arts), I need a jumping point to get me to the next level and attending the 16th anniversary of Global Dance is just that.
Zion National Park, Utah
For all the festivals franchises I’ve been to – HARD Presents, Insomniac Events, Go Ventures – I’m still a novice as far as the Global Dance events are concerned; and to cover the event on top of it? If there was a word that summarized – honored, thrilled, anxious, flabbergasted, stressed – the whole kit and kaboodle.
What’s more, is that my best friend – boyfriend – Danny – my partner in crime – photographer – whatever you want to call him, he’s coming with me and we’re making a huge road trip of the event. Last weekend we celebrated one year of loving each other and what better way to celebrate than gallivanting through Zion and Red Rocks! Back when I was in college, I spent a little bit of time in Breckenridge – but that was during the winter and under starkly different conditions! Instead of flying in between two monstrously large blizzards, we’ll be driving from LA through St.George, Utah where we’ll be able to rest our bones for a bit before we bounce to Zion National Park! I’ve heard so many fantastic things about it but to be able to see it physically with my own eyes, I can’t properly express how monumental this is for me – for us, really.
Then – it’s off to Morrison for Global Dance! Thanks to some quick thinking and good luck with Air BnB – I found an exceptionally fantastic place within close proximity – and for only $40 it’s a certifiable steal (Like, seriously – if you’re ever going to Red Rocks let me know and I’ll give you this guy’s information!) For all the research I’d done on GDE, I don’t know how it escaped me that there’d be more than one stage (I mean, duh; how many festivals are just one stage anymore….) – but I was truly hoping that with Red Rocks as a backdrop that it would more or less work out that way. Anyhow, now I have to navigate through time conflicts and hold DJ death matches in my head to plot the best plan of attack.
This is the reason I’m so willing to put up with my normal 8-5; this is why I’m so dedicated to working day in and day out on my craft. It’s big moments like these that pave the way for monumental events to happen – and I’m so excited to share my journeys! Now, before I get back to being a glorified excel monkey – let me leave you with some of my favorite songs from the GDE: Red Rocks arsenal – enjoy!
In today’s day and age when music discovery and new frontiers in technology are practically synonymous, Live Nation has partnered up with Live Nation Labs, the company’s small but highly effective start up subsidiary, to produce the next best thing in EDM – ‘Boomrat’ – a platform fully devoted to the discovery of brand spankin’ new electronic music the world over. It was only a year ago when Boomrat entered into the Live Nation Labs family and ever since, they’ve been itching to get the site launched.
By pulling data from over 300 sources – like renowned music directories like Soundcloud and internationally recognized EDM blogs and websites – Boomrat has precariously placed itself in a position to identify and analyze trends within our ever evolving music industry. To boot, the site will soon be utilizing data from both YouTube in addition to SoundCloud’s revamped – and slightly controversial – API, and plans to incorporates playlists from artists and industry bigwigs, right on down to the super-fan in all of us.
Back in 2013, Live Nation made some key business moves – primarily the acquisition of Insomniac Events, the famed production company behind epic events like Electric Daisy Carnival, Electric Forest and White Wonderland – and received a 50% stake. Now, with Boomrat on the loose – the site will actually be housed in the Los Angeles Insomniac offices and will effectively bridge the gap between the two corporations.
Developed by Ariel Lee and Andrew Silberstein while at USC’s Lloyd Grief School of Entrepreneurship, Boomrat garnered the school’s prestigious New Venture Seed Competition in 2012. Marc Geiger, head of WME , took notice of their success and connected with James Barton and Michael Rapino, the respective president of EDM and the CEO of Live Nation, to bring the pair into the Live Nation Labs family. Other Live Nation Labs companies include Rexly, Setlist.fm, Meexo and YourTrove.
“We relentlessly look for young, talented entrepreneurs to join Live Nation,” Barton gushed. “We were delighted to acquire Boomrat and have co-founders Andrew and Ariel join our team, who are leading the next generation of the electronic dance business with some smart solutions and their first product.”In addition to partnerships with Live Nation Labs, Insomniac Events and the HARD Events and Cream franchises both purchased recently, Boomrat is also paired up with Roc Nation’s Three Six Zero Group, founded by Mark Gillespie, Alan Ruthorford and Deal Wilson. Three Six Zero is an EDM Management company founded back in ’07, their clients include the likes of NERO and CALVIN HARRIS.
