Waiting for May

Being that the majority of us are from either Indiana or the Chicago-land area, I'd like to take the time to share with everyone the joys of my favorite mid west music festival, Summer Camp. This past summer was my fourth consecutive Summer Camp, and it only gets better every year. It is a smaller, more community like festival in Peoria, Illinois. On the weekend of May 23rd, flocks of music lovers travel to this southern Illinois town for the best that live music has to offer. This is an event where a person can truly escape reality. What happens is, you pull up to a huge field in your car, and park. Next, you carry all the supplies that you and your fellow campers will need for the next four days into the festival grounds (this includes tents, food, clothing, camping supplies, liquor, etc.). From the moment you finish setting up your campsite on, kiss responsibility good bye because you will not have any for the next four days. Rather, you can feel free to walk through the forests, meet friendly people from all over the country, discover loads of new bands, and see some groups that you may have looked forward to seeing in advance. What separates this festival from others is the community atmosphere that is instilled at this place. Everyone is friendly, and everyone is willing and eager to stop and have a conversation with you. The attitude of the festival is something like, "Smile: You're at Summer Camp!" The festival features jam band super groups like Umphrey's McGee, Keller Williams, Moe., Yonder Mountain String Band, and Sound Tribe Sector Nine. These a few of the dozens of band that make appearances from noon to four in the morning every day. Even throughout the night you can hear the sounds of drum circles ringing through the forest, boom boxes pounding in the distance, and fireworks exploding overhead. It is fascinating to hear all this, and even better to take part in all this. Although a weekend at Summer Camp can be a bit pricey, once you have been to a festival, you will realize that a price cannot be put on this kind of fun. Hope to see y'all at Summer Camp 2009!!!