Summer Camp Entertainment Art Three Sisters Park Chillicothe, IL May 23-25, 20078

At the end of the parking lot stood a long fence separating reality from musical exploration; security outlined a gate checking wristbands and personal possessions. Single bodies anxiously made their way back to their vehicle in attempts to hide bottles of alcohol and 24-packs of beer that were banned and often confiscated from the camping grounds.

Once inside, a tractor towing a convertible bus resembling an old war carrier from the late sixties, transported campers to their destined home for the weekend. The ample space boasted open fields and shaded forest areas for campers to settle into. Camping villages displayed memorable quotes, various sports memorabilia, and tapestries of dancing bears waving through the breezy air.

Friday’s highlights included shows by moe., Umphrey’s McGee, The Flaming Lips and more. Despite the Friday morning rainstorm, the day brightened up as The Flaming Lips took the stage for an early sound check, drawing in over 150 fans for a private show. As the sky cleared and clothes dried off, fans gathered around as moe. took the stage; their first show of their three day run. moe. has been bringing good vibes to Summer Camp since the festival’s debut in 2001. Their vast creativity and wide range of musical styling does not make it easy to classify them into any distinct genre.

Sound Tribe Sector 9, known to most as STS 9, is a force to be reckoned with. Heavy electronic sounds filled the air in time for the sun’s only appearance of the day; streaming a roar of joyfulness across the field and throughout the crowd.

Girl Talk faded into the night, mixing the best of Top 40 hits through a streamline of revamped beats and rhythms; adding a personal touch to the critically overplayed songs. The highlight of the evening but due to bad scheduling on the production side was a four-hour long set compiled by Chicago’s own Umphrey’s McGee, looped into the Flaming Lips, and back into Umphrey’s McGee. Although the overlap was a mere 15 minutes on both artists set, it still made it difficult for fans to run from one stage over to the other and back again.

Both bands put on phenomenal sets as Umphrey’s combined their taste of funk, jazz, and rock, covering hits by The Beatles and Nine Inch Nails. Their intensity on stage betrothed young and old alike, ending the evening with a classic cover of Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond.” Though it’s difficult for one to capture the essence that is Pink Floyd, Umphrey’s everlasting energy and camaraderie enables the band to push each others’ limits and boundaries as musicians.

The Flaming Lips are always a source of greatness, the costumes and execution of these vast performers entice the mind, ricocheting an assorted of sounds that soothe the very subconscious. Unbelievable performers, the Lips encompass everything a show needs to be spectacular. In addition to the colorful and hallucinating LED display in the background, random farm animals danced on stage as confetti blew into the air, sparked by random shots of fireworks ending the show with the collectively somber, “Do You Realize.”

Late-night shows by Ha Ha The Moose and Tea Leaf Green continued the festivities into the early morning. Saturday campers were greeted by their neighbors as they attempted to sell Bloody Marys and breakfast burritos. Although campers had the chance to purchase food from outside vendors at absorbent prices, most stuck with their comforting home-cooked meal.

Saturday was fully packed with Chicago-based bands, which included Family Groove Company, Cornmeal, Bill Smith, Groovatron, and an additional afternoon set by Umphrey’s McGee. The climax of the day came when the Grammy Award-winning, The Roots, took stage early evening following a previous set by Blind Melon. After their debut back in 1993, The Roots prove they have what it takes to stick around. Their comprehension of hip-hop beats with a touch of funk, continues to captivate crowds. Bodies grinded, spirits soared, and voices of various generations admirably sang-along.

moe. did a double show, taking a reasonable hour and fifteen minute break for the pop acoustic band, O.A.R. The crowd showed their appreciation for the band proudly belting out old favorites such as “Crazy Game of Poker” and “Hey Girl.” Meanwhile, as moe. took the stage for their second set, a group of three came out of the forest area covered head-to-toe in rainbow colored glow sticks. This automatically shifted the response of watching the band to watching these miraculous “creatures” make their way to the front of the stage. One of the “glow people” commented that he had over 200 sticks on his body, explaining that it took over an hour to break open and put together the outfit.

As additional late-night shows took place, most campers seemed to spend their time exploring the forest and dancing in the late-night marquee. The journey through the trees was similar to a game of Candy Land --- Chocolate Swamp was replaced by muddy fields and the Gum Drop Mountains were exchanged for colorful tents. On my search for King Kandy, I followed the hypnotizing “glow people” who led me inside a special hidden area in which hundreds upon hundreds of glow sticks embellished the ground, trees, and tents. It was a real-life version of the Candy Cane forest minus the sweet taste of peppermint.

Sunday dawned and so did the hangovers. Bloody Marys were in full swing as campers yet again sold them from tent to tent; this time more in demand than the previous morning sales. Top acts of the day included a double set again by moe. with additional performances by George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic and the New Pornographers. As for George Clinton and the P-Funk’s show, it was confirmation they still have what it takes. Besides the old age that plagued George’s face, the music was still immortal. The performance was fully packed with a mixture composed of bass, soul, percussion and harmonic voices.

In addition to the assortment of music- Summer Camp flaunted an array of daily workshops, morning yoga, a kids’ camp, and a variety of discussion on various non-profit organizations and green initiatives. Trojan was an important resource for campers, passing out free condoms on a daily basis. In addition to the free condoms, Trojan had a digital rollercoaster ride which provided riders with an informative performance on the importance of wearing a condom. Following the ride, a condom was given out as a game piece to test STD knowledge. Prizes included t-shirts, backpacks, and temporary tattoos.

It’s my personal belief that Summer Camp weather has been cursed. After five years of returning to the grounds of Chillicothe, I have experienced severe rainstorms followed by evacuations. Somewhere within the moe. set, a storm started brewing yet again, making campers evacuate putting forth a grand exit and new memories on an incredible Memorial Day Weekend. Another great production by Jay Goldberg Event and Jam Productions, aside from the weather, it was one spectacular weekend.

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