In 8 days, the Summer Camp Pre-Party will be in full effect! And that means, it’s time to get in gear and start packing. While we put our personal lists together, here are some essential items you shouldn’t leave home without.

1. Your ticket. If you haven’t grabbed yours yet, get one now! 
2. A tent, sleeping bag, and pillow for when you need a little R and R.
3. A headlamp or flashlight for finding your way around after dark.
4. Warm clothes. It can get cold at night, and it’s best to be prepared.
5. Rain boots and a rain jacket or umbrella. Fingers crossed we have amazing weather this year, but you never know.
6. Your reusable water bottle. We will have water stations throughout the grounds to fill up all weekend long. (Remember to stay hydrated!!)
7. Sunscreen, bugspray, wet wipes, baby powder, and plenty of hand sanitizer and toilet paper….because we’re camping, and using porta-potties.
8. A towel, flip flops, soap, and other shower stuff (trust us, it’s a good idea).
9. A backpack or bag large enough to carry your daily essentials to the main stage areas. 10. A wagon to help get all of your stuff from your car to your camp site.
11. Ear plugs. So you can still enjoy Summer Camp (and other amazing music) 20 years from now.
12. Glow sticks, totems, glitter, costumes, decorations, and other pieces of flare. They make everything more fun.

Can’t wait to party with you all soon!

Your Summer Camp Director

First you need to buy (or borrow) the right equipment in order to be prepared for anything the festival life will throw at you. Here is a list of what I think is necessary to make your campsite the best that it can be. After all it will be your home for four days.

Tent – This will be your only shelter for a few days in case you plan on sleeping. I have a three-season tent that can get a little hot, but protects you better from the weather. It can get hot around 10 am so if you want to sleep a little after your late night shows you will want a tent with proper ventilation. Also it has been known to rain at Summer Camp so a tent that is waterproof and has no holes is ideal.

Comfortable camp/lawn chair - You will need a place to rest your buns after raging all day. It is also a good place to catch a quick nap in the afternoon. Cup holders are nice, and the smaller it collapses the better. You can even bring it to a show if your legs are feeling weak from all the dancing you did the night before.

As we approach the weekend we have all been anxiously waiting for, I wanted to take a minute and give you guys a better idea of who I am and what I am going to bring to Summer Camp this year. First and foremost I want to introduce you to the people I am coming to SC with; two of the main people who you will see in my vblogs are dear, close friends of mine who actually introduced me to Summer Camp six years ago and have been there with me every year since, Derrick Lawless and Steve Bannister. Two super chill, awesome people who I met in college and am proud to say will be a part of my life for the rest of it. Come Summer Camp 2050 we will be there rockin’ it out like ever before. There are other friends of mine who are coming, Matt Weiler, Brian Buss, Christina Fountain, and Jake Kuykendall, (if you meet anyone of them, buy them a drink!) most of them are also friends from college who share the love for good music and good times.

One of the reasons that Summer Camp is the ULTIMATE most AMAZING festival is the line up.  Every year I think to myself “man there’s no way this year’s line up is going to be as killer as last year’s” and every time I am proven wrong.  I not only get to see the bands I already love and follow throughout the year; but there are always so many new bands that I fall in love with.

Some of this year the sets that I am looking forward to seeing for the first time are Gigantic Underground Conspiracy; an awesome compilation of artists from several bands who are sure to put on some jams you most certainly don’t want to miss. Tedeschi Trucks Band, I have always wanted to check them out and for some reason or another have never gotten the chance, with that kind of talent I know it’ll be an amazing show. Sun Stereo a sweet local Champaign-Urbana band with a distinct and fresh jazzy-rock feel, check them out in advance on facebook. 

The bands that I have seen many a time before but cannot wait to check out are Lotus, went to their Halloween weekend show in Pittsburgh, PA this past year and it was out of this world good, if you haven’t checked them out – seriously it’s a show you don’t want to miss.  Eoto is probably one of the bands I enjoy seeing live the most – they NEVER disappoint and manage to keep every show super fresh. Lastly can we say Talking Heads cover band? This Must be the Band is definitely one of those I gotta check out, can I put a request in? Let’s hear the Talking Heads song your band is named after =)

Alright so I have limited space and limited time and there are tons of bands I am dying to check out (like two bands not mentioned above who are among my all time favorite bands and who I get to see every year 3 days in a row ONLY at Summer Camp? that’s right…moe. and Umphrey’s), but I can’t talk about them all.  So to let you know more about myself, I grew up on the Beatles, it led the way to harder rock and then jazz, such as Zeppelin and Dave Brubeck, and from there evolved further to include jam and electronic rock.  I appreciate all artistry and talent, but I have a soft heart for drummers as I like to pretend I know how to jam on my used Evans drum set.  I love Summer Camp for various reasons, but one of the main ones is that it was the first music festival of my life. Music has always had such an influential role in the essence of my being and there is no other festival that I feel as in touch with the tunes I love as SC.  This is not your impersonal mob fest, you come to Summer Camp once and you feel like part of an extremely, extremely, large family forever.

