Small festivals and disco tiki parties: Where to find mind-bending music on Fourth of July weekend

What’s more American than heading deep into the California wilderness for some mind-bending music on July Fourth weekend?

Zoetics in Xanadu, a new festival from Los Angeles party people Restless Nites, is as cheekily mystical as the name implies, bringing in a wide swatch of L.A. techno talent (Doc Martin, Raiz, Gifted & Blessed) to a private desert locale about three hours north of town.

It’s a small-scale fest that’s promising total freedom on a weekend celebrating exactly that. Rock, flag and eagle, y’all.

Closer to home on Friday, the Moony Habits team brings house producer Maurice Fulton back to DTLA, and Chicago mainstay Green Velvet hits up Sound in Hollywood.

Saturday is lower-key: The black-clad among us staying inside all weekend will dig Fanon Flowers playing the Black Lodge party at Hyperion Tavern; while those who enjoy the sun on their necks can get a disco tiki party from Eli Escobar at the Standard DTLA’s Brighter Days series.

On Sunday, the Lightning In A Bottle festival folks throw a bunch of pre-parties for their wild and wooly Woogie Weekend (one at the Standard, one at the Long Beach Pier); John Tejada heads up the U.R. Art fest at Bergamot Station; Andy Butler of Hercules & Love Affair leads a Club Called Rhonda pool party at Mondrian, and L.A.’s king of licentiousness DJ Harvey rings in seven years of the Bears In Space party at Akbar.

We assume you’ll spend the actual Fourth recovering over a hot grill and cold beers.