Summer Camp Festival 2010 (5.30.2010)

Sunday, May 30th

In fear of another encounter with the Wild Things, Karrin and I headed over to the Campfire Stage to spread out a blanket and soak in some Hot Buttered Rum. Karrin didn’t last five minutes, so I let her doze off and decided to sneak in for a closer view. These guys were really gettin’ after it and this low key bluegrass was just what I needed after such an intense evening of music. When the music finally finished up around 3:00am, I woke the sleeping beauty and we headed into the woods to see what the situation was like. When we got to our tent, we found that the place had been completely deserted! The Wild Things must have run out of gas after expending all of their energy at that one show they went to that evening. Either that or they had late night tickets to the Big Red Barn for STS9. This was, after all, the only band whose name they even knew at the entire festival. Wherever they were, they weren’t sitting 3 feet outside the door of our tent and Karrin and I slept like we’ve never slept before.

That 1 Guy > Kyle Hollingsworth Band > Umphrey’s McGee

Morning time came and we were feeling outstanding. We munched on some breakfast food and then stirred up a couple of Bloody Mary’s to set things straight. We carried out our morning rituals and then headed over to the Sunshine Stage for That 1 Guy. If you’ve never heard That 1 Guy, you probably never will. Looking like an Amish farmhand, this guy comes out on stage equipped with easily the strangest instrument that you will find at Summer Camp. The Magic Pipe, as he calls it, is a seven foot tall collection of steel plumbing, joints, and electronic triggers that give That 1 Guy’s performances a truly innovative sound. If you ever spent any time at Michigan State University’s Munn Ice Arena back in the day, or more currently, Northern Michigan University’s home ice in Marquette, than it will be very easy for you to visualize the music of That 1 Guy… all you have to do is think about Goophus on steroids. Goophus is this crazy, drunken, one-man band/hockey fan that yells and screams and bangs this crazy homemade instrument up and down, slapping it with his hands and feet and honking horns. That 1 Guy is Goophus, except electronic and slightly more skilled. They both can keep a beat, and they both just sort of make me laugh. Inventor? Yes. Musician? Maybe.

After That 1 Goophus, we headed over to Starshine to catch the Kyle Hollingsworth Band. It sort of pained me to miss out on Hot Buttered Rum’s daytime set, since they had really tickled my fancy earlier that morning at the Campfire Stage before the sun had come up. But nonetheless, Hollingsworth was beastin’ it. Kyle won my heart at Rothbury 2009 when he totally flipped my wig during the String Cheese performance. I said it then and I’ve said it a hundred times since then: that was the best keys performance I have ever seen live. This guy was literally thrashing around on top of his organ in the most chaotic fashion... up off his stool and slamming now only his fingers but his entire forear m down on top of that ivory. Surprisingly enough, I don’t think he ever missed a note. This Summer Camp performance was no exception. Despite a more subdued crowd and a few notches cranked down on the energy knob, Kyle was playing every bit as good as I remember.

From here we headed over to the Sunshine Stage to listen to the first part of Umphrey’s daytime set. You might as well call it the Umphrey’s Stage at this point. The boys were jamming once again, but it was hard to get into the groove after having seen them play nighttime slots the past two evenings. Without the talented Jeff Waful running the light show, it was almost as if the band were lacking one of their members, one of their instruments. The visual science that Waful has nearly perfected is pivotal in achieving an epic Umphrey’s show.

Railroad Earth

Things were really starting to heat up in Chillicothe. Karrin and I had snagged one of those fan/mister water bottles from a roaming vendor and were perplexed about why we hadn’t done so sooner. The mister bottle is like those crazy gum commercials where some unsuspecting civilian gets blasted in the face by a mixture of ice, water, snow, and spearmint. They always walk away looking like they’ve just had an orgasm. The misting bottle is THAT good. Unfortunately for us, by the time we made it over to see Railroad Earth on the moe. stage, we had exhausted not only our misting supply, but our Camelbak supply as well… poor timing. Gee, Mr. Goldberg, it sure would have been nice if you had installed a second watering hole over there by the Moonshine Stage (hint, hint). Railroad Earth wasted no time blowing our minds. Karrin and I fell hard and fast for these guys in April when we got to see them here in Atlanta. Railroad is roots, bluegrass, and improvisational jam all mixed in with incredible songwriting and structured musical arrangements. One thing I picked up on right away was the appearance of Todd Scheaffer’s guitar; chipped, cracked, scratched, and caked with earth, it appeared as if Todd had been crawling around in the woods with his guitar the night before, serenading some unsuspecting group of Summer Campers. His pants were dirty, his arms scratched… a smile upon his face. As usual, Tim Carbone was ripping the strings off his violin and Andy Goessling picked up and dominated a hundred different instruments. Heat exhaustion began to set in. As bad as I wanted to enjoy this band’s set, I couldn’t seem to find my bearings. There I was standing ten yards away from one of my favorite bands of the season, and I couldn’t even seem to focus on the music. I was dizzy, my thoughts in disarray, on the verge of collapse. I snapped a few pictures during “Been Down This Road” and then headed for cover. From the comfort of the shade, we listened to Railroad wrap up a really great set. Sunday was getting better and better by the hour.

