Cheyenne Johnson
Staff Writer
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An artistic and musical invasion is headed for the hills above Santa Barbara this coming weekend. Artists, musicians and performers are coming from all across the country to perform at Lucidity Festival, a transformational arts and music festival that will revolve around the concept of lucid dreaming.
Lucidity Festival, which will take place in Live Oak Camp April 13 to 15, features bands from around the country, as well as local bands like Boombox Orchestra, Givers and Takers and Howlin’ Woods. Along with the musical festivities are art shows, workshops with topics like cardio dance and obscure yet intriguing activities such as “collective imagination experiments.”
“I’m really proud of the Lucidity creators- many of whom are my friends- for taking the gumption to turn a mere idea into a lucid reality,” said Brian Coe, drummer of the three-piece band Whiskey Piss, which is performing at the festival Sunday. “Regardless of the outcome, the fact that it’s even happening makes it a success.”
The festival has been compared to Burning Man, the annual week-long art and social event held in Black Rock Desert, Nevada. Despite the mutual focus on art and community, Coe insists Lucidity stands on its own.
“The cool difference is that at Lucidity, unlike Burning Man, there will not only be live music from bands, as opposed to DJs, but also from many talented local bands like Sprout the Band, Rainbow Girls and of course Whiskey Piss,” said Coe. “Some festivals, though certainly not all of them, are becoming a legitimate way to bring a collective consciousness together in the same setting and promote creativity- be that music, art, dance or freedom of expression.”
The local band Howlin’ Woods will be bringing their own version of Santa Barbara psychedelic rock to Lucidity. Matthew Farrington, drummer for Howlin’ Woods, said he’s thrilled to see a festival like Lucidity return to Santa Barbara.
“[I] love that they got so many local acts involved,” said Farrington. “[I] think it will bring a welcome dynamic to the festival and hopefully introduce some out of towners to what’s up with the SB music scene. Gonna be fun!”
Lucidity offers a rare opportunity to local bands like Howlin’ Woods and Isla Vista’s own SoulDarity to gain widespread exposure while introducing festival-goers to their original sounds.
“I’m really excited and honored to perform for such a large crowd at a cool festival,” said SoulDarity’s female vocalist and Bottom Line Arts and Entertainment Editor Melissa Nilles. “It’ll be a great experience to get out there and perform in front of a lot of people. The festival seems like a safe place for musical exploration because the whole theme of the festival is kind of open-ended, hippie and magical.”
Beyond its major themes of musical and artistic exploration, Lucidity will also put a focus on environmental sustainability. Staff will be promoting environmentally friendly policies during the festival by encouraging attendees to bring reusable water bottles and garbage bags to help keep the park clean.
“Lucidity and the Greenest Campsite contest are actively working to make this the greenest festival around,” states the official website for the Lucidity Festival. “Be creative, inventive, and use your sustainable skill. Make the camp your own and let your green imagination run wild.”
As the festival rapidly approaches, anticipation grows for the unique atmosphere Lucidity is expected to foster.
“I expect the weekend to be a vivacious mix of music and art, friends and family, the planned and the unexpected,” said Coe. “Cheers to the birth of Lucidity.”