Welcome back festivarians to Three Sisters Park on the banks of the Illinois River and the inaugural Solshine Reverie on May 24-26, 2024. Headliners Goose, John Summit, String Cheese Incident, Disco Biscuits, STS9, Umphry’s McGee, Big Gigantic and Slander led four days of non-stop, high octane, at times unpredictable fun. Illumination Woods, Moonshine Stage, Campfire stage and the Red Barn showcased a tsunami of non-stop, live music that spilled over into countless genres. From Wednesday forward, this party always has always had the same problem…When to sleep?

Baitbucket had to repair the Oldsmobuick at literally every stop on the tour. It was still limping along and the brakes were turning to dust when they passed the sign, Peoria 24 miles. The red blinking lights of the windmills appeared to be bouncing in the morning darkness. They pulled into Three Sisters Park just the time the sun appeared to rise out of the Illinois River. Canadian geese flew over the cornfields, plants only ankle high. A thick dust covered everything until the rains would later come and clean and soften everything back down to an earlier, primordial self.

They arrived from all over the U.S. to help build the Twerk Church. The most elaborate Three Sisters Hobo Kamp to date and a high water mark to be sure. Electricity to the masses with indoor plumbing right around the corner. Oh, it’s a new day here in Chillicothe. Always near the same spot on the forest trail, not far from the main intersection. Daryn and Turtle, the original site ops team, just returned from the Sea of Cortez, where they had been helping to save the embattled vaquita. Zane, the world’s greatest dishwasher stopped by for a few songs before continuing down the dusty trail. Scores of festivarians from all manner of party swung in the Florida room for tea and scones. This forest allows its residents to get filthy whilst pursuing excellence with an elegance and class reserved for only the most bourgeoisie mud holes.

Pedro volunteered to operate the VIP DUI Support Shuttle again this year with trips to all over the state. The goal remains to include all willing participants, using any means at our disposal. No one should be left out when the portal is fully engaged. Sunsquabi, Doom Flamingo, Keller and Future Joy? Splooshness. And yoga, arts and crafts aplenty with a little time set aside to visit the animals at Mi Kulture. They get full credit for bringing the first boatloads of Kamp Happiness refugees to Chillicothe. Haggard and worn, they came with some of the earliest crumpled velvet from the Orient.

Happy Scampshine: What’s in a name? Summer Camp changed its name to Solshine Reverie and the audience trembled at what extreme changes would befall the physical world. In truth it was not much. By losing a couple of stages they were able to beef up the others. Each night the music on three stages ran until four in the morning. In a world of midnight quiet hours, more of this is needed in the festival world. Greetings of “Happy Scamp” could be heard all weekend. Same as it ever was. Give it a name. This is the original summer camp festival experience and the family will continue to show up as long as they have a spot in the woods. Team building, problem solving and a Slumberjack party under the stars. Happy Solshine.

It was Jello Shot’s birthday when she stepped on the ketchup packet at Church Catering, sending the warm goo shooting up her leg. This was a sign. Things were going to get weird. It was also Pedro’s birthday although the orphanage had lost the birth certificate in the fire and no one could be sure. The Artist formerly known as Spyderman made one of his early morning appearances. What’s this? Taking the weekend off? Mental health days are not the same as nappin’ on the job.

There is no going back.

Grown up choices? When did the Fallout Shelter cease making adult cocktails? Where were the Manhattans and Old Fashioned? In this version high and low, nary a mixer could be found. The bottles were passed around as if by hobos in an Arlo Guthrie song. Who amongst them would be train-hopping their way out of Illinois? Straight brown liquor? Oh, there’s a devil in that bottle. Gasoline for the party with no brakes. When did Baitbucket began falling down? He couldn’t remember but there were signs all over his body. Inflamed knee, shoulder and elbow pain. All from Tuesday night? In Ethiopia, it’s both a marathon and a sprint. The medical condition is referred to as “wet brain”.

“Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle
feel the wheels rumblin’ neath the floor”      -City of New Orleans

Lucy and Sketch found some ferns outside of the bunkhouse and recommissioned them to the Illumination Bar where, along with the Christmas Lights, helped set the proper mood. Whomsoever would be looking for them would obviously find them there and at least they weren’t drying in the sun. Kamp Happiness ran power from one of the outlets sticking up in the forest but the cord vanished before they could plug it in. Luckily, Bfly had the Hurtlocker’s construction-grade extension cord left behind at Hulaween. They were all about festival power when they were able to connect to it and yes, Lucy knew she still owed her a new inflatable rainbow.

Betty White showed up wearing the jacket she made from her grandmother’s couch. She’d built a hacienda in staff parking in which it appeared she would remain all weekend. One would just see her in passing, flying by on her way to Slander. “Did he play Tweaker? He’s playing it now?” BFly and Sketch joined the parade of patrons who would return to their vans and Subaru’s anytime it rained, which occurred at regular intervals all weekend.

Pedro had stolen Lucienda’s “Something in the Water’ high-vis and Bagdalini ended up with the purple Coldplay from Hangout. Everyone was looking very official, as per OSHA guidelines and an unofficial inspection revealed extra fire extinguishers and bio-hazard bags.

Soapy was out somewhere in RV parking when she decided to test herself “I can make it home” she lied. She was having ample problem walking and navigating when the rains came. Things were getting sporting and she would need a place to “hole up” while she figured out her next move. If anything happened to her, who would look after the button babies?

After a slow start, the staff got back to business with the Circle K? Hagglin’ Post. It wasn’t any time before the spicy trade and circulating inventory got business booming. Bear’s teeth and video games were among the heady trades of the day. Every once in a while when supplies got low, all trades went for cigarettes strictly. As soon as the cache was refilled, regular trading could continue. These are the some of the variables that cause fluctuation in the modern hippy trading market.

White is black. Black is white.

The Escalation. News Flash! Lucienda had been thrown out for crimes against humanity. Heavy drinking? Harassment? Insider trading? Could it be true? Those were some of her favorite pastimes, but who was doing the accusing? Were there any witnesses? There were so many questions to ask to but this wasn’t the time. Surrounded by high-management security personnel, she felt very small. In the blink of an eye, she was out, shut down like a bad daycare. She held her arm up as they came at her with the scissors. This wasn’t her first rodeo. She knew what was coming before they even said it. “We’ll escort you to your camp so you can gather your belongings.”

No one wants to be the girl who returns to camp with several golf carts worth of security and administrative personnel. It’s a tough look to be the grand marshal of your own parade. Lots had occurred in a short time and she needed to find a place to rest and recoup while she figured her next move. Man, that escalated quickly.

Usually when kicked to the curb, Lucy knew exactly why it was happening and respected it because after all, it likely saved lives, but this time she was in the dark. Could there have been a blackout? Could that have happened this time? Was there a time in the middle of the party when the darkness could have slipped under the door like a haunted fog? Had the sparrows indeed been flying? Could it have been like one of the mornings when she woke up with blood on her shirt, and not her own?

Could it have been a doppelganger? Another beautiful savage going around causing all manner of mischief, besmirching her good name? Possibly. And was it really all that good? She wanted to face her accusers and get to the bottom of it but she wasn’t completely sure she wanted to reopen the can of worms. Who knows what would be unearthed? By now more stories had surely come to light. More bodies found with their teeth still intact. Maybe best to move forward and work from the comfort of the distant future. The Consigliere would agree that some cases were best left unsolved.

The next morning it was time to muster the troops but no one would wake up. This was a bone fide emergency and they were rolling over in their tents with their bracelets squeezed on too tight. The music had already started on the Campfire Stage. The White Ninja suggested entering through the surrounding miles of soybeans that must have stretched all the way to Kansas. Either way, she was coming back. The job wasn’t done. Spaceman Sketch brought her to the front door and let her out as a reborn vendor. She slipped back under the cover of the forest. Reinvented as Jacinta, the Mexican ninja, she was looking for a good time. Future Joy anyone?

Things were finally getting back to “normal”. Lucinda’s paranoia was waning and lespecial’s set was blasting right down the trail into the Twerk Church. Spaceman Spiff was bartending the STS9 set in the Red Barn and when he wasn’t supplying camp with crotch whiskey he was tagging the sheriff’s golf carts and rescuing hippies from the Kroger parking lot. This was his time. It’s good to work with professionals.

The Potato Sisters trotted off to grab a little Umph love at the Moonshine Stage. Baitbucket ran into Danimal from Frick Frack and tried to convince him to help them steal the briefcase of souls. “I knew we should have brought some old lace.” Forest neighbors all worked together to try and figure a way to grab the Jolly Roger that hung from the lights in the forest. For at least the second year, no one could climb the tree and steal the booty. Bruh, do you even ball?

Visit the Solshine Reverie website and like their social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and X. Science, like math doesn’t care if you believe in it or not. Revisit some classics from the wranglers archives at “21: Restricted Access, “22: The Amalgamation and “23: The Illuminated. Things are always saucy in the forest.

Her last year at Chillicothe? Blaspheme. Sorry Pedro, it won’t be our last trip to the woods. This is still one of the best parties around. The crossroads at Shakedown St. is the heartbeat of the festival and it’s still possible to get lost in the protective embrace of the forest. Chillicothe remains one of the cornerstones of the festival circuit. Good times, great friends, heady trades scattered in with moments of blinding brilliance.

They were the last ones left cleaning up camp Monday morning. One would hope this means the cleanup crew ends up with Slumberjack’s Boom Town speaker but it really just means a freezer bag of cigarette butts and a couple extra clothes pins. Bfly was wearing a stranger’s bra and Pedro had packed up anything she could find, regardless of ownership. Welcome to the stress-free load out. It must be Mexican Monday, no further than a cheap hotel in Peoria.

Keep up with the wranglers as Kamp Happiness as we commit to the quick turn around with Mountain Music Festival before edging west to Manchester and then up to Rothbury. Baby steps. Small dog. Sometimes these missteps are just what is needed in order to take several large steps forward. Plan A is still in effect. Believe what you want. The receptionist accused her of being a vagrant when she entered the hotel, even though she had slept there the night before. “The breakfast isn’t even open. Why else would I sneak into the breakfast nook?” Five days in Chillicothe and everyone thinks you’re homeless.

The post Solshine Reverie 2024: The Escalation appeared first on wook wranglers.

The event’s inaugural edition will take place at Summer Camp’s beloved venue of Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, Illinois from Friday, May 24 – Sunday, May 26, 2024, with a pre-party on Thursday, May 23. This is one of most action-filled parties of the year. Follow Kamp Happiness to the Twerk Church. Solshine Presents Daily Schedules.

Solshine Reverie will kick off the weekend on Thursday, May 23, with an eclectic array of acts gracing the Moonshine Stage, including renowned jam bands The String Cheese Incident (performing two sets) and moe., along with sets from Manic Focus and Maddy O’Neal. Thursday will continue with a special takeover titled A La Léemba with ‘A Night In Tulum’ on the Illumination Stage.

The Campfire Stage will host a bevy of jam acts on Thursday, including Steady Flow, Snakes & Stars, Sun Stereo, Old Shoe, TAND, Formerly The Fox, Undercover Organism, Jerm Theory, and Blucone.

On Friday, May 24, global party starter John Summit will close out the Moonshine Stage, preceded by performances from The String Cheese Incident (two sets), Umphrey’s McGee, STS9, Mihali, and Big Something.

The Illumination Stage’s Friday billing will feature performances from genre-bending bass acts such as Wreckno, EPROM, Buku, Levity, A Hundred Drums, Austeria, Black Carl!, Blue Future, Josh Teed, and Phyphr.

Friday’s Campfire Stage lineup will be anchored by Barclay Crenshaw, The Werks, Venbee, Zingara, Maddy O’Neal, Moon Hooch, Jason Leech, and Polyrhythmics.

On Saturday, May 24, the Moonshine Stage will feature performances from GRAMMY-nominated melodic bass duo SLANDER, Orebolo, and Keller Williams. Festival co-hosts moe. and Umphrey’s McGee will perform a rare collaborative set, in addition to their individual sets on Saturday.

Over at the Illumination Stage, Saturday will feature sets from DJ Marb Menthols, Late Night Radio, Saxsquatch, VCTRE, MZG, Motifv, Mantra Sounds, 20Twenty, Rendr, and The Original Cyberpunk.

Saturday’s stacked roster welcomes a collection of wide-ranging acts on the Campfire Stage, including the highly-anticipated linkup Kill Safari (Kill The Noise b2b Bro Safari), Manic Focus, Gaspar Benegas & L.A Argentinians, Sunsquabi, DOGMA, Eggy, Allie & The Night Krals, Chicago Farmer & The Fieldnotes, as well as Brainchild.

On Sunday, May 25, Solshine Reverie’s marathon weekend will be rounded out by Goose, who will be playing two sets on the Moonshine Stage, in addition to performances by deadmau5, Big Gigantic, moe., and Vibeline.

The Illumination Stage’s Sunday lineup will be helmed by several smashing sets from Ravenscoon, Vampa, Moody Good, Esseks, Bad Snacks, Thought Process, Artifakts, DJ Logic, and COFRESI.

Closing out the Campfire Stage on Sunday night, the festival will host Philadelphia-bred jamtronica outfit The Disco Biscuits, LP Giobbi (performing her iconic Dead House set), Night Tales, lespecial, Doom Flamingo, Mickman, Alika, Henhouse Prowlers, and Armchair Boogie.

Solshine Reverie attendees with VIP tickets also gain access to the exclusive VIP Lounge that offers intimate performances from artists like Orebolo, Mihali, Keller Williams, Big Something, Gaspar Benegas & L.A. Argentinians, lespecial, Sunsquabi, Doom Flamingo, The Werks, Eggy, Moon Hooch, DJ Brownie, Jason Leech, Brainchild, Chicago Farmer & The Fieldnotes, Formerly The Fox, Polyrhythmics, Steady Flow, and TAND, in addition to more special sets that are yet to be announced.

In February, Solshine Reverie embarked on their 20-date ‘On The Road’ tour, stopping in cities in the Midwest and beyond, where emerging local acts had the opportunity to compete in a ‘Battle Of The Bands’ for a spot on the Solshine Reverie lineup. Up-and-coming bands who won their local ‘Battle Of The Bands,’ and will be showcasing their talent at Solshine are Blucone, FEVERDREAM, Haize and Company, Half House, Jerm Theory, Keep The Eleven, Mr. Please, Thunderboogie, Undercover Organism, Worst Impressions, Act Casual, Blake Gardner & The Farmers, Float Like A Buffalo, LOA, Mycota, The Original Cyberpunk, Y-Not, and Zack Fedor & The Long Goodbyes.

As Summer Camp transitions into the Solshine Reverie era, the festival is staying true to its new identity by revamping its layout to evoke an experience akin to entering a reverie – a dreamlike state. The streamlined festival navigation will be reflected in the event’s increased intentionality; while Solshine will preserve the essence of Summer Camp, the refurbished festival will come with meaningful updates.

Solshine Reverie has updated Summer Camp’s previous stage layout to create a more fruitful, efficient experience for guests. Notably, the festival transitions from three main stages to two, bidding farewell to the Sunshine and Starshine Mainstages. By removing the two stages, Solshine Reverie is fostering a greater emphasis on the Moonshine Stage and the Campfire Stage (which is being elevated to the size of the previous Starshine Stage). This consolidation allows for a seamless transition between genres on both stages, and allows for less overall overlap so attendees can see exactly who they want.

In other exciting news, the festival’s official mainstage curfew is now being extended from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. This additional time will allow guests to experience even more music at Solshine’s biggest hub, before heading back to their campgrounds.

The Summer Camp Music Festival Community Contribution Fund will be a vital part of the new festival concept as well. For every full-price admission ticket purchased for Solshine: A Music & Arts Reverie, $1.50 is set aside and put into the Community Fund to directly benefit the City of Chillicothe and surrounding cities. A committee consisting of local Chillicothe area residents will recommend how the funds will be distributed.

There are a plethora of ways to get involved with Solshine Reverie. Applications and information on how to get involved as a volunteer are available on the Solshine website here.

The inaugural Solshine will continue the brand’s longstanding Memorial Day Weekend affair at the breathtaking Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, Illinois. The private park provides a natural amphitheater and a stunning landscape that creates the perfect scenic playground for festival goers to explore. Attendees can also camp within the festival grounds, further elevating the festival’s community-oriented make-up.

All Solshine tickets will have camping included. There are a variety of additional add-ons available including VIP upgrades as well as RV and car camping spots. The VIP upgrade includes exclusive amenities, access to the Thursday pre-party, VIP camping and viewing areas, VIP lounge, air-conditioned bathrooms, and more. Solshine attendees now have the chance to purchase two-day GA and VIP passes for Saturday and Sunday, as well as GA and VIP single-day passes for Sunday here.

Watch for the Kamp Happiness Illumination Bar Takeover every single night as the Wook wranglers take over the cantina. Make sure to visit for all your suds and cordials. Open every day from early afternoon until fourish in the morning. How is that possible? you may say. Amazing people doing amazing things. Look for the White Knight, JBfly, Brocoleah and more. Visit Pedro and Lucy at the Twerk Church for more Illumination. Gentlemen start your engines. The summer festival season is about to be in full gear.

Follow the wranglers as we head to SolFest, Mountain Music Festival, Backwoods at Mulberry Mountain, FloydFest, Electric Forest and more. Things are certainly getting sporting.

The post Solshine Presents Daily Schedules appeared first on wook wranglers.