“New blogs and tracks are constantly launching and it’s impossible for one person to follow them all,” Boomrate co-founder Lee said. “Dance music is constantly evolving while being shared and consumed in a different manner than other genres, and this can make it challenging for fans to keep up.”
As fans – we’ll have to wonder: is this the corporatization of our favorite sounds? With the new API changes to Youtube and Soundcloud and their inclusion in Boomrat, will we still have access to our favorite independent artists -or – will we only have access to artists that are part of major labels? Also – as it currently stands, Hypem does a similar service to Boomrat by aggregating data from hundreds of international music blogs and reformatting the data within their own GUI – so how will Boomrat stack up?
By fusing technology, innovation and EDM and thanks to the acquisition of Live Nation Labs – Live Nation – alongside Live Nation Labs – is once again at the forefront of this 6.2 billion dollar music industry. With partnerships with some of the biggest names, festivals and management companies in the business – they’ll surely be a company to watch over the next five years.
Beyond the release of the two track EP ‘Hit Me’ this past April – 2014 has been awfully quiet for Dirtybird frontman Worthy; thank goodness that’s all about to change. Worthy’s highly anticipated, full length debut album ‘Disbehave’ hits Beatport and iTunes on 6/10. The experimental, 15 track LP comes dance floor approved thanks to BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac, complete with praise and parallels to fellow Dirtybird producer Justin Martin’s ‘Ghettos & Gardens’s’. In 2001, the two paired up with Martin’s brother Christian Martin and legendary Claude Vonstroke to form Dirtybird Records in San Francisco with a constant creative vision to break the mold of ‘mainstream’ house music. Between their ample shared success, busy touring schedules and almost cult like following – there’s simply been no looking back.
Whether it’s original singles or collaborations, over the course of the past decade, Worthy has made a definite imprint in the scene and has been instrumental in establishing the label’s signature booty shakin’, bass heavy underground tech house sound. In 2011, he linked up with beloved UK deep house producer Eats Everything on the grungy, underground tech house jam ‘Tric Trac’ which landed firmly in the Beatport Top 10 for Tech House.
The two year project comes out on WORTHY’s label Anabatic Records (formerly Katabatic Records), but the breadth of his genre defying LP – from soulful vocals layered between seductive bass lines to industrial, tech house breakbeats befitting of a warehouse party – is an homage to late nights, dark dance floors and the entire Dirtybird family.
Starting with the intro ‘All our Souls’, the listener embarks on an emotive journey into a dreamlike oblivion, melting into the sultry, bedroom house jam ‘The Words’ featuring the ethereal Audio Angel expertly layered over a grungy bass line. The haunting, often ominously booming ‘Dark Bridges’ and ‘Burned’, a moody track with gripping vocals, turn the album towards the mysterious. All of this leading to the title track ‘Disbehave’; an eerily rhythmic, often dissonant tech house adventure that borders on industrial drum & bass.
As the name implies, ‘On the Floor’ featuring Kevin Knapp (Off, Hot Creations) begs the listener to boogie down, deep into the heart of the dance floor. ‘Infected’ guarantee’s you’ll stay there and the garage-infused ‘Dusted Smoke’ atmospherically wobbles in an equally delicate yet spooky fashion. ‘I Get’ and ‘Damn Fine’ both throw seductive spins on booming, deep house bass lines. The LP forays back into the grungy, warehouse beats starting with the gritty tech house banger ‘Handle It’ and then again with ‘Stars Attack’ a jarring, ominous and often times musically deranged journey strung together by a music mastermind, perfect for afterhours. Equally dark, ‘Luna’ is a bass ridden and otherworldly, leading into the anthemic ‘Free From The Night, and back into an outro of ‘All Our Souls’, which embodies the same relaxing trancelike state the album began with.
“I want to push my new sound, which is leaning more toward a breakbeat old-school vibe, but still want to keep with the fact that I play house and techno. My focus is to stay innovative and authentic and to continually reinvent myself as an artist.” – Worthy
The official release party is this Friday, 6/6 at The Mighty in San Francisco; this is one Dirtybird affair you’d be crazy to miss out on. Following the show, Worthy will embark on a tour across North America.
