Well, festival season is back. I’m taking it easy this year, with only two on my list (so far): Lightning in a Bottle and Seven Stars. That doesn’t mean I won’t weasle my way into a few more, but I decided I needed a summer of very intentional rest.
Lightning in a Bottle couldn’t have come at a more perfect time; I’d just wrapped up a summer class and now had the chance to kick off summer in the best way possible.
Day 1: Wednesday
We arrived on Wednesday afternoon for a five-day adventure. I’ll admit, we were all a bit worried when we arrived in the heat. We spent most of the evening setting up camp, and I got my hair braided by Hailee Kay from Half Sweet Studios before we went in to explore the festival a bit more, checking out the stages and different vendors, and enjoying our first sunset over the lake. I think we all tapped out around midnight, exhausted from the travel and wanting to save our energy for the next 4 days.
Day 2: Thursday
On Thursday, we figured out what was necessary for our survival: a morning dip in the lake. Although I probably wouldn’t dip my head in the water, it immediately made the day feel significantly less hot. This became a part of our morning routine on Friday and Saturday.
Day 3: Friday
Friday was, by far, my favorite day. The vibes were high. This day was one of those days that reminded me why I love camping festivals so much.
Mau P was truly the set of the weekend. While I think there were other sets I preferred musically, our entire group had the best spot for dancing and kept vibing with random groups as they passed us.
If you’re the photographer who caught our group dancing by ADA, please send me that video.
Sets: Lee Burridge, DJ Heartstring, Mary Droppinz, Zeds Dead, Mau P
Day 4: Saturday
Saturday was our longest day, but I got to see my boy: Daily Bread.
Sets: Marsh, J. Worra, Oppidan, Nia Archives, Barry Can’t Swim, Inzo, Daily Bread
Day 5: Sunday
On our last day, we didn’t quite make it to the lake for our morning dip, but we did lounge around our camp and enjoy the slightly cooler weather. We stayed off our feet, polished off the rest of our drinks at camp, and headed into the festival around 8 PM.
I won’t lie, Saturday was rough for our group. We were definitely exhausted from dancing and the heat, but we had the comeback of a lifetime on Sunday. Friday truly couldn’t be topped, but this was my next favorite day. Jayda G was the perfect set for a little boogie at the Woogie, and Jigitz absolutely threw down.
Sets: Jayda G, Jigitz, Mochakk, Of the Trees, Empire of the Sun
Now… Why is it my new favorite?
Before this trip, I would have said nothing could top Electric Forest. While EF remains one of my favorite festivals (and it feels a little bit like coming home), Lightning in a Bottle still has the small local festival feel to it. It’s not crowded, there was room to dance at every single stage, and, even with its small size, I still felt like I could have explored more.
The art felt like a significant part of the festival and, as somewhat of an artist myself, I left the festival feeling inspired to go home and see what I could create.
The group always makes or breaks a festival as well. Previously, I’d gone to EF with larger groups, which ended up splintering off into smaller groups. While our little group of four did have a few individual side quests, it felt like all of us had similar music tastes and vibes in mind. We agreed on our sets for the weekend and always posted up in a place where we had space to dance and be ourselves.
I can’t say for sure which festivals I’ll end up at next year, but I know I’ll find myself back at LIB one day soon.
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