MOE.
5/27/11
Three Sisters Park
Chillicothe, IL
5/27/11
Three Sisters Park
Chillicothe, IL
[Moonshine Stage]
O: Akimbo, Puebla, St. Augustine, Mexico, Blue Jeans Pizza, All Roads Lead to Home, Kyle's Song > Kids
E: The Harder They Come*
w/ Brendan Bayless
____________________________
Jake Cinninger/Brendan Bayless
5/27/11
Three Sisters Park
Chillicothe, IL
[Soulshine Tent]
O: Resolution > Hysteria, Girl is Mine > Jane Says > Girl is Mine, Passing, Nothing Too Fancy > Dreams > Nothing Too Fancy, Water
_____________________________
Umphrey's McGee
5/27/11
Three Sisters Park
Chillicothe, IL
O: Akimbo, Puebla, St. Augustine, Mexico, Blue Jeans Pizza, All Roads Lead to Home, Kyle's Song > Kids
E: The Harder They Come*
w/ Brendan Bayless
____________________________
Jake Cinninger/Brendan Bayless
5/27/11
Three Sisters Park
Chillicothe, IL
[Soulshine Tent]
O: Resolution > Hysteria, Girl is Mine > Jane Says > Girl is Mine, Passing, Nothing Too Fancy > Dreams > Nothing Too Fancy, Water
_____________________________
Umphrey's McGee
5/27/11
Three Sisters Park
Chillicothe, IL
[Sunshine Stage]
I: Prowler, 1348 > Red Tape, Pay the Snucka > Bulls on Parade > Pay the Snucka, 2nd Self, Senor Mouse, Mulche's Odyssey
II: Jazz Odyssey > Preamble > Miss Tinkle's Overture > Higgins > Miss Tinkle's Overture > Higgins, Rocker pt. II, Day Nurse, Hour Glass^, The Floor, The National Anthem*
E: The Triple Wide > 1348
^ debut
* w/ horns
______________________________
MOE.
5/27/11
Three Sisters Park
Chillicothe, IL
[Red Barn Late Night Show]
O: Dr. Graffenberg, Bullet, Letter Home, Timmy Tucker, Downward Facing Dog, Big World > Ricky Marten > Time Ed > George
E: Spaz Medicine
________________________________
SATURDAY
Umphrey's McGee
5/28/11
Three Sisters Park
Chillicothe, IL
[Sunshine Stage]
I: 40's Theme, Conduit, Divisions, Go to Hell, Puppet String, Jajunk
II: Bridgeless > Poptart > Bridgeless, Forks*, Plunger > Glory > Hajimemashite > Plunger, Hurt Bird Bath
E: Booth Love^, Live and Let Die^
* debut
^ w/ horns
_________________________________
MOE.
5/28/11
Three Sisters Park
Chillicothe, IL
[Moonshine Stage]
I: Wind It Up, Tubing the River Styx > The Pit, Understand, Smoke*, Sensory Deprivation Bank > Waiting for the Punchline, Haze
II: Crab Eyes^, Buster, Skrunk > Lazarus > McBain, Recreational Chemistry
E: Captain America
* debut
^ with ipads
__________________________________
SUNDAY
Umphrey's McGee
5/29/11
Three Sisters Park
Chillicothe, IL
[Sunshine Stage]
O: All in Time, Room to Breathe, Don't Fight It*, Up on Cripple Creek*, Heart and Soul*, The Weight*, Women Wine and Song*, Respect Yourself*, Working For A Living*, She Caught the Katy*, Partyin' Peeps*, I Want A New Drug*
* w/ Huey Lewis, horns, and backup vocalists
_________________________________
Widespread Panic
5/29/11
Three Sisters Park
Chillicothe, IL
[Sunshine Stage]
O: North, Proving Ground, Party at Your Mama's House > Wondering, Heroes, Angels on High, Tallboy > Driving Song > Saint Ex, Goin' Out West > Drums > Porch Song > Driving Song > Airplane > Protein Drink > Sewing Machine
__________________________________
MOE.