The Chillicothe Indians were part of a loose confederacy within the Shawnee tribe. And speaking of loose confederacies, this year’s Hobo Kamp promises some highlights from the archives, including the Iceman, Bfly, The Soul Fisherman, salmon fishermen and the incomparable Brocoleah. Who knows, there may even be a sighting from Rockford’s own Señior Bitchell. Be a part of the Fallout Shelter. Join the fray.

What to Expect at Solshine:

• Once you’re in, you’re in. They make it so easy to have a good time. It’s a safe place for adult children and childish adults. Go ahead and get lost. If you come to soybeans to the west or the Illinois River to the east, you’ve gone to far. Turn around and get back at it.
• Leave on-take one blankets. Everywhere one turns in the forest there is another blanket littered with hippy treasures. Visit Kamp Happiness and find Pedro’s Circle K? Trading Post of Assorted Delights.
• How about that lineup? Always a winner at Chillicothe, headliners this year are Goose, String Cheese, Umphrey’s McGee, Moe., Disco Biscuits, John Summit and the hits keep on coming. Remember the year it was Billy into Umph into Billy into Umph. Or the Moe. and Umph double date. You can be sure to see the folks from Mi Kulture come out from their tent once the Umph love gets going.
• Thursday Pre-Party: A popular misconception is that you are going to arrive early and get some sleep Wednesday night. Sleep will find you later, not Wednesday night. There’s just too much tingle in the air.
• Solshine Reverie Kamp Happiness Wook Trap “24  This is the yoga tent you’ve been looking for. It’s high time you made it to twerch. The Twerk Church. (https://fb.me/e/4UIApESlt)

Soulpatch exists to support a vision of strong communities engaged in the social and economic health of local biodegradable good culture. We are an interactive educational garden located at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, IL with activities, workshops, and more throughout the duration of the Solshine Reverie. We openly collaborate with educators, organizations and businesses to demonstrate a variety of growing methods, natural building techniques, and permaculture systems. Initiated as a part of Summer Camp Music Festival in 2016, the space is transforming to host workshops throughout the spring, summer, and autumn.

Dust or mud? Like most festivals, you’ve got to pick one. You make your bed, you sleep in it. Dust or mud? Best case scenario, you don’t actually care and will be a steward of the festival no matter what happens. Remember We Are the Mummies in the mud? This is the exfoliation station. Or the Lemonade Merchant’s impromptu trading blanket involving precious keepsakes. The forest will be alive with industry.

The creators behind Summer Camp Music Festival have just released the star-studded Phase 2 lineup for their new festival concept: Solshine: A Music and Arts Reverie. The event’s inaugural edition will take place at Summer Camp’s beloved venue of Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, Illinois from Friday, May 24 – Sunday, May 26, 2024, with a pre-party on Thursday, May 23. Solshine Reverie’s Phase 2 lineup will welcome acts such as Philadelphia-bred jamtronica outfit The Disco Biscuits, who are returning to the festival following their electrifying 2023 performance, as well as the festival debuts of Femme House-boss LP Giobbi (performing a Dead House set), and Gaspar Benegas & L.A Argentinians from Indio Solari. These additional acts join previously-announced headliners Goose, John Summit, The String Cheese Incident, Umphrey’s McGee, moe., STS9, deadmau5, Big Gigantic, and SLANDER. Continuing Summer Camp’s long-standing tradition, Solshine: A Music & Arts Reverie will feature a collaborative set from the festival co-hosts legendary jam rock band moe. and iconic genre-melding progressive rock band Umphrey’s McGee. Solshine Reverie has also added a bevy of support talent, including debut festival performances from Josh Teed, Vampa, Venbee, Bad Snacks, Blue Future, DJ Logic, Esseks, Mantra Sounds, Thought Process, Night Tales, and Alika. Summer Camp veteran performers like SunSquabi, Buku, A Hundred Drums, Artifakts, COFRESI, Motifv, 20Twenty, Charlie Otto + His Gear and Henhouse Prowlers also join Solshine’s Phase 2 lineup.

As Summer Camp transitions into the Solshine Reverie era, the festival is staying true to its new name by updating its layout to create an experience akin to entering a reverie –  a dreamlike state. The streamlined festival navigation will be reflected in the event’s increased intentionality; while Solshine will maintain the central spirit of Summer Camp, the refurbished festival will come with a few meaningful changes. Solshine Reverie has updated Summer Camp’s previous stage layout to create a more fruitful, efficient experience for guests. For example, instead of three mainstages, there will only be two; by removing the Sunshine and Starshine Mainstages, Solshine Reverie is fostering a greater emphasis on the Moonshine Stage and the Campfire Stage (which is being elevated to the size of the previous Starshine Stage). This consolidation allows for a seamless transition between genres on both stages, and allows for less overall overlap so attendees can see exactly who they want. Additionally, all workshops will now take place at the SOULPATCH – the festival’s interactive garden space and natural amphitheater. By committing this area to the event’s non-music programming, festival-goers will have a familiar, centralized space to attend various offerings and activities before heading back to the stages to check out more music. In other exciting news, the festival’s official mainstage curfew is now being extended from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. This additional time will allow guests to experience even more music at Solshine’s biggest hub, before heading back to their campgrounds. Despite these changes, Solshine will ultimately retain Summer Camp’s core ethos of building an inclusive community around music. Through its mission of sustainability, the festival will aim to inspire attendees to live a life of intention and purpose in order to create a positive impact on the world. To capture this spirit, the festival will host the coveted experiential art area The Illumination Woods and the aforementioned permanent garden SOULPATCH as a dedicated area to increase knowledge of permaculture and sustainability. Located in The Illumination Woods, Frick Frack Blackjack will return to Three Sisters Park for Solshine’s debut edition. The no-cash, no-limit game has become a fan-favorite across the festival landscape for its unique gambling experience. In addition to its music programming, Solshine will offer a variety of workshops, food and craft vendors, community-building initiatives, and activities – the heart and soul of what made Summer Camp a ‘home away from home’ for attendees who returned year after year. Solshine’s programming will include Summer Camp’s beloved Field Day, which will take place on Saturday afternoon for the 14th installment. The Color Wars-style games will include four teams participating in games such as tug of war, giant twister, dodgeball, donut eating contest, and more. The Summer Camp Music Festival Community Contribution Fund will be a vital part of the new festival concept as well. For every full-price admission ticket purchased for Solshine: A Music & Arts Reverie, $1.50 is set aside and put into the Community Fund to directly benefit the City of Chillicothe and surrounding cities. A committee consisting of local Chillicothe area residents will recommend how the funds will be distributed. There are a plethora of ways to get involved with Solshine Reverie. Applications are now open for anyone who would like to volunteer, become a vendor or performer, set up a workshop, create an art installation, or work with SOULPATCH. There will also be future applications for those who would like to partner their non-profit with the festival or create a live art gallery. Applications and information on how to get involved is available on the Solshine website here. The inaugural Solshine will continue the brand’s longstanding Memorial Day Weekend affair at the breathtaking Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, Illinois. The private park provides a natural amphitheater and a stunning landscape that creates the perfect scenic playground for festival goers to explore. Attendees can also camp within the festival grounds, further elevating the festival’s community-oriented make-up. All Solshine tickets will have camping included. There are a variety of additional add-ons available including VIP upgrades as well as RV and car camping spots. The VIP upgrade includes exclusive amenities, access to the Thursday pre-party, VIP camping and viewing areas, VIP lounge, air-conditioned bathrooms, and more.

Visit the Soulshine Reverie website and like their social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube. This is it baby. Revisit these Summer Camp hits from the wranglers archives. Believe what you want.

The post What to Expect at Solshine Reverie 2024 appeared first on wook wranglers.

“The spirit and community of Summer Camp will remain, but we are excited to again push boundaries, as we did when we started Summer Camp, and expand the festival’s mission by bringing the Solshine to the forefront. Soulshine had been the house of our Make a Difference program and sustainability efforts, so elevating that intentionality to the overall festival was a big part of the plan. Summer Camp had evolved into much more than a music festival, it was a community centered around music and art. I wanted to recognize that in the name by not calling it a festival but a Reverie full of music and arts, such that we all can create our experience together – and have that build intentionality in our actions once we leave.”  – Ian Goldberg, founder of Summer Camp and Solshine: A Music & Arts Reverie

