Diandra Reviews It All

If Friday was a combined day of exhilaration and anticipation than Saturday felt like a giant day of payoff. By then, people had settled into their cabins and tents, adorning them with themes, posters, and Christmas lights. It was clear that Elements was a place to make a statement, and to be in plain jeans and T-shirt, which I unfortunately wore, was equivalent to sinning. IF self-consciousness was out the door on Friday, by Saturday she was a good 800 miles away. Sharing showers with people, moving tents closer to your favored stage, and laughing out loud from happiness, for Elements Lakewood, a first-year festival, success was riding on more than just its music; it was dependent on the culture it was building.

Of course, having thousands of people in an upstate New York camp is not the easiest thing to run, which is why the caliber of people is so important. Generosity was abound with people eager to give hugs, food, and anything just so their neighbor felt included and connected, even if it meant letting a stranger into your cabin so they can charge their phone, which just showed how worthy a cabin was up there. Still, service was hard to get, which benefited everyone. No trump news could touch the epicness of the classes throughout the day meant to give you breathing “pockets” from the 24/7 EDM. From joining a vocal cult, where for three hours you could learn how to reach your voice’s maximum power, to getting an appointment with Boston’s own Sophias Reiki, where you could realign your chakras, there were several aspects to Elements aimed at self-healing. I cannot say I have been to too many festivals desiring to clear your chakras, offering jet skiing, kayaking, and pirate shipping on a lake, or setting up a healing garden/ theme park of beautiful art, bean-bags, and DJ Everyday’s smooth deep house. In terms of food, tacos, pad-that, and bacon- egg sandwiches, and upstate coffee were the delicious hits, and if your own snacks did not suffice, there was definitely vendors premiering their own creative produce like, Brooklyn’s Upruit, a lemonade- coffee drink that was years in the making and gave the massive crowd a tasty energy boost. Still, in between all those classes and grub, was the music.

Air Stage was magnificent beautiful and electro. Deep in the woods, the stage was no easy feat to get to especially, at night. A path broken twigs and LED twinkling lights, guided patrons as they felt like they were about to pray to the Woods Goddess. Mirrors, a graffiti- speedboat and bus, where everyone could paint their imagination, and batches of toys decorated the forest as if the crowd was coming to cast a spell of childlike fun. From Anna Forest to Stephanie Blanding, Air Stage introduced me to fabulous females, electro stars. This area was a magical place to dance, and of all the stage completely embodied Elements as a festival to escape. When you entered air stage, you fully left society, and entered an earthly domain of rhythm and revelry. Close by was Water Stage, a funky, crab shack with a treed bar of which Lee Burridge gave me LIFE. It was hard not to reach levels of euphoria when you are dancing on sand and watching artistic ecstasy around you. Psychics, painters, and acrobats surrounded the dancing audience for what seemed to be a strange dream of varying but great combinations. Still, Fire Stage carried my FAVE headliners again.

Walker & Royce, Billy Kenny, Claude VonStroke, and Justin Jay literally lit Fire Stage. Each was having the time of their life and surrounded by a fiery stage, dancers, and fireworks in the sky. It was hard not to capture their infectious giddiness as they played, again, some of the most distinct EDM. Electronica is a great scene that beats its heart according to computerized synths, yet these guys added a level of humanity. From their own singing, Justin Jay, to their own personality, Walker & Royce, electronica met the world of dance to give a human tap. Click Here For My Sunday Review.

Here Are A Few Of The Tracks From My Fav Saturday Artists: