TIPS TO MAKE ELEMENTS AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE
WORDS BY: KELLY PENN // PHOTOS BY: SASHA CHAROENSUB
The master of undisclosed warehouse parties, BangOnNYC!, was back at it again with their 3rd edition of their annual ELEMENTS MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL. Over 8,000 partygoers ventured to south Brooklyn in Red Hook to remove themselves from the realities of the city and engage in fantastical play. The all-day event commenced inside a post-apocalyptic “venue” highlighting the Earth, Wind, Fire, and Air elements on themed stages, made complete with compactly crushed cars, VIP areas in abandoned structures, and mounds of rubble acting as walls in-between stage areas.
After years of attending the BangOnNYC! events, we have some helpful tips to make the most of the experience:
NO FOMO TIP 1#:
When they say “wear comfortable, closed shoes”… just fucking do it. Otherwise, you’re left with wrecked shoes, gross feet, and ten hours later, left in pain. Also, dancing – in comfy shoes – is all that matters. Period.
As expected for any summer festival, the weather did not grace us nicely in Brooklyn in the middle of August. Despite time of arrival, you more than likely needed to stand in the sweltering heat, in dire need of water and/or more alcohol to keep your buzz going.
NO FOMO TIP #2
Be prepared to wait in the heat and stay hydrated, AKA, bring a reusable water bottle and make use of the free water offered. And a complaint or two is fine, but don’t keep banging on how hot it is. We all know. It’s not hot enough to stop us!
BangOnNYC! did an excellent curation of DJ’s to accommodate to the few and also the masses. While many were pleased by the tracks of Kligande who played crowd favorites like “Jubel” and Flume’s remix of ‘You and Me’ by Disclosure, others gravitated to the Zero Stage to hear the sounds of chill underground favorites like YoKoo and BLOND:ISH. For the locals, there was The Golden Pony, DJ Dirty Looks, and 2Melo of the JunXion. For the West Coast festival fans, there was an entire stage brought by the Desert Hearts crew. While Claptone started the party off right with the early birds at 2PM, Gramatik closed off the night with some heavy bass bangers as the moonlight poured over the crowd.
NO FOMO TIP #3
Come with an open heart and open ears. You many have come for 1-2 artists but try to visit all the sections and the four element-themed stages + 1 secret stage of the festival. You’re bound to stumble into a new musical journey.
Elements Festival’s setup, with interactive art and acrobatic dancers, went well beyond the typical day event offerings. While some watched in awe at that dude on the tightrope, others played with an interactive, larger than life skeleton, and others got some sick face and body paint. The additional immersive theater by Houseworld and aerial video mapping by our local fave, House of Yes, was just the icing on the cake.
NO FOMO TIP #4
Embrace your inner freak and go all out. Dress up, interact, and play with everything and anything. We love seeing all the brilliant, colorful costumes and people truly embracing festival vibes.
Last, but certainly not least, the people at Elements were AMAZING. The staff. The attendees. The DJ’s. All good vibes.
NO FOMO TIP #5
Make friends often, whether if it’s just for the day or kept for years to come. Don’t be afraid to talk to strangers and engage in group dance-offs. That is the beauty of New York City festivals.
[+] ELEMENTS FESTIVAL
[Official]
