Lightning in a Bottle, one of the biggest, independent music festivals in the States.
Jamal Eid
(For this year’s Lightning in a Bottle, I wanted a fresh perspective on why, more than 20 years in, the festival is so beloved. So, 18-year-old Jameson Segil went and captured the experience. – Steve Baltin)
Lightning in a Bottle is truly a once in a lifetime experience. There are very few places that you can go to and be able to be yourself without being judged. LiB is one of those places and that it was made it so unique. You can go anywhere, and you will be transformed into a world of creativity. Artists making art all around you, everyone wearing unique outfits and the beautiful stage designs made you feel as if you were part of the creativity. Everywhere you went you were exposed to new out of the world art pieces like a giant snail or a midnight banana cart. But what separates LiB from other festivals is the community that it not just attracts but that it creates. Every person there wanted to make friends with each other, no judgement and was happy to help you. You can start dancing with anyone and join them on a journey.
The people weren’t the only thing that made LiB so special. The music and experiences did as well. Every morning you can wake up and do a yoga class or learn how to make a new dish. Then later in the afternoon, you can attend a workshop to learn how to navigate different aspects of the world we live in before the music and party started. Then from mid-day to sun rise, the party would start and you could choose whatever vibe you wanted. You could go to the Woogie Stage and experience house music or head to the Stacks and experience techno. My favorites being Kilimanjaro and Raphael at Woogie, Underworld at Thunder and Four Tet, Sammy Virji and John Summit at Lightning. The idea of getting to choose your vibe was beautiful but the people made it ten times better. There were barely any phones and instead people immersed themselves in the music and danced. In a world full of phones, it was a healthy break from it and instead living in the moment. It didn’t matter if you knew the artist or not, all you had to do was dance and immerse yourself to enjoy.
If you have the opportunity to go to LiB, you should. It is something that in this day is rare and one of kind. You get to meet new creative people, enjoy amazing music and gain a better appreciation of everything around you. – Jameson Segil