Featured photo: Courtesy of Elements Festival // Andrew Rauner (@ajrphotos)
Having attended Elements for the past four years, the festival has grown really close to my heart. While I am quick to praise the festival, I am well aware it’s not perfect. Festival organizers also know that it’s not perfect, and it’s for this very reason why they continue to grow and innovate year after year.
Courtesy of Elements Festival // Lo Morell (@laurenmorell)
This year, there were a lot of promises on the line. Promises of major upgrades, improved logistics, and an overall better experience for every Elements attendee. Organizers had their work cut out for them and I was eager to see if they were able to walk the walk.
Just as luck would have it, the site got smashed by storms which interrupted Thursday’s festivities and led to the festival closing the gates all day Friday. With pissed off attendees demanding refunds and grounds flooded, the weekend started off as a perfect disaster. Despite the circumstances, organizers came prepared and responded with class and efficiency.
Courtesy of Elements Festival // Lo Morell (@laurenmorell)
They were timely and informative with updates on the app, they provided shelters with food, drinks, and waters for attendees to wait out the storm, and when things cleared up, they got right to work getting the venue right again while simultaneously reorganizing the schedule. They made fans their primary concern and it was clear to see.
When Saturday morning came around, so did the sun, and with it an incredible weekend of exploratory music and transformative experiences. Below, I discuss a few of my favorite sets and immersions as well as my opinion on the food and logistics. Hopefully, with this narrative, you too become inspired to embark on your own journey at Elements Festival next year.
Best Sets
Dark techno, jamtronica, experimental bass, Elements Festival had a little bit of everything this year and I was going to get a taste of all of it.
Courtesy of Elements Festival // Andrew Rauner (@ajrphotos)
The Floozies
If there is anyone who knows how to start a party, it’s The Floozies. The Kansas-bred jamtronica duo were my most anticipated band to see this weekend and they did not disappoint. Their ability to take the stage with such composure while also providing hefty portions of funk and flash just goes to show their versatility as performers. Visuals on the Earth Stage were pumping, vibes were high, and The Floozies didn’t miss a beat.
Nearing the end of the set, I could feel a little frustration coming from their end due to a lack of energy and responsiveness from the crowd. Unfortunately, unengaged audiences have become a norm in the current festival scene. Could be ketamine, could be people thinking they’re too cool to dance, but one thing that’s certainly not at fault is the music.
LSDream
Courtesy of Elements Festival // Lo Morell (@laurenmorell)
One of the most unexpected and dare I say most impressive sets of the weekend, would have to be LSDream. I saw the space bass aficionado during his Peace, Love, and Wubz tour in 2022 and left feeling unfulfilled so my expectations weren’t too high for his Elements set. While I wouldn’t throw on his catalogue on a typical day, the guy knows how to perform and his messages about positivity and mental health are exactly what the scene needs so I made it a must-see set.
On that night, I became a believer. I am an LSDream fan now. His set was chaotic, highly improvisational, and provided a potent dose of frothy dubstep and crunchy bass that rinsed my soul and got that crowd vibrating. To make the set even sweeter, he brought out CloZee to perform a couple of their LSZEE collabs. From the lights, to the visuals, to the music, to the crowd, this set was perfect.
Saka B2B FLY
One of my favorite parts of Elements Festival are the surprise sets. This is the only time where I enjoy rumors. “I heard Illenium cleared his weekend after missing his set Friday night.” “John Summit’s handler’s cousin posted a story back stage at the Earth Stage so he’s definitely coming out for Subtronics.” “I heard they’re going back to back to back to back to back.” Give me all the gossip.
This year, whispers rang that Saka and FLY were going to get into some action under the disco ball at Camp Nowhere. When that fantasy came true early Sunday morning, the crowd assembled. It’s hard to even call Camp Nowhere a renegade as their was some insanely legitimate production. The full Intent Audio rig, lighting arrays, and ofcourse all the glory of their beloved Disco Ball which made its claim to fame in the Woods of Submersion. Camp Nowhere delivered in full.
Lightcode
Elements Festival was undoubtedly full of surprises, and one of the most pleasant was my experience at Lightcode. Just like the LSDream set the night before, I wasn’t really sure what to expect out of this set. The “session,” I guess you could call it, started really casually and less formally than I expected.
Sami began by explaining the origin of Lightcode and how he got into soundbaths. He explained that they were a big part of his path to sobriety and becoming whole as a person again. This really honest and vulnerable narrative sort of opened me up for the soundbath that was presented right after. It was my first time doing anything like that and I couldn’t have asked for a better environment to experience it for the first time. By the end of it, I felt 100 pounds lighter with a mind clearer than the blue skies above me. It was a perfect way to start the day.
Cool Customer
While The Floozies might have been my most anticipated band for the weekend, Cool Customer was the number one name on the lineup that I wanted to see. It’s awesome to see an artist who performed at a Tipper event just months prior make an appearance at a mainstream festival like Elements. It was clear to see that Cool Customer’s set was an explosive introduction to left-field bass for a lot of those wide-eyed attendees that day. I struck up conversations with a few of the people besides me, which ranged from a pack of guys who just graduated high school to a pair of women who worked accounting jobs. None of them were familiar with Cool Customer or any of the big names in experimental bass music (Tipper, Jade Cicada, etc.) which made the experience all the more wholesome.
His setlist ripped through a few choice IDs that have become mainstays in recent sets plus a couple of unknown bangers that I heard for the first time that day. I’ve been rinsing his recent Customer Service mix tirelessly since it dropped last month so to see him put it together on the live stage was a treat. The highlight of the set, however, was when he teased Ultrasloth’s “Dingo Bingo” before transitioning into some other low-end madness. Not sure I would have been able to contain myself if some sloth slop started pouring out of those Funktions. While LSDream may have had the best set experience-wise, Cool Customer’s performance was my personal favorite as far as music goes.
Food & Drinks
Although the $17 tall boys took a chunk out of my heart, and wallet, the food and drinks at Elements Festival snapped this year. The first vendor I stopped by for nourishment was none other than Space Fruit. It was at the beginning of the weekend and I still hadn’t linked my card to my wristband so I was almost kept from that frozen fruity deliciousness, but as soon as I started walking away they spun me back around and gave it to me on the house. Shout out to the kind folks at Space Fruit. At first, I was frustrated by the fact that every purchase had to be made with your wristband but I later saw it as convenient and a great way to keep lines moving. Hopefully, that is Elements’ main intention with this technology, not just to track our behavior and movement…
Besides my Space Fruit indulgence, which I ran back on multiple occasions, the one food vendor that stuck out was a place called Hot Box where we scored some chicken nuggets and fries. Typically, I’ll order chicken tenders and fries at a festival thinking it’s a quick, easy, and reliable way to get some food. While our order from Hot Box was all those things, the meal I got was no typical nuggets and fries. With a seasoned layer of breading and a crunchy bite, the chicken tasted like it was freshly made. Hot, salty, and with just the right amount of snap, the fries could’ve been pulled from the fryer minutes before we got them. If you ever plan on attending Elements, you can expect to be fed proper. Just have your wallet ready.
Logistics
Logistics at Elements Festival haven’t always been perfect, and they will be the first to admit it. This humble perspective of there’s, however, is exactly why we see logistics improving year after year.
Entry & Exit + Camping
Once again, entry and exit for the festival were easy as can be. Granted, we didn’t arrive or leave the festival during peak traffic flow, but there was no line at all for us on either end of the weekend. As far as camping goes, yes, the grounds did flood pretty terribly on Friday, but by the time Saturday afternoon came around, there were only scattered puddles on the campground. Camping was organized neatly and no one was crunched too close to each other either.
Courtesy of Elements Festival // Lo Morell (@laurenmorell)
Restrooms & Showers
As far as portapotty management goes, I had both very hot and very cold experiences. They were kept clean, but they rarely had toilet paper. In fact, I counted on 20+ different occasions that a portapotty was without toilet paper. No, I did not go to the bathroom that much. Yes, I was randomly checking portapotties to see if they had TP throughout the weekend. Portapotties aside, the bathrooms in the VIP sections were PRISTINE. Although I am still getting used to the glitz and glamour of the VIP section, the bathrooms and their close proximity to the VIP sections elevated my experience beyond belief.
Courtesy of Elements Festival // Maggie London (@maggielndnphoto)
As far as showers go, I was thoroughly impressed. They had a staff member running from shower room to shower room checking on occupancy and making sure not a second was wasted before a shower got filled. It was a very smooth experience and I commend Elements for putting such a high priority on this particular facility.
Crowd Control
Unlike last year, I didn’t deal with any crowd surges or bottlenecks that were too harrowing. That being said, there were some tricky predicaments surrounding entry and exit for the Water Stage. Directly after Cool Customer on Sunday was Subtronics and police had to set up a barricade at one point because too many people were trying to enter and exit the Water Stage area at the same time. The Water Stage area wasn’t necessarily small, but it certainly wasn’t big enough to house the 9K+ fans who were estimated to be at that Subtronics set. While it was great seeing those big names on one of the smaller stages, I wonder if layouts like that make sense in the long run.
Courtesy of Elements Festival // Maggie London (@maggielndnphoto)
Security
At Elements Festival 2023, security was a mess. Our car got waved onto the grounds without even getting stopped, there were security guards buying and selling drugs, and highly unprofessional personnel on multiple accounts. This year, our car got properly searched upon entry, every security guard I met acted professionally and cordially, and there was a significantly reduced number of incident reports concerning security. Festival organizers understood they made a mistake last year, and this year it was clear they made the proper correction. You are witnessing a festival grow right before your eyes.
Courtesy of Elements Festival // Yvonne G (@yvonnegphotos)
Amenities & Immersions
What’s a little more tangible and easy to see grow right before your very eyes are immersions and amenities. From cool engagements to increased space in every regard, there were multiple “points of interest” that Elements provided for attendees this year.
Vibe Village
One thing that really sets Elements apart from other festivals is their Vibe Village. The festival has essentially taken the idea of renegades and lot shows and legitimized them to the point where they give organizers dedicated spaces and even resources to help keep the party going.
Courtesy of Elements Festival // Lo Morell (@laurenmorell)
The bright, metallic, shimmering star rotating in the sky of the Vibe Village this year was without a doubt Camp Nowhere. Produced by the minds behind Submersion Festival, Camp Nowhere was intended to capture the vibe and aesthetic of Submersion’s Woods Stage with their trademark disco ball. After multiple rambunctious sets under that glimmering potato, including a fat B2B between Saka and FLY mentioned earlier, I’d say that the vibe was met in full.
Lounge Areas
Just as promised, Elements Festival provided several more lounge areas and places to chill this year. The ‘Plaza’ was a great vibe that reminded me of somewhere you’d stumble upon at EDC and provided a perfect spot for guests to sit down and enjoy their food or catch their breath.
Courtesy of Elements Festival // Lo Morell (@laurenmorell)
One particular lounge area, that was restricted to the VIP section at the Fire Stage, absolutely blew me away. Aside from couches, chairs, snacks, arcade games, and more, there was a pool table. A full-sized pool table. Of all the crazy things that Elements brought in this year – mammoth sized fire cannons, world-reknowned artists, a ferris wheel – it was this pool table in the Fire Stage VIP section that really impressed me. I love pool. Pocketing a few corners while Walker & Royce performed 100 yards away from me was not on my bucket list but here we are.
J Rose Loops @ The Fun Factory
3 years ago, at a small independent festival in Ohio called What Fest, I stumbled upon a beatboxing, freestyling gent by the name of J Rose Loops who was as whitty as can be. I soon learned that he was one of the traveling performers and dealers with Frick Frack Black Jack. I would later come across him at several different festivals over the years.
On Sunday night, I happened to stumble upon his set at the Fun Factory while he was in the midst of one of his looping sessions. His ability to engage and involve the crowd while freestyling, looping, and improvising on the spot is such a pleasure to watch. At a J Rose set you might laugh, sing, dance, or possibly even get invited on the stage to be a part of the performance. As the weekend was coming to a close, this was a perfect way to sign off from the festival.
Final Notes
Year after year, it blows me away how much Elements Festial levels up. While it’s blaringly obvious that there budget was kicked up by a wide margin, it’s undeniable that organizer’s hearts are as big as their pockets. It’s clear to see that the festival truly cares about their attendees and listen to their concerns on one end of the spectrum to the other.
Courtesy of Elements Festival // Grace Prock (@graceprock)
Whether it was providing increased resources for fans during the storm, introducing new and exciting engagements, curating the lineup based on fan preference, giving a higher priority to logistics, or any of the various improvements they had this year, Elements Festival continues to establish itself as a festival that puts the fan first.
To stay informed on Elements Festival 2025 and everything else they’ve got going on, follow the links below!
Featured photo: Courtesy of Elements Festival // Andrew Rauner (@ajrphotos)
Having attended Elements for the past four years, the festival has grown really close to my heart. While I am quick to praise the festival, I am well aware it’s not perfect. Festival organizers also know that it’s not perfect, and it’s for this very reason why they continue to grow and innovate year after year.
This year, there were a lot of promises on the line. Promises of major upgrades, improved logistics, and an overall better experience for every Elements attendee. Organizers had their work cut out for them and I was eager to see if they were able to walk the walk.
Just as luck would have it, the site got smashed by storms which interrupted Thursday’s festivities and led to the festival closing the gates all day Friday. With pissed off attendees demanding refunds and grounds flooded, the weekend started off as a perfect disaster. Despite the circumstances, organizers came prepared and responded with class and efficiency.
They were timely and informative with updates on the app, they provided shelters with food, drinks, and waters for attendees to wait out the storm, and when things cleared up, they got right to work getting the venue right again while simultaneously reorganizing the schedule. They made fans their primary concern and it was clear to see.
When Saturday morning came around, so did the sun, and with it an incredible weekend of exploratory music and transformative experiences. Below, I discuss a few of my favorite sets and immersions as well as my opinion on the food and logistics. Hopefully, with this narrative, you too become inspired to embark on your own journey at Elements Festival next year.
Best Sets
Dark techno, jamtronica, experimental bass, Elements Festival had a little bit of everything this year and I was going to get a taste of all of it.
The Floozies
If there is anyone who knows how to start a party, it’s The Floozies. The Kansas-bred jamtronica duo were my most anticipated band to see this weekend and they did not disappoint. Their ability to take the stage with such composure while also providing hefty portions of funk and flash just goes to show their versatility as performers. Visuals on the Earth Stage were pumping, vibes were high, and The Floozies didn’t miss a beat.
Nearing the end of the set, I could feel a little frustration coming from their end due to a lack of energy and responsiveness from the crowd. Unfortunately, unengaged audiences have become a norm in the current festival scene. Could be ketamine, could be people thinking they’re too cool to dance, but one thing that’s certainly not at fault is the music.
LSDream
One of the most unexpected and dare I say most impressive sets of the weekend, would have to be LSDream. I saw the space bass aficionado during his Peace, Love, and Wubz tour in 2022 and left feeling unfulfilled so my expectations weren’t too high for his Elements set. While I wouldn’t throw on his catalogue on a typical day, the guy knows how to perform and his messages about positivity and mental health are exactly what the scene needs so I made it a must-see set.
On that night, I became a believer. I am an LSDream fan now. His set was chaotic, highly improvisational, and provided a potent dose of frothy dubstep and crunchy bass that rinsed my soul and got that crowd vibrating. To make the set even sweeter, he brought out CloZee to perform a couple of their LSZEE collabs. From the lights, to the visuals, to the music, to the crowd, this set was perfect.
Saka B2B FLY
One of my favorite parts of Elements Festival are the surprise sets. This is the only time where I enjoy rumors. “I heard Illenium cleared his weekend after missing his set Friday night.” “John Summit’s handler’s cousin posted a story back stage at the Earth Stage so he’s definitely coming out for Subtronics.” “I heard they’re going back to back to back to back to back.” Give me all the gossip.
This year, whispers rang that Saka and FLY were going to get into some action under the disco ball at Camp Nowhere. When that fantasy came true early Sunday morning, the crowd assembled. It’s hard to even call Camp Nowhere a renegade as their was some insanely legitimate production. The full Intent Audio rig, lighting arrays, and ofcourse all the glory of their beloved Disco Ball which made its claim to fame in the Woods of Submersion. Camp Nowhere delivered in full.
