Since 2007, Bang On! have been the creative masterminds behind some of the most unforgettable underground warehouse parties. Some readers may be skeptical…but these events are not your typical warehouse shows. They have paved the way in the underground scene, providing top notch productions and crowd-drawing lineups.
Now, in 2018 Bang On! has expanded and is proud to be organizing the second annual Elements festival in Lakewood, Pa. This beautiful campground will host a multitude of talented musicians and artists — along with interactive art installations, daily workshops, and vendors — will be guaranteed to keep festival goers entertained all weekend long. Come together to celebrate a Memorial Day weekend experience like no other!
You can pitch a tent to call home for the weekend or rent a cabin if sleeping in a tent isn’t your forte. Relax and enjoy the company of friends while making new ones in the process. The campground is bordered by a huge lake, and you are welcome to take a dip whenever you need to cool off. Beware of the pirates though, they lurk around the lake and may throw you overboard!
If you find yourself traveling on the paths, you will stumble upon a UV art gallery and live UV paintings, or a path of sculptures made from the trees and other organic materials that are reminiscent of ancient civilizations. Scattered throughout the trees there are other sculptures and installations that you can climb on, touch and explore. After channeling your inner child, Bang On! has daily workshops and health and wellness classes covering everything from Aromatherapy and Yoga to an Improv comedy workshop and summer camp activities such as zip lining, canoeing and rock climbing.
Nestled deep into the forest, there will be music on eight different stages. There are four element themed stages: Earth, Fire, Air and Water. This year, on the fire stage, producers and DJs from the Dirtybird record label — such as Claude Vonstroke, Fisher, and Ardalan — will be gracing our presence and bringing the heat on Friday. They will have you boppin’ and groovin’ throughout the night. Renowned UK artists Jamie Jones, Maceo Plex, and Lee Burridge will be headlining the Air and the Alchemy stages over the weekend as well.
Lakewood will not only be about music and art. Bang On! wants to create a positive environmental impact as well. Too many times after leaving a festival, you drive away looking back at piles of garbage and broken camping equipment that people did not have the willingness to properly dispose of, causing weeks of clean up. With a zero-tolerance policy on littering, they aim to reduce the festival’s footprint. So come prepared with materials that you can recycle, and plenty of garbage bags to encourage sustainability.
I hope these full-sensory experiences will pique some your interests. After reading, if this sounds like something you would enjoy, there are still weekend tickets available for purchase at elementsfest.us. And if you want to listen to the artists, you can find the full lineup for the weekend on the website, as well as their pages on Spotify. I can’t wait to see everyone’s beautiful faces that weekend!