Following an impressive 22-year run, the creators of Summer Camp Music Festival will enter an exciting new era in 2024 with their new festival concept: Solshine: A Music and Arts Reverie. Debuting at Summer Camp’s beloved venue of Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, Illinois, the first-ever edition of Solshine will take place from Friday, May 24 – Sunday, May 26, 2024 with a pre-party on Thursday, May 23. A pioneer in the festival space, Summer Camp has grown over the last 2 decades to become a staple in the US festival landscape. Expanding from 2,000 attendees in 2001 to over 25,000 attendees in 2023, Summer Camp’s cross-genre music lineup and experiential programming helped cultivate a dedicated fanbase and inclusive community. Since its inception, the festival has been hosted by legendary jam rock band moe. and eventually co-hosted by iconic genre-melding progressive rock band Umphrey’s McGee starting in 2006. Over the years the festival also hosted a wide variety of music acts including Tom Petty, Zac Brown Band, Skrillex, Diplo, Run The Jewels, The Smashing Pumpkins, Jane’s Addiction, Billy Strings, Griz, Goose, Pretty Lights, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Subtronics, Primus, Willie Nelson & Family, Liquid Stranger, Common, De La Soul, The Flaming Lips, Papadosio, Phil Lesh And The Terrapin Family Band, Rebelution, REZZ, Slightly Stoopid, STS9, The Disco Biscuits, Excision, The Roots, Three 6 Mafia, Tipper, Trey Anastasio Band, Tycho, Zeds Dead and many more. Looking toward the future while celebrating the past, Summer Camp’s organizers will channel their flagship event’s longstanding legacy into their new Solshine: A Music & Arts Reverie concept. The festival will host a diverse, cross-genre lineup of musical acts spanning jam bands, electronic, bluegrass, funk, rock, and everything in between. In addition to its music programming, the Solshine will offer a variety of workshops, food & craft vendors, and activities – the heart and soul of what made Summer Camp a ‘home away from home’ for attendees who returned year after year. Solshine: A Music & Arts Reverie will also retain Summer Camp’s core ethos of building an inclusive community around music. Through its mission of sustainability, the festival will aim to inspire attendees to live a life of intention and purpose in order to create a positive impact on the world. To capture this spirit, the festival will host the coveted experiential art area The Illumination Woods and the permanent garden SOULPATCH as a dedicated area to increase knowledge of permaculture and sustainability. Since its first edition, Summer Camp has been hosted at the idyllic Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, Illinois. The inaugural Solshine: A Music & Arts Reverie will continue the brand’s longstanding Memorial Day Weekend affair at the breathtaking Illinois venue. The private park provides a natural amphitheater and a stunning landscape that create the perfect scenic playground for festival goers to explore. Attendees can also camp within the festival grounds, further elevating the festival’s community-oriented make-up. All Solshine Reverie tickets will have camping included. There are a variety of additional add-ons available including VIP upgrades as well as RV and car camping spots. The VIP upgrade includes exclusive amenities, access to the Thursday pre-party, VIP camping and viewing areas, VIP lounge, air-conditioned bathrooms, and more. Stay tuned for the initial lineup announcement coming soon. Visit more Summer Camp nuggets from the wranglers archives with Summer Camp “21: Restricted Access, Scamp”22: The Amalgamation and Summer Camp “23: The Illuminated.

The post Solshine: A Music & Arts Reverie is Born appeared first on wook wranglers.

It’s been a good run but this may be the last real party of your entire life. The fiesta engrata. The chickens have come home to roost, and why not. This is the heartbeat of the known festival universe. Welcome to the razor’s edge balancing act of responsible festival management and utterly savage social conduct. Who in their right mind would give Sledgehammer the code key into the museum with all the product? A radio? A facking golf cart? Don’t be squatting in the driveway Mr. Bitchell and don’t rest your  grapefruit in the corner of the tent on which we park.

Greetings from the vortex of the party season. Kamp Happiness has taken over the Wiggle Room VIP bungalow at the Half Way Inn. Sledgehammer and Nature Valley Pickleback scadoodled away from Hangout Fest before all the cops could get there to arrest everyone and arrived at Rockville in Daytona with just enough time left to sour the sauce. Kieth Richard and Ka’aoli’s advice rang true, ‘Walk before they make you run.”  and always make an about face before they toss you into an ambulance against your will. The Lemonade Merchant and Bonnie Blue showed up all the way from Buffalo and reminded the masses that there is no sleep on Wednesday. There never has been. It was around sunrise when he repeatedly tried to slam his hatchback door on his laser pointer causing the entire window to shatter into expensive, sparkly bits. Party initiated.

For the Spider Monkey, it was another overnight run from Deland to Chillicothe, but at least this time he hadn’t fallen victim to spider bites and bursitis. His lawyer would put him up for the night but he wouldn’t represent him in court, lest he was arrested in Polk County. Bad lawyers are like bad fire spinners, colorful and fun…but dangerous.

Water hazard? Is that really your main concern? Pedro takes hazard wherever she goes. You can’t stop it. You can only hope to contain it. Who was the crazy bartender who brought all the sprouts? They’re not just for pretty girls anymore and PTSD is not just for soldiers. Pedro knew the concerns should really center around the night terrors and experimental narcotics. She was not herself. Hadn’t been for a time. By the looks of the trading post inventory by the end of the day, it was obvious zero fucks had been given

The work schedule was unexpected to be sure. The Bucket would get home from work around sunrise each morning. He did not see that coming and it would take all his faculties and Puerto Rican drywall to survive the gauntlet. Friday morning the krewe was still at it, shaving rails on Bfly’s cajon. Every other night he arrived to find the camp quiet and the tent empty. House dark, pots cold. Where indeed was his girlfriend at sunrise? Likely sleeping in some other Mexican’s tent.

Speaking of the Firmament.  Lucy was reminded how Scamp is a snow globe of dust, glitter and India Pale Ale, shaken with repeated force. It’s about sitting on the road and letting the parade of endless gibberish pass by. There is a current of people constantly flowing by in what seemed to be repeating loops. Where were they all going? The Illumination Deep Eddy Bar? The forest is alive with animalia. The mandate appeared to be to cultivate an atmosphere where all people, including employees are encouraged to have fun. Teaching by example, whatever the cost.

A.I. had been in the news lately. Something about replicating the written word or visual art better than human folk. Sitting on the forest trail, witnessing the entire lurid spectacle, Sledgehammer considered the difficulty in replicating something so colorfully detailed. The fact was it was just too authentic. A little too colorfully detailed at the subatomic level. Could a robot really foresee the beauty of the scattered forest candles or the unhinged savagery of Orlando and Spider Man attacking each other’s flanks during the meat of the pin wars? One can only speculate.

Pedro and the Dust People. Do you believe in the power of a Twinkie? Apparently it’s not for everyone. For a brief time, they thought they were leaving them with their own bunkhouse. The bathroom was locked and the front door wouldn’t lock. Twinkie haters of the hardest order. Next thing, they were tossed to the Mexicans. Pedro was still the greasiest Mexican around and still failed to know where to draw the line. “Did he play Tweaker yet? Is he gonna play Tweaker? Wait! This is Tweaker?” They arrived at Keller Williams just in time for Tweaker, from there they hunted a water spigot where she could wash off for the first time in days. Her mustache had begun to slide down the grease on her filthy brown face.

Baby, you dusty. By day two literally everyone was clogged up from the bank of dust. Pores and nostrils were clogged and hair stayed salon fresh. Like most large festivals, with that many cattle in a herd migrating hither and yon, it’s going to make dust or mud. Take your medicine. Last year the direction to Kamp Happiness included going down to the muddiest camp and taking a left, then head straight for the Stealie.

Lucy’d gotten five hours of sleep in five days. She’d crossed the bridge. Jumped the shark and as of late Friday night was no longer making any sense. The two hour strategic disco nap on Saturday would be enough to get her through the weekend. This would matter in that the bar always got busier as the night went on. The Illumination Stage became an absolute zoo around two in the morning but just before sunrise it really started to come unhinged. Don’t look now but there had been some well-documented burbling from the admitted drunk and criminal reprobate. Again skating the knife’s edge between good taste and bad choices.

Willie Nelson filled up the Moonshine Stage while Sexbruise? partied like it was the eighties. Everybody do cocaine. The Boss took him to Keaton the crazy Filipino who gifted her the sacred oculus. She could be heard screaming “fugazi!” while purchasing black market Grateful Dead gold from the heathens.

Do not suggest you are a germaphobe if you are willing to spend four days living in a blanket of dust and a rising storm surge of behavioral modifiers. At some point the dirt vanishes and all that is left is beauty. He had no idea he was going to be part of the Daisy chain for all the product. The end? Speaking through the lens of ignorance Lucy couldn’t see the end. Really? The Last Supper?

Promises were made that if he returned to camp with everyone sleeping again he would light their tents on and drive over everything with the golf cart. Obviously these were serious stakes. Emotionalities were running hot.

Sledghammer under the radar. There are a populace of men who are able to live and thrive in this world without a driver’s license. Even with warrants in five states it must be sporting to board a plane using an expired passport. Bonnie Blue couldn’t make heads or tails of it and had started sleeping with a sharpened stick.

At some point while Kevin played cajon disco in the middle of the path, the gestapo dropped the heavy hand in an effort to shut down the renegade vending like a bad day care. For $250 a piece, the pin merchants banded together and cornered the market on the corner of Shakedown Street and Happiness Avenue. Everybody bring it down a notch. This is a party, not a safari.