Lightcode
Elements Festival was undoubtedly full of surprises, and one of the most pleasant was my experience at Lightcode. Just like the LSDream set the night before, I wasn’t really sure what to expect out of this set. The “session,” I guess you could call it, started really casually and less formally than I expected.
Sami began by explaining the origin of Lightcode and how he got into soundbaths. He explained that they were a big part of his path to sobriety and becoming whole as a person again. This really honest and vulnerable narrative sort of opened me up for the soundbath that was presented right after. It was my first time doing anything like that and I couldn’t have asked for a better environment to experience it for the first time. By the end of it, I felt 100 pounds lighter with a mind clearer than the blue skies above me. It was a perfect way to start the day.
Cool Customer
While The Floozies might have been my most anticipated band for the weekend, Cool Customer was the number one name on the lineup that I wanted to see. It’s awesome to see an artist who performed at a Tipper event just months prior make an appearance at a mainstream festival like Elements. It was clear to see that Cool Customer’s set was an explosive introduction to left-field bass for a lot of those wide-eyed attendees that day. I struck up conversations with a few of the people besides me, which ranged from a pack of guys who just graduated high school to a pair of women who worked accounting jobs. None of them were familiar with Cool Customer or any of the big names in experimental bass music (Tipper, Jade Cicada, etc.) which made the experience all the more wholesome.
His setlist ripped through a few choice IDs that have become mainstays in recent sets plus a couple of unknown bangers that I heard for the first time that day. I’ve been rinsing his recent Customer Service mix tirelessly since it dropped last month so to see him put it together on the live stage was a treat. The highlight of the set, however, was when he teased Ultrasloth’s “Dingo Bingo” before transitioning into some other low-end madness. Not sure I would have been able to contain myself if some sloth slop started pouring out of those Funktions. While LSDream may have had the best set experience-wise, Cool Customer’s performance was my personal favorite as far as music goes.
Food & Drinks
Although the $17 tall boys took a chunk out of my heart, and wallet, the food and drinks at Elements Festival snapped this year. The first vendor I stopped by for nourishment was none other than Space Fruit. It was at the beginning of the weekend and I still hadn’t linked my card to my wristband so I was almost kept from that frozen fruity deliciousness, but as soon as I started walking away they spun me back around and gave it to me on the house. Shout out to the kind folks at Space Fruit. At first, I was frustrated by the fact that every purchase had to be made with your wristband but I later saw it as convenient and a great way to keep lines moving. Hopefully, that is Elements’ main intention with this technology, not just to track our behavior and movement…
Besides my Space Fruit indulgence, which I ran back on multiple occasions, the one food vendor that stuck out was a place called Hot Box where we scored some chicken nuggets and fries. Typically, I’ll order chicken tenders and fries at a festival thinking it’s a quick, easy, and reliable way to get some food. While our order from Hot Box was all those things, the meal I got was no typical nuggets and fries. With a seasoned layer of breading and a crunchy bite, the chicken tasted like it was freshly made. Hot, salty, and with just the right amount of snap, the fries could’ve been pulled from the fryer minutes before we got them. If you ever plan on attending Elements, you can expect to be fed proper. Just have your wallet ready.
Logistics
Logistics at Elements Festival haven’t always been perfect, and they will be the first to admit it. This humble perspective of there’s, however, is exactly why we see logistics improving year after year.
Entry & Exit + Camping
Once again, entry and exit for the festival were easy as can be. Granted, we didn’t arrive or leave the festival during peak traffic flow, but there was no line at all for us on either end of the weekend. As far as camping goes, yes, the grounds did flood pretty terribly on Friday, but by the time Saturday afternoon came around, there were only scattered puddles on the campground. Camping was organized neatly and no one was crunched too close to each other either.
Restrooms & Showers
As far as portapotty management goes, I had both very hot and very cold experiences. They were kept clean, but they rarely had toilet paper. In fact, I counted on 20+ different occasions that a portapotty was without toilet paper. No, I did not go to the bathroom that much. Yes, I was randomly checking portapotties to see if they had TP throughout the weekend. Portapotties aside, the bathrooms in the VIP sections were PRISTINE. Although I am still getting used to the glitz and glamour of the VIP section, the bathrooms and their close proximity to the VIP sections elevated my experience beyond belief.
