We got to hear Karl Denson's Tiny Universe with a 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!
Catch Big Gigantic 8:30-10pm Saturday on The Coast Stage at North Coast Music Fest.
Sunday... Muddy Sunday ChiILin' in Chillicothe with ChiIL Live Shows: Sunday of Memorial Day weekend dawned drizzly. It was the last music filled day of SCamp 2013. Our encampment of 5 tents of friends got up and made communal egg sandwiches and French press coffee. Just because you sleep in the woods doesn't mean you can't brunch like royalty. Here's our gorgeous, camping spot.
The almighty EGG SANDWICH has become a beloved annual tradition we have down to an art. We scramble enough eggs for everyone, add sharp cheddar and fresh ground garlic salt, add to buttered bread and enjoy. A big breakfast is key to surviving a multiday music fest with energy intact. Most of our group went to see yet another Umphrey's McGhee set (I believe they played something like 9 hours total over the course of the 4 day fest.) I opted for the intimate, warm & dry "church space" Pickin' workshop with Allie Kral, The Henhouse Prowlers and More. It was a stellar decision.
We've covered Chi-town's own Henhouse Prowlers and Allie for years. I had a chance to casually chat with Allie after the workshop. Summer Camp marked her final sets with Cornmeal after a decade with the band. She'll be sitting in with several San Francisco bands including Hot Buttered Rum, subbing for a new mama fiddle player this summer. Click here to see where to follow her adventures. Allie said Summer Camp Music Fest is always like a reunion or a homecoming, since she gets to sit in with so many friends she doesn't get to play with otherwise. That was evident during the rockin' workshop.Here a some of our playful, heat signature shots from the SCamp pickin' jams. There was some serious heat, lots of laughter, and playful jammin' of the best sort!
If you follow ChiIL Live Show, you know I shoot shoes.It's fascinating to me to see where performers get grounded & where they connect to the earth. I love to see what shoes say about a person, and try to match them later. Many performers go barefoot or use shoes as an extension of their "stage persona" or costume. Some of my favorite shots from SCamp13 are the muddy shoes of the Pickin' performers! Check 'em out. If a picture's worth 1,000 words, they have tales to tell... How many can you match to the musicians?
SCamp Family Style After our morning pickin' jam, we made our annual visit to the Kids' Area. SCamp is family friendly, too, with a rockin' free play area that includes arts, active fun, and awesome staff that returns year after year.
There's even a designated substance free/quiet zone camping area families can choose to stay in. The past few years I've had press credentials and come out sans kids so I could work the photo pits and cover late night shows. Before that, though, we brought the kids to SCamp a number of years and they loved it and are clamoring to come back for 2014.
This year they added a bounce house!
The adults could learn from the kids when it comes to inevitables like the weather. Mud was a non issue for them, as it just made SCamp into a giant playground. Their parents just bagged up their feet so they wouldn't be cold and wet and let 'em play. I was seriously tempted to kick off my shoes and join them and would have if I didn't have a lap top and expensive camera gear to protect. Mud Shots
We had planned to see an array of excellent bands all day, culminating with Trey Anastasio & Moe, but severe storms were forecast The grounds were already a swamp and I didn't want to have to pack up in a downpour Monday morning and schlep all my gear out in more severe mud. The "parking lot" gets marshy, too, and I didn't want to risk getting stuck. I heard later that many people had to be towed out of the mud Monday at $60 a pop. Even with 4 wheel drive I didn't want to wait hours behind all the others getting dragged outta the muck.
It was a hard call since I missed some major favs like Everyone Orchestra, Avett Brothers, Ragbirds, North Mississippi Allstars, Van Ghost, Taj Mahal Trio, Lettuce, the above mentioned Trey & Moe, This Must Be the Band, and a late night set of Henhouse Prowlers slated to close the fest at 4am.
This Mama came without her young daughter and missed her, so she made her name in glo sticks and took a photo to send her. I happened by and loved the visual. I chose to strike camp during a break in the downpours and get on the road, back to my own kiddos, who were missed, too. It was the best decision I've made in a long time. The rains came down with a vengeance, hours earlier than forecast and got so severe they cut Trey's sets short and cancelled the rest of the evening's shows including Moe's final set.
It was a wet & wild ride, but SCamp13 was still full of jammin' tunes, amazing mash ups, fun times with friends, exclusive band interviews, fabulous photo ops, and intimate workshops. Check back with ChiIL Live Shows/ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often. We still have more video band interviews and video footage of the workshops yet to come.
