This past weekend, I made my way to the memorable grounds of Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, IL. This has long been the home of Summer Camp Music Festival, since its inaugural two-day event in 2001. Fast-forward to 2024, and Summer Camp is going through something of a rebranding. Now, it’s Summer Camp Presents: Solshine Reverie. With the addition of daydreaming to its title, how much about this festival has changed, and how much has stayed the same? For those that attended its’ first year, back in 2001, a whole heck of a lot! However, change is part of the natural order of things, and with the amount of competition nationally from other festivals over Memorial Day weekend, Summer Camp’s elected to scale back certain parts of its operation, develop new aspects, while continuing to present much of what has made it a destination vacation for locals throughout Illinois, the Midwest, and even the country beyond.
I elected to pre-party on Thursday, arriving around 2pm in the afternoon. Lanes are split to accommodate various admission types and camping plans like GA, RV primitive, RV electric, and VIP. For myself, Hollywood, and the rest of our group who will arrive later, RV primitive is the route we chose. Everything went rather smoothly from hereon out, except for one unfortunate item: outside alcohol isn’t allowed into the festival. Why? We’re adults. Buddy, I can prove I’m 21.
Sure you can, pal, but Summer Camp would rather you pay THEM $45 for a 12-pack rather than let you bring in your own booze. Darn. Maybe if I had attended Summer Camp last year as opposed to Movement in Detroit, I would have remembered to hide my booze. Well, they found it, and did their job. A case of seltzer and a case of Coors, save for about a dozen total, which we shared with folks around us in line as we waited to enter. After about forty minutes, a contingent including ourselves and several other vehicles were led to a spot on the outskirts of RV that would serve as our home for the next four days.
Setting up was a breeze. Though we camped in primitive RV, we didn’t bring one, and pitched tents and canopies on the site instead. Budget conscious decision, really, though basic camping privileges on a first-come-first serve basis are included with any ticket. GA attendees have to park their car in a paid, on-site lot over the weekend, walk their gear and possessions in, through a security checkpoint, then find a spot. It’s a pain in the keester, I’ve done it before, and not this time, my guy. Though I’d prefer an RV or a camper, erecting canvas shelters in RV primitive is an awesome way to go. Great neighbors, good vibes, and thanks to our location, I got plenty of walking exercise. With our base of operations established, it’s time to par-tay!!!
Over 120 artists were scheduled to appear on four stages from Thursday through Sunday. Entertainment kicked off at 1:00pm at the Campfire and Kenny’s Westside stages. Gone are Sunshine and Starshine stages, and Vibe tent has been absent and retired now for at least a few years. That leaves only Moonshine and Red Barn as OG reminders from the earliest, most original Summer Camps I personally remember. VIP has still got a theater all its own, though I’ve rarely ventured, called Climbing Kites VIP Lounge. Add in Illumination Woods, which debuted last year, and you have a total of six platforms for featuring musical presentations, four of which come standard with GA admission. Add in daily meditation and yoga sessions, workshops, conferences, and creative goings-on hosted at additional sites like the Creation Dome, Movement Space, and Soul Patch, and attendees found every day jam packed with a variety of activities to satisfy various palate’s and preferences.
Thursday night, I started with The String Cheese Incident at 830pm at Moonshine stage. Even though I’m an Electro Scribe and bass head at heart, I’ll never turn my back on fantastic instrumentalists. String Cheese aren’t just musicians, they are live music pioneers, and have been throughout their entire twenty plus year careers. Some of the most incredible moments I’ve ever witnessed at Festivals came during String Cheese Incident sets. You want to know more? I’m gonna need about three-fifty.
Anyway, back to today, String Cheese played two sets, and I caught most of both. I did walk around a bit for the half-an-hour in between, exploring the woods and new layout of the stages. Before returning to Moonshine for more Cheese, please, Hollywood and I caught a bit of Undercover Organism (say that to yourself, and see what you get) at the Campfire stage. Decent. After the second set of The String Cheese Incident, we returned to camp to restock on water, recharge batteries, and update wardrobes as needed. After completion of objectives, it was back to boogie with Maddy O’neal for her MADHAUS DJ set (house music, baby).