As far as showers go, I was thoroughly impressed. They had a staff member running from shower room to shower room checking on occupancy and making sure not a second was wasted before a shower got filled. It was a very smooth experience and I commend Elements for putting such a high priority on this particular facility.
Crowd Control
Unlike last year, I didn’t deal with any crowd surges or bottlenecks that were too harrowing. That being said, there were some tricky predicaments surrounding entry and exit for the Water Stage. Directly after Cool Customer on Sunday was Subtronics and police had to set up a barricade at one point because too many people were trying to enter and exit the Water Stage area at the same time. The Water Stage area wasn’t necessarily small, but it certainly wasn’t big enough to house the 9K+ fans who were estimated to be at that Subtronics set. While it was great seeing those big names on one of the smaller stages, I wonder if layouts like that make sense in the long run.
Security
At Elements Festival 2023, security was a mess. Our car got waved onto the grounds without even getting stopped, there were security guards buying and selling drugs, and highly unprofessional personnel on multiple accounts. This year, our car got properly searched upon entry, every security guard I met acted professionally and cordially, and there was a significantly reduced number of incident reports concerning security. Festival organizers understood they made a mistake last year, and this year it was clear they made the proper correction. You are witnessing a festival grow right before your eyes.
Amenities & Immersions
What’s a little more tangible and easy to see grow right before your very eyes are immersions and amenities. From cool engagements to increased space in every regard, there were multiple “points of interest” that Elements provided for attendees this year.
Vibe Village
One thing that really sets Elements apart from other festivals is their Vibe Village. The festival has essentially taken the idea of renegades and lot shows and legitimized them to the point where they give organizers dedicated spaces and even resources to help keep the party going.
The bright, metallic, shimmering star rotating in the sky of the Vibe Village this year was without a doubt Camp Nowhere. Produced by the minds behind Submersion Festival, Camp Nowhere was intended to capture the vibe and aesthetic of Submersion’s Woods Stage with their trademark disco ball. After multiple rambunctious sets under that glimmering potato, including a fat B2B between Saka and FLY mentioned earlier, I’d say that the vibe was met in full.
Lounge Areas
Just as promised, Elements Festival provided several more lounge areas and places to chill this year. The ‘Plaza’ was a great vibe that reminded me of somewhere you’d stumble upon at EDC and provided a perfect spot for guests to sit down and enjoy their food or catch their breath.
One particular lounge area, that was restricted to the VIP section at the Fire Stage, absolutely blew me away. Aside from couches, chairs, snacks, arcade games, and more, there was a pool table. A full-sized pool table. Of all the crazy things that Elements brought in this year – mammoth sized fire cannons, world-reknowned artists, a ferris wheel – it was this pool table in the Fire Stage VIP section that really impressed me. I love pool. Pocketing a few corners while Walker & Royce performed 100 yards away from me was not on my bucket list but here we are.
J Rose Loops @ The Fun Factory
3 years ago, at a small independent festival in Ohio called What Fest, I stumbled upon a beatboxing, freestyling gent by the name of J Rose Loops who was as whitty as can be. I soon learned that he was one of the traveling performers and dealers with Frick Frack Black Jack. I would later come across him at several different festivals over the years.
On Sunday night, I happened to stumble upon his set at the Fun Factory while he was in the midst of one of his looping sessions. His ability to engage and involve the crowd while freestyling, looping, and improvising on the spot is such a pleasure to watch. At a J Rose set you might laugh, sing, dance, or possibly even get invited on the stage to be a part of the performance. As the weekend was coming to a close, this was a perfect way to sign off from the festival.
Final Notes
Year after year, it blows me away how much Elements Festial levels up. While it’s blaringly obvious that there budget was kicked up by a wide margin, it’s undeniable that organizer’s hearts are as big as their pockets. It’s clear to see that the festival truly cares about their attendees and listen to their concerns on one end of the spectrum to the other.
Whether it was providing increased resources for fans during the storm, introducing new and exciting engagements, curating the lineup based on fan preference, giving a higher priority to logistics, or any of the various improvements they had this year, Elements Festival continues to establish itself as a festival that puts the fan first.
To stay informed on Elements Festival 2025 and everything else they’ve got going on, follow the links below!
Follow Elements Festival:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
Related Content: