With the 2016 Lightning In A Bottle (LIB) festival falling on an election year, a powerful grassroots candidate in the democratic primaries found his message loudly spread in the midst of concerts, workshops, and art installations.
And with LIB so committed to radical change, it's no mystery that they would partner with Bernie Sanders.
The Message
On Friday night in the California desert, Canadian musical artist Grimes delayed her set for a few moments, allowing a projected message from Bernie Sanders to interrupt her and play to the nearly 20,000 attendees. In his message, he urged the festivalgoers to make change and vote for him, likely in the California primary that was so crucial for his campaign in early June.
This turned out to be a pattern, with Nanahko and Medicine For the People stopping their sets Sunday to say a few words in favor of the Vermont senator, exalting his views on fighting systemic inequality and pushing towards Sanders' plan for improving the lives of the working class.
The Connection
Why write about it now, with Hillary's democratic nomination clinched?
LIB wasn't necessarily taking a hard political stance with this move. Rather, they saw Senator Sanders as a partner in evangelizing radical change, and took the opportunity to spread the beliefs of the festival.
LIB founder Dede Flemming further explained, "We reached out to Bernie Sanders...not because we want to take political sides, but we need to step in and share his beliefs because we think there needs to be a lot of change." He continued, "We do these festivals to create change in everyone's lives when they come here, and we want to show them new realities."
Photo via Ashley Burke's LIB 2016 festival review.
These new realities are evident in their unusual workshops, which offer courses in everything from meditation to yoga to intensifying pleasure.
LIB is home to The Village, a cultural experiment of sorts designed to educate patrons in sustainability and earth-based wisdom traditions, and aiming to "bring [village life] into a contemporary context," according to their website description.
As if that weren't enough, they also provide diverse culinary lessons at The Learning Kitchen, open to amateurs and professionals from around the world, and aim to inspire people to step outside of their comfort zones and leave a smaller footprint on Earth.
This "radical change" mindset is also evident in their environmental practices--they offer free water for everyone, and use sustainable energy sources to create their epic soundscapes and light up the festival.
And, of course, their huge art installations and incredible attention to detail pushed me, as an attendee, to think in brand-new ways. Their immersive environments like "Frontierville," a mix between a trading post/general store/dance floor, were immaculately crafted and succeeded in carrying the festivalgoers into a space filled with possibilities.
The festival was more than just a big party--it was a chance for guests to educate themselves and grow.
Conclusion
Whether or not LIB supports Bernie Sanders as a political candidate, one thing is certain. They want to create an environment that begets change, and they have built the perfect space to do just that.