10 Must-See Acts at Summer Camp Music Festival 2022

Summer Camp Music Festival has cemented itself as one of the country’s leading cross-genre events, having curated a galvanizing blend of dynamic music, visual arts, and interactive programming in Chillicothe, IL, for more than 20 years. 

The annual festival will return home to Three Sisters Park this Memorial Day weekend, and the four-day soiree’s lineup is eclectic as ever, ranging from electronic, jam, and funk to rock, indie, bluegrass, hip-hop, and more. Headliners include Umphrey’s McGee, Moe, The Smashing Pumpkins, Zeds Dead, Big Gigantic, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Little Feat, STS9, NGHTMRE, Liquid Stranger, and Big Wild. And Clevland hip-hop legends Bone Thugs-N-Harmony will make their Summer Camp debut.

True to beloved tradition, this year’s festival will again host auxiliary experiences such as the Thursday pre-party shows, The Illumination Woods (a psychedelic, experiential art space featuring installations and music), and Field Day (a color wars competition where different colored teams battle in various activities). 

Although Summer Camp has ballooned in size and stature since it first took root more than two decades ago, the independent festival maintains the homegrown feel that welcomes repeat attendees back year after year.

“Summer Camp is a music festival that can best be summed up with one word - Family!” festival organizer Ian Goldberg says. “From the moment you step inside the festival grounds, it feels like home. Countless world-class musicians spanning a wide variety of genres, unique art, and plenty of workshops and activities beyond the music surround you while the Summer Camp family immediately adopts you or welcomes you back. It takes you back to that childlike feeling of arriving at Summer Camp and knowing that a weekend full of exploration and memories await you. This year is our 21st annual event, and it’s time to celebrate properly.

Summer Camp’s stacked lineup of more than 150 acts might be tricky to navigate, so we broke down our top 10 acts to see at the festival. 

Vincent Antone

Illumination Stage || Friday, May 27 - 3:00 am-4:00am (Thursday Pre-Party)

Austin-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Vincent Antone is a creative polymath, fueling his dance music productions with his drum, bass, and piano instrumentation. His sound careens between future funk, hip-hop, future bass, house, trap, and everything in between. In the live setting, Antone plays guitar and keys alongside powerhouse drummer Jose Gutierrez, combining forces for truly electrifying performances.

Maddy O’Neal

Starshine Stage || Sunday, May 29 - 9:30pm - 10:30pm

Denver-based creative Maddy O’Neal has carved out her niche of dirty, funky bass music fueled by her rock n’ roll family roots. Textured and atmospheric, her synth-focused soundscapes meld future bass with electro-soul for a sound uniquely her own. The self-taught DJ and producer shines when she takes the stage, incorporating drum pads alongside traditional DJ gear for hypnotizing, high-octane performances. Check out her collaboration with bass music empress CloZee above.

The Werks

Starshine Stage || Saturday, May 28 - 3:30pm - 4:30pm 

Ohio-based psychedelic dance-rock outfit The Werks have made a reputation for their stellar live act, a show they’ve perfected over their 1000+ performances. Since forming back in 2005. The four-piece has maintained its improvisational edge while evolving their songwriting style, imbuing later releases with a tangible sense of immediacy and melodicism. Their Summer Camp set promises to deliver sonorous vocals, rapturous instrumentals, and flourishing melodies.

Since JulEYE

Illumination Stage || Friday, May 27 - 12:00 am-12:50am (Thursday Pre-Party)

Since JulEYE is one of the most hotly-tipped projects emerging from the Denver bass scene. Masterminded by DJ/producer/bass player Lev Averbakh back in 2017, Since JulEYE spent years developing his multiverse of bracingly original, glitched-out melodics before inviting long-time collaborator and RAQ keyboardist Todd Stoops into the fold at the start of 2022. Now operating as a full-fledged duo, Since JulEYE’s live performances feature Averbakh DJing and playing bass while Stoops (who previously performed with notable funk band Kung Fu) finesses the keys—combining their individual production and instrumentation prowesses. JulEYE is primed for a new chapter of creative brilliance. 

Manic Focus

Starshine Stage || Sunday, May 29 - 11:50pm-12:50pm 

Manic Focus is a Summer Camp fan favorite, having vaunted his raucous brand of soulful, blues-oriented bass on the festival’s stages for years. The classically-trained artist channels his roots in funk, soul, and new era hip-hop into his genre-crossing productions. A true beat-making machine, Manic Focus has released eight studio albums since his debut LP, Expanding Mind, in 2012, and utilizes his live performances to tout his extensive catalog.  

Andy Frasco & The U.N. 

Campfire Stage || Monday, May 30 - 2:00am - 4:00am

Andy Frasco has been on the road since he was 19, playing 250 shows yearly for over a decade. In 2007 he formed Andy Frasco & The UN, an eight-piece outfit that amalgamates blues, jam, and rock elements into breezy, singalong-friendly records. Hot on the heels of their Wash, Rinse, Repeat album, which dropped in April, Andy Frasco & The UN are ready to serenade Summer Camp denizens into a sunshine daydream. 

PHYPHR

Illumination Stage || Friday, May 27 - 1:00am - 1:50am (Thursday Pre-Party) 

After supporting heavyweights like The Floozies, SoDown, and Daily Bread on various tour dates, it’s no surprise that rising electro-soul artist PHYPHR was nominated as one of the RiverBeats Breakout Artists of 2020. The buzzing act combines live guitar with funky grooves and infectious hooks, displaying his shimmering twist on electronic funk, soul, and blues. 

Daily Bread

Illumination Stage || 3:00am - 4:00am

Daily Bread started producing beats from his bedroom in 2014, armed with an MPC, a massive record collection, and a background in jazz guitar. Since then, the Atlanta-based producer has honed his hallmark electro-soul sound, which encompasses elements of hip-hop, bass, funk, jazz, and electronica. After selling out shows across the country this year, the Philos Records resident genre-hopping selector will deliver a mind-melding Summer Camp set.  

MZG

Illumination Stage || Friday, May 27 - 2:00 am - 2:50 am (Thursday Pre-Party) 

Twin brothers Zach and Charles Weinert, who perform together as MZG (shorthand for “monozygotic,” the scientific term for identical twins), are ready to heat up the Illumination Stage next Friday for their debut Summer Camp performance. The ​​self-taught musicians and producers deliver bass-driven, hip-hop-influenced electronica while showcasing their sizzling stage presence. 

Marcus Rezak’s Shred Is Dead 

Soulshine Tent || Friday, May 27 - 2:30 am - 4:30 am (Thursday Pre-Party) 

Known as a master of jazz improvisation and a seasoned artist of the sit-in, Rezak is a frequent call among notable bands and musicians. He has toured across the US with eclectic lineups featuring the likes of Ike Willis, Kris Myers, Jay Lane, Scott Page, in addition to leading his band through two tours on the US Virgin Islands and spearheading official Umphrey’s McGee afterparties.