But that turned out to just be a warm up for a second surprise set a few hours later at the Pagoda Bar, where the British import weaved dance tunes into his own biggest hits until well past 4 a.m. While the latter three performers churned out uptempo numbers that kept the crowd in a state of euphoric bliss, Bonobo mostly sustained a low-key vibe as the festival wound down on Sunday night. The main Lightning stage, loosely covered by dozens of billowing sails that swayed in the cool nighttime winds, contained headlining sets from ambient electronic musician Bonobo, hip-hop producer Kaytranada, alternative dance group RÜFÜS DU SOL and bass music/dubstep forefather Bassnectar. That approach largely ensured that every guest had an enticing view of the shows - and there were plenty of world-class musicians to see and listen to this year. ' creating environmental design that in itself is more than what you can do with lights and video while creating a container for a super wild and slightly debaucherous experience.' 'What the Do LaB is pioneers of is creating experiences through architecture,' said stage designer Elliot Dunwoody.

Speakers were placed around the edges to deliver top-notch sound dynamics to every inch of the stage, establishing an underground vibe by de-emphasizing the location of the DJ. The Pagoda Bar, for example, featured a circular base that swirled up into a majestic, 76-foot tall point that towered over the festival grounds. Instead, Do LaB pays artists to build open-air structures that mostly rely on custom-made beams and tension cables. They don't employ any outside sources to bring in the nondescript white tents that typically cover the festival circuit. The newly conceived Compass area was home to constant workshops and speeches about subjects ranging from 'long-term sacred relationships' to tea tasting and virtual reality's role in protecting the environment.Ī makeshift 'hotel' functioned as a sort of choose your own adventure maze with secret rooms and actors in haunting makeup who did all they could to weird out uneasy guests.Įven the music portion of the festival was largely shaped by immersive artistic expression, as the Do LaB's unique, cutting-edge stage design aims to envelop its attendees in the belly of performances. Amori - boasted fire dancers, late-night burlesque shows and other campy stage performances. People eagerly took advantage of that each sweltering afternoon, populating the cozy bays between the landscape's string of picturesque peninsulas with scores of inflatables to add another welcome dimension to an event that's already packed to the brim with content.Īmori's Casino and Burlesque - the brainchild of tongue-in-cheek 2017 Los Angeles mayoral candidate Paul E. Despite this marking the event's third year at Lake San Antonio (and 19th year overall), this was the first edition in which that vast reservoir was actually put to use, thanks to the state's unusually rainy winter.

Lightning in a bottle death