It’s a candy-colored world pulsing with several separate and overlapping realities: a steampunk rodeo, a vaudevillian carnival, a Bohemian circus. Lightning in a Bottle is a non-stop buffet of laserbeams, sage and sound – lots and lots of sound. As in 200 hours of manufactured and organic music on six stages, perpetually surging and weaving and inspiring.
In its second year at the San Antonio Lake Recreation Area in Bradley, the five-day event celebrates its 10th year in action with more than 150 different musical experiences taking place night and day. Mainstage headliners include Animal Collective co-founder Noah Lennox’s side project Panda Bear, Seattle electronic duo ODESZA and Aaron Jerome’s SBTRKT.
While LIB is mostly geared to electronica, house and dance music, there are always exceptions, like Oakland hip-hop duo Zion I. But it’s the festival’s selection of eclectic and unexpected musical sidetrips – like the Silent Disco – that make LIB a standout music fest.
For the folks more into experiencing live music in its traditional form, instead of a DJ, there will be over 40 acts playing in Frontierville (one of LIB’s several immersive environments, including The Jive Joint), which is like a psychedelic Old West trading post. Reminiscent of something out of Disney World, Frontierville’s stage, dubbed The Grand Artique, will provide continuous music, including Monterey rap-rock favorites Forrest Day, known for high-energy jamming. San Luis Obispo electronic-fusion outfit Tropo, who have performed Friday night Dance Jams in Pacific Grove, also perform. And SoCal hip-hop/soul collective Vokab Kompany will unleash hefty doses of funk like they do on their new LP Kaleidoscope.
For those still awake, naturally or chemically, 4am Friday and Saturday, and 2am Sunday, the Funky Ragtime Jam Sessions “under the oak trees” go until sunrise.
Silent Disco (formerly Silent Frisco), a LIB returning favorite, also specializes in entertaining insomniacs. And it does so without making a sound. From midnight-7am May 21-23, folks will be able to tune in on wireless headphones to DJs, including A Fox, Dj Alarm and Amanda Panda. To an outsider, it’s like watching a rave on mute.
New this year, “Reggae Sunday,” will kick off with Bob Marley historian Roger Steffens riffing on the most famous name of the genre at LIB’s Lucent Temple of Consciousness. Ghanaian reggae legend singer-songwriter Rocky Dawuni will also perform and Scott Winslow will lead a Namaste Reggae Yoga session.
LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE happens Thursday, May 21 through Monday, May 25 at San Antonio Recreation Area, 2091 New Pleyto Road, Bradley. $260/weekend pass. www.lightninginabottle.org