5/29/11
Three Sisters Park
Chillicothe, IL
[Moonshine Stage]
I: Deep This Time, Y.O.Y. > Down Boy, Happy Hour Hero^, Rain Shine*, Farmer Ben > Moth
II: Plane Crash, Shoot First^^, Silver Sun, Seat of My Pants, Billy Goat
E: Rebubula
^ w/ Kyle Hollingsworth on keyboards
* debut
^^ w/ Bela Fleck
The day began with torrential downpours. My friend Angie drove down from Clinton, IA and rode down with me to Chillicothe. We had to delay our departure because the roads were simply impassable for a brief while because of the rain. Eventually we were able to make it down there but we passed several spots where the road was partially flooded. Upon arrival we learned that Cornmeal and Umphrey's McGee had switched slots. It was nice to not have missed any music but I was not thrilled that Umphrey's McGee essentially got screwed out of their set on Sunday. They only played two songs on their own before being joined by Huey, the horns, and the backup singers. For me that was somewhat disappointing. Also, I would not have rushed down there on Sunday if I had known that Cornmeal and Umphrey's McGee were going to switch spots. Supposedly they did that because of the weather but it made little sense to me.
The All in Time that UM opened with was very straightforward. There was no jamming in the middle section at all. Like the other songs they debuted over the weekend Room to Breathe made little impact on me. From this point forward it became the Huey Lewis show. I was a bit disappointed in Huey's singing ability. He didn't really belt it out that much. He looked unshaven and the appearance was underwhelming. The set was a mix of Huey originals, UM, and covers. The whole set was like 70 minutes long and I was letdown.
I caught some of the Avett Brothers before the Bruce Hornsby set. I appreciate his career. He has some songs that I enjoy and obviously I have liked listening over the years to the contributions to the Grateful Dead. His set was a good time. However, it took forever and a day to get his grand piano off that stage. As a result Widespread Panic's set got shortened.
I spent the first set of moe. with Team Geneseo on the Al side. It was good to see some familiar faces. I liked the song selection during that first set of moe. Deep This Time and Y.O.Y. got things going well. Down Boy kept the moe.mentum going. Kyle Hollingsworth was one of my favorite elements of SCI and he added to that version of Happy Hour Hero. I will have to give Rain Shine another listen before making a judgement on that new moe. original. At this point I went back to get my spot for Panic. I ended up missing Farmer Ben > Moth while I was just standing there waiting for Widespread Panic to start.
When Widespread Panic did begin their set it was a major source of pride for me. The festival had grown so much over the 8 years that I had attended. This was a major milestone in my eyes. The band played a standard festival set which was about what you could expect from them in an hour and forty five minute time slot on the secondary stage. They used most of their touring lights from what I could tell. I liked the song selection. Party at Your Mama's House was nice with the sunset. I quesion the need for a Drums when they had a limited amount of time. The musical highlight was a particularly spirited version of Protein Drink > Sewing Machine.
After the Widespread Panic set their stage area was an absolute mudhole. I went over to the Jaegermeister stage (Starshine Stage) to see Karl Denson's Tiny Universe. It was refreshing to have it less crowded. The majority of the kids were over watching Bassnector. KDTU did a nice version of Shake It Out in the encore off their latest Brother's Keeper album.
The stage was literally set for moe. to come out and win the festival outright at this point. While I was satisfied with what they produced it highlighted the limitations of the band in my eyes. Plane Crash for the millionith time was a fun sing-a-long anthem. Shoot First has to have been played at every Summer Camp. This was a unique version though with the talented Bela Fleck on banjo. That was my first time hearing Silver Sun in the live setting. I liked that new piece of material. I was disappointed by the choice of SOMP. Also, why only five songs in that last set? Give us at least a six pack. Billy Goat was a redeeming selection to close out the set. That is by far the best of the new songs that moe. had debuted at the previous Summer Camp. Rob's anniversary is Memorial Day Weekend so the Rebubula in the encore was obvious.
During the encore I decided this was probably it for me with Summer Camp. I do not like aspects such as having to pay for parking and extra late night tickets. Also, I don't care for the VIP movement. It's nothing but the festival operators trying to generate more revenue. The size of the festival with the current amount of acreage being used at Three Sisters Park has reached its limit. I felt like the festival in 2011 from a musical standpoint was Standard Camp. Hardly any of the acts were even attempting to push the envelope in any way shape or form. I'm burnt out on moe. and Umphrey's McGee and they are the primary headliners. I felt like this year at Summer Camp that while they both debuted new songs they mainly went through the motions. From an improvisational standpoint they simply didn't get me to where I wanted to go. It's been great having a local festival like Summer Camp so close to home. However, I ultimately realize that it is being geared more toward casual fans who are less discerning about the musical product. If I'm going to stand in the mud with a bunch of kids the music had better be worth it. I simply reached a point where it wasn't worth it anymore.
I: Prowler, 1348 > Red Tape, Pay the Snucka > Bulls on Parade > Pay the Snucka, 2nd Self, Senor Mouse, Mulche's Odyssey
II: Jazz Odyssey > Preamble > Miss Tinkle's Overture > Higgins > Miss Tinkle's Overture > Higgins, Rocker pt. II, Day Nurse, Hour Glass^, The Floor, The National Anthem*
E: The Triple Wide > 1348
^ debut
* w/ horns
______________________________
MOE.
5/27/11
Three Sisters Park
Chillicothe, IL
[Red Barn Late Night Show]
O: Dr. Graffenberg, Bullet, Letter Home, Timmy Tucker, Downward Facing Dog, Big World > Ricky Marten > Time Ed > George
E: Spaz Medicine
________________________________
I decided to commute to Summer Camp 2011 each night. That equates to an hour and half drive by backroad from my house. I prefered the scenic rural two lane highway route as opposed to that stretch of I-74 that I've traveled a million times. Having Friday off work due to wet weather conditions I drove down earlier than I had originally planned so I could see the opening set of moe. It was obvious upon arrival that it was quite muddy in the parking lot. The area around the entrance to the mainstage was also very sloppy. This was my 8th Summer Camp in a row and I would estimate the attendance to be somewhere between 15,000-20,000 this year.
I walked in during the end of Akimbo. I really enjoy the newer song Puebla and its historical references. St. Auggie and Mexico are two songs that have definitely been played in similiar slots at previous Summer Camps. I liked Chuck's soloing during BJP. All Roads was a brief lull before a strong Kyle > Kids to end the afternoon set. They did a nice encore of The Harder They Come with Brendan Bayless. This was an enjoyable set but from a critical standpoint it was pretty standard.
I caught a portion of Boombox on the mainstage and purchased the gold version of the Summer Camp 2011 poster. After that I ended up seeing a Brendan Bayliss/Jake Cinninger acoustic set in the smaller Soulshine Tent. I enjoyed this little set much more than I thought I would. Water to end the set was appropriate. Then I went to see some friends and had a burger and a red bull and heard the MacPodz from a distance before rejoining the action with Yonder Mountain String Band. I can't help but laugh at Jeff Austin's facial expressions. Bluegrass isn't my cup of tea but they are talented. I was really impressed by the way Lotus was able to make the transition from a sidestage act to a headliner. This version of Spiritualize was particularly noteworthy.
On Friday Umphrey's was able to step up to the plate and deliver during their set. Anyone not familiar with the setup at Summer Camp should be aware that moe. plays on the permeanant main stage while Umphrey's McGee plays on the temporary stage next to the portajohns. So needless to say this isn't quite as nice in terms of ambiance. For all the sets at that stage that I saw I was in the commander's position in front of the soundboard.
1348 was appropriate with its "plant, seed, light" lyrics with all the corn planting I had recently done. This was a strong version after a standard Prowler that had opened. Red Tape kept the momentum going well in yet another recent interesting version. I was disappointed they didn't play Bulls on Parade in full. They did a half assed version during the Pay the Snucka pt III. I wasn't in the mood to hear 2nd Self in that setting. It had been a long time since I had heard Senor Mouse. That was a major highlight. I wasn't even familiar with it. Mulche's was pretty straightforward.
They used the same pre-recorded intro they have used frequently (even in central IL) and this led into the pre-recorded Preamble which they unpredictably went into Miss Tinkle's Overture. From this point they did the Tinkles > Higgins > Tinkle's > Higgins double sandwich. Rocker pt. II and the new instrumental Day Nurse solidified this set. Then they debuted a new song which the jury remains out on. The Floor was not as good as the version from last year. In general this Friday Summer Camp show didn't compare to what UM had played the year before on that same occasion. They brought out horns for the Radiohead cover which ended the set. An unexpected highlighted came in the form of The Triple Wide which had some interesting bass work from Stasik. This led into the end of 1348 to conclude the show. I was a little disappointed in the lack of production by UM compared to previous years. Regardless the UM show on Friday was the obvious highlight of that day of the festival.
I shifted scenes to the late night barn for moe. It was unfortunately very hot in the barn. What happened to the air conditioning they had in there? moe. had some really interesting lasers which were different from those they had last year. I liked the song selection by moe. but I could have used more in the way in of segues. Letter Home was an alternate reggae version. I was glad to hear Timmy Tucker in that slot. Downward Facing Dog is a good new tune. I like the end part. moe. did Big World > Ricky Marten last year in the late night barn. Time Ed > George had some patient playing that had the crowd in a trance at 4 am. Spaz Medicine is appropriate for a late night encore. I hit the road after the moe. late night show and got home as the sun was coming up.
I walked in during the end of Akimbo. I really enjoy the newer song Puebla and its historical references. St. Auggie and Mexico are two songs that have definitely been played in similiar slots at previous Summer Camps. I liked Chuck's soloing during BJP. All Roads was a brief lull before a strong Kyle > Kids to end the afternoon set. They did a nice encore of The Harder They Come with Brendan Bayless. This was an enjoyable set but from a critical standpoint it was pretty standard.
I caught a portion of Boombox on the mainstage and purchased the gold version of the Summer Camp 2011 poster. After that I ended up seeing a Brendan Bayliss/Jake Cinninger acoustic set in the smaller Soulshine Tent. I enjoyed this little set much more than I thought I would. Water to end the set was appropriate. Then I went to see some friends and had a burger and a red bull and heard the MacPodz from a distance before rejoining the action with Yonder Mountain String Band. I can't help but laugh at Jeff Austin's facial expressions. Bluegrass isn't my cup of tea but they are talented. I was really impressed by the way Lotus was able to make the transition from a sidestage act to a headliner. This version of Spiritualize was particularly noteworthy.
On Friday Umphrey's was able to step up to the plate and deliver during their set. Anyone not familiar with the setup at Summer Camp should be aware that moe. plays on the permeanant main stage while Umphrey's McGee plays on the temporary stage next to the portajohns. So needless to say this isn't quite as nice in terms of ambiance. For all the sets at that stage that I saw I was in the commander's position in front of the soundboard.
1348 was appropriate with its "plant, seed, light" lyrics with all the corn planting I had recently done. This was a strong version after a standard Prowler that had opened. Red Tape kept the momentum going well in yet another recent interesting version. I was disappointed they didn't play Bulls on Parade in full. They did a half assed version during the Pay the Snucka pt III. I wasn't in the mood to hear 2nd Self in that setting. It had been a long time since I had heard Senor Mouse. That was a major highlight. I wasn't even familiar with it. Mulche's was pretty straightforward.
