San Diego ravers, dancers, and lovers of Electronic Dance Music, Lightning in a Bottle (LiB), one of the largest EDM festivals in the country, is coming to Southern California on Memorial Day weekend from May 22 to 27. The art and music festival will be held at Buena Vista Lake, just outside of Bakersfield, and will feature a host of incredible DJs and musicians, including some SoCal artists.  

The event will be hosted at the Buena Vista Aquatic Recreational Area in Kern County, CA. If you’re on the fence about going, tickets have been on sale since January, but 3-day and 5-day passes are still available at higher-tier prices. Logistical information about camping, parking, and wristbands, as well as a “first-time survival guide” is all available on their website, but I sat down with Stevie Surks, a hoop/flow artist and rave enthusiast from San Diego, about the festival to answer some specific questions to maximize your LiB experience or provide any answers for first-time ravers.

Stevie’s first rave was Nocturnal Wonderland in 2019 and they have been consistently attending raves since (even the park and raves during the pandemic), learning to hula hoop as their flow art. Over the years they have learned how to dress, be comfortable, and do more than survive, but thrive at lengthy music festivals. 

WHAT ACTS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO FOR THIS FESTIVAL AND WHY?

Stevie: "Someone not on the main line-up is WHYS. I’m very excited to see her, she’s a San Diego/L.A.-based drum and bass DJ who does dubstep as well, but mostly DnB, and she is freakin’ SICKENING. She is so good. The first time I saw her was at a free set in San Diego that was so small, there was like 15 people there, and she just came out to play, it was so awesome. Now she’s opening for bigger people and playing major venues like LiB, so, very excited and proud of her." 

Stevie: "I’m so excited to see SKREAM. That old-school dubstep set is going to HIT, I already saw him do one at Hard Summer 2019 and that was super sick. I’m excited for M.I.A. I don’t know a lot of her music, but I’m excited to see what kind of set she is going to put on, and the energy that she will bring. I know ISOxo is one that I’m looking forward to, he’s going to be throwing out some deep cuts of the wubby and trap variety. Excited for CLOZEE who is a house-type DJ and also Fatboy Slim, the man, the myth, the legend. I’m so excited to just learn of his ways you know? I think it’s cool they got such an old-school dude to come do his thing and I don’t even know what he’s going to play, but from watching his live sets on YouTube from back in the early 2000s, they are incredible and the vibe he brings is absolutely amazing."

WHAT ARE FIVE MUST-HAVES FOR BEING AT STAGES?

Stevie: "Hydropack, like a camelback, you definitely want one of those for convenience, instead of buying water all the time or having to refill and carry a water bottle everywhere and have it take up space in your backpack when the waterpack is already water in a pack, you know? Fun little trinkets like tiny hands, oobis, squiggly caterpillars, and kaleidoscope goggles. I wouldn’t suggest flow toys for everybody, but definitely, if that’s something you’ve already been practicing and feel comfortable doing in a crowd. Otherwise, sunscreen 1000%, stay hydrated, put on your sunscreen. Bring a change of clothes for nighttime, something baggy and comfy and cozy to wear. Even a change of shoes." 

Stevie: "On the same train, a pashmina. Not just a scarf, specifically a pashmina. It’s a lightweight fabric that you can get wet so when you get hot you can get it wet and leave it on your body to cool it down, but also it dries out very easily and at night it turns into a beautiful silky layer on your body, it’s so nice. I highly suggest one of those."

YOU BRIEFLY MENTIONED SHOES; FOR COMFORT STYLE, WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND? 

Stevie: "For the people that like platforms, bring one pair if you can actually survive in them; it’s not something everyone gets to wear very often. Bring a good pair of boots: outdoor boots, hiking boots, leather boots, Dr Martens depending on how much you’ve broken them in, Demonias are always good. I would also suggest a sandal like a Chaco or Teva type thing. I would also suggest shower shoes, so important, you don’t want to be stepping on the same floor as everyone else, so definitely flip-flops you don’t care about ruining. Lastly, tennis shoes, classic. You can even wear them with your festival outfits: put beads on your laces, paint on them, get platform tennis shoes, the possibilities are endless. Bring one of each honestly, variety is nice. Just no heels, obviously, you’re just going to sink into the ground. Things you can walk in across multiple terrains."

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE RAVE COMMUNITY, IF THAT'S EVEN GENERALIZABLE? 

