cover photo by Mandi Nulph Media
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when someone mentions Summer Camp Music Festival? Is it the Moonshine stage or does the thought of chorizo bread cross your mind? My first initial thought of SCamp was being surrounded by some of my closest friends Memorial Day weekend in Chillicothe, Illinois. For my time being at Three Sister’s Park, it is safe to say that my first experience was quite the memorable one!
Unique Camping Experience
For starters, to get into Three Sister’s Park, you have to wait in line with all of your camping gear. I personally have never had a festival experience like this, so this was unique to me. A good group of people send it to the line party Wednesday night and wait until the gates open Thursday morning to claim their camping spaces. Unlike other festivals, the no car camping makes it enjoyable to pick a camping space for the weekend and it can be as big or small as you choose! My advice would be to get there early in line, claim a shady spot in the woods, and be close to the stage of your choice (we chose to camp close to the Campfire Stage).
photo by Vasquez Photography
Vendors
I would love to point out that the numerous amount of vendors left me pondering what I wanted to spend my money on. From Pie for the People to Gouda Boys to the chorizo bread, I didn’t leave SCamp hungry. There was also an abundance of merchandise vendors spread throughout the venue such as the official merch tents, Third Eye Pinecones, and a Grassroots tent hidden in the woods. The coolest part about the Grassroots tent in the woods was the pop up sets that some artists were playing. I just so happened to pass by one night when BLUE FUTURE was playing!
First Time Seeing Artists
As much as I would have liked to see more moe. and Umphrey’s McGee sets this past weekend, the heat and other conflicts made it tough for me to catch a full set. The time I did get to see a set from moe. and Umphrey’s McGee, they did not disappoint one bit!
photo by Tara Gracer Photography LLC
On top of finally catching a little bit of moe. and Umphrey’s McGee, I finally had the opportunity to catch my first Tipper set. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into for Tipper, but luckily a large group of my friends were there to lead me through the journey. It was downtempo into uptempo (otherwise noted as a Journey set), so I was unsure how it was going to unfold. I left that set with my mind scrambled and was trying to process what exactly happened and came to conclusion that I got Tipped.
photo by Tara Gracer Photography LLC
One other set that stuck out to me was Tycho. I have had a few opportunities to catch them over the past few years, but never quite worked out for me. The Moonshine stage was the perfect spot for this set during Sunday’s sunset. The chilling, indie tracks made it the perfect way to see the last sunset of the weekend. During their set, they announced that this was going to be their last set for quite some time due to them hitting the studio to work on a new album.
Familiar Artists
While there was a handful of artists that I hadn’t seen prior to Summer Camp Music Festival, there was a few artists that I was thrilled to see again. One of my favorite sets of the weekend was Statik. With a set filled with some funky tunes, sick guitar riffs, and a handful of my closest friends, it made this set a great one! Not only is it a great time to groove to a set with your friends, but it is always great to support a friend performing! Check out his new song he released before this past weekend here.
On top of some fantastic guitar shredding by Statik, lets turn our focus to the jamming that COFRESI did Saturday night. The Vibe Tent on Saturday night during COFRESI’s set was an absolute heater. With some melodic and trappy tracks in the set, it made for quite the set and made me forget the fact that STS9 was jam packed at the Sunshine Stage. The intricate setup and dope visuals made me wonder how diverse COFRESI can get with his sets moving forward. He even sat in with Maddy O’Neal during her set at the Vibe Tent on Sunday!
photo by Hazlo Films
To top off the rest of the weekend, Liquid Stranger played two sets; one in the Vibe Tent Saturday night and one in the Red Barn Sunday night. This is the year of Wakaan and Liquid Stranger definitely did not hold back on the heaters he dropped both nights. A few friends told me that he dropped some tracks from the Arcane Terrain and some other bangers that he claimed to have retired in the Red Barn, so I guess it is safe to say that we got spoiled Sunday night. Can’t forget the plethora of lasers that invaded the Vibe Tent and Red Barn as well!
My First Summer Camp Experience
Aside from the blistering heat and clouds of dust all weekend, there is no doubt that my first Summer Camp Music Festival was a hell of a weekend! It lived up to the hype all of my friends had made it out to be and easily is one of my favorite festivals that I have attended over the years. With great music and a diverse crowd, there is no doubt in my mind that I will be planning on making my return to Three Sister’s Park next year to create more memories Memorial Day weekend!