Incindiaries and Dirt Whores. They worked from early afternoon until sunrise the next morning. There were scattered visions of girls dancing with balloons and Filipino prostitutes wearing nothing but Mardi Gras beads and smiles. Lucy tattooed Pedro’s phone number on her wrist in case she got arrested again. She was known to get salty with the Mexican but she might be the only one who would throw her bail in case of emergency.

Sunrise Sunday morning and Sledghammer searched for Pedro and Bflhy. They could be anywhere. He’d check the Red Barn and the bunk house before managing a short shift at the Circle K? Trading Post. It wouldn’t be long before he’d get wrangled into joining a posse heading to the annual kickball game. Instead he found a cavalcade of whimsy as the two teams and spectators greeted the day with some high-level kickball. The sacrifice and commitment of the athletes for rising at such an hour for exercise should be applauded. Next year the wook wranglers are hoping to get hired as play-by-play, color and side-line announcers.

The Iceman Disappeareth: And what had happened to the other wrangler press representative? He was last seen leaving Maryland in a stolen Xterra. Obviously jail. That would make sense. A man can’t run forever. The good news was that arrests inside of  Summer Camp were few and far between. Thanks Chillicothe.

And who was the young man who fell into the tent? Face and knees bloodied up? “Bruh, did someone kick your ass or did you kick your own ass? Pickleback figured it had to be Sledgehammer. Maybe it was the ribbon dancer with the bloody nose. These are certainly colorful times that we live in.

Spider and Orlando get married. The squeaking sound from the golf cart was the parking brake they constantly forgot to release. The sound could be heard through the forest where the trail contained many colorful characters. There was Christian and the swizzle stick, Trap house rules-Don’t forget rent/kickback for the hosts.

The Lemon Merchant looked at his possessions toward the end of the festival and lamented, “I should have just tossed everything into an industrial size fan.”

Visit the Summer Camp website and like their social media platforms on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Spotify. Welcome to the machine. Check out some of the other deposits from the Summer Camp cache such as The Amalgamation and Restricted Access.

Seated in the dust with friends, old and new The Illumination arrives and all the dirt is gone. Replaced by a feeling of sparkling clean, delicious fellowship. It remained a summer camp in the truest sense of the word. Camping together, making new friends and team building are all aspects of a sleepover camp and one that typifies this and other camping festivals. Welcome to the petri dish. It’s something they all have in common. Forget it, the dirt won’t come off. And to Brian, the lighting guy who hung the Jolly Roger up with his lights in the forest…

See you next year.

The post Summer Camp “23: The Illuminated appeared first on wook wranglers.

It was a week early and site-ops had made it clear they didn’t need anymore help setting up. Curious indeed. She’d worked for them last year and done, what she considered, a reasonably outstanding job. Visit Scamp “21: Restricted Access for more lurid details. They asked her if she could build stairs for the trailers. Build shit? Like a carpenter? Like Jesus? She figured she could do it if they didn’t mind slow and sloppy. And noisy, like her love making. All she really knew about were bounce rates and unique monthly visits. Computer shit yo.

The suits were complaining about last year’s article. In an attempt to allow the reader to peak behind the scenes at some of the site ops silliness, once again she managed to offend. Those rainbow unicorns at FloydFest regularly allowed them to slide in early so they could document the whole unfolding enchilada, and why not? The festival environment is a combination of Middle Earth and a life-size version of a Candy Land game. It’s some entertaining shit. She was surprised to find no one took the time to compliment her work ethic the year prior, but the quartermaster was too busy tattling in the site ops trailer to remember the way Lucy whipped around that skid loader. Just the facts. You get what you pay for Beatrice.

After driving nineteen hours from Florida she drove another thirty minutes to Aurora so she could hit the dispensary. Out of state and recreational? Good job Illinois. She knew if she lived there she would still buy from dealers but she was on the long road and they sold dabs, so there’s that.

To wrangle or get wrangled?

Here Kitty Kitty. It’s time to go inside. They lined up Wednesday night, enduring the rain and indiscriminate face medicine, grouping with neighbors under half-raised ez ups. By the time they got moving mid-morning the next day Glitter Ball was so completely buried upside down in her hole they needed an excavator to move her through the line. By the time of the afternoon rains on Friday, the Disco Ball was coming untethered and could be heard screaming out, ” I am completely Illinoised with this weather!”

Sometimes you do the wranglin’ and sometimes you get wrangled. As far as the Disco Ball could tell, it seemed to have rained for the better part of three days. The mud garden, out front of Kamp Happiness had become increasingly unsafe for pedestrians and the drive-through was closed for repairs until further notice. Woe is the wook who sank down into the muck, never to be heard from again.

Turtle Stage: Daryn finally comes out of the closet. Ye Gods! Does anyone have a pen? What do you call this? Free roaming tequila and vodka for breakfast? Morgan and Karly finally managed to scratch a letter T on the bottle caps so there would be fewer surprises in the morning when just looking for a simple sip of water. Daryn came around wearing his usual costume, beads, flip flops and a smile. The kids at Mi Kulture hosted Mexican mud wrestling in the back of their merch tent until Josh had his collar bone shattered by a beautiful caballera.

The Bitchell brought saline solution to the nightly staff safety meeting which unclogged the plumbing and got the electrolytes exactly where they needed to be. Where is the candyman? He had the right idea. Oftentimes the best idea is to turn several small fires into one big one. Amalgamation.

Get Wrangled:
Be present.
Be available.
Contribute. Face sauce, crotch whiskey, guitar time.
Collaborate. Celebrate. Migrate.

Is it all just bubbles and glitter? Cozy crawled around on all fours trying to pick up all the glitter so it wouldn’t end up in a whale’s belly. His face no longer worked properly and rather than accept the reality that he’d consumed a tsunami or face drugs, he blamed the pollen.

The Saline Solution with Brian and the screwdrivers: At some point Lucy dropped her bag of tranquilizer and searched feverishly in the neighboring area. She thought she saw its white packaging down in the mud…But no, it was a fucking marshmallow. The FSLN had obviously been there conducting black ops in the area and some sloppy sergeant forgot to pick up his shell casings.

The fall of the Disco Tent:  At one point earlier in the day, beautiful Colombian women were sitting on his inflatable mattress and filling their faces with God only knows. The door never closed completely and the wook populace funneled in and out of the party. Later the soaking tent would be filled with water and muddy foot prints. The air mattress had sprung a leak and was melting into a bloated jellyfish. All work and no play makes jack a dull boy. All work and no play make jack a dull boy. All work and no play make jack a dull boy.

josh jeff,

Was it Saturday when Leftover Salmon celebrated Vince Herman’s birthday by playing New Dehli Freight Train? They watched it from the VIP area next to the bar at the Moonshine Stage. Sometime during her bar shift, Nehal slapped Lunchbox in the face with her wet hair. “If we were still in Egypt I would have your hand removed at the wrist.”

That afternoon found the Disco Ball’s credit cards and identification scattered around the campsite. She’d been awake for just over forty-eight hours and adrenaline reserves were running low. That evening they met the Spyder Man and with the armistice suspended, the marshmallow guns came out. Gun running? My nose is running?  Yes squared. There’s that drip down the back of the throat signaling it’s time to get all the wayer down. Might be time to sit all the way down. Ye haw.

Sunday Little Feat arrived with the Rockford Bitchell. The Bill Paine show came straight from Rooster Walk to Summer Camp with the Feat performing “Waiting for Columbus”. Just like in Virginia, Andy Frasco joined for a rendition of Dixie Chicken. One of the hula dancers had a couple fish tattoos around her belly button. “Welcome to the coy pond.”

Kamp Happiness Takeover: Disco Ball’s sleep pattern had become erratic and she wasn’t making any sense. Somewhere she adopted a salmon fisherman in the deep, dark woods. David’s friends called to check on him. “It’s alright”, he stuttered. ” I’ve been wrangled by my neighbors”. Once they began sharing with each other they realized they had way more than they needed. Of everything.

Visit the Summer Camp website and like their social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Spotify. Don’t leave your phone in your back pocket or you will never visit these dope sites.

Monday morning shakiness. The sky was finally coming up as Digger tried to go to bed. As he slipped into bed with the Disco Ball he realized some hippy was under her, burritoed in the deflated mattress. He considered dragging him out by the megaphone leash but all he could do was sigh and giggle. He’d seen so many strange and unusual things that this was just par for the course.

Don’t be afraid to get wrangled.

Prepare for Summer Camp “23: The White Elephant coming your way soon and revisit Summer Camp “21: Restricted Access. The wook wranglers will be homesteading Three Sisters Park for about a week. Come sit a spell.

The post Scamp “22: The Amalgamation appeared first on wook wranglers.

