The Lightning in a Bottle Arts & Music Festival is returning to South County to drop tons of music on outdoor revelers. But there are other components like talks, workshops, meditation, yoga and ideas, such a wide array that some contradict each other. And that’s OK, says Dede Flemming.
He is a co-founder of LiB and says it began as a birthday party for his brother in 1999, but that they have grown into the “lightning” moniker, a metaphor for the catalyzing experience they try to curate.
“People talk about coming in as one person and walking out as another person,” he says.
Mind-altering substances are common at such festivals. Without endorsing or condemning, LiB’s approach is “very proactive in harm reduction,” Flemming says. “We’re not naive.”
He says they were on the green/environmental tip before it became a hot topic. There are tent venues called the Points of the Compass where people can learn about Earth care and community building. They released a statement about cultural appropriation of Native American garb to raise consciousness.
“The land where we do our events… the original stewards are a particular tribe,” he says. “We reach out to that tribe and ask permission to use the land.”
He says here they are working with the Chumash. LiB is a party, for sure. But it’s not trying to trash the place and have the neighbors complain.
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