Last Sunday my friend Craig and I drove down to Chillicothe to attend the Sunday music at Summercamp. This was my 12th year in a row attending the event in some way shape or form. This annual kick off to summer is simply too close to my home to miss. The days of me camping for three nights are long gone but the Sunday one day event makes sense for me. They said they had improved the gate situation and it did move a bit faster than in previous years but this could be attributed to the fact that it poured down rain just as we arrived at Three Sisters Park.
We missed the New York City opening song of the moe. with Bruce Hornsby set. It was unique to see moe. play Help > Slip > Frank for the first time. I appreciate Bruce Hornsby's solo career and his involvement with the Grateful Dead but this set and his own set both were a bit lacking. The last couple songs without Bruce were Okayalright and Punchline and these turned out to be the highlight of the set for me. Bruce Hornsby's set included Rainbow's Cadillac and Jack Straw. In between these sets I caught the first song of Yonder Mountain String Band which was I Know You Rider. These created a Grateful Dead theme to the afternoon.
At this point Doc was nice enough to make dinner for Joel, Micah, and myself. He had a nice campsite set up amongst the RVs. One our way over we saw the end of the Dumpstaphunk set which really had people moving. I was rather underwhelmed by the John Butler Trio so this was an opportune time to take a break for dinner. It was extremely crowded at the mainstage for Steve Miller Band. The weather really turned out nice with mild temperatures and the rain held off until midnight. My one song I wanted to hear from this nostalgia act was Abracadabra and thankfully they obliged fairly early on. After that I moved back to the Sunshine Stage and got ready for Widespread Panic. The skies were threatening but as JB mentioned before the encore that the weather gods were looking out for us.
This was my 90th Widespread Panic show but my first time seeing them with Duane Trucks on drums. They opened with a free form Jam > to open the show. From the beginning it was clear that Duane connected well musically with his father in law Jimmy Herring. This made for a more dynamic musical conversation. The band seemed in a groove with the previous two nights having gotten them warmed up yet they didn't seem exhausted like they sometimes can look like toward the end of long tours. The result was a fun show that was impressive musically. Little Kin was the first actual song. Action Man made me think of American Pharaoh and the upcoming Belmont. Tallboy was appreciated by the beer slugging crowd. Pleas had an extended intro and eventually segued into WDYBT? Next up was Walkin (For Your Love) I've always been a big fan of Impossible ever since Light Fuse, Get Away. Travelin' Light worked as a set closer. Pleas and Impossible both had successful jams. After a short 20 minute setbreak which included early Pink Floyd/Syd Barrett on the PA the band returned to the stage before much of the crowd was back.
Junior was a hard rocking start to the second set. We had a conversation at setbreak about how the band had finally turned the page so Second Skin worked with that theme. The end of Second Skin had a brief Come Together tease. Aunt Avis, Rebirtha, and Stop Breakin' Down kept the set moving well. SBD has JB doing the Give Me Back My Whig rap. The highlight for me was my first time seeing Honky Red in the live setting. This was a nasty, dirty cover that works perfectly for the current incarnation of the band. The jam into the drums included a jam that put me in the mind of Life During Wartime. Schools was on point during the drums and bass. I thought I heard hintings of Stop-Go or perhaps Fire on the Mountain. Cotton Was King and Dyin' Man weren't exactly what I wanted after Drums but Fishwater was a spirited rendition. ILS was a short encore but at least included fireworks at the conclusion.
I was honestly a bit disappointed with Greensky Bluegrass. They seemed like YMSB Lite. The tiny Starshine Stage was becoming overcrowded so I made my way over to Big Gigantic. They really had the crowd moving. When they were over I was able to find my spot for the final set of moe. As previously mentioned it started raining about midnight. While it wasn't a monsoon it was a fairly steady drizzle that continued for most of the last set. moe.'s laser lights and video projections were enhanced by the falling rain it seemed. HHH started things off with Chuck referencing Frampton. After a no huddle segue into Puebla they kept the energy moving with a patient segue into Time Ed. This was an above average version. Do or Die included a parade by Here Comes the Mummies. This group had everyone talking at the festival so it was appropriate that they made a cameo during the final moe. set. Crab Eyes and Wind It Up seemed like rather pedestrian choices at this juncture. It was 2 am and Ian Goldberg walked onstage and said something to Rob. I was worried the set might be over. However, they played two more songs and blew through the supposed 2 am end time. Opium > Brent Black was the clear cut highlight of the final set. It was one of those moments that remind you why you started liking the band in the first place. After a rather long bday speech for Ian's wife that had me thinking about all the previous years that I'd attended Summercamp they wrapped it up with Time that was fitting in that situation. Unfortunately we had heard Greensky Bluegrass play that same Pink Floyd cover a couple hours earlier. We heard the sounds of Vermont jamband Twiddle as we walked out to the vehicle. On our way out of the parking lot we were very fortunate not to have gotten stuck or in an accident as conditions had deteriorated to mud. I drove Craig and I home on the winding backroads. We got back around 4 am. It was a long day of music but I'm glad we decided to go.