This years Summer will begin with the sounds of these artists:

Umphrey’s McGee, moe., Willie Nelson, Excision, Vulfpeck, Goose, Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, The Disco Biscuits, Cory Wong, Girl Talk, Lotus, The Floozies, Manic Focus, Keller Williams Trio, Andy Frasco & The U.N., INZO, SunSquabi, Papadosio, Dirtwire, Break Science, Maddy O’Neal, The Funk Hunters, Yonder Mountain String Band, The Wailers, Sierra Hull, Bill and Jilian Nershi ft. Jason Hann, Kyle Hollingsworth Band, Doom Flamingo, TAUK Ft. Kanika Moore, Big Something, lespecial, Fortunate Youth, Snakes and Stars, Circles Around The Sun, Aaron Kamm & The One Drops, Baked Shrimp, Family Groove Company, Freekbass with Sammi Garett, G-Nome Project, Joslyn & the Sweet Compression, Late Night Radio, Lowdown Brass Band, Old Shoe, The Sponges, Stop Light Observations, Sun Stereo, Tenth Mountain Division, Armchair Boogie, Audiodacity, Brainchild, Butta, Charlie Otto & His Gear, Dizgo, Formerly the Fox, Jack Cloonan, Kangaroo Court, Kuh Nives, The Psycodelics, Still Shine, Trash Angel, Troubleshoota, and many more to be announced!

I said Hot Damn. The great Cherokee poet, Iceman will be present for an actual Biscuits show.

After a memorable performance back in 2009, Willie Nelson returns to Summer Camp 14 years later to a festival that has continually evolved since the early days, offering any fans that were in attendance in 2009 to explore a new experience. With over 150 artists across multiple stages, large scale art installations nestled within the Illumination Woods, the Soulshine Experience which provides a space for learning, workshops, and activities – Summer Camp provides a unique offering to those who attend the annual festival.

Tickets On Sale Now!
A variety of ticketing options are in sale now, including 3-Day GA Passes, Thursday Pre-Party Passes, VIP Upgrades, & RV / Car Camping Spots. Convenient Payment Plans are offered for those who need a little extra time to purchase their festival ticket.
The plans are broken up into multiple installments to offer manageable monthly payments..
To learn more about all Summer Camp Ticket Options, visit here
Stay tuned for updates about Volunteer information, additional artist announcements, and much more!

About Summer Camp
Summer Camp Music Festival features a range of artists and performances across multiple stages including 3 days of moe. and 3 days of Umphrey’s McGee. On top of all the live music, festival goers have access to on-site camping, late night shows, musician workshops, a non-profit village, unique arts & craft vendors and tons of great food and beer.

Summer Camp Music Festival started in 2001. Since its beginning, Summer Camp has been known for its spacious, open fields for shows, trademark late-night events, pristine campgrounds, and amazing lineup of eclectic artists and bands. 2023 will mark the 21st anniversary of the festival which has hosted a wide array of talent over the years, including: Umphrey’s McGee, moe., Trey Anastasio Band, Primus, Tom Petty’s Mudcrutch, Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band, Zac Brown Band, Steve Miller Band, Big Grizmatik, Jane’s Addiction, The Roots, Widespread Panic, The Flaming Lips, Cypress Hill, Willie Nelson, STS9, Jason Isbell, Pretty Lights, The Avett Brothers, Excision, George Clinton, Skrillex, Zeds Dead, Violent Femmes, and many, many more!

With so many great acts you’d think it would be an easy choice but the scene at the Kamp Happiness family jam near the intersection on Shakedown Street often proves to be a hard scene to beat. Visit the Circle K? Trading Post and look for Spyder with his glow in the dark BMFS hat pins. High science to be sure.

More information on the festival is available at the official festival website. Visit and like their social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok and Spotify. Science is real.

Keep up with the wranglers as we find our way back to Shakedown Street and one of the most fun pedestrian parties in the Orion Cluster. Welcome to the amalgamation. See you in forest camping.

The post Scamp “23 Lineup: The White Elephant appeared first on wook wranglers.

They showed up at Three Sisters Park on the ninth of August to join the site-ops team already in progress. The festival wouldn’t start until the nineteenth and they were rocking on ready for the prehustle. Comfortable in Bob’s Bunkhouse with it’s private showers and cold dark beds, it was a healthy improvement over what they had expected as the summer weather in Illinois would be unpredictable and colorful. Big Betty lived under the monstrous Green Team tent next door which also served as the party patio when the evening storms blew in. The bunk house was filled with boys and men from around the country and some as close as Chilli and Peoria. Somewhere along the line Chavez convinced the suits that he was an operator so his next two weeks would be filled with driving skid loaders and lifts. The lie had become the truth. He even managed to obtain a black key to turn off the governor in his taco truck. Just the pro tip. Get to the festival early enough or stay late and you get to drive all the fun toys.

Site-Ops and Angry Frogheads Indeed:  Their team consisted of some of the greasiest and slickest thugs to ever hook a breathalyzer to a car ignition. Ricardo Montalbán (indeed), Shane (a few steps lost), Justin, Ricky (Whitey), Daryn, Man Bear, Creepy, Detroit and the Angry Froghead would toil in the dust and summer sun for twelve hour days while grinders like Cozy would continue all night cutting down trees and clearing the forest with Jake. The late nights were filled with monster fires, Tito’s and cheap beer and each morning they would amass again at eight am for more sun, mulch and temporary fences. Tia had requisitioned herself a Carryall 500, the dark horse of the golf cart armada and she piloted it with furious impunity. She would never get a golf cart legally in a Virginia festival but here in Illinois, she had somehow moved up the totem pole.

Soulshine and Tactical Dodgeball: The Soulshine crew showed up about the same time as site-ops. Nick, Compost, Jason, Jake and the rest of the team challenged the site-ops crew to a game of “tactical dodge ball”. Little did they know Daryn had gone to Oklahoma on a full dodge ball scholarship. Books and tuition. Full ride yo. (Ed. note- Due to a gag order in ongoing criminal court details remain unavailable.) Compost cut through the gibberish and painted the simple picture. “We build it up so we can tear it all down.” At that point it was still just site-ops and Soulshine. Eventually production guys, security hospitality and the rest of the hydra would slowly arrive.

Part of the site-ops mandate was to erect endless miles of temporary fencing throughout the property. While unrolling wire fence Tia found a laminated piece of paper with the Summer Camp logo dated 2017. It read “Restricted Access” and she cut off the zip ties in hopes of using it as a camp decoration to go with the “quiet” sign from Red Wing and the “Danger: Swamp” sign from Front Porch Fest.

“I love Scamp the most because it’s the dirtiest and wookiest.”  Cheyenne

As soon as the medical team showed up all employees had to get a Covid test. “Is the Delta strain an indica or a sativa?” “Don’t worry,” he said. “It’s a hybrid.” Chavez realized he was experiencing a complete “summer camp” in a very real sense. Thrown together in the bunk house with folks he didn’t know the days were filled with team building, hard work, new friends, occasional bitchboy tantrums and safety meetings down by the old bridge. These guys were the real grinders and Chavez would have so much fun with them setting up the festival that by the time the gates opened he felt as if he’d already gotten his money’s worth.

Chavez and Tia set up Scamp Happiness Wednesday night before the gates opened. Chavez considered putting the Hobo Kamp backerds from the trail a little so to have a little adult privacy. Tia shook her head in disgust and began dragging tents and equipment directly next to the dirt trail that ran from the Soulshine Tent. “This is where it goes down or it doesn’t go at all.” She knew the only place to be was right on the dirt path known as Shakedown Street. Later that night local authorities announced that they would be tossing all campsites set up before the gates opened Thursday. Chavez dropped the pop up halfway down and hung the “Restricted Access” sign out front. Later Brandon the neighbor would recall the story of the two Deputies in the golf cart discussing whether or not to toss the camp. “Should we tear down this camp? No sir. They’ve got a Restricted Access sign so they’re supposed to be here.” Boomsickles.

“Where’d you get that golf cart? I took it from the lot. Where’d you get a key? I used a pocket knife.

Quit asking so many questions.”

Indoor tires on an outdoor lift: They followed the Angry Froghead to the warehouse in Peoria. He was back huffing starter fluid when Man Bear got the forklift stuck in the mud. Welcome to the palletization station. This is the behind the scenes stuff where the real magic happens. Driving over the neighbor’s grass is apparently how Frogheads have there faceholes cracked. Their days were filled with ratchet straps and bike racks and their nights were filled with light beer and dabs. Sometime during prefest Tia became aware of an existing sinus condition that had taken root behind her nose. As a result of the long days and nights, the dust and almost constant screaming her voice was devolving into the guttural festival hiss. With little time to heal, both the rotten voice and the nagging cough would linger until the latter part of September.

Showtime: Once the thundering herds of hippies got in the gate a fine bank of sifted dust lifted off the ground and hung like a giant brown bubble for the entire festival. Lines and rings of black Illinois dirt streaked everyone’s necks and arms and as she set up the Mi Kulture tent Tia’s face was painted so thick with the black grime that she looked more Mulatto than the day she was hatched. Cheyenne and Sergio found their way to the Mi Kulture tent and the squad was back together. The mountain had come to Mohammed. Cheyenne was drinking a bloody Mary out of an empty sour cream container and Sergio was reminding everyone in a loud voice that he had a forked uvula and was from Spain, not Colombia. Curiouser and curiouser.