–Upcoming Shows–
6/6: San Francisco @ Mighty (Get Tickets Here:DISBEHAVE RECORD RELEASE PARTY)
6/8: Beldon, CA @ Raindance
6/14: Weldon, CA @ Native Springs Oasis
6/28: Boston @ Prime
7/4: Driftpile, Cananda @ Astral Harvest
8/1: Brooklyn @ Verboteen
8/2 – LA @ HARD Summer
8/15 – Kasota Park, Idaho @ Heyburn
Keep tabs on the Dirtybird crew, the upcoming North American tour and all things Worthy through their websites and socials –
“Let the beauty you love be what you do;
There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the Earth”
–Rumi
DJ Tennis at the Woogie
Dirt Devil Sized Woogies
Between the epic amounts of live music and menagerie of performers – from stilt walkers to fire dancers and back to the artists live painting as part of The Do Art Foundation’s ‘Lightning in a Paintcan‘, the Lightning in a Bottle music festival has consistently and gracefully walked a thin line between Burning Man, where the festival draws it’s transformative inspiration, and the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, where The Do Lab’s been curating their own bass heavy, freak friendly stage for the past decade. Originally held in the sprawling Live Oak Campground in Santa Barbara where Lucidity Festival has been located for the last several years, Lightning in a Bottle’s been jumping around Southern California from Oak Canyon Ranch in Silverado in ’10 to Lake Skinner in Winchester for last year’s festival – all in search of a location they can continue to call home; and with the new location situated halfway plush in the hills of Monterey County between their devoted underground music communities of the Bay Area and Los Angeles – it feels like they’ve finally found it on the North Shore of Lake San Antonio.
This guy was doing it right.
As with any year, this location wasn’t without it’s challenges – this wasn’t a festival that happened to have a camping option, this was a pretty rough and rugged camping trip that seemed to organically create a music festival inside of itself; and unlike previous years, the camping was intertwined with the festival grounds. So, whether this was your first LIB or your third – everyone was met with new environmental challenges. Some people came prepared to let loose at a festival for five days, and just happened set up some tents while they did it – others came prepared to really rough it and set up camp for the weekend and happened to enjoy a festival while doing so.
As we waited in line for the mass exodus on Monday afternoon, dirt stained smiles and glistening eyes gave away the Thursday crowd that’d planned for Lightning in a Bottle for months – alternatively, complaints of heat exhaustion, distances to the stages paired with an overall lack of filth emanated from attendants that showed up with a last minute ticket Saturday morning unprepared for the mayhem and the magic. From Thursday when the majority of campers arrived through Monday afternoon when the majority left, we dealt with a high of 100°, a low of 49° (thats more than a 50° shift) and winds of up to 34 mph. If you were there, take a moment and brush that dirt off your shoulders – because there’s an actual chance with all those dust storms and dirt devils that there’s just a little bit still left over somewhere from the weekend, no matter how many times you shower or do laundry. For those of you that have attended Burning Man, you’re well aware that the weather conditions at Lightning in a Bottle are nothing to joke at – and are at par, if not slightly more intense than last year’s Playa conditions.
Though held at Lake San Antonio, the lake was dry and the lake beds were converted into expansive camping space as well as two renegade stages – The Ditch, and The Drift; the former of which was hosted by Distrikt and now has it’s own Facebook page and the later was basically in my front yard and hosted surprise sunrise sets from the Desert Dwellers and Random Rab. And for those that are still feeling the hills in their legs and thighs – there’s another reason to pat yourself on the backs, earlier this month on the South Side of Lake San Antonio, the Wildflower Triathlon was held for it’s 32nd year in a row.
Formerly a Chumash Reservation, Lake San Antonio is currently 30 miles from both a Recruiting station as well as an Army Base. Unbeknownst to festival attendants, residents of Bradley were given free entrance to the festival so they could experience the event firsthand and jump to their own conclusions about our intentions. The second night of the festival, a rugged older gentlemen with an adorably welcoming olive green yoda beanie stumbled into my campsite and sat down with my friends and I. After a small and socially awkward conversation, we realized that not only was he a resident of Bradley – but a US Army Vet with a conservative viewpoint and at that very moment time – a staunch representation of the reason transformational festivals are so important:
“Well, I showed up in my camouflage hunting cap but that felt so out of place, so after looking around at the vendors I found something I was excited to wear – I lean to the right, but I have some real right wing friends and I can’t wait to show it off around them.
