Tag: Catskill Chill

It’s true, there are some things that you can never fully understand until you’ve experienced it. We’ve always heard the stories of Catskill Chill, but it wasn’t until this year we were able to join the ChillFam for a weekend in the mountains and truly experience everything this festival has to offer.

Nestled in the Catskill Mountains, Camp Minglewood proved to be a special place. During the summer months Minglewood serves as a performing arts camp, but for one last summer weekend for the past six years, Minglewood hosted one of the most beloved intimate festivals on the East Coast.

This year was the last time Catskill Chill will call Camp Minglewood home. In late 2014 it was announced that “due to circumstances outside of their control, the festival will find a new home for 2016.” Even though it seems very hopeful that this beloved festival will continue on, it wasn’t hard to see why many people have come to love Minglewood as the festival’s venue.

While there was a somber undertone to the weekend, all in all, Minglewood was given a proper farewell.

From the venue, to the amazing sets and artist collaborations, to the strangers that became friends…it was a wonderful weekend all around. Even though this list only touches the surface, we’ve picked some of our favorite moments to share from this “Farewell to Minglewood” weekend:

ChillFam Allstars Tribute to Herbie Hancock:

The planned collaboration was everything you hoped for and more. Electro funk was all around Saturday afternoon as Eric Gould (Pink Talking Fish), Steve Molitz (Particle), Mike Greenfield (Lotus), Danny Mayer (On the Spot Trio / Alan Evans Trio) gave tribute to the legendary Herbie Hancock. The set took place at the “Club Chill” stage, just a short walk from the Main Stage area, and the crowd was absolutely loving it (and so were we)! The tribute’s setlist included: Spank A Lee, Fat Mama, Steppin’ In It>Chameleon Outro, Watermelon Man, The Traitor, Rockit. The chemistry of the “Allstars” was on point and “The Traitor” was an absolute highlight.

moe.

Headliner moe. brought a heavy hitting, high energy set that included many long-time fan favorites. A high point of the set was when the band brought Mike Wilbur and Wenzl McGowen (Moon Hooch) on horns and guitarist (and son of Dave Matthews Band’s Stefan Lessard) Diggy Lessard on stage for “Happy Hour Hero” and “Dr. Graffenberg.” If there is one thing we learned from this sit in is that Lessard surely takes after his dad and truly blew the crowd away with his talent. moe.’s entire set included: Seat of My Pants>Recreational Chemistry, Billy Goat>Bearsong, Happy Hour Hero, Dr. Graffensbery, Spine Of A Dog>Buster.

Cover Sets

They were three sets that were continuously talked about amongst attendees over the weekend- Dopakuaz Plays Studio 54, Twiddle Dead Set, and ShwiKus Plays the 80s. There was nonstop chatter about Dopapod and Turquaz‘s “Disco Inferno” set that included songs such as, “That’s The Way,” “Give It To Me Baby,” and “Bad Girls” >“Funky Town.” Vermont’s Twiddle took an electronic approach to Dead favorites and a sit-in with Chris Houser of The Werks and Todd Stoops for “The Music Never Stopped.” Saturday afternoon ShwiKus (Shwizz+FiKus) tore up the Club Chill stage with 80s classics- it doesn’t get any better than “Rock the Casbah” > “We Didn’t Start The Fire.”

Camp Minglewood

Camp Minglewood is a highlight all unto itself. Driving into the venue and losing all cellphone service, you are transported back to a simpler time where summer meant carefree fun. Walking through the campgrounds you see groups of friends who have been coming year after year, attendees are welcoming as they offer up a smile or hug to a passerby, and the whole vibe of the festival really does put the “chill” in Catskill Chill. For all who attend the festival, once they arrive at Minglewood, whether it be their first or sixth time, they become a part of this special family.

In the last minutes of this year’s Catskill Chill and in a final farewell to Minglewood, it was only appropriate that the festival closed with a monstrous finale. Featuring Haley Jane, DJ Logic and Tom Hamilton of Billy and the Kids and American Babies along with members of Lotus, Turkuaz, Disco Biscuits, Pink Talking Fish, The Werks, Perpetual Groove, Shwizz and Fikus, all were on stage for the final goodbye that included Sly & The Family Stone’s “Family Affair” that went into Sister Sledges “We Are Family” – a fitting tribute to this festival family and to this cherished venue that so many have called their second home.