This is a hard question but there’s no real question in my mind about the answer: Lightning in a Bottle.
One of the reasons this is my favorite festival is because it’s so much more than just music. You can go to yoga, guided meditation, workshops, classes, talks, watch live art – there’s no shortage of activities. Check out last year’s recap after I went for my first time here to get a full tour.
LiB was also where I met Natalia… Remember this post about “the goddess and the jewelry cart?” That’s her. It was so random and turned into this amazing inspirational relationship – I call her my spirit unicorn. She’s actually playing the Do LaB stage at Coachella Weekend 2 this year as WHITEHORSE.
Speaking of music, a drumroll for the lineup… Thank you and big ups to Do LaB for putting together another stellar one this year.
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I’m going to study this and get listened up in the coming months, but I’m particularly excited to see Ame, Mano Le Tough, Goldroom, Tala, John Digweed, Flume (duh), Atish… I missed what I heard was an exceptional Random Rab sunrise set last year so that’s definitely on my bucket list for 2015. Of course SBTRKT, Odesza, RL Grime, Tycho, Shiba San, SNBRN, Snakehips, and Thomas Jack too, because I can’t really choose just a few.
I’ll admit it was the music that drew me to this festival last year… now I can’t even decide what I’m most excited about. Watch this:
Welcome to Lightning in a Bottle. If you watch closely and catch a lit up rocket ship totem, that was our camp. If you shook your head at that video because it seems too good to be true… I might have done that last year too. Maybe it sounds cheesy, but just wait until you experience it for yourself – get tickets. There is a lot of love there. It’s very palpable, and every single person exudes happiness and just seems to be carefree and at peace with themselves and I took notice, wanting to know how I could feel more like that.
Lightning last year was one of the most important weekends in my life. I realized there that I needed to do a lot of work on myself. Better yet, I wanted to – it didn’t feel like some dreaded burden. I wanted to truly BE happy – like I felt that weekend, every day of my life. I’ve carried that feeling with me and have been chasing it ever since.
It’s astounding what can happen when you open yourself up, surrounded in that kind of atmosphere… It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. It allowed me to embrace who I was and figure out what I really connected with and felt passionate about. It made me want to do the work on myself, dig up what I’ve tried to bury in my psyche, whatever, because I realized that that would be the most “loving” thing I could do for myself. I realized that instead of continuing to chase various voids and dead ends of what I thought would be the right “thing” to do that would make me feel that way, figuring out how to love me, just as I am, was what really needed to happen.
I can honestly say that LiB was a major catalyst to getting over myself, dealing with my shit and taking charge of my life. That’s why it’s my favorite festival. I’m so grateful for my experience there. It’s been nearly a year since I really committed myself to building a life that I’m proud of and I’m… actually proud of who I’ve become and the work I’ve done.
What better way to spend Memorial Day Weekend than turning your phone off and camping in the desert with all your favorite people, dancing all day and night to incredible music? It’s not real life, it’s so much better… I literally can’t even wait.
Lightning… In A Bottle? HAVE SOME. May 21-25, 2015. Get your tickets here.
xx
STONECOLDBETCH 