umphrey’s mcgee

The summer festival season kicked off in earnest this past weekend with moe., Umphrey’s and friends throwing down at Summer Camp, the Biscuits invading Colorado, Furthur headlining a three-day fest and the indie world coming together at The Gorge for Sasquatch! We’ll have more detailed accounts of Bisco Inferno and Summer Camp later this week, but for now we wanted to start recapping the major moments from Memorial Day Weekend.

At Summer Camp in Chillicothe, IL, moe. peppered their sets with the debut of five originals and plenty of guest spots throughout the weekend. Ivan Neville, Danny Barnes and Brendan Bayliss all sat in at one time or another during moe.’s six sets and Zappa Plays Zappa was the latest participant in moe.’s full band segue tradition on Sunday. Umphrey’s also welcomed plenty of friends to the stage all weekend including pedal steel guitarist Mike Rackey, Brainchild’s Roy Ponce and Jesse Clayton of The Macpodz. Mad Dog’s Dirty Little Secret horn section – featuring trumpeter Jennifer Hartswick, saxophonist Chris Neal, trombonist Brent Sanders and trumpeter Mike “Mad Dog” Mavridoglou – joined the band at various points during Saturday’s sets.

Videos: G-Love – Booty Call, Slightly Stoopid – Collie Man, Avett Brothers w/ G-Love – The Fall, The Macpodz w/ Jake Cinninger – School Days, The Avett Brothers – Paranoia in B Major, Umphrey’s McGee – Glory, Slightly Stoopid – Wiseman,

Never ones to miss an opportunity for a sit-in, Gov’t Mule brought out Chuck Garvey for a cover of Traffic’s Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys, Al Schnier for a take on Loser by the Grateful Dead as well as Danny Barnes and Jeff Austin for the Stones’ ballad Wild Horses. Other guest spot highlights were G Love on harmonica with The Avett Brothers for The Fall and Jake Cinninger making the rounds by sitting in with both Dumpstaphunk and The Macpodz.

READ ON for a batch of Summer Camp Festival setlists…