Chavez sold his “All Access” wristband for $200 to one of Whitey’s friends. Later he would come to understand that he wouldn’t receive site-ops pay until a week after the festival, rendering him broke, as he had been for literally months. And by that time he would already be at Backwoods. Of his newfound wealth, he spent $80 on a pair of Spunglasses that while pimpishly sexy, were uncomfortable and functionally useless. He also spent $100 on a String Cheese hoodie that was a couple sizes too small and and once the lights came on, drastically underwhelming.

On his way to work with Mi Kulture Chavez had a sneeze “incident” that left his mustache caked with some kind of white plastic blend. While  struggling to find a vacant port-o-john he looked as if he’d run over a can of spray paint with his nose. On the way to work the next day he would smear sour cream across his whiskers to reproduce the timeless look. Eerily, he’d seen the same thing earlier in the week when a brand new GMC truck ran over a bright orange marking spray can in the front parking field spewing up the quarter panel like a LeRoy Neiman print.

How do you like me now?

Kurtis ignored the literal warning sign that read “Kurtis, stay out of the bird house.” and opted to sleep on the raised platform twelve feet above the ground. Sleeping above the constant din of the groundling rabble, at the time it really did seem like a good idea and the math checked out. It was the air horn alarm that ripped him from his blissful slumber and caused him to roll off the platform. He woke up in midair with the hard Earth rushing up to meet him. All of Issac Newton’s laws of motion wrapped into one ball cracking ball of pain. Skip to the broken ankle and the frantic search for crutches. Not all birds are meant to fly you beautiful bastard.

“You love it because it’s so dirty.”

Somewhere along the way Creepy fell in the VIP tent and got crushed under a cattle mat. The rest of the team wrapped him in burlap and buried him under the port-o-johns, which he had worked so hard to place in line. As they planned the celebration of life, Chives knew of a place in Indiana were it was legal to posses less than a gram of meth. Get on it. The flag with the extended middle finger would be flown at half mast for the remainder of the festival.

His Indian name was Vtka Este which meant “little spoon”. He’d gotten as close as the green room to the Turtle Stage with Enrique and Jean Luc but that was as far as he would go. The Dead tunes were solid but he just wasn’t ready for prime time. and a hustlers gotta hustle. “A cry for help” was what they said in the Illumination Woods when he woke up in a hammock wearing nothing but a scrim toga and a broken tiara. Arrogance and stupidity make terrible bedfellows.

This is the Mi Kulture experience. Welcome to the pocket. We’ve got fans for days. Dima woke up in a bucket of crumpled velvet tapestries labeled “gently used”. His condition was “septic” and one of his eyes was glued shut with some kind of yellow crust. “That sass was a little dopey,” he slurred as he brushed his teeth with water from the food cooler. Chavez stood out front of the booth breathing in the dust stirred loose by the thundering herd of a thousand dirty feet. He was sporting the Dreamsicle velvet laced up to reveal extra freckles. Dirty sex sells.

Billy into Umphrey’s into Billy into Umphrey’s. Neato. Now this is Summer Camp. Josh said, “This is the most drunk I get every year.” It sounded like he was already speaking to a Peoria County judge. What few cops in attendance were moderately well behaved and dressed like cops. The Dragon Lady reminds us that one can’t change the world handcuffed to a golf cart. The Illinois festival weather, which typically gets a bad rap was divine and the nights were perfect. One great aspect of Summer Camp is that once you’re in, you’re in. There are no lines or security to slow down the fierce roll. You are all the way in.

Daryn was seen masturbating in the middle of the Moonshine field. It was always to Umphrey’s so it was kinda his thing and no one seemed to mind. At some point he realized it wasn’t Umphrey’s and almost fell over. Who is this? Wait, what day is this? He realized he was one ambien crusted snapper away from self date rape. Matt and Chavez had requisitioned some dinner tickets from site-ops and were getting well fed once a day. They would stuff down cheeseburgers and fill their pockets with turkey sandwiches for later. Between that and leftover Masala lentils from FloydFest they might actually survive. After a few days of VIP treatment, Turtle had ceased bringing them ice and the cooler was turning into a cesspool of soggy bread and warm bloody Mary mix. Fortunately Bitchell’s two boxes of wine hadn’t even been cracked and would get them further down the road.

“We got jokes for days!”

Brittney was a little rough around the edges but she had a heart of gold. She proudly exposed tufts of her pubic and armpit hair as part of her new “Talladega cut”. After one day of working together for Josh and Jess there was no denying the animal connection she shared with Chavez. Things were moving pretty fast and it looked as if it was getting serious. If things kept going the way they were someone was getting finger banged in the Eno hammock display. They left work together and went home to Scamp Happiness for a night of fusion bluegrass, fresh tattoos and bedazzled track lines between the toes. At some point during the fray her head went missing and the wrangler rangers were forced to improvise using an old pineapple and modeling clay. A late night call from her father was answered with a fierce, “Mind ya business. She’s out on the town. We’ll have her at work by 9:30.”

Mary Moses lives here. Her favorite type of gum was fuckum. She was the kind of woman who could sit in the dirt and do breakfast alligator rails off the guitar. She wore a painted stealie on her back that ran down into her shorts and she was missing a shoe. Unteathered and perfectly unhinged her exposed toe dipped into the milk of human kindness. She and Chavez left to watch the Wood Brothers but ended up at the Moonshine Stage with Moe?. They found the right show at the Sunshine Stage but lost each other as she commenced to dance with everyone in attendance. They later discovered a note at camp that read, “Mary Moses was here. Be back later for Jedi Flip.” Matt Bitchell screamed, “She’s inside of me!” He was correct. She was inside of everyone. Never miss a Saturday show. She took off in the middle of the night for some undiscovered corner of Illinois. Showered. Fed the cats and went to bed. Only to wake up a few hours later realizing that there was still a little ass left to show off in Chillicothe. This Illinois turnaround is brought to you by the twisted zest for life.

Chavez looked around as he sat by himself early Saturday morning. It was sunrise and Scamp Happiness looked as if a Mardi Gras float had been dropped on it from high altitude. Everything was covered in paint, wax and dirt and much of the camp remained scattered in the middle of the Shakedown path. Brittney was filthy and her limbs lay in a pile next to her torso. She had seen better days. Chavez grabbed some fresh clothes and headed over to the bunk house for a hot shower. Several of the site-ops guys were getting ready to go to work as he walked up, covered in paint, blood and thick layers of black dirt. “Buenos dias beetches” he croaked through a throat coated with dirt and fresh sin. He emerged from the bunkhouse, a butterfly free of its cocoon. It’s the ego death. Good morning Chillicothe.

Tightening the screws? Definitely not. In a summer of tight bluegrass circles, Summer Camp was not the cleanest pickin’ party out there. Mr. Beautiful would not have been pleased with the cross between cracker trash and acid rock. There was an element of loosening of the screws to be sure. Chavez woke up to find some strange thug sleeping in his hammock. At several times during the weekend Kevin would be playing Big Betty while laughing and talking to himself like an twisted gremlin. He was an idiot savant without the savant but there was definitely some high science happening behind those crazy eyes. Fusion musicians and jazz aficionados took turns pounding on Betty as she was one to never mind being slapped by a complete stranger. For most of the weekend she lay in the filth and ground glitter, covered in a sheen of dust and ready for a good time anytime.

Tia, Cheyenne and Sergio found their way to the Floozies on the Sunshine Stage. Chavez went full boy fan and scrambled to the rail where he made allies of funk and jive. Ain’t no shame in the get down. The three of them later squeezed through an opening behind the VIP stage and loitered around looking for a loose bottle of Puerto Rican rum. They split up somewhere near the Turtle Stage and the last time anyone saw Sergio he was at the Soul Patch fire shaking violently and singing Shania Twain to himself.

Guitar lines and other crimes: Joe entered the scene asking, “Who wants to commit some crimes? Do you guys like pranks?” He had the big eyes. The night before he’d won someone’s soul throwing dice and now was ready for the vertical trade for some cocaine. He managed to procure the narcotics without giving up the soul. Suave. He secured it in sealed cigarette plastic and ending up giving to some passing poobah who likely discharged it in the nearest receptacle. To be sure, an underwhelming finale for a life of memories and emotion. At some point Joe’s car was towed and Chavez ended up letting him ride on the trunk of the Oldsmowagon to the front gate. He was carrying a blanket and a warm beer when they parted ways.

Moe into Umphrey’s into Moe into Umphrey’s into Doom Flamingo.

The GRIZ show Sunday night  literally vibrated the sand on the ground. Chavez laid down at the Sunshine Stage and let the thundering base crawl right up his butt hole, where it belonged. Summer Camp is most definitely a festival that knows how to use a Sunday. Never miss a Sunday show.

