Camp Counselors Jason, Carmel, Eric, Nick & Alex D Introduce our 2015 Summer Camp On The Road Winners

The Summer Camp: On The Road tour is a traveling circus of dreams. Each stop on the tour is an opportunity for a nascent local band to earn their spot on the lineup for that year’s Summer Camp Music Festival, meaning the local talent often pulls out all the stops on stage while vying to gain an edge. Over the years, On The Road stops have included nearly every music town across the Midwest, as well as many markets full of SCampers across the country such as Denver and Boulder. This year’s tour featured fifteen stops, and we’re excited to welcome the cream of the crop from each to the 15th Annual Summer Camp Music Festival this Memorial Day Weekend! Here, listed in the alphabetical order of the towns they won in, are our 2015 Summer Camp: On The Road winners!

Boulder, CO – Moontang

Moontang took their Summer Camp: On The Road win at The Fox Theater in Boulder, Colorado. In just their second year as a band, this five-piece group has all the makings of a future headliner. Musically, they are genre-bending bullies who force the songs to do their bidding. Elements of electronica, jazz, soul, funk, are all balanced by the vibrant vocals of Bina Peters. The beat heavy pulse is the backbone to their sound, but they are not interested in the mundane. Moontang paints rich musical tapestries that practically insist that you join the dance party.

Carbondale, IL – Little Pizza

A lot of bands that have come out of Carbondale, IL over the years, and there’s a good reason why – Southern Illinois University brings amazing musicians from all across the midwest together, so it’s only natural that amazing projects like Little Pizza form. This loop-based project implements unique elements of beatboxing, fingerstyle guitar, vocoder, cello, bass and various electronic instruments. With all of those instruments interwoven you can expect to hear a wide variety of hip hop, rock, classical, ambient, and world music.

Chicago, IL – Business As Usual

Business As Usual is a dance-rock group based out of the Chicagoland area. Originally formed in 2013, these youngsters have been hitting the Chicago music scene hard, and are clearly determined to go out there and create something no one else is doing. https://youtu.be/gJUBp1BqkkE The end result is dance party after dance party… and a growing fanbase that’s always itching for their next show. They will take you on a musical journey filled with expansive jamming and unforgettable energy. This young act touches on nearly every genre of music, and each BAU concert presents an unforgettable experience that tattoos itself your brain in an unforgettable way.

All of us in the band have been attending Scamp for the better part of a decade as fans, so to be able to take part in something like the On the Road Tour where we get to be the performing artists is nothing short of amazing. I can confidently say that last year’s experience playing to a packed Vibes Tent on Thursday night was a top life moment for all of us. We can’t wait to see what this year has in store!

– Business as Usual bassist Danny Ranieri

Chicago, IL – Chicago Funk Mafia

Chicago Funk Mafia is a 8 piece band based out of the Windy City that formed just last year. Their in-your-face funky style is infectious with a versatility that swings in any direction they please. Though this mob can cover a variety of well known tunes, there is nothing “pop” about this funk outfit… in fact, they embody a dirty, sexy type of funk that could make George Clinton himself blush. https://soundcloud.com/chicago-funk-mafia It is a collaborative effort, from the powerful Mad Men horn section to Mike Mongoven’s shredding guitar, but the man that really packs their punch is lead singer Christian Barnes. Founders of the Funk Mafia International, Chicago Funk Mafia has taken their mobster energy and morphed it into something productive. They’ve traded bullets for bass bombs and are coming up in the scene faster than you can say, “Get down on it!”

Columbia, MO – Blake Gardner and the Farmers

Heavily influenced by acts like 311, Dave Matthews Band, and Slightly Stoopid, Blake Gardner and the Farmers sets themselves apart from their Columbia, MO On The Road competitors by refusing to be pigeonholed into a single genre. The band sets themselves apart through mixing together elements of blues, reggae, hip-hop and funk, and are said to treat each performance as a unique experience that creates a memory that is guaranteed to last.

Columbus, OH – Electric Orange Peel

Electric Orange Peel have now won their local Summer Camp: On The Road tour stop two consecutive years in a row! They are the quintessential “jamband” who have worked their way into the hearts of many over the past two years since they first formed. Their name can often be seen on the same bill as many other Summer Camp artists like Tauk and Consider the Source, yet they have a sound all their own. From funk to rock and roll, Electric Orange Peel covers every territory known to jam. Their spacey group improvisation gives their live show a crunchy vibe that gradually gets everybody’s bones moving. Overall, they bring the party vibe to every show they play.

Denver, CO – Hog MaGundy

Hog MaGundy beat out a slew of solid local talent in Denver to join us a this year’s festival. Once called a ‘jug band on steroids’ by our Camp Counselor Nick, the guys form an incredibly eclectic jamgrass band with a rich understanding of music. https://youtu.be/zKV-6dDJ9FI The members of range from front porch pickers to the classically trained, and have a powerful dedication to playing live. They have already made a name for themselves in Colorado having performed all across the state including Mishawaka Amphitheatre and the Fly Me To The Moon Saloon, and are now they are set to make a splash at Summer Camp with their own brand of string music.

Des Moines, IA – Cirrus Minor 

Some people might think of Pink Floyd when they hear ‘Cirrus Minor,’ but for those residing in Des Moines, Cirrus Minor is better known as a progressive alternative rock band. Performing as far back as 2009, their influences include Phish and Widespread Panic… but they pepper in plenty of rock in the vein of to Primus and Tool, so it’s no wonder they’ve found themselves performing at Summer Camp this year!

Indianapolis, IN – Hyryder

Hyryder is a five-piece Grateful Dead cover band from Indianapolis, IN. This group strives to reproduce the intricate sounds of The Dead, and are known to perform full on three-set shows highlighting a vast majority of the Grateful Dead catalogue. This makes the band the perfect addition to this year’s festival, which will feature a special series of daily performances honoring The Dead!

Iowa City, IA – The Dawn

The Dawn has spent 8 years mastering their unique sound along the banks of the Mississippi River, and have steadily built a fan base while sharing the stage with acts such as Widespread Panic, The String Cheese Incident, and Gov Mule, making it no surprise they’re Eastern Iowa’s On The Road winner. ]]>