Elements Music and Arts Festival comes back for another year by doubling their attendance amount. Located in the woodlands outside of Pocono Raceway right in Long Pond Pennsylvania, makes it a favorite for our Northeast music lovers. This premiere boutique festival experience brought EDM and jam band fans together from August 11 to August 13.
Day 1 – Bringing all the Elements Together
This festival looks to connect their attendees with not only the people around them but the world around them. The four main stages are named after the four elements: fire, water, earth, and air. Smaller stages can also be found spread throughout the woodlands.
As attendees filtered into the area the days leading up to the festival, the campgrounds became their own party. People set up camp on the famous NASCAR racetrack where the celebrations began. People brought their own DJ decks, karaoke buses, a take-one-leave-one station and much more. Vendors and artists set up their booths right in this area making it a mini festival before anyone even walked through the gates.
The top-notch music production is the initial factor that brings many folks in but what makes them stay is every other thing this festival has to offer. Among the long-list of perks at Elements is their large-scale art installations, interactive performances, 3D video projection mapping, games, yoga, unique craft vendors, and more.
Early in the day people participated in breath work, an intro to reiki, and jewelery making. When entering the festival the area is filled with a variety of music and entertainment to satisfy just about everyone.
Jam band lovers got their day filled with performances by Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Lotus, and STS9. House heads had huge headliner John Summit take over the fire stage for a fun up beat show. For all the heavy bass folk found themselves at Mersiv early on and finishing their night with the Belgium kings of wubz, Ganja White Night.
Day 2 – Bass to the Face
If you weren’t at afters with John Summit all night then you probably were up early from the beating sun. Luckily, so were the festivities. The Saturday fun began with tarot cards, acro yoga, a shuffle workshop and an embodiment flow.
House and techno fans camped out at the fire stage most of day 2. This stage is epic visually due to the pyro coming from the front to the back of the stage. The fire timed with the beat drops makes this stage that much more entertaining even when you don’t know the artist.
Over on the Earth stage is where predominantly headbangers found themselves. This began with young producer Zingara who knows how to put on a great show despite being met with technical difficulties. Her heavy bass and fun environment effortlessly draws a crowd. People at the rail were head banging and those in the back were flowing with hula hoops, poi, and flow stars.
After Zingara, other heavy hitting artists took over including Daily Bread and Peekaboo. Daily Bread is known for creatively melding vintage and modern sounds to construct an aural narrative. His fans brought in loafs of bread and were handing them out during his set.
PEEKABOO continued to bring the bass with his overwhelmingly energetic performance which was immediately met with a flood of rain. Everyone embraced this weather switch up though because it was impossible not to dance to his heavy-hitting tunes. The downpour made the lasers sparkle, like a scene out of a movie.
LSDREAM took the the stage afterward, an obvious crowd favorite. He makes his music with healing frequencies and leads with spittruality. Through this he is able to create a positive and high energy flowing environment that people crave to be a part of. About halfway into his set an announcement went over the speakers asking everyone to evacuate due to an intense thunderstorm warning.
The audience left shocked as they filed out of the festival and back into the campgrounds. Everyone waited anxiously for any news when people would be let back in because no one wanted to miss two main headliners who were supposed to perform that night: Subtronics and Skrillex.
Luckily, after over an hour fans were being let back in but had to make the conflicting choice of which famous producer they were going to see. With both stages right next to each other you could see everyone in both crowds going wild. Despite a tough night and needing to evacuate for a brief time, this didn’t make people too down in spirits because we still got the showdown of a lifetime. Everyone leaving both sets could not stop talking about the amazing production they just witnessed.
Day 3 – Missing One LSDREAM Set Doesn’t Mean Missing Another
Many people were still upset about the outcome of the previous night. This was mostly due to LSDREAM’s set ending early. Luckily though, he planned to hold his signature Lightcode ceremony Sunday morning. People were lined up outside the festival gates awaiting for entrance to the Air stage.
Hundreds of people filed in excited for this mediation event. Sammy spoke on stage explaining the purpose of a sound bath and how individuals can look inward to alter their reality. Sammy immediately created a safe and peaceful space for everyone. He then led the 40 minute ceremony where people laid on yoga mats, hammocks, or relaxed on the ground. It was a great start to the final day at Elements where people could ground themselves and share love with each other.
Leaving light code felt like a breath of fresh air as people met Sammy and explored the early afternoon inside. House artist Jackal Jyve brought in a crowd to the water stage with his upbeat tunes and exotic dancers.
Later on, artists like Yam Yam, Koopmusik, and Skillaton dominated the scene. Rising artist Level Up did just that on the Earth Stage with her love of dubstep. Her crowd was so insane that she had so many mosh pits opening up into each other. Fans left her set dripping in sweat and out of breath.
Of The Trees followed up this performance with his blend of bass music and rap. Another crowd favorite was REZZ which became obvious as many people wore her hypnotic goggles that day. She may be young but that is not testament to her ability to stand alongside the pros in the bass scene.
Sunday night ended with performances by Porter Robinson and Chris Lake on the main stages. For those who traveled into the forest though for a final walkthrough found the Wub Hub area booming from artist Chef Boyarbeatz. Those on the side stage were scene holding up Chef Boyardee cans.
Elements Music Festival is nothing short of spectacular. It makes room for connection among people through love of music and appreciation for the world around. Who knew some woodlands in the Northeast could be the next best intimate music festival?
All Photos by Maddie McCafferty
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