I ducked out briefly in the rain to see one of our Chicago favs, Henhouse Prowlers. Despite the damp drizzle, they had a huge turnout. Everyone was dancing in the mud, singing along and having a stellar time. I LOVED the visual of the lady who brought two large Mason jars of hot chicken soup and passed them around to her friends as hand warmers before they shared the soup. True down home comfort! It was a stellar way to spend a rainy Saturday.
I grabbed a quick bite to eat, then ducked back to the church which was warm and dry. The musicians played with great energy and enthusiasm, obviously enjoying the chance to jam with others they generally don't play with including friends and musicians whose work they admire. That's truly the genius and magic of music fest mash ups.
Drums & Percussion Workshop With Vinnie Amico (Moe) Randall Moore (Ragbirds)
by the end of the workshop, regular fest goers & drummers from a number of other bands playing SCamp joined in on a big jam session.
I caught up with 2 members of Roscoe Bandana for an awesome video interview inside the "Roscoe Bandana Van", while the rains streamed down (coming very soon). We've been covering them for months now. Check out ChiIL Live Shows past coverage here. These guys are going places. Look for them opening for Fun this summer.
Finally the rains eased up in time for KDTU at the Sunshine Stage.
Karl Denson's Tiny Universe (guest appearance by Dominic Lalli-Saxophone/Producer from Big Gigantic)
BTW... Lalli holds a Masters Degree from the Manhattan School of Music
I'm a HUGE fan of saxaphone. My grandfather played and so did my little sister. I've also seen Karl Denson a number of times over the years, so I was stoked to hear he'd be back at Summer Camp again with KDTU. They went on my must see list early on. It was an extra sweet sax bonus to see him rock the stage with Big Gigantic's Dominic Lalli!
Of course I SCamp for the music, but I also dig the character & characters...
like the chicken hat Scottsman, leopard man and more. Special shout out to the brave & snarky metal heads, rockers and punks who represent. I thought it was amusing to see NIN hats, Iron Maiden hoodies and a Guns N Roses Tee at a "hippy" fest.
All of my friends (except two) rode the rail (front row) & stuck it out for 2 sets of Umphrey's McGhee in the cold, heavy rains that came right on the heels of KDTU. They were prepared with ponchos.
(Molly got a shout out & a signed hat from UM on Friday for lining up to secure her front row spot in the early afternoon)
I must admit, any Umph Love I had was trumped by the thought of my macbook pro & thousands of $$ in camera gear potentially getting destroyed in my backpack. Those priorities made me head for our camp site and ride out the storm with another weather wimp, some vodka lemonade, candles, glowing solar lantern light, and great conversation, in our communal screened in porch.
We could still hear the music through the woods until the thunder & rains escalated, then we turned to shuffle play and rocked a lotta the band Morphine, Talking Heads, XTC, and a sweet mix for a stormy night. The woods were gorgeous and we thoroughly enjoyed hearing, smelling, and watching the storms without getting soaked.
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