Pocatello’s Shady Grove Music Camp is back with more bands
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POCATELLO — For the third time, the Shady Grove Music Camp is inviting all to embrace the eastern Idaho music scene while participating in a weekend celebration.
This will mark the third annual music camp, which started in 2019 and returned in 2021 following a COVID-related hiatus in 2020.
Shady Grove Music Camp 2022 will be held at FMC Park in Pocatello on July 15 and 16. Gates open at 2 p.m. Friday, with music from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday. Performances get going again Saturday at 1 p.m. and run to 1 a.m. Sunday.
While the event offers everything from beer and food to art and yoga, music is the primary focus, according to event co-founder Shelbie Harris.
“Folks around Pocatello, folks from southeast Idaho, complain about there not being anything to do, there not being much to do,” Harris told EastIdahoNews.com. “We’re looking to change that. We also want to give local musicians an opportunity to put their craft on display.”
Along with the local musicians those who have attended in the past are familiar with, Harris said that this year Shady Grove will welcome a popular pair of national acts.
Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal, a soul and funk band from Lincoln, Nebraska, and Marbin, a jazz-rock band from Chicago, will be the headliners. They are joined by Lee Refugee, a rock band from Salt Lake City, and The French Tips, a pop-funk band from Boise.
The event will also include performances from more than 20 other, mostly local, bands. And what sets this event apart from other similar events in eastern Idaho, Harris said, is that these bands will feature almost entirely original music — with a few covers mixed in here and there.
Shady Grove has added a third stage this year to make room for all the musicians and that original sound.
Performances will alternate between the three stages — meaning a band will set up for its performance while another band performs on a separate stage.
“The three stages, new this year, allows us to pretty much give 20 hours of non-stop music,” Harris said.
Also, new this year, the Sixes Creative Studio will have its own stage. As Harris explained, three Sixes artists will be creating an art installation live at the event, open for viewing. The installation will then be kept for display at future music camps.
“We’re also going to have a community art project,” Harris said, adding that anyone attending will be welcomed to join in on that. “Basically, everybody who attends Shady Grove can participate in a big community art project. And we’ll keep that; we’ll put that on display for future years as well.”
As was the case in years past, this event is a “labor of love” for its five founders, Harris said. Any revenue created by this event will be invested into next year’s.
“Eventually, if we grow big enough, we’d like to make this a profitable thing for us. But that’s not why we do it, that’s not why we started it.”
Shady Grove also relies heavily on its many local sponsors and volunteers.
Anyone who volunteers for a shift will receive free admission to the event. Tickets cost $25 for a day pass and $35 for a weekend pass.
Buy tickets to the event or follow it on your chosen social media site here. Volunteer for the event here.