PHOTOS: Intimate Music Festival "Welcome Campers" presented by The Wild Honey Pie

On the first night we sat in an amphitheater across the campfire and Aisha Badru was playing acoustic guitar accompanied by soft keyboard sounds. The fire crackled while she filled us in on the remarkable story of her life and even the starting rain could not dampen the magic of the moment.

And that was just one location of the 2019 Welcome Campers festival where live music was staged. Others included a baseball field, a terrace over the lake and a clearing deep in the forest. Each performance felt like a unique moment, something the artists have never done before.

After having spend around two days at Camp Lenox in Otis, MA, the biggest mystery is why Welcome Campers does not sell out within a few days, like for example Coachella does. For about $300 to $500 you get two nights, all food and drinks included over Memorial Day weekend. Even without the ten stellar indie acts (!) this is a great deal. The accommodations are basic, but you are treated with plenty of American summer camp nostalgia, swag and have the opportunity to hop into a lake for a swim.

Of course you won’t see Beyoncé or Vampire Weekend there, but Wild Honey Pie did an excellent curation with up and coming indie musicians – 70% female-fronted – that ranged from singer/songwriter over electronic and rock to dance music. The nicest part: there is no fenced-off area for the artists: chances are that you can sit with your favorite act on the same table at the next meal.

For more info on all ten acts, check out our preview here and the official site of course. Enjoy impressions of an amazing 48 hours filled with music and summer joy:

== All concert photos (entirely shot on iPhone Xs)  by glamglare.com – © 2019 Elke Nominikat and Oliver Bouchard ==