They used the same pre-recorded intro they have used frequently (even in central IL) and this led into the pre-recorded Preamble which they unpredictably went into Miss Tinkle's Overture. From this point they did the Tinkles > Higgins > Tinkle's > Higgins double sandwich. Rocker pt. II and the new instrumental Day Nurse solidified this set. Then they debuted a new song which the jury remains out on. The Floor was not as good as the version from last year. In general this Friday Summer Camp show didn't compare to what UM had played the year before on that same occasion. They brought out horns for the Radiohead cover which ended the set. An unexpected highlighted came in the form of The Triple Wide which had some interesting bass work from Stasik. This led into the end of 1348 to conclude the show. I was a little disappointed in the lack of production by UM compared to previous years. Regardless the UM show on Friday was the obvious highlight of that day of the festival.
I shifted scenes to the late night barn for moe. It was unfortunately very hot in the barn. What happened to the air conditioning they had in there? moe. had some really interesting lasers which were different from those they had last year. I liked the song selection by moe. but I could have used more in the way in of segues. Letter Home was an alternate reggae version. I was glad to hear Timmy Tucker in that slot. Downward Facing Dog is a good new tune. I like the end part. moe. did Big World > Ricky Marten last year in the late night barn. Time Ed > George had some patient playing that had the crowd in a trance at 4 am. Spaz Medicine is appropriate for a late night encore. I hit the road after the moe. late night show and got home as the sun was coming up.
SATURDAY
Umphrey's McGee
5/28/11
Three Sisters Park
Chillicothe, IL
[Sunshine Stage]
I: 40's Theme, Conduit, Divisions, Go to Hell, Puppet String, Jajunk
II: Bridgeless > Poptart > Bridgeless, Forks*, Plunger > Glory > Hajimemashite > Plunger, Hurt Bird Bath
E: Booth Love^, Live and Let Die^
* debut
^ w/ horns
_________________________________
MOE.
5/28/11
Three Sisters Park
Chillicothe, IL
[Moonshine Stage]
I: Wind It Up, Tubing the River Styx > The Pit, Understand, Smoke*, Sensory Deprivation Bank > Waiting for the Punchline, Haze
II: Crab Eyes^, Buster, Skrunk > Lazarus > McBain, Recreational Chemistry
E: Captain America
* debut
^ with ipads
__________________________________
I slept most of the day and recovered from the long first day of Summer Camp. Around 6 pm I made the short drive back down to Chillicothe. I could hear the opening of 40's Theme as I walked up to the Sunshine Stage. I found my usual spot in front of the soundboard. Over the weekend I made some new friends who were taping. I liked the song selection in the first set of Umphrey's McGee. 40's had its usual sexy groove. Conduit is one of their new songs that I've enjoyed recently. It has consistently led to fruitful jamming. Divisions is old school Umph. Go to Hell is another newer song that is working for the band. Puppet String was a debut of a new song that didn't make a profound impact on me. Jajunk featured some outstanding lights from Jeff Waful as the band build a huge but predictable peak.
I missed the first few songs of moe. and arrived during The Pit. Understand is a catchy number I've always liked. Spark was a debut of a new song. I will have to wait to give a judgement until I relisten. SDB > Punchline was an old school combination. Haze is one of their new ones they debuted at Summer Camp last year that I've really been digging.
I arrived back at the UM stage during Poptart which has been apparently renamed No Comment. When they returned to the end of Bridgeless I was able to deduce what I had missed. Forks was yet another debut. Again I wasn't wildly impressed upon first listen. Plunger > Glory > Haji > Plunger was a nice sandwich of older songs inside Plunger. HBB continues to be a big gun for Umphrey's McGee and this was a good choice to finish out their set. As previously mentioned I was a bit disappointed in the lack of production from UM this year. I did really like the encore with the horns of Booth Love and Live and Let Die. The latter of course is a Wings song that always puts me in the mind of the James Bond movie from which it was featured.
moe. seemed to really take their time hitting the stage for their second set. That was a unique take with the ipads or whatever technology Chuck and Al were using instead of their guitars. Buster in that slot worked well. That is one of their biggest anthems. Skrunk is a tune that I enjoy so that continued the succesful set of moe. Lazarus > McBain was fairly predictable on Saturday night at Summer Camp especially after George had been played in the barn the night before. Rec Chem was the highlight of the evening. As a result of this set which was anchored by several of moe.'s heaviest hitters I felt like they won the day. They were up against the curfew so Cpt. USA in the encore slot was abbreviated. After the show I drove home. It was good to get back at a more reasonable hour.
I missed the first few songs of moe. and arrived during The Pit. Understand is a catchy number I've always liked. Spark was a debut of a new song. I will have to wait to give a judgement until I relisten. SDB > Punchline was an old school combination. Haze is one of their new ones they debuted at Summer Camp last year that I've really been digging.
I arrived back at the UM stage during Poptart which has been apparently renamed No Comment. When they returned to the end of Bridgeless I was able to deduce what I had missed. Forks was yet another debut. Again I wasn't wildly impressed upon first listen. Plunger > Glory > Haji > Plunger was a nice sandwich of older songs inside Plunger. HBB continues to be a big gun for Umphrey's McGee and this was a good choice to finish out their set. As previously mentioned I was a bit disappointed in the lack of production from UM this year. I did really like the encore with the horns of Booth Love and Live and Let Die. The latter of course is a Wings song that always puts me in the mind of the James Bond movie from which it was featured.
moe. seemed to really take their time hitting the stage for their second set. That was a unique take with the ipads or whatever technology Chuck and Al were using instead of their guitars. Buster in that slot worked well. That is one of their biggest anthems. Skrunk is a tune that I enjoy so that continued the succesful set of moe. Lazarus > McBain was fairly predictable on Saturday night at Summer Camp especially after George had been played in the barn the night before. Rec Chem was the highlight of the evening. As a result of this set which was anchored by several of moe.'s heaviest hitters I felt like they won the day. They were up against the curfew so Cpt. USA in the encore slot was abbreviated. After the show I drove home. It was good to get back at a more reasonable hour.
SUNDAY
Umphrey's McGee
5/29/11
Three Sisters Park
Chillicothe, IL
[Sunshine Stage]
O: All in Time, Room to Breathe, Don't Fight It*, Up on Cripple Creek*, Heart and Soul*, The Weight*, Women Wine and Song*, Respect Yourself*, Working For A Living*, She Caught the Katy*, Partyin' Peeps*, I Want A New Drug*
* w/ Huey Lewis, horns, and backup vocalists
_________________________________
Widespread Panic
5/29/11
Three Sisters Park
Chillicothe, IL
[Sunshine Stage]
O: North, Proving Ground, Party at Your Mama's House > Wondering, Heroes, Angels on High, Tallboy > Driving Song > Saint Ex, Goin' Out West > Drums > Porch Song > Driving Song > Airplane > Protein Drink > Sewing Machine
__________________________________
MOE.
5/29/11
Three Sisters Park
Chillicothe, IL
[Moonshine Stage]
I: Deep This Time, Y.O.Y. > Down Boy, Happy Hour Hero^, Rain Shine*, Farmer Ben > Moth
II: Plane Crash, Shoot First^^, Silver Sun, Seat of My Pants, Billy Goat
E: Rebubula
^ w/ Kyle Hollingsworth on keyboards
* debut
^^ w/ Bela Fleck
The day began with torrential downpours. My friend Angie drove down from Clinton, IA and rode down with me to Chillicothe. We had to delay our departure because the roads were simply impassable for a brief while because of the rain. Eventually we were able to make it down there but we passed several spots where the road was partially flooded. Upon arrival we learned that Cornmeal and Umphrey's McGee had switched slots. It was nice to not have missed any music but I was not thrilled that Umphrey's McGee essentially got screwed out of their set on Sunday. They only played two songs on their own before being joined by Huey, the horns, and the backup singers. For me that was somewhat disappointing. Also, I would not have rushed down there on Sunday if I had known that Cornmeal and Umphrey's McGee were going to switch spots. Supposedly they did that because of the weather but it made little sense to me.
