As has basically become a yearly ritual, Summer Camp Music Festival transformed into mud central on Friday. An afternoon deluge of rain created a giant mud pit covering almost every inch of the park. Nonetheless, the music continued and what ensued was a remarkable and memorable Friday.
With the day starting off cooler and cloudier than Thursday, music started around noon. One of the first acts on the main stage was The Larry Keel Experience, getting some twang from Larry on guitar, wife/bassist Jenny Keel on upright bass, and Jared Pool on mandolin. During their set that brought some energetic fastgrass, it began to sprinkle a refreshing pace of rain. Appropriately, the band took it as a sign to play “Picking in the Rain” and got some Garcia numbers in there with “Russian Lullaby” during their Larry does Jerry segment. Later, they brought out Keller Williams and reprised some Keller and the Keels moments. It wasn’t long after they finished the set that the storm clouds were inching ever closer to the festival grounds. First came the announcement that music would be delayed for twenty minutes. Patrons were advised to seek shelter. As if on cue, immediately after the announcer left the Moonshine Stage, lightning flashed across the sky, followed by a massively loud crackle of thunder. Then, the rain fell, and it fell hard. It was one of those rain storms that no matter how many tarps you put around your canopy tent, you’re going to get wet regardless.
The rainstorm didn’t last longer than an hour, but it was long and strong enough to cancel sets from bands such as moe., The Main Squeeze, and others, (though The Main Squeeze performed a surprise pop-up show later in the night). The festival organizers spared no effort to get the grounds back in working form. At the main stage, workers were using massive outdoor vacuums to suck up large pools of water in between the stage and the soundboard. Upon finishing, Mike Gordon was one of the first acts to resume the music.
With the sun now shining brightly, Gordon’s set spanned his solo career, opening with “Face” and playing other songs like “Say Something,” “Let’s Go,” and closing with “How Many People Are You?” Gordon yielded a backlit, neon blue bass guitar. It was a fun set from the Phish bassist.
Setlist: Mike Gordon | Summer Camp |Chillicothe, IL | 5/26/17
Face > Traveled Too Far, Say Something, Crazy Sometimes > Peel, Let’s Go, Jones (Max Creek cover) > Tiny Little World, How Many People Are You?
On the other side of the grounds, TAUK began their set. Featuring mostly newer tunes, they did invite almost all the members from the Main Squeeze on stage to help them with Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire.”
Sloshing on, Umphrey’s McGee brought it for their two sets. Their first set included a segment of “Utopian Fir” and Mantis,” which both had some extended jamming. They then busted out “Abacab” by Genesis, a cover that hasn’t been played since 2011. Their second set had a very dancey “In the Kitchen” that engaged the crowd in an epic mud dance party. The band encored with a double Pink Floyd cover, with “In The Flesh” and “Another Brick In The Wall” to close the set.
Setlist: Umphrey’s McGee | Summer Camp |Chillicothe, IL | 5/26/17
I: There’s No Crying In Mexico, 40’s Theme, Utopian Fir, Mantis, Abacab (Genesis cover), Make It Right, Remind Me
II: In the Kitchen, Believe the Lie, Der Bluten Kat > Cut The Cable > Der Bluten Kat reprise, Similar Skin, Much Obliged, Upward
E: In The Flesh, Another Brick In The Wall
If getting darker, dirtier, and grittier was preferred, Les Claypool and Primus was doing his thing over on the Moonshine Stage. He brought his brand of weirdness and the crowd thoroughly enjoyed it. Showing the oddest of images on the screen as they played, Primus highlighted their unique and indescribable sound. The crowd went absolutely crazy when they began to play “My Name Is Mud.” It was an epic moment.
Friday was an absolute blast, also featuring stand-out sets from Run The Jewels, Twiddle, Manic Focus, Dumpstaphunk, and Dookie, featuring members of Umphrey’s and Aqueous performing the music of Green Day’s Dookie and other rock music.
Music and mud mixed for a great time and there is plenty more of both in store for today and Sunday. You can check out photos from Friday’s festivities below, courtesy of Phierce Photo.
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