The slideshow above features our full set of shots from Friday including the good, the bad and the ugly. We're sharing them all, just this once, before we break it down by bands, best of, and themes. That way if you and your friends crossed my path or you're a band fanatic and just can't get enough, you'll get to see ALL the shots.
We're back from ChiILin' in Chillicothe, with a ton of wet n muddy camping gear we are unsuccessfully attempting to dry in the back yard between ongoing rain showers. We're also back with loads of great show shots, band video interviews, and fun memories. It wasn't all sole sucking muck! Highlights of the Thursday night pre partywere: a fast fiddlin', folk rockin' set by Cornmeal, with the inimitable Allie Kral. SCamp was her last weekend with the band. Look for her in the coming months playing out with a number of bands including Hot Buttered Rum. You canfollow her fiddle playing sparks across America this summer with her new Reverb Nation Page here.
We've shot Allie a zillion times over the years. Check out some of our past stills right here. For lots more just put Cornmeal or Van Ghost in the side searchbar at ChiIL Live Shows or ChiIL Mama. I had a chance to talk with her after her pickin' set Sunday and I later gave a mini video interview about Allie that will air on the SCamp site in the near future. Basically I thanked Allie for not being a Barbie and for being a great role model for girls out there--proving you can be yourself, let your talent shine through and make it in the boys' world of the music industry without being a 90lb blond in mini skirts. She's a pure joy to see in action and sparks fly when she plays. The second highlight was a mindblowingly excellent set by Chi-town's own, Digital Tape Machine. I'm generally not crazy about house music or techno, but these guys can PLAY. 3 words that changed my mind... they. play. INSTRUMENTS. They really got the crowd going and I would go see them live again in a second. A day later their set was all anyone wanted to rave about in the press room and throughout the SCamp grounds. Sure they have the requisite mac laptop, but these guys play actual instruments too, for a compelling combo. Highly recommended. Wanna check out their sound. 5 tracks from their Summer Camp 2012 Set and lots more are FREE on their site. Click here.
Digital Tape Machine is a Chicago-based band featuring Kris Myers, Joel Cummins, Joe Hettinga, Bryan Doherty, David Arredondo, Marcus Rezak, and Dan Rucinski. The digital, yet analog force behind Digital Tape Machine produces a very modern, electronic sound. Often compared to video game music, elements of electronic dance, tech house, dance house, deep house, post-industrial, drum ‘n bass and hip-hop are all woven into a live show. This edgy, danceable music has been met by enthusiastic crowds who are thirsty for more. The band is rapidly gaining momentum from late night festival sets and sold out shows.
All photos are copyrighted by Bonnie Kenaz-Mara for ChiiLLiveShows.com and ChiiLMama.com. Please contact us for permission to repost unless you're just doing a quickie FB, Pinterest or Twitter share and then reposting is fine as long as you give us photo credit. Enjoy!
Ian Neville (guitar) of Dumpstaphunk
FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS: Dumpstaphunk rocked The Starshine Stage in a late night set, after a brush with death and a sleeping driver on cruise control on their way to SCamp! Check out our video interview soon for all the details.
FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS: The Wailers on The Sunshine Stage
FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS: Interviewing Victor Wooten, Artist at Large, and hearing him play with long time fav Keller Williams with his new configuration... More Than a Little. As if that wasn't cool enough, they played my "theme song"-- Once in a Lifetime, Talking Heads!! Happy happy joy joy.
Joe Hettinga (Digital Tape Machine), Joel Cummins (Umphrey's McGhee), Ivan Neville (Dumpstaphunk)
SCamp is intimate workshops in "the church" where you can get up close & personal with the pros and hear some stellar mashups like this power trio improvising on keyboards!! *Annual Keyboard Workshop led by Joel Cummins (center)
SCamp is Eco-Friendly
SCamp is Family Friendly
SCamp is Freaky Fun
SCamp is 4 Days of Nearly Non Stop Music
SCamp is Camping With Old Friends That I Only Get To See Annually at Summer Camp.
SCamp is Weird Coinkidinks, Like Driving 3 Hours Away To Discover I'm Camping Next To A Neighbor Who Lives Blocks Away and Rents From Long Time Friends of Mine!!
SCamp is good people, characters, and creative costumes!
SCamp is daily doses of Umphrey's McGhee
SCamp is carnival rides, colored lights, spinning hoops--poi balls-- and glo sticks lighting up the night with a riot of color.
Check back with ChiIL Live Shows & our fam friendly site, ChiIL Mama, like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often over the coming weeks and you can relive SCamp13 in all it's fun in the sun & wet n wild glory. We have loads of photos, video band interviews and more!