Stevie: "The community has strayed a bit from PLURR ever since the pandemic, but if you act out of PLURR, you will find PLURR returned to you. For instance, at Bass Canyon I had such an excellent time, the community was so giving, everyone always makes sure you have what you need, they’ll always make sure you’re taken care of, that someone is by your side, they’ll always make sure you go back to where you need to go or that you can get that meal you need to eat or water. People don’t EXPECT anything from you, if they’re there for the PLURR, they just want to give to you. People don’t give things with expectations of getting anything back, it’s like, 'Hey, you left an impact on me, here’s this tiny hand,' it’s very sweet, very innocent stuff for the most part, and I find it to be so wholesome."

WAIT, WHAT IS "PLURR?" 

Stevie: "'PLURR' stands for 'Peace, Love, Unity, Respect, Responsibility.'"

INCREDIBLE. SO, WHAT IS FLOW ART AND WHAT KINDS ARE THERE?

Stevie: "Flow art is anything that you do that puts you in a flow state, anything you do with your body that helps you reach a flow state. A flow state is a state where you are 100% present with what you’re doing, which usually coincides with being passionate about what you’re doing, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be a passion, it’s like autopilot. When it’s mundane you call it autopilot, when it’s inspired you call it flow state, you know? I believe that flow state is a form of expression and a way of bringing people together over a language we all speak which is music and dance. Some flow arts I can name that involve props are juggling, hula hooping, dragon staff, rope dart, pixel whip, levi wand, and buugeng."

HOW DO YOU FLOW? WHEN DID YOU START AND HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL? 

Stevie: "My flow has changed a lot over the years; I used to be very tense and trying to go fast and keep up with the cool tricks, keep up with what everyone else is doing and all this stuff, but then during the pandemic I took time to pour into my own flow and realized, “oh I have to find my own way through this, I can be inspired by people all I want, but I have to find my own thing.” At my four-year mark, I started to really up the ante, pour my time into drilling certain things so I could get good at them and make them cleaner, and I really started listening more to the music [when I was flowing], all kinds of music: I listen to punk sometimes, R&B, soul, but sometimes I’m listening to hardstyle, or techno, or even lyrical music lol. It’s a matter of being present with where you are and taking each moment as it comes. I used to always look into the future and think, 'Oh that’s where I could be,' but then, once I finally reached that level, I realized it’s not about where I could be, it’s about where I am right now." 

Stevie: "Flowing feels like ultimate relief, I can move emotions through my body by, you know, moving my body, and it feels like relief and release. I can get out the things that words are not saying. That goes for joyous occasions, sad occasions, angry occasions, and every spectrum of emotion really. I feel free when I’m flowing. I’m speaking a language that I can understand and that others can understand." 

A FIVE-DAY FESTIVAL IS A LONG TIME TO BE RAVING. HOW DO YOU STAY COMFORTABLE ACROSS THE FESTIVAL AND DURING DOWNTIME? 

Stevie: "I like to get some rest, stuff my face, play games, and meet my neighbors. I think [meeting neighbors] is SO important for me. I love going to camp activities, hanging out, meeting people, and bonding with the people I came with. Really enjoying the fact that we have so little time in life to do “nothing” for five days and just hang out with each other, so that’s what I intend to do, hang out with my homies. I also recommend bringing fruits and vegetables. Berries, carrots, celery, hummus, that stuff will keep you hydrated and feeling refreshed."

WHAT ARE FIVE MUST-HAVES FOR DOWNTIME AT YOUR TENT?

Stevie: "Board games, a speaker, an EZ-Up, decorations such as tapestries, streamers, that kind of thing, and something to lounge on. Like a chair, an inflatable couch, whatever floats your boat. You want to have lounging materials, blankets to sit on, that kind of thing."

HOW DO YOU GET SOME SLEEP WITH THE FESTIVAL CONSTANTLY GOING ON? 

Stevie: "Pamper yourself as much as you can. Whether it's essential oils, spray for your pillow, the ultimate blankets, camping equipment, make the ultimate comfort you can think of. Stuffed animals? Bring it. A cot? Bring it. The ground can get hard and the night can get cold, so just make sure you’re thinking of ways you can make your body feel comfortable. Maybe even bring a fan if you have one; a portable camping fan in the tent is really nice, gets the air flowing. Oh and EARPLUGS EARPLUGS EARPLUGS, because camp life never stops and no one sleeps, so if you want to sleep without being bothered by the noises, the stages, and people, bring those earplugs. Lots of comfy PJs too, it’ll really make or break your time if you’re under nice blankets, but in like, jeans or scraggly clothes. I find my waking hours to be from 11 a.m. to 5 a.m., so those other hours are dedicated to showering, sleeping, honoring my body, and getting rest to keep going. And if you need rest? Forget the FOMO, there’s always something to do, so there’s nothing to miss by resting. Besides, if you’re well-rested, you’ll enjoy things more anyway."

Stay tuned for our upcoming preview of the SoCal DJs at LiB, as well as our review of the festival.