It’s that time again – California festival producers the Do Lab have dropped the first phase of their heavy-hitting festival Lightning in a Bottle – and it’s one of the strongest initial lineups in years. Held at the end of May each year, Lightning in a Bottle or ‘L-I-B’ for short is a massive transformational and electronic music festival combining international talent for its 6+ stages, world-class physical, spiritual and growth workshops, endless interactive areas, and the natural beauty of central California’s Lake San Antonio.
For its 13th year, the festival has booked some big names and positively stacked their three main stages. Read on to hear what we’re most excited to see:
The Woogie Stage
Yes we could have started our preview with the mainstage, but to us, that kind of is the Woogie. Since its inception, the Woogie has been Lightning in a Bottle’s home for the best offerings in all flavors of house and techno. There was even a time when the term “woogie” had practically become synonymous with the Do Lab’s particular style of house music. The currently defunct (but hopefully returning one day?) festival Woogie Weekend was devoted entirely to it and the phrase “I don’t dance – I woogie” was common on t-shirts and totems in the crowd.
This year the Woogie will host headliners including Mood Records frontwoman / techno goddess Nicole Moudaber and Chicago house’s-genre-blending, party-starting queen, The Black Madonna. Amsterdam’s Patrice Baumel brings his self-described “techno music for grown-ups” to the lakeside stage. MK (Mark Kinchen) shows off his Detroit roots by mixing them with deep house and R&B in a unique blend. Walker & Royce and Will Clarke are sure to bring that bouncing Dirtybird Sound and Oona Dahl is will transport the Woogie to an All Day I Dream meets Burning Man playa soundscape.
The Thunder Stage
Lightning in a Bottle’s home for heavy bass tastes brings liquid bass master Tipper back for the first time since 2012. Alix Perez holds it down for the drum & bass crew, while Bleep Bloop will darken the nighttime with his glitchy experimental bass beats. Sango is sure to combine R&B, hip-hop and brazilian influences in his Thunder Stage set, while French drumpad siren Clozee loops and smooths the edges of glitch hop into an intoxicating combination. Emancipator mellows out the offerings with his soulful sounds, as well as fellow Loci Records staples, the hypnotic Edamame and drum therapy master, Tor.
The Lightning Stage
LIB’s 2018 mainstage probably boasts the largest improvements from recent years. Soulful and exciting, diverse and inclusive, the lineup includes the musical stylings of British “wonky funk” singer-songwriter Nao, the bouncing brazilian-inspired house-pop of Sofi.Tukker, and the visceral viking vibes of Fever Ray (Karen Dreijer of Swedish duo The Knife.) Elusive electronic producer Zhu will show the LIB crowds his face and producing chops on the mainstage, along with last year’s breakout star singer-producer-wizard Monolink. Lightning in a Bottle also hosts a “who’s who” of classic LIB staples on the mainstage this year with sets promised from Tokimonsta, Beats Antique, Dirtwire and the Glitch Mob. Last but definitely far from least, Anderson.Paak bring his full band – The Free Nationals – to headline the mainstage for what is sure to be a vibrant show.
The Phase 1 lineup only includes LIB’s 3 main stages, but it promises even greater things to come. The Pagoda and Favela Bar stages are Lightning in a Bottle’s auxilliary bass and house stages, if you will. They showcase some of the more underground talent the festival pulls, DJs and producers who are incredibly skilled and can spend 2-3 hours creating incredible sounds, rather than feeling the pressure to play the hits – a problem that sometimes can occur with Big Names on Big Stages. But with a phase 1 lineup as stacked as this, we personally can’t wait to see what else the Do Lab has in store for us. When they release the rest of the line up, When We Dip will be there. Stay tuned!
If Phase 1 is enough to light your fire – like it is for us! – head over to Lightning in a Bottle’s official website for tickets, lineup info & more!