I didn’t know people could be so wonderful. Originally, I didn’t want the festival here because I thought it would be a group of ignorant kids trashing the environment. ” He admitted, “But now that I’m here, I see people throwing away their trash and looking after one another. This is a special group of individuals. There’s amazing live music, and the art! There’s so much art being created and being explored; I hope they have LIB here again next year, but if they don’t – I still want to go, and I’ll even pay for it.”
The Courtyard / Giggle Juice Cafe
The three main stages of the weekend – The Lightning Stage, The Bamboo Stage and The Woogie – each had such a unique feel and draw, which brought about three different types of musical crowds. Back at the road, back where the festival land starts is the Bamboo Stage – let’s think of this as your ‘One Night Stand’ or ‘Spring Fling’. You go there for a reason: you want to get your head warped and you feel an overwhelming urge to get hit with an epic bass drop; it hits hard, it’s sexy, it wobbles, shakes, can get sweet for a second but overall – the Bamboo stage is pure debauchery.
What So Not
Baauer
From the time Filabusta opened the stage at noon on Friday until the final set on Sunday, when The Gaslamp Killer gave everyone a lesson in Low End Theory as he hit them with the sound of an Earthquake – what happened at the Bamboo Stage was unprecedented, revolutionary and magical. Sunday afternoon was the hottest day of the festival both temperature wise (99) and musically. From start to finish, the stage was stacked and hosted the surprise set of the whole weekendstarting with Late Night Radio opening to a rapidly growing crowd. There might be a limited dancing, but believe me, each and every last inch of shade was taken up by an eager crowd that didn’t care about a dancefloor. Plantrae followed the only way he knew how, a melodic dubstep set layered with a live electric violin – the skills! Other notable sets of the weekend came from What So Not, Cashmere Cat, who turned up the sexy on Saturday night, and Baauer who payed proper tribute to the Rap and Hip-Hop influences so readily heard in EDM.
Beats Antique Closing the Lightning Stage
The Lightning Stage is the ‘Long term, Serious Relationship’ stage: It’s moving, emotional, light hearted, romantic – but serious, committed (And if it’s Amon Tobin, it can be straight aggressive). And just as anything emotionally important, the stage was tucked deep into the heart of the festival and was chalk full of emotionally moving music all weekend long. Between amazing live experiences from Norwegian trio Kraak & Smaak, The Do Lab’s own Lucent Dossier Experience, Chet Faker and Phantogram as well as headlining sets from Gramatik and Gold Panda; each and every artist told a story, strung together beautifully and deliberately.
On Friday night, Moby threw a party straight out of a rave 5 years ago – as we shimmied up to the stage, Infinity 2008 (Klauss Remix): Guru Josh Project: was blaring from the speakers – a bouncy, fun moment – but not what I had in mind when I chose LIB. On Saturday, Amon Tobin threw an exceptionally well DJed party for himself and didn’t seem to mind that literally no one in the crowd was moving a muscle to the heavy, aggressive and industrial Drum & Bass tracks. In contrast, The Polish Ambassador’s Sunset set on Friday night had everybody movin’ and groovin’ to his fresh beats, including the jumpsuited passe he habitually brings on stage with him and Beats Antique closed the festival with a visually stunning performance, getting the entire crowd – including local police officers – to get weird with friends and neighbors alike as they danced their cares away for one last night.
The Polish Ambassador at Sunset
Last but definitely not least, just a hop, skip and a jump across “The Ditch” – there’s that Woogie – your little sultry, sexy, little thing on the side where you go when you want to dance your cares away. From noon til midnight, Friday through Sunday, the Woogie was movin’ and groovin’ to deliciously deep house thanks to a brand new sound system from Pure Groove Audio.
