The annual Summer Camp festival returned to Chillicothe, ILs Three Sisters Park over the weekend. As in years past, moe. and Umphreys McGee anchored the three-day event and performed multiple times throughout the weekend. In addition, the festival featured mainstay Keller Williams, Willie Nelson, Medeski, Scofield Martin & Wood, Gomez, Les Claypool, Girl Talk, Dark Star Orchestra, Los Lobos, Buckethead, Cornmeal, Lotus and EOTO, among others.

Each of moe.s three shows offered some surprises. The bands first performance included a cover of Widespread Panics Space Wrangler, a number the band played in New York earlier this year. The groups second show featured one of the bands trademark full band switches with the members of Gomez slowly replacing the members of moe. onstage. Gomez then played its own Soul Kitchen, before the members of moe. returned one by one for finish their set with Captain America. The members of Gomez described the jam as Momez on their Twitter page and seemed to enjoy playing Soul Kitchen to 10,000 hippies. Later the same show, Nick Ayers of the rising jamband The Macpodz took the stage with moe. for a few songs, including an extended drum segment. The bands final show on Sunday featured two rare song: a first time cover of Five Guys Named moe. and a bust out of the original Awesome Gary, a song that has been shelved since September 30, 1999. In addition, the members of moe. took the stage for a full band segue during Cornmeals late night set. The group emerged one by one with their acoustic instruments, ran through Waiting for the Punchline, and then returned the stage to Cornmeal for the rest of the night.
Likewise, Umphreys McGees three performances featured several special guests and special theatrics. On Friday, Cornmeals Allie Kral emerged to play fiddle with the band on a cover of The Whos Baba O’Riley at the start of the groups second set. The following day, the band invited Les Claypool out to play whamolaa skinny instrument akin to a washtub basson Mulche’s Odyssey, while The Heavy Pets Felix Pastorius played bass on Bright Lights. The ensemble also made use of pyrotechnics for the first time in its career Saturday during the tunes 1348, Miss Tinkles Overture and Wizard Burial Ground. The bands final show Sunday was a more mellow affair, with Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger on acoustic guitar for the entire show and special guest Mike Rackey on steel pedal guitar for That’s the Way and Ride On Pony.