The New Mastersounds > Zach Deputy > Zappa Plays Zappa

I wish I could offer more insight on this band, The New Mastersounds. All I know is that I had the funk bug and I couldn’t stop moving. These guys had a super groovy sound that was made complete with some crazy talented guy manning the Hammond Organ. I was too busy tossin’ the Frisbee with Frazier to get up in the mix, but the sound was coming through crystal clear. The two of us were dancing like goofy bastards in-between tosses and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some Mastersounds sounds as soon as I had the chance.

After the funk session, we headed over to the Campfire Stage for some get-down with Mr. Zach Deputy. Chicago Jam Scene named this set the “Feelgoodiest” set of the weekend and I couldn’t agree more. Zach has a knack for making people smile. He yanks at their tails until he’s completely removed them from their shells and doesn’t stop making beats until he’s got each and every one of those little turtles dancing and grooving around in a musical paradise. With a plethora of utilities at his disposal, The Deputy loops, jams, and constructs a unique blend of “Island-Infused Drum N’ Bass, Ninja Soul” as he calls it. With an often times high-pitched, gospel-like voice that you would never expect from him, this music is soulful to say the least. Live.Music.Life officially endorses Zach Deputy.

Now, the opinions that I present on this website are never positioned as anything more than one man’s opinion. I never claim my ideas to be fact or try to force my beliefs upon you. Often times I will ask readers to “decide for yourself” or warn you that my words need to be taken with a grain of salt. But the statement I am about to make is one that I will exhibit with the upmost confidence: Dweezil Zappa is easily one of the most talented and underrated musicians on the performing circuit. Alright, go ahead and laugh. Frank was never one to float the mainstream… why would he do things any differently when it came to naming his children. Even Frank faced a similar hurdle during his time as a performing musician. Despite one of the most extensive and impressive catalogues in rock history, Frank never really earned the recognition that he deserved… not that he ever wanted it. Dweezil has dedicated a good portion of his life to learning his fathers music which, I assure you my friends, is no small feat. In fact, I close my eyes and listen to this kid play, and I find virtually nothing that separates his skill and style as a guitarist from his father’s. Frank Zappa was a composer, which is something that most people will never realize. Listening to this music and being able to see beyond all of its weirdness, being able to pick up on the extreme technical proficiency and the flawless delivery of some of the most difficult musical arrangements that any progressive rock band has seen, is what separates Zappa fans from others. Understanding Frank Zappa’s humor may be one thing, but understanding his music as the creational compositions of a musical genius, is another.

Ultraviolet Hippopotamus

I wasn’t kidding when I said Sunday was getting better and better by the hour. As the sun was dropping below the horizon, the mighty Hippo was peeking its ears above the surface of the water, preparing to make waves. Those of us who had the audacity to take the Zappa Plays Zappa > UV Hippo route in lieu of moe. set one that evening (an obvious choice in my opinion), were greatly rewarded. This band is off the charts. Expecting a poor turnout at the Campfire Stage (thanks to moe. and EOTO), I was pumped to see a whole slew of people crowding around the hill, ready to throw down with the Hippo. The band wasted no time and started pumping out those highly danceable, electro-progressive jams that have become signature to the UVH sound. I shit you not, these guys are serious, serious business. Their music is overflowing with these Frank Zappa and Garaj Mahal type fusion elements that are blended with the perfect amount of jamtronica to provide this unbelievable sensation that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. As I’ve said before, Sam and Russell give me the same sort of anticipatory feelings that I get when I’m watching Jake Cinninger and Brendan Bayliss play. Each of them are guitar monsters just waiting to explode into some crazy string-shredding, neck-tapping madness that not one of us will be prepared for. When Frazier turned to me during “Cream Soda” with a bandana over his face, pumping his fists and convulsing his body, he confirmed the fact that UV Hippo was indeed bringing the heat. Everyone around us was dancing and grooving with this scrunched up look on their face, wondering what sort of soundwaves were successfully infiltrating their minds and bodies, but unable to do anything about it. I could tell they were hooked… just like I was the first time I heard them. When it was all said and done, the crowd was in an uproar and the Hippo had done it again. Coming from Michigan, I have been spoiled rotten with opportunities to see Ultraviolet Hippopotamus and every single time I have ever seen them, they’ve played with just as much energy and vigor as the time before. Day in and day out, this band reminds me why they continue to be one of my favorite jam bands on the circuit. I love UV Hippo.

With the life sucked out of us, Karrin and I headed over to catch the second set of moe. only to fall face first onto our blanket… we practically slept through the entire set. It had been a long weekend and Summer Camp had undoubtedly been a success. Despite the teenage creatures that invaded our personal camping space and a few bouts of heat exhaustion, we got to witness more sets of music than you could hope to see in a whole year, and a few of them were unforgettable. This year, as Fourth of July weekend grows near, I will be sure to look out towards the coast of Lake Michigan, and take a moment of silence for Rothbury 2010. But the festival spirit lives on, and Summer Camp 2010 is just the beginning.