Monday night they grabbed a flashlight and poured themselves into the CarryAll 500 for a late night groundscore run. Many campsites were left in such a state of higgly-piggly it appeared as if the participants had abruptly left the scene of a crime. They would load up with enough tapestries and swim meet flags for the foreseeable future. They were living back in the bunkhouse but Skamp Happiness was still in place mostly because they were in no great hurry to break it down. At some point Tuesday someone harvested the tent (thank you Dr. Thermometer), hammock (scored at Rising) and bullwhip. The first would be easy to replace but the latter would be a real challenge. Who even takes a bullwhip? That’s a good way to get hurt and you can’t groundscore the world. Who wrangles the wranglers? Groundscored girlfriends proved to be a thing as well. Dirty and soaking wet? Just leave them by the limes and warm beer. Wash em a couple of times. Just like new.

Visit the Summer Camp website and like their social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Summer Camp will be back May 27-29, 2022 and you can know that Kamp Happiness will be there, through every silly piece of it. Absolutely one delicious hell of a party.

Compost’s Rules for the New Age

1. drink more water
2. meet new people
3. go to more shows 

Thanks to Jannell and Jim for letting us play in the litter box. Mind blowing stupid fun with a healthy amount of respect and swagger. Thanks to Turtle for that musky musty odor rising from the bunk below and for letting Chavez use your towel to “tidy up” his netheregions. It was a perfect blend of respectful, responsible adult fun and potentially irreversible bad adult decisions. Thatcher Owen Mullins would call it “the mostmilk”.

Keep up with the wranglers and Kamp Happiness as we head back up to Virginia for Rooster Reunion and the last show of the Summer Mountain Festival Lyme Disease Tour. It has been a full warm can of whoop ass. THE very next week it’s back to the Alpha and the Omega for three weeks at Spirit of Suwannee Music Park with Suwannee Roots Revival and Hulaween. Let that just wash over you. Kamp Happiness will be on the lake for Roots and come Hula time find us back at the old Poncho Tree near Luke’s Lake and the Hobo Kamp where it all began. Get ready to slide. Hashtag Roanoke Mafioso.

Remember the wise words. “Build it up. Make it beautiful and sparkly. Then tear it all down. Just to clean it up and go do it all over again.” What other choice to we have?

RIP Tamiami Sammy. You are loved always.

The post Summer Camp ’21: Restricted Access appeared first on wook wranglers.

Second Round of Artist Announcements

May 22-24, 2020
Three Sisters Park – Chillicothe, IL

Announcing their second wave of artists performing at this year’s 20th anniversary event, Summer Camp Music Festival shows no signs of slowing down in building anticipation for Memorial Day Weekend. Founded in 2001 by Jay Goldberg Events and Entertainment, Summer Camp has stayed true to its community vibe roots while exploring almost every musical genre imaginable, all while bringing people together from all over the country for a weekend of fun, music and traditional camping. Summer Camp Music Festival takes place at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, IL on May 22, 23, and 24, 2020.

moe. Umphrey’s McGee, Andy Frasco & The U.N. Aaron Kamm and the One Drops, AHZ, Ween,  Aqueous,  Arlo McKinley,  Alison Hanna Band, JRAD, Badfish,  Brass Against The Althea Grace Band, Billy Strings, Big Something, Chicago Farmer & The Field Notes,  Backyard Tire Fire, GRIZ, Boogie T.rio Chomppa, Ben Miller Band, Rezz, BoomBox, Consider the Source, Brainchild, STS9, Break Science, Dogma The Dawn, Tipper, Cycles Family Groove Company Dizgo
Doom Flamingo Fate Nite ft. Brendan Bayliss + Friends EGi Dirty Heads Dopapod GoodSex Electric Orange Peel
Snails Everyone Orchestra Joe Hertler and the Rainbow Seekers Fletcher's Grove Rival Sons GG Magree Jon Stickley Trio FUX The Wood Brothers Horseshoes and Hand Grenades Kitchen Dwellers Ifdakar Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Keller Williams Lee Dewyze Jack Cloonan Houndmouth Kursa LTX Joslyn and the Sweet Compression
The Floozies Kyle Hollingsworth Band Mike Dillon and Punkadelic Little Stranger Lettuce Lawrence Mize Magnolia Boulevard Cherub LSDream Moody Good No BS Brass Band Manic Focus Maddy O'Neal Mungion The North 41
Emancipator Marvel Years Neal Francis Positive Vibr8ions CloZee Monophonics Nobide The Ries Brothers
Jade Cicada The New Deal Old Shoe Still Shine Boogie T Papadosio (Microdosio) Pert Near Sandstone Stormy Chromer
EOTO Ryan Montbleau Porn and Chicken Travers Brothership Twiddle Southern Avenue Red Wanting Blue The Tripp Brothers ScaryPoolParty Spafford Steady Flow Victoria Canal The Record Company Sunsquabi Sun Stereo Vintage Pistol Yonder Mountain String Band The Werks Tropidelic Wild Adriatic Whipped Cream Yam Yam and more to be announced!

Joining the festival to headline once again is future funkin’ producer, Griz plus SCamp family bands Yonder Mountain String Band and EOTO.

Debuting artists include Grammy nominated rockers Rival Sons. This year’s festival has a range of old friends and new beginnings to create a one-of-a-kind celebration for everyone. Plenty more artists will be announced over the coming months!

Volunteer Applications Now Open!
Summer Camp offers THREE different volunteer teams for those who want to get down and dirty behind the scenes with the festival. Besides getting the inside scoop of how a festival functions, all volunteers will receive a 3-Day GA Pass PLUS a Thursday Pre-Party Pass in exchange for their hours worked. Choose from General Volunteers (general assistance in areas such as box office, general stores, bars and more ), Green Team (assistance in all sustainability and sorting initiatives) and the Soulshine Ambassadors (engaging with all patrons on Making a Difference) today!
Visit the volunteer site and get on board.

VIP + VIP Primitive RV Camping Spots released!
Summer Camp Music Festival offers multiple VIP Upgrades that lend to a variety of comforts. Amenities include Exclusive VIP Camping, special artist performances, VIP Lounge Access, Drink Specials, VIP-Only Showers and Air-Conditioned Private Bathrooms, Official Festival Merchandise, Late Night Shows, Thursday Pre-party pass, and much more!

Reconnect your festival squad at #SCamp20 pic.twitter.com/4yTjdJqogW

— Summer Camp Festival (@SummerCampFest) February 19, 2020

The festival provides an array of RV Camping Spots from 25’-40’, with electricity or without.  Patrons are invited to bring RVs, campers, trucks, buses or even just cars with an RV Camping Spot right inside the festival grounds.  RV Camping Spots require an additional ticket on top of a GA Pass. New this year, Summer Camp is saving space for those VIPers who want to bring in their vehicles or RVs without electricity! This is ideal for the VIP car camper who loves the luxury of their vehicles being right next to their tents. Umphrey’s McGee is once again offering a top notch VIP package for those Summer Camp fans who can’t get enough UM. This year’s Booze N’ Schmooze package includes a whole lotta hang time with the band and full Umphrey’s team, entry to the Thursday night Umphrey’s McGee Red Barn late night show and much more.

Visit here to learn more about all Summer Camp Ticket Options.

About Summer Camp
Summer Camp Music Festival features a range of artists and performances across multiple stages including 3 days of moe. and 3 days of Umphrey’s McGee.  On top of all the live music, festival-goers have access to on-site camping, late night shows, musician workshops, a non- profit village, unique arts & craft vendors and tons of great food and beer.

The Summer Camp Music Festival started in 2001. Since its beginning, Summer Camp has been known for its spacious, open fields for shows, trademark late-night events, pristine campgrounds, and amazing lineup of eclectic artists and bands. 2020 will mark the 20th anniversary of the festival which has hosted a wide array of talent over the years, including: Umphrey’s McGee, moe., Trey Anastasio Band, Primus, Tom Petty's Mudcrutch, Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band, Bassnectar, Zac Brown Band, Steve Miller Band, Big Grizmatik, Jane's Addiction,
Diplo , The Roots, Widespread Panic, The Flaming Lips, Cypress Hill, Willie Nelson, STS9, Jason Isbell, Pretty Lights, The Avett Brothers, Excision, George Clinton, Skrillex, Zeds Dead, Violent Femmes, and many, many more!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

We’re getting DOOMED this year @doomflamingo . HEADS UP Only a few hours remain with Tier 1 pricing! Act now and save $$ before tickets move to Tier 2 pricing tonight SummerCampFestival.com/tickets . : @aaronbradleyphoto

A post shared by Summer Camp Music Festival (@summercampfest) on Feb 16, 2020 at 4:06pm PST

More information on the festival is available at the official festival website and be sure to visit their social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The post Summer Camp Music Festival Second Phase appeared first on wook wranglers.