Last year I told you I'd be back, and here I was. The gates were open to BangOn! NYC's (notorious for their unique experiences) 4th annual Elements Music & Art's Festival which drew more than 10,000 attendees over Saturday & Sunday.
When their new location at Hunt's Point in the Bronx was announced I knew we'd be in for another unforgettable experience. That's what I love about this music festival — you never know what to expect, and it's full of surprises. With so many festivals to choose from these days it's almost become formulaic, but BangOn! always strives for differentiation. Each stage represented the elements: Earth, Water, Air, Fire and the 5th element.
Highlights this year were a fire breathing dragon “Heavy Meta“, an interactive experience hidden inside the grain silos, a Healing Garden, roller skating and the massive Thunderdome where you could battle your friends. This was all supplemented by activities, a wide range of art (one of my favorites being Babysluts installment) and headlining performances from The Knocks, GRiZ, Zed's Dead, Flying Lotus and many many more.
On Saturday we started off the day with Aire Atlantica playing on the main stage located in a massive abandoned warehouse. A bit later in the day, we stopped by the Water Stage for Shiba San who brought that Dirtybird sound we all love.
We caught up with STéLOUSE for a quick interview, one of the scenes top artists to watch in 2017. STéLOUSE is from Denver and mentioned his love for the weather and change of seasons there. He comes to NYC a couple times a year and “there's something magical” about the big city vibe to him.
What were you looking forward to the most going into Elements Music Festival? And how was your experience? Anything that sets this festival apart from others you've played?
“I was excited to perform in NYC again as it's been almost a year since my last time playing here. The crowd was great and the vibe was amazing. Very cool festival. Kinda like a tiny burning man in NYC.”
STéLOUSE has ton of new music coming out over the next several months, as well as planning his first headline tour in early 2018.
“Our US tour just finished! It was a pleasure to play for the American people and we had a great experience. We’re really excited to come back soon with new tracks and new ideas.One of the most memorable events was Hard Summer Fest. At this festival we finally met our favorite artists like AC Slater, Destructo, Chris Lorenzo, Claude Von Stroke, MK and more.We had a chance to speak to them and take some photos as well. Our time in LA also left us with some great memories. We've never seen so much cool art in one place like in Venice Beach. That place is dope.”
“No, it was our first time in New York.New York is definitely one of the best cities we’ve ever visited. Our first thought was that there are so many different people who live there. The architecture throughout the city is so beautiful as well. We walked around Manhattan and Times Square all night long. Those places are incredible and we’ll never forget that.”
“Elements Festival is really cool and the concept is great. There were many people who waited for our set, which was awesome.The whole experience was good. Every show we try to play music that people want to hear. We definitely try to vary our sets. Every show we play is around 50% of our music and 50% of music we think is going to be good for the crowd.”