Simian Mobile Disco holding down the Woogie
As the torch was passed from Los Angeles resident Tara Brooks to Maxxi Soundsystem and the bassline for ‘Regrets We Have No Use More’ came on, the dance floor exploded in energy; only to be topped by DJ Tennis, Damian Lazarus and the Dirtybird legend himself, Sir Claude VonStroke. The jams continued into Sunday night where Lee Burridge played an All Day I Dream Set during the final sunrise and Simian Mobile Disco whipped up a seductive, old school set and reminded the crowd why they’re one of the best DJ duos in the business; simply put – if we ‘Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat’, they ‘Wake Up, Make Dope Music, Go To Sleep’
One thing I found – even though my days and nights were packed with activity, I felt like I both saw it all and saw absolutely nothing of the camp grounds. On the first night during Ryan Hemsworth’s set at the Bamboo Stage, we jumped on the shuttle to Camp 13 (The RV Camp), because….well….just because – and it let us see just how expansive the festival grounds really were; absolutely astounding.If you had time between sets, you could wander into the vendor area to ease your hunger pains or get your fix of adorable festival worthy gear including Spirit Hoods, Jammy Packs, Electro Fur and amazing jewelry from the team at Third Eye Pinecones. As far as food was concerned, it’s a camping trip – so it’s always recommended to bring your own. That said, the event offered some amazing food options ranging from Vegan to Vegetarian, and even Pescetarian if you were lucky enough to find the mouth watering sushi. Between the breakfast burritos, seaweed salad, pizza fresh from the Do Lab’s Dough Lab that I’d gladly purchase any day of the week and smoothies – you could have your cake and eat it, too. I’m all for conscious eating, so this was a great time to actively engage in the practice – but at the end of the trip, all I could think about was bacon. Next year, if my camp plans a little better – we’ll just bring our own bacon, cook it – and add it to the breakfast burrito; hunger problem, solved.
Though it wasn’t as heavily advertised as the main lineup, other stages boasted smaller, but equally talented musical acts. San Francisco’s Silent Frisco hosted an after hours silent disco for the event once the main stage music had ended. San Diego’s Vokab Company and The Herbert Bail Orchestra wowed The Grand Artique – another alternative source of music for the weekend. One wandering through the area was enough to delight and amuse the festival at large – with a mock election for Mayor, and a hidden speakeasy with some deliciously free pickle bottoms if you happened to know the password, or Joaquin Murrietta.
During the day, The Temple hosted talks from Bashar and Lucent Dossier Experience creator and Lightning in a Bottle co-founder Dream Rockwell. Author Daniel Pinchbeck spoke on his book ‘Breaking Open The Head’ – a personal favorite’, Moby gave his thoughts on art as therapy and Youtube creator Chad Hurley divulged his secret recipe for following your dreams. Each night after the speeches were over, the venue hosted music – Wildlight – the emotive sideproject from The Polish Ambassador and Ayla Nereo – wowed the crowd early Saturday morning. Sunday evening the was curated by up and coming Los Angeles locals, The Luminaries who brought in The Human Experience to close with a moving set on Sunday morning.
Wildlight at The Temple
Beyond the large, ornate and often fire engulfed art sculptures – thanks to The Do Art Foundation, easels scattered throughout Lake San Antonio filled with color as the festival grounds filled with happy campers. A menagerie of local artists, including Vyal, Andrew Knights, Anthony West and Max Neutra, used inspiration from the festival to create paintings displayed at a showcase Sunday night of the festival, fully equipped with a silent auction. All proceeds go directly to the artists and a small percentage will go to supporting the public arts through the foundation, run by The Do Lab.
“This was my second year live painting at LIB and once again I was blown away by the amount of love and dedication that goes into LIB. Painting at LIB allows me to paint in a wonderful setting, converse with strangers about a variety of subjects and consequently feel true connectedness, spirituality and healing. When I paint I try to put the feeling of the music or talk into my work! Last year my painting evolved with the music I heard from the two stages I was I between. This year I positioned myself by the temple of consciousness and my painting slowly evolved into a psychedelic mandala! My surroundings inspire the direction of my work! I love how LIB allows me to push my work into new frontiers. The energy at the festival is my souls food!” – Andrew Knights
Andrew Knghts with wife Amanda by his finished masterpiece
On Monday afternoon, as the temperature crawled past 100 – and everyone, for lack of a better term, was miserable. As I looked around, I thought of everything could do – I asked the Do Lab to turn the hoses back on, but they were busy – and rightfully so – trying to delicately tear down the Woogie. So I did the only thing that came to mind – grabbed a friend, unloaded squirt guns from our luggage, reloaded them with water and aimed them at the three hour line waiting for a shuttle that felt like it would never come. Slowly, a collection of unspoken frustrated faces instantly lit up with excitement as they were drenched with some of the free water that was provided to the camps all weekend. A two person team became an eight person army, filling misters and hoses – bringing about smiles and laughs, camaraderie and community.
For five days – we camped under stars and a clear sky, told our darkest secrets to strangers and our deepest dreams to friends, laughed at the sight of bubbles and cried when we ran into an unexpected friend. We’ll always light up when ever we hear the words ‘Woogie’, ‘Drift Party’ or ‘Picklebacks’ and howling as the sun goes down might become second nature. We weathered dust storms and heat waves with smiles on our faces and a bounce in our step. Whether we met or not, if you were at Lightning in a Bottle – we’re forever bonded by this event.
As we left our beautiful, blissful weekend to returned to reality Monday evening, we were all confronted with current, tragic events in Santa Barbara. For those of you that are new to the LIB Family, the festival community and the and Santa Barbara are incredibly close knit – the Live Oak Campground where Lucidity Festival was held this past year played host to Lightning in a Bottle back from ’06 to ’08. This past weekend was a beautiful, necessary and touching reminder that humanity at its core is wonderful, creative, giving and ever evolving. We build communities and families together, we help our weak and empower our strong. we dance with friends and laugh with strangers, we battle the elements and wish on stars.
We aren’t trying to say that it was the perfect conditions for the festival, but I’d like to argue that it was the perfect storm. The dry lake beds were more than we bargained for, but where some people lamented the exercise – others gleefully ran across, some holding hands, others balancing ornate sculptures on their chins or giving their friends a piggy back ride – and some of us, including myself, had dance parties in the middle of the ditch and made new friends. We’re a problem solving community that works together, in the moment, to find the best solution. We’re strong, charismatic, energetic and whimsical with a lead by example attitude where no stranger is left behind. Strangers instantly evolve into a camp, a tribe – a family. People watch out for each other with flashlights, buy two drinks instead of one because they know if they’re thirsty – someone else has to be, too.
Every single person at Lightning in a Bottle – from your best friend to your camp neighbors, stilt walkers to the burlesque show at Amori’s Casino, the painters from ‘Lightning in a Pantcan’, costumed actors who stayed in character all weekend and the musicians themselves – each and every individual has a unique gift to share with the world. And we’ve proudly staked our claim as an empathetic band of weird and wacky humans just itching for our chance to give back.
As with any collective, as humans – we’re only as strong as our weaknesses; the time is now to explore your gifts and give back to the community that’s provided your personal inspiration. It’s not the ‘Maybe Lab’ – it’s the Do Lab; do it with love, and do it now – there’s a whole family of people that can’t wait to see what happens next.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
― Margaret Mead
Sunrise Set: Desert Dwellers with some Ditch Dwellers
Speakeasy!
My Loves
Hosed Down during Plantrae
A huge thank you to The Do Lab, The Confluence, the Do Art Foundation and the extended Lightning in a Bottle family for such a beautiful weekend. For every dollar donated to the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, The Do Lab will match the donation. Please visit The Chumash Sanctuary Website for more information.
There are exactly 1,000 miles from my doorstep to Red Rocks Amphitheater out in Morrison, Colorado; 1,000 miles between my bedroom and my first music festival outside of California. And it couldn’t come at a better time. For the majority of this calendar year, I’ve been at a mental and emotional crossroads; I’ve been made incredibly aware of my aptitudes as well as my downfalls, and through hard work and dedication – I’ve built an incredibly succinct vision of what I’d like to do with my life. Between my craft (writing) and my crafts (and arts), I need a jumping point to get me to the next level and attending the 16th anniversary of Global Dance is just that.
dealt with a high of 100°, a low of 49° (thats more than a 50° shift) and winds of up to 34 mph. If you were there, take a moment and brush that dirt off your shoulders – because there’s an actual chance with all those dust storms and dirt devils that there’s just a little bit still left over somewhere from the weekend, no matter how many times you shower or do laundry. For those of you that have attended Burning Man, you’re well aware that the 
For five days – we camped under stars and a clear sky, told our darkest secrets to strangers and our deepest dreams to friends, laughed at the sight of bubbles and cried when we ran into an unexpected friend. We’ll always light up when ever we hear the words ‘Woogie’, ‘Drift Party’ or ‘Picklebacks’ and howling as the sun goes down might become second nature. We weathered dust storms and heat waves with smiles on our faces and a bounce in our step. Whether we met or not, if you were at Lightning in a Bottle – we’re forever bonded by this event.
The Bouncy Kitty 
You must be logged in to post a comment.