The landscape at Camp – including natural hollows and kettles – makes for pretty good acoustics. With that in mind, native Scotsman, former member of Ministry and The Revolting Cocks and founding member of Fini Tribe, Chris Connelly came to Camp. He brought with him a crack band culled from Califone, Joan of Arc, Town & Country, US Maple and other Chicago jazz and improv luminaries. The Episodes, Connelly’s eighth full-length solo work, was produced by Joan of Arc’s Tim Kinsella and Town & Country’s Ben Vida. Recorded on location at Camp Wandawega, in the Summer of 2006 and finished at 4 Deuces Studios, Chicago.

Everyone knows Camp Wandawega is a great place to blow off steam. For Empires, that meant campfire jam sessions, flaming arrows and rope swings while Chris Strong’s cameras rolled. The outcome: the official video for Keep It Steady. Read the story here. Empires have performed at Lollapalooza and have played with such acts as Kaiser Chiefs, The Temper Trap, Maps & Atlases, Colour Revolt, A Silent Film, The Whigs, Blue October, Black Francis, Mona (band) and Biffy Clyro. Watch the video here.

Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s is a band from Indianapolis, Indiana. Their style has been described as “cinematic chamber pop” that “both the casual music fan and music perfectionist will enjoy”. When they were signed by Epic Records (Sony), photographer/director Chris Strong brought the band to Camp Wandawega for their first batch of press photos. Chris also shot We Are Empires at camp recently, check it out.

Over the years, we’ve held a number of adult “Band Camps” and Campfire Sessions. The early years were sponsored by Earhole Studios and The Royal Order and featured excursions to the indescribably-awesome Trailer Races at Lake Geneva. A more recent affair was an impromptu private gathering with our friends at Longman & Eagle and featured a treehouse-set by Bare Mutants. According to The Examiner: “Led by Jered Gummere of The Ponys fame, this ensemble is the prom band you’ve always wanted.”

A peek at what happened the weekend of their visit.

Additionally, we hosted an awesome weekend with Soho house that involved performances by Corinne Bailey Rae and a killer DJ set by Nick Monaco. Check out the video of that weekend here.

At this summer’s Stock Mfg. Campfire Jamboree we were treated to the musical styling’s of Chicago’s own Rookie.