During Maddy’s set, I found it easy to orient myself to the front right of stage. My boy Frisky joined us after his shift, and I got to chatting with some of the security personnel. I met a fella who goes by Mo, short for Geronimo, born on July 4th at 730pm on a Good Friday. This year marks twenty for him on the Scamp security squad. He’s been here very nearly since the beginning. I inquired how he got into the scene to which he supplied, “by way of some friends.” Next thing y’know, we’re talking about rhythm, improvisation, and energy. I want to talk more, but he’s giving me guff for how long it’s taking me to write down notes. Bro, I’m not a court stenographer, but I do have a voice recorder…back at camp. I hustle and grab it, but when I get back, Mo is gone. That’s alright, this exchange encouraged me to keep the recorder on me for possible interviews and taking of notes, the rest of the weekend.
Maddy O’neal concludes around 1245am, so I suggest we catch the remainder of what sounds like EOTO to me, at Campfire stage. It’s not, rather Snakes and Stars, which still sounds awesome. When that fifteen minutes concludes, it’s back to Moonshine for Manic Focus. Heck yes buddy, he throws down a varied and wild set covering much of what makes his offerings unique. Upon the culmination of his set, it’s into the woods for a cornhole competition (love me some bags, baby!), Frick Frack Blackjack, and the delightful, dulcet tones of J-Rose Loops. Yeee, buddy, pre-party is a blast. Day zero is in the books, it’s time to get some sleep and recharge.
As I slumbered Friday morning, a storm delivered a deluge of rain upon the campgrounds. This would be an occurrence that would repeat itself throughout the weekend. However, as many of you are already aware, I’m a pluviophile. I love rain and stormy weather. It doesn’t bother me. It’s practically part of the weekend’s entertainment, and it cuts down on dust clouds that plague Three Sisters Park. Now, for folks whose rain fly’s weren’t properly attached or who didn’t bring tarps to line the bottoms of their tents, yea. It sucked. The storm came and went after a couple of hours, returning later on around 345 in the afternoon and lasting to 515pm. This did cause a little concern for those artists who had scheduled sets around that time, but most went on like planned. Those who did have cancellations were afforded other opportunities to play. The first set of the day I’d catch is Blue Future.
Blue Future, aka Jeremy Olson, has dreamed of playing Summer Camp since he first attended nearly a decade ago. A native of Elgin, IL, he relocated to California to further pursue his music. Returning to perform Solshine Reverie is part of his fantasy coming to fruition. He was a bit pensive that his set might be adversely affected by the weather. Thankfully, the storm passed with enough time enabling him to perform for Illumination Woods. It was a beautiful set that showcased his original sound and forthcoming album. It’s beautiful to see an artist achieving dreams. Motivation. I was extremely happy to see the turnout that showed up in support. His tunes are fresh and original, and golly gee, he really does have a unique makeup. Every single time I saw him, his fashion was on point. Cool hats and glasses, bruv. I hope we all enjoy more Blue Future.
After Blue Future, and a trip back to camp, I ended up at Campfire stage for Maddy O’Neal and Zingara. Campfire stage was a wonderful place to vibe, offered plenty of open space to congregate and flow, and I had a blast catching performances here throughout the weekend. However, I felt the quality of sound was superior from other stages. Maddy O’Neal’s set was on point, but I will confess, I rank her MADHAUS presentation above this one. No offense, girl. You killed it either way. Zingara was pretty good, too, but suffered due to the same item I mentioned above. Not really her fault, as her track selection was just as unique as she is. Afterwards, the boys and I headed into Illumination Woods for EPROM, whose sets are different, to say the least. That’s cool, I hear he’s a super nice guy. His sequences don’t always vibe with my sensibilities, but the world doesn’t revolve around me and my preferences. As a matter of fact, I prefer artists to be true to themselves and put forth their creative endeavors, however they feel is most fitting.
Before heading back to Campfire stage for Barclay Crenshaw, I stopped by my tent to change into my BC regalia. I gotta say, his swag is on point and comfy af. Whatever Barclay’s camp is making his merchandise out of (100% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton), keep it up, y’all are killing it. The long sleeve shirt and trapper’s hat kept me cool and dry, despite a gentle rain that fell upon all in attendance as we listened to Barclay sport his evolving sound.
Barclay recently released a brand-new album dubbed Open Channels, which is a fusion of several of his favorite genres. Some would call it experimental bass, but he’s got jungle beats, UK grime, rap and hip-hop represented in there too. Multi-genre artists are the way of the future. Technically, they always have been. Do you only listen to one band? Do you only like one thing? You get what I’m saying. Let’s not confine creativity to a corner. In the past, I’ve described Mr. Crenshaw’s sound as spectral and anomalous, like signals from beyond, and I stand by that description. Alien communication, bud. Don’t be afraid, he comes in peace.
Furthermore, Detroit has a fantastic and vibrant culture of street dancing. Literally, you never know when a dance circle is going to pop-up. This happened all over the place at Movement (formerly Detroit Electronic Movement Festival) last year. I absolutely find it thrilling that his sets almost always incorporate live dancers, in addition to audience members like myself, grooving and moving to his beats. Barclay Crenshaw is a legend, and his set amidst a gentle drizzle with campfire still smoking and sizzling was definitely one of my favorite performances from the weekend.
After Barclay, I grabbed a couple of pieces of pizza and headed back to Illumination Woods to get down with Black Carl! who had a really fun presentation. He opened by letting the crowd know he appreciated us for who we are, whether we identified as Summer Camp or Solshine Reverie. Nice. You be you, Scampers. That’s the message I took away as I dove into a double dose of pizza time. It’s long been one of my favorite, and longest running traditions at festivals. Spoons, pizza, planks, and electronic beats. They make my soul über happy. Y’know what else was super enjoyable? Black Carl! with fifteen minutes left in his set aligned a back-to-back with Levity that lasted nearly an hour. Sick dope, bruh! So check it out, I’m a bit of a wordsmith, and let me tell you what Levity means: humor or frivolty, especially the treatment of a serious matter with humor or in a manner lacking respect. Well then, do you see how we got here? Levity’s meteoric rise has been largely due to their cool candor and down to earth demeanor. They don’t take themselves too seriously, and their music is tight. Nice! ‘Flip It’ is baller, and their energy output always has me in a good mood.
Y’know what else does? Cool neighbors. I couldn’t find my camp mates when I returned, Hollywood was off doing Hollywood things, and Giggles was all tuckered out and gone to sleep. I wasn’t ready to stop just yet, and my neighbors lovingly adopted me to go see John Summit. It was one of the sweetest moments of my weekend. I walk into camp, they ask me what I’m about to get up to, and I respond I kind of want to see Johnny Boy, not from Chicago, Summit perform. Immediately they say, “Come with us!” So I did, grabbing a camp chair and attaching myself to these lovely fellow Illinoians. Aurorans? Borealis.
It was awesome spending time around them, and my first time catching John Summit to boot! All I can say is he’s a vibe, man, so it won’t be the last. John’s from Naperville, an Illini alumi, and seeing a local like he rise to a status legendary, inspires me. Basically, through hard-work and dedication, plus effective networking, we can all get to where we want to be. His set, by the way? I considered it both housy and bassy. I dropped it low many times, which is something this flexible Bear has been known to do. Once upon a time, I used to be an athlete. Catcher. Goalie. Gymnast. Wrestler. Both John and I have got range far beyond what you find in Chicago. If you know, you know. A big shout out and thank you to Nurse Ann, Brian, Seb, Eric, Centurion, Sammie, and many of the rest who enjoyed the weekend alongside me. You guys are some of the best neighbors I’ve had, and I am blessed we crossed paths.
Saturday saw the arrival of gal pals, and my brother’s wives, Muffin and Nyx. These women are amazing, I love them dearly, and we’ve had many exceptional adventures together. This event would be no different. Wait until I tell you the story of the pants, my unofficial planking championship, and share some of the musings between Bacchus and the goddess of night, Nyx.
The first set I would catch for Saturday is Jason Leech at Campfire stage. Starting strong. Jason is one of my favorite performers, and I often seem to catch him during daytime hours. It’s cool, he gets me out into the sun, which puts me in a good mood. Thanks, bud. I bet he’s classically trained.
One of the things I love about Jason’s performances is his utilization of multiple keyboards that serve as MIDI controllers and sequencers. Maybe? I’m guessing. He seems down to earth, a genuine guy who enjoys cool movies, beautiful music, and cracks up at funny cat and dog videos. Today, he’s wearing blue jeans and a dope Matrix t-shirt while dropping wildly entertaining remixes, songs, and tracks to delight senses and souls around 2pm on a Saturday afternoon. For real, what a great way to encourage my day. Afterwards, I headed back to camp to hang out with the homies. Our next adventure as a group would involve a story of some incredible pants. Wanna hear it? Here we go.
Hollywood gets a phone call from a fella we’ll title DG, and it’s Hollywood’s birthday. The conversation is taking all types of twists and turns when Hollywood asks, “You wearing my pants?” Mic drop. I don’t even know what just happened, or who’s got the upper hand. We schedule to meet five minutes later in front of Spun Glasses. Myself and Muffin are people watching, and really just trying to see if we can spot this pair of pants. Hollywood has got some cool style, so we figure they’ll stand out before we notice whoever’s wearing them. Muffin wants to know which pair of pants her husband lent out, and exactly when they got borrowed. Lo and behold, after twenty minutes, DG rolls up in a striking set of velvet trousers.
Muffin and I surmise that the reason DG was delayed is that he was changing into these specific britches. Apparently, while Hollywood was doing Hollywood stuff, DG asked for some pantaloons that would really tie an outfit together. Hollywood obliged, and here we are. This occurred either Thursday or Friday night, I’m still unsure, as DG wasn’t very forthcoming with the details. As they’re talking, I investigate by asking DG how long he’s had the pants? He says something like, and I’m paraphrasing, “as long as he lets me have them, and as long as he lets me keep them.” This was a mistake on my part, literally. Two days at most. Hollywood pauses a moment to reflect on the status of the pants and the shenanigans that will likely later ensue, and after momentary consideration, DG now owns the pants outright. In honor of this sequence of events, I’ve composed an ode to these leggings. You want to hear it? I’m gonna need about, three-fifty.
Continuing along, this day’s musical performances were exceptional. The Original Cyberpunk, the winner of Solshine Reverie’s battle of the bands competition at The Point nearly a month prior (check out my dope write-up of the event), ascended the stage to continue pursuing his vision of what his brand and performances will one day become. Every artist has a dream that drives them. What’s yours? We spoke for a few moments prior to his performance where he shared some insight into how he’s shaping his course. Then we shook hands, I wished him luck, and a few minutes later, The Original Cyberpunk plugged into the decks. His high energy fervor drew a healthy crowd of spectators. At one point, he addressed his audience with a heartfelt message about getting along with each other, regardless of backgrounds, cultures, orientations, alignments, and any other differences someone else is trying to convince us we have with one another. We’re all human, mostly. It’s all about love and acceptance in these settings. Then, he informed those in attendance he was about to up the ante and go a bit harder. His demeanor and energy were well received. I wish him luck and success as he continues forwards.
To Be Continued…
Be well, be successful. Bear Swiftly.
–Electro Scribe–
