By McKenzie Mitchell
As a huge dubstep and bass music lover, I could not believe my eyes when the lineup for Lost Lands first hit the Internet. I impulsively bought my wristband the very day that they were available. Making a 40-hour drive with my best friend to Thornville, Ohio for this event was 100% worth it. As this was the event’s first year, I had no idea what to expect. The biggest festival I had attended previous to this was Paradiso in the Gorge in Washington this past June. However, even with over 25,000 bass heads running around Legend Valley, this was by far one of the cleanest, most engaging festivals I will ever have the pleasure of attending.
Created and Put on by Excision
OK, first of all, what? A DJ that is constantly traveling the world and putting together incredible, mind-blowing sets has the creativity and time to create his own festival?! Being a part of a festival put on by a producer/DJ totally changed the vibe of the fest as a whole. He has been in the scene, behind the scenes, and on stage- meaning he knows what festival goers want and need. Water prices were capped at $2, to ensure that everyone stayed hydrated.
There were countless booths all around the grounds, selling food, clothes, glasses and goggles, merchandise, blankets, you name it. There were booths that provided massages for our broken necks, free face painting, airbrush body and face paint, and all kinds of delicious, affordable food like baked mac’n’cheese, various kinds of grilled cheese, and stir fry (to name a few). Security was hands-on, but not aggressive and over-the-top, they wanted us to have fun just as much as we wanted to have fun! I was seriously blown away.
Location
Although our drive from Portland, OR to Thornvile, OH was long, flat, and made us stir crazy, it was immediately clear to me that Excision did his research on venues all around the U.S.. He took his time evaluating how the Lost Lands set up would fit in each one. Legend Valley was an INCREDIBLE and intimate venue to hold such a unique festival. It was right off the main highway, but the venue is so vast and spreads so far it felt like its own little world. Camping really made the experience for me. I would recommend all future Lost Lands goers to experience camping with thousands of other bass heads. One tip, however- Ohio is stinking cold, so bring way more blankets and cozy clothes than you think you might need.
The Music
Man, oh man- out of a lineup like that how can I even pick a favorite? Each artist there had no limits of how heavy they could go, as they knew the audience would be more ecstatic about more bass. I really enjoyed artists like Zeds Dead, Slander, Black Tiger Sex Machine, and Illenium bringing some crazy unexpected bass to the table, since that’s not usually what you hear from them.
However, I branched out a lot during the weekend and caught a bunch of new artists and was completely mindblown. Wooli, Downlink, Boogie T (who brought out Subtronics for a quick b2b), Trampa, Kompany, PhaseOne, Phiso, Dubloadz, and Seven Lions were all artists I had never seen before and I’m so glad I decided to catch their sets. And let’s not forget that Destroid made a reunion for this incredible weekend and actually set the stage on fire in front of my eyes!
However, in my opinion, the set that took the cake and was truly something so incredibly special was Excision’s extended 2-hour set to end day one. I will never forget the chills I had when his set started- just knowing that he had been planning that exact moment for at least a year or two (if not more), and feeling the energy in his voice and in the crowd as he threw us one of the most insane openings I will ever witness….the feeling is unexplainable. It was an amazing set put on by an amazing producer/DJ and most definitely in my top 5 favorite sets ever, and I’m so excited to see what he has in store for us next year.
Camping
Alright, I know I mentioned camping earlier but here’s where I can really tell ya all about it. Paradiso was my first camping festival (Lost Lands was my second). I was very comfortable with packing food, supplies, and knowing what we as campers usually need. I’m a natural rave mom/mom friend, so I like to think that I head into everything pretty prepared! However, Thornville was truly cold- way colder than I had anticipated. Be prepared for temperatures to drop as soon as it gets dark there. A tip? Bring at least two or three more pairs of sweatpants, and as many blankets as you can. Although the daytimes were sunny and very pleasant, beware the falling darkness!
Camping among 20,000 other bass heads was seriously one of the most awesome experiences of my life. As much as I hate being dirty, there’s no doubt that next year I will be camping again! The sites and areas were well put together. The port-a-potties weren’t (really) all that bad (there was a lot of them!). The showers that were available were clean and had plenty of hot water. The food tents were open until 2 or 3am for us- a really sweet set-up! Although camping is cold and often uncomfortable, I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. Totally recommend it to all new Lost Landers next year.
How to Prepare
Alright, this title is a little misleading. Nothing could really prepare you for an entire weekend of heavy bass music. However, by bringing a lot of warm gear, some muscle cream (you’re gonna need it), and your bass face, you can totally handle it. Another tip would be this: respect the festival. Respect the space. Respect what Excision has done for us here. This year, at Lost Lands’ first year as a festival, there were absolutely zero drug related medical emergencies or deaths. Compared to other festivals of this caliber and mass, that’s pretty freaking amazing. Respect others and also watch out for them. Rave Mom definitely handed out some TLC. That is a key part of what makes the EDM community so amazing. Bring lots of trash bags and try to leave no trace- we did an incredible job this year. Legend Valley is excited to have us back, so we really don’t want to screw that up!`
Leaving this place was really rough for our whole crew- because of the location. There was limited cell service, so the whole weekend we ate, breathed, and fully lived Lost Lands. Reconnecting with the real world was rough after such an incredible experience. My biggest therapy was the reminder that I would come home next year. Ticket sales were just announced. You can most definitely bet on catching me in a pit at next year’s show. This is not an event to miss!
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