The Do Lab might be the coolest place at Empire Polo Club in Indio, and it’s back to light up Coachella 2022 after a two-year hiatus.
Headliners like Harry Styles and Billie Eilish may get all the attention when lineups are announced, but the Do Lab – powered by renowned DJs, iconic water guns that drench the thousands dancing in the tent at all times and bass that will rock your soul from the opening of the festival to its closing – has become a brand in its own right at Coachella.
The idea for the Do Lab began in 2004 when the Flemming brothers realized their TV production work wasn’t challenging, Dede Flemming said in 2017.
Jesse played in a band, Josh worked on the lighting, then the sets for his shows, and Dede helped out.
In the meantime, they would go to festivals and take inspiration from the creative anarchy of Burning Man, which creates a pop-up art city in the Nevada desert.
The Do Lab’s first year at Coachella was 2004, when the brothers completed what they considered an art project – a 60-foot geodesic dome with sculptures and water misters that was a place to cool off.
Coachella soon invited the Do Lab back, and the Flemmings began experimenting with different types of building materials and larger structures. During this time, the Do Lab became a stage, not only for music but also for performance art, with the audience as an integral part of the act.
Festival-goers like Sean Voy say Do Lab is a mini-festival within Coachella.
“It’s like a portal to the burning man,” Voy said over the weekend. “There really is no such thing.”
The Do Lab is back for a 15th year with a lineup of over 40 acts featuring Do Lab regulars like The Glitch Mob and house music duo Sidepiece.
Attendees also enjoy traveling clowns, aerialists, fire dancers, and other immersive performers. And you never know who will show up to play, which is part of the fun.
In the past, guests have included artists such as Skrillex, Richie Hawtin and Major Lazer, but the stage also has plenty of room for upcoming stars, including Moore Kismet, 17, a high school student who spent the night before their prom at the DoLab.
“I’m really, really grateful that everyone was so receptive to what I played; nothing can compare to that,” Kismet said, leaving the Do Lab stage after an hour of energetic, bass-driven dance music.
The following afternoon, DJ Andre Power rallied the crowd with remixed hits as fans wielding giant water guns on stage took turns soaking the crowd.
“It’s always,” Power said as he left the booth, “a vibe.”
