Summer Camp Music Festival continued on Saturday following a massive Thursday pre-party featuring Twiddle, Spafford, Nahko and Medicine For The People, Aqueous, Keller Williams, The Marcus King Band and more, and a muddy Friday with performances by Primus, Umphrey’s McGee, Mike Gordon, and a host of other talented acts.

Early in the afternoon, news of Gregg Allman‘s passing reverberated throughout the Chillicothe, IL festival grounds. While the many seasoned musicians on the day’s lineup knew that “the show must go on,” emotions nevertheless ran high all day for fans and musicians alike all evening, lending a surreal atmosphere to the day’s proceedings.

One of the first bands to play the Starshine Stage for the day was bluegrass outfit Horseshoes and Hand Grenades. They included some high energy covers like Pink Floyd’s “Time” and Talking Heads‘ “This Must Be the Place.” They also slowed things down with their own originals like “Wisconsin Waters” for a solid set that featuring plenty of great music and Pabst Blue Ribbon consumed onstage.

The bluegrass continued with the Infamous Stringdusters on the main stage. They may have been one of the first bands to give the nod to Allman, as they opened their set with the Allman Brothers’ classic instrumental “Jessica.” Things got a little more funky in the VIP tent with Kyle Hollingsworth Band, who got all of the “very important people” dancing with the Cheese tune “Can’t Wait Another Day.”

Perhaps the most emotional part of the day came with the Gov’t Mule set. By the time Warren Haynes and company hit the Moonshine Stage, everyone had heard the news of Gregg’s passing. Haynes played with Gregg in the Allman Brothers Band from their 1989 reunion through their final show in 2014, and gave a poignant speech about how much Allman had positively affected his life when he stepped onstage. Haynes then led Mule into a “Traveling Tune” opener, off the band’s upcoming album Revolution Come… Revolution Go. The tune’s lyrics about life on the road seemed fitting for the man who spent his life on the road sharing the music of the Allman Brothers. Mule continued with a cover of “Dreams” featuring moe. members Vinnie Amico, Chuck Garvey, and Jim Loughlin. Emotions once again ran high with their set-closing and absolutely scorching version of the Allman’s seminal jam vehicle “Whipping Post.” Once again, Mule invited others to help pay their respects to the fallen Allman, this time welcoming Al Schnier and Umphrey’s percussionists Kris Myers and Andy Farag to cap what was easily one of the weekends best sets so far.

Pretty Lights and his live band graced the Sunshine Stage as the sun began to dip behind the horizon. Despite his massive lighting rig, the best lights in his set were cast by a brilliant sunset to the west. With the Sunshine Stage packed to the brim in each corner of viewing areas, Pretty Lights got the masses moving with his uniquely enthralling beats. The remarkably large crowd delighted in his remix of “Hot Like Sauce” that got things started, and once again went nuts for “Shining Bright Despite the Plight” from 2010’s Glowing In The Darkest Night.

Aqueous performed just a stage over, and thrilled their fans with a raging version of Rush’s “Tom Sawyer.”  Finding new bands that unexpectedly surprise you is always a bonus of music festivals, and on Saturday Ifdakar‘s rock and roll livetronic sound took home that prize. Don’t sleep on these guys, they’re worth a listen.

The end of the night belonged to Umphrey’s McGee and moe. The two jam scene stalwarts always own the Sunshine and Moonshine stages as the festival’s co-headliners. The sets played by moe. were fantastic. In addition to a strong “Kyle’s Song,” their first set’s highlights included a rousing rendition of The Band’s “Ophelia” with help from the Turkuaz horns. Their second set was exploratory and fun, as all the members took the stage dressed entirely in white and delivered a superb “Seat of My Pants,” among other notable jams.

Umphrey’s sets equally impressed the Summer Camp faithful. Their first round was highlighted by a monster “Higgins” featuring a solid improvisational segment. Their second set included the band’s own unique tribute to Allman, as their “1348” jam bled into a reggae/dub version of “Jessica.”

While the day was marked by sad news, Summer Camp 2017’s Saturday transformed into a massive celebration of the life, music, and legacy of Gregg Allman, a moving day of remembrance for one of rock and roll’s most legendary characters.

Summer Camp wraps up today with sets from Umphrey’s, moe., Trey Anastasio Band, Yonder Mountain String Band, Gramatik, Railroad Earth, Reed Mathis and Electric Beethoven, Disco Biscuits, and many more.

You can see a gallery of photos from Summer Camp Saturday below, courtesy of Phierce Photo by Keith G.