The All in Time that UM opened with was very straightforward. There was no jamming in the middle section at all. Like the other songs they debuted over the weekend Room to Breathe made little impact on me. From this point forward it became the Huey Lewis show. I was a bit disappointed in Huey's singing ability. He didn't really belt it out that much. He looked unshaven and the appearance was underwhelming. The set was a mix of Huey originals, UM, and covers. The whole set was like 70 minutes long and I was letdown.
I caught some of the Avett Brothers before the Bruce Hornsby set. I appreciate his career. He has some songs that I enjoy and obviously I have liked listening over the years to the contributions to the Grateful Dead. His set was a good time. However, it took forever and a day to get his grand piano off that stage. As a result Widespread Panic's set got shortened.
I spent the first set of moe. with Team Geneseo on the Al side. It was good to see some familiar faces. I liked the song selection during that first set of moe. Deep This Time and Y.O.Y. got things going well. Down Boy kept the moe.mentum going. Kyle Hollingsworth was one of my favorite elements of SCI and he added to that version of Happy Hour Hero. I will have to give Rain Shine another listen before making a judgement on that new moe. original. At this point I went back to get my spot for Panic. I ended up missing Farmer Ben > Moth while I was just standing there waiting for Widespread Panic to start.
When Widespread Panic did begin their set it was a major source of pride for me. The festival had grown so much over the 8 years that I had attended. This was a major milestone in my eyes. The band played a standard festival set which was about what you could expect from them in an hour and forty five minute time slot on the secondary stage. They used most of their touring lights from what I could tell. I liked the song selection. Party at Your Mama's House was nice with the sunset. I quesion the need for a Drums when they had a limited amount of time. The musical highlight was a particularly spirited version of Protein Drink > Sewing Machine.
After the Widespread Panic set their stage area was an absolute mudhole. I went over to the Jaegermeister stage (Starshine Stage) to see Karl Denson's Tiny Universe. It was refreshing to have it less crowded. The majority of the kids were over watching Bassnector. KDTU did a nice version of Shake It Out in the encore off their latest Brother's Keeper album.
The stage was literally set for moe. to come out and win the festival outright at this point. While I was satisfied with what they produced it highlighted the limitations of the band in my eyes. Plane Crash for the millionith time was a fun sing-a-long anthem. Shoot First has to have been played at every Summer Camp. This was a unique version though with the talented Bela Fleck on banjo. That was my first time hearing Silver Sun in the live setting. I liked that new piece of material. I was disappointed by the choice of SOMP. Also, why only five songs in that last set? Give us at least a six pack. Billy Goat was a redeeming selection to close out the set. That is by far the best of the new songs that moe. had debuted at the previous Summer Camp. Rob's anniversary is Memorial Day Weekend so the Rebubula in the encore was obvious.
During the encore I decided this was probably it for me with Summer Camp. I do not like aspects such as having to pay for parking and extra late night tickets. Also, I don't care for the VIP movement. It's nothing but the festival operators trying to generate more revenue. The size of the festival with the current amount of acreage being used at Three Sisters Park has reached its limit. I felt like the festival in 2011 from a musical standpoint was Standard Camp. Hardly any of the acts were even attempting to push the envelope in any way shape or form. I'm burnt out on moe. and Umphrey's McGee and they are the primary headliners. I felt like this year at Summer Camp that while they both debuted new songs they mainly went through the motions. From an improvisational standpoint they simply didn't get me to where I wanted to go. It's been great having a local festival like Summer Camp so close to home. However, I ultimately realize that it is being geared more toward casual fans who are less discerning about the musical product. If I'm going to stand in the mud with a bunch of kids the music had better be worth it. I simply reached a point where it wasn't worth it anymore.