On that note, for you first timers let me tell you some of the things I make sure to pack.  For all you ladies, TP is a MUST. As glorious an experience as port-a-potties are, most of them run out of toilet paper and the best thing to do is be prepared, bring some and put a few squares (can you spare a square?) in your pocket.  Next bring some trash bags, it is a privilege to use Three Sisters Park and we need to be responsible, have plenty of trash bags not just for garbage, but you never know what the weather could bring and you’d be surprised how dry one of those can keep you.  Glow sticks are essential, not only do they add to the beautiful sea of lights at night on the main stage but they provide a great atmosphere for campsite hangouts. With all the great shows playing all the time, you are destined to catch some day shows and when the sun is strong some sun screen is essential! I have seen way too many people painfully red from neglecting to get their rub down, so SPF 50 it is! Finally, make sure to bring your crazy. This is a once in a lifetime experience to let go of everything that ties you down and let your true inner-self soar, so bring a happy spirit and leave your worries at home!

As your Summer Camp counselor I want you all to seek me out, let me make this your best Summer Camp yet.  I want encompass the sweetness that is Summer Camp, and the only way I can do that is with your help. You fans are what keep SC alive and I want to show how we bridge the gap between the fans and the bands. Summer Camp is so much more that just music. It is about you living life; lets celebrate it.

I am going to promote some special Summer Camp spirit; my fellow moe.rons and I will be awarding fellow scampers that show special spirit throughout the festival. For example we will award the sweetest campsite, the person with the wildest outfit, the dude/dudette with the most innovative accessory or the neatest jam shout, and many many more; so let us join together and make this year the best Summer Camp EVER woop woop!!

SCampers for life!

Summer Camp Counselor Maria

Can you believe that 2 weeks from today, we’re all going to be dancing and enjoying some amazing music together at Summer Camp!? In the meantime, make sure you check out our online schedule, and plan out your days at the fest. We made a few changes this week, so even if you’ve locked in your schedule already, we recommend you take a second look.

Also, don’t forget to create a GroupMe texting group with your friends. It’s an easy way to stay connected at the fest AND we will be sending out exclusive content and info to all GroupMe groups while at the fest.

Have a great weekend and see you all soon!

Your Summer Camp Director

• The entire Campfire Stage line-up.  It is sick.  Chicago Farmer, Greensky Bluegrass, and then Hot Buttered Rum in the wee hours of the morning?  I just saw them at the Vic with Cornmeal on 4/20 and I truly fell in love with this band.  They are not to be missed.  For what is thought of as a smaller side stage, the Campfire Stage is pulling some pretty serious weight this year.

• Weir, Robinson, and Greene Acoustic Trio.  I am beyond excited to hear these guys collaborate, and I can’t wait to hear what kind of set they put together.  Late afternoon on the Sunshine Stage is the perfect slot for this set.  Also, if you don’t know Jackie Greene, click here and check him out – he’s (in my opinion) one of the best lyricists around right now.

• Morning yoga at the Soulshine Stage.  Confession: I’ve planned to do this every year and have never actually gone.  I’ve even brought my yoga mat and everything… but let’s admit it, 10am is a tough time to be up and moving at a festival.  Everyone that goes says it changes your day – gives you energy, and re-centers you for another day of raging and music.  So this year, I will make it happen.  (Probably.)

If this is your first time at Summer Camp, or a festival in general, here are some tips:

1. Don’t forget your ticket.  Really.  Every year I see sad people in line realizing they forgot it and are 3 hours from home.  Triple check it, people.
2. Bring baby wipes.  Showers are available, but baby wipes will save your life.
3. Print out the schedule!  Yes, they give you one at the gates, but every year by Friday afternoon there are 10,000 people asking to see a schedule.  I don’t know how thousands of them get lost every year, but they do – print out a backup, and you will be everyone’s best friend.
4. Forget about a map.  You’ll figure out where you’re going in no time, and there will always be a friendly face to point you towards the next stage.  Just let go, and you’ll figure it out.
5. You cannot pack enough of the following items:  bottled water, glowsticks, hair rubber bands (for girls or long-haired boys), sunscreen, an extra pair of party pants (in case you dance yours into oblivion), and smiles.
6. If you forget any of the items mentioned above, there is a grocery store right down the block from Three Sisters Park.  If you’re traveling from afar, I’d suggest stopping there for your ice & perishable food right before you head in to the greatest weekend of the year.

That’s all!  So start packing and get pumped, because I have a feeling this might be the most epic Summer Camp yet…

xoxo

Abby Mager, CIT 2012

And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack

And you may find yourself in another part of the world

And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile

And you may find yourself in a beautiful house with a beautiful wife

And you may ask yourself, “Well, how did I get here?”

