Summer Camp Music Festival is set to celebrate its 15th anniversary at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, Illinois over Memorial Day Weekend. The diverse lineup includes five sets from moe., Umphrey’s McGee, Widespread Panic, Steve Miller Band, STS9, GRiZ, Violent Femmes, John Butler Trio, and more. Here are our tips to ensure the best weekend possible.
1. Watch Your Speed
Local law enforcement might get as excited for Summer Camp weekend as the attendees. Every year along the approach to Three Sisters Park cars full of campers get pulled over and searched with a fine tooth comb. Take it slow and save the partying for inside the gates where freedom reigns.
2. Hit the Pre-Party
The only way to fully experience Summer Camp is to attend the Pre-party on Thursday. Campers come out of the gates hot and ready to live it up for four days. Arriving on Thursday guarantees you will get dibs on the best camp spots as well as sets from The Infamous Stringdusters, The Nth Power, Dopapod, The Werks, and more.
3. Hang with the Umphreaks and moe.rons
Every year at these modern masters of jam save some of their best and most unique performances for the weekend of Summer Camp. There is a reason the festival anchors every year’s lineup with their names. If you do not catch at least one set of each you are doing something wrong.
4. Bring a Wagon
General camping is tent only and some of the camp spots are very far from the parking lot. If you have more gear than you can haul on your back be sure to bring a wagon.
5. Find your New Favorite Band
The Summer Camp lineup is always chock full of top notch up and comers. Go catch a random band playing and you’ll feel privileged to be amongst the small crowd. Flaccid, The Way Down Wanderers, and Sinkane are just a few names that people will be talking about after the festival this year.
6. Join a Field Day Team
Sign up online beforehand or stop by the Field Day area near the Vibe Tent and join a team. You will then be able to partake in the fun of tug of war, capture the flag, a spelling bee, and a pizza eating relay. The winning team gets a keg party hosted by Goose Island.
7. Kick Up Some Dust with Trampled By Turtles
Year in and year out there is quality bluegrass aplenty at Summer Camp. This year Trampled By Turtles, one of the most excited bluegrass groups in recent memory, will be at the festival for the first time. Do not miss your chance to stomp your feet to Trampled’s fast-paced tunes at the Moonshine Stage at 7 PM on Friday.
8. Hop On a Tractor
To take in the entirety of Summer Camp while sitting back and enjoying a nice breeze a tractor ride is the way to go. Keep your eyes peeled for the rig as it circles the grounds and hop on.
9. Groove to Some Smooth Beats
Many SCampers would rather go the entire weekend without seeing a DJ, but even fans of electronic music have complained that past Summer Camp DJ lineups have mainly focused on the heavier, dubstep-oriented side of things. That’s not the case this year with the inclusion of French house producer Klingande, young British duo Bondax, Dirtybird chief Claude VonStroke, and much more set to get behind the decks.
10. Refresh Your body and Mind with Yoga
Visit the Soulshine Tent every morning at 10am to relax and rejuvenate with Heading Om Yoga. These sessions led by Tamo of Heading Om Yoga will be sure to leave you ready to take on the rest of the day.
11. Take in Saturday’s Sunrise with a Sermon Set and Kickball
Destructo AKA Gary Richards AKA the man behind mega-promoter HARD Events will be making his first appearance at Summer Camp when he hits the Vibe Tent Friday at midnight. Later on Mr. Richards will be gracing the Soulshine Tent with a rare Sermon Set at 6 AM. If you manage to roll out of your tent in time (or rather stay up through the night) this is a set not to be missed. If you need another excuse to start/finish your day bright and early Ryan Stasik of Umphrey’s will be hosting his annual kickball game (that he somehow always seems to win) at 5:30 AM right outside.
12. Come Prepared for Any Weather…and Then Embrace It
Of course everyone is hoping for moderate temps and sunny skies, but the weather at Summer Camp the last few years has been all over the place. Come prepared for anything and then you’ll be ready to roll with it and enjoy the weekend no matter what.
13. Bring Your Old Mobile Devices and Rock The Earth!
Whether you have heard of Rock The Earth before or not, be sure to stop by and see them at the Soulshine Tent. They will be conducting a mobile device recycle drive throughout the weekend in an effort to divert toxic chemicals from ending up in landfills. You will also have the chance to learn about the great activism they do throughout the year to protect the environment through partnerships in the music industry.
14. Snag a Keepsake from Conscious Alliance
Conscious Alliance returns to Summer Camp this year with a limited edition screen print poster by Chris Dyer. To make one yours stop by their booth in the Soulshine Tent and donate 20 non-perishable food items or a monetary donation. All proceeds benefit the East Peoria Food Bank.
15. Fly Like An Eagle with The Joker
Steve Miller Band was the first artist announced for Summer Camp 2015 and they remain one of the must sees of the weekend. The group plays fairly often, but they don’t frequent festivals like Summer Camp. Prepare for some Sunday singalongs at the Moonshine Stage.
16. Take in a Round of Mini Golf
New to the festival for 2015, SCampers will have the unique opportunity to enjoy some mini golf at a festival. Thanks to Amazeballs Amusements a 15 hole course will be set up onsite. Stop in to play a free round and maybe even test your skills at the Hole In One Putting Challenge Sunday afternoon for the chance to win tickets to next year’s festival and more.
17. Try Your Luck at the Golden Ticket
If you’re a fan of Umphrey’s McGee then do not miss your chance to win a coveted Golden Ticket on Friday in the Soulshine Tent. Unique to Summer Camp, the Golden Ticket giveaway gives you the chance to purchase a tote bag with exclusive merchandise that may contain late night upgrades, VIP passes to the band’s New Year’s run, or even free tickets to every show for a year.
18. Get Cultured with Live Art
Watch art evolve across the weekend in the Soulshine Tent with over half a dozen artists on hand creating live paintings. Additionally, Mack Glass will be giving glass blowing demonstrations culminating in the creation of a sculpture.
19. Spend a Late Night at the Campfire
Even when the music stops at Summer Camp the party keeps going. If your group is down for the night head to the campfire outside of the Red Barn where you will find new friends and maybe even a sing-along.
20. Join the (Sound) Tribe
Since last year’s lineup reconfiguration the reviews of Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9)’s show have been nothing but glowing. The band has been kicking it back to a smoother, funkier sound that keeps the masses from standing still for a second. Coupled with their top notch light show the band’s main stage set on Friday is sure to be a weekend highlight.
21. Wander the forest
The forest in the middle of the grounds is one of the most interesting places at Summer Camp, day or night. Get lost in there and you might find a trampoline, the infamous Dick Trail, and more.
22. Donate Seeds and Gloves to Help Schools Grow with Gardeneers.org
Gardeneers.org is a new organization that strives to introduce gardening to the youth of Chicago schools. Throughout the weekend stop by the Soulshine Tent to learn more and participate in the seed and glove drive. If you happen to have extra (non-GMO) seeds or gardening gloves be sure to donate them so schoolchildren can experience the fulfilling joy of growing their own food.
23. Hunt for Treasure
Check the back of your program to cross of tasks on the Treasure Hunt. If you succeed you will gain access to a special set from the Everyone Orchestra in the Red Barn featuring members of moe, Big Gigantic, The Motet, Greensky Bluegrass, and more.
24. Get funky with GRiZ
Since playing Summer Camp a couple years ago GRiZ’s profile has grown greatly. It’s with good reason thanks to his ever expanding catalogue of tracks that blend live sax, old school funk, and heavy beats. Save one last burst of energy to finish the weekend with this Sunday night set that is sure to have hips shaking.
25. Take Care of Your Trash
This should go without saying, but if people do their part to keep the grounds clean everyone has a better time. Summer Camp has done their part by providing color coded recycling, a team of volunteers on the Green Team, a carbon neutral event through offsetting, biodiesel generators, and requiring all vendors to use compostable materials.
4 Responses
If you wander the woods, stick to a path otherwise you’ll be walking directly through everybody’s campsites as the woods will be asses, elbows and tents by Thursday night. If you have a destination in mind, that’s cool. Aimlessly tromping through others’ belongings is kinda bogus.
26. Don’t miss STRUNG LIKE A HORSE on the Camping Stage // Sunday – Noon \\
This looks like an amazing event, definitely need to add this to my list of festivals to attend.