Summer Camp Music Festival Kicking Off May 23

The summer concert festival scene is heating up and is about to kick into full gear with a ton of festivals taking place all over the US and internationally.  One such event is the Summer Camp Music Festival which will run from May 23 through May 25 in Chillcothe, Il.   Many music fans relate the Summer Camp Music Festival to a bunch of dirty, smelly hippies smoking weed and listening to their favorite jam bands.  But there is a lot more than just jam bands that will be rocking the stage at this year’s event.

Before we get into the lineup and the festivities that will be taking place this year I want to say that jam bands are my thing.  To me it doesn’t get any better than some talented musicians making incredible music that moves the crowd and transports you to some other version of reality.  I could rattle off about 50 Phish songs that put me in this particular state of mind but since Phish won’t be at Summer Camp this year I’ll skip that for the time being.  Maybe that will be a future article but for now let’s look in on the crazy lineup that’s been scheduled for this year’s Summer Camp.

You will certainly see some great jam bands if that’s what you are looking for.  Even tho Phish won’t be there you can still check out the awesomeness that is the Trey Anastasio Band.  Phans of Big Red can see 2 full sets.  If you’ve never heard of Phish or Trey Anastasio (as unlikely as that is) you will want to be sure to block off the time so you don’t miss what is sure to be 2 incredible sets.  In case you need some more convincing here’s a clip of the Trey Anastasio Band and Carlos Santana performing The Way I Feel.

Another jam band notable that you will want to build time into your schedule includes .moe who will be playing all 3 days of Summer Camp.  For those of you who don’t know about .moe there’s a lot more than just jamming to these guys.  You don’t just get hippy rock.  You get a little bit of everything and the jams are amazing.  Whenever .moe takes the stage you can be sure that you are in for a great show.  Here’s a clip of .moe playing Happy Hour Hero with the amazing Warren Haynes at Summer Camp 2012. Also make sure to save a little time for Umphrey’s McGee as they have been know to do some serious jamming as well as a few .moe covers.  .moe has even returned the favor by playing a few Umphrey’s tunes as well.

If you were listening to music in the 1990’s you certainly heard a lot of Blues Traveler on the radio.  Even tho they have been out of the spotlight for a bit you won’t be disappointed if you make the time to see them perform this year at Summer Camp.  Another act that gained popularity in the 90’s is Primus.  Yup…Les Claypool and crew will also be hitting the stage this year.  If you have never seen this master of the bass slap the strings you have no idea what you are in store for.  Its a treat that you will remember for quite a long time.

Additional jam bands that you want to check out include Keller Williams, Yonder Mountain String Band, Everyone Orchestra and the Victor Wooten Band (don’t miss Victor’s set!).  There are a shit load of other bands and you can see the full list at the Summer Camp Website

But its not all about this monster list of jam bands.  You can also hit up The Zac Brown Band and let them rock your face off.  If you need some good vibes be sure to hit up Slightly Stoopid.  Although the name is a little silly (I personally love it) their musical chops are evident from the first note.  Plus they are a lot of fun to watch.  If you are missing the island vibe and chill grooves Slightly Stoopid will be right up your alley.

Other notable acts this year that fall a bit outside of the jam band genre include Matisyahu, Beats Antique, G.Love & Special Sauce and Bassnectar.

One other thing to mention is that its not ALL about the music.  To really get that summer camp feel you can sign up to participate in Field Day.  There are events like sunrise kickball that starts at 5 am.  There’s capture the flag, a spelling bee, dodge ball, arm wrestling and a lot of other fun camp inspired events.  Join your team and get in on the fun.

If all the activity isn’t for you then you can spend some time at the Summer Camp Camp Fire.

As the kids like to say….It’s all good in tha hood.  This years Summer Camp Music Festival will be one to remember and we hope they continue this tradition for years to come.  There are still ticket packages available so try to make your way to Chillcothe, IL this weekend.

Source: Summer Camp Music Festival

About Dave Abrams

Dave has been eating, living, and breathing music since before he could talk. This makes Dave perfect for his role here at Guitar News Daily.