That was me in a nutshell at the beginning of April.  I wasn’t in a shack, but I was certain my life vehicle wasn’t driving in the right direction in the land of cubicles.  My passion was hearing live music not climbing some synergistic hypothetical ladder.  So, I stepped off the merry go round.  I wanted a place where the music didn’t stop and my creativity could flourish.  I wanted it to be the Seinfeldian “Summer of Dave.”

My core group of friends in Chicago are part of two bands, FGC a seasoned SCamp veteran, and Old Shoe who are first timers to Chillicothe like myself.  The best way to start the summer I wanted was to be at Summer Camp to see them perform.  After entering the contest to be part of the camp counselor program I thought my perspective of the different festival experiences, both from the collective eyes of bands I know, and my own could provide a unique glimpse into Camp life.  What I hope to provide for all camper experience levels is a genuine voice and accurate account from the point of view of both performer and fan.

People who live near Chicago are truly blessed for one reason and its not the weather.   This city draws so much great musical talent to its wind swept shores.  Homegrown acts like Umphrey’s and Cornmeal to left coasters like Hot Buttered Rum regularly stop by to say what up while on tour.  I’ve been fortunate to scope a lot of the 2012 lineup this year before they hit the stage just because of this allure Chicago holds over musicians.

In my spare time I attend an average of about three to four shows a week.  Burning the candle at both ends responsibly is my modus operandi.  With venues such as Martyrs and the Vic in my backyard its actually tough to avoid all the good midweek music.  Luckily, as it happened I ran into the right set of circumstances that left me reviewing shows for a few music publications.  Coincidence or fate stepped in and corrected my course and set my path towards a dusty moonlit road in Chillicothe.

I’m ecstatic to experience the aura I’ve heard surrounds the festival.  For a festival going on its 12th year the SCamp team has managed to keep their core fans happy while adding national talent and handling expanded ticket sales.  That usually takes someone at the heart of it all making sure values are upheld and everyone is on the same page.  So the first thing i’m doing when I get to camp is finding Jay to shake his hand.

While its no secret that UMphreaks and moe.rons are the foundation of the festival the lineup keeps evolving each year.  The multi-genre acoustic funk artist that calls himself Keller Williams will surely be on my top must see acts.  As will be the case with legend infused Weir, Robinson, Greene Acoustic Trio.  Transcendental folk artist Elephant Revival is an act gaining attention and I’m relishing the chance to hear their fiddle laden harmonies.  Yonder Mountain String Band and the Infamous Stringdusters will not leave me strung out.  I’ll stay close to home and the lake and check out some homegrown bluegrass in Cornmeal. Then move on over to the funk-defying sounds of Family Groove Company in addition to a bevy of spectacular windy city acts sprinkled throughout the schedule.  Chicago Farmer is the type of story teller that relates to people from all walks of life and i’m gonna scope Cody’s Sunday set for sure.  Confirmed are rumors of a superjam collaboration called “Shoe Groove Z” taking the stage Thursday with Old Shoe, Zmick, and members of Family Groove Company as special guests.  I hear the red barn late night will be where is at for Brain Damaged Eggmen as members of Umphrey’s and The Disco Biscuits celebrate music of Pink Floyd and The Beatles.  Hopefully i’ll also get a chance to brush shoulders with the husband wife super couple that makes up the Tedeschi Trucks Band.  Been really looking forward to hearing new songs off their new release Everybody’s Talking due out before camp starts May 22nd.  Where else would a Talking Heads fan be, but front stage center for This Must Be the Band’s late night soulshine tent appearance?  DJnoDJ also performs Daft Punk which should be a great listening experience at those wee morning hours moments before the rooster crows.

Schedule wise there is so much greatness that i’m thinking you’ll be hard pressed to please everyone.  But that’s life and sometimes you run into difficult choices.  To me that is a good problem to have happen and too much good music should not dissuade from your overall satisfaction when its all said and done.  Breathe deep and let the great wealth of talented open air performers smack you across the face ever so gently.  There is nary an act on the bill who can’t handle a large crowd as opposed to a cramped recording booth.  Part of the allure of festivals such as Summer Camp is you are almost guaranteed to see some magical sit ins and collaborations.  I’m going to keep close to the musician workshops at the Soulshine Tent to capture those moments first hand for you throughout the weekend.

The David Byrne fly on the wall keeps whispering to me that he isn’t sure where we’ve been, but one things for certain i’m going to Summer Camp.  The world is blooming and we are floating above it with nothing but glass blown 1000 year old flowers to show life during festival time can leave you with memories that remind us this must be the place.  Such a wild, wild life sometimes.  Hope you’ll share in my Summer Camp of Dave.

See you at camp friend,

Dave