* I got to the Summer Camp music festival later than expected Friday. It was the usual stuff. Flat tire on the camper, which had been in storage all winter, and no water hookups at the campground meant I had to go on an H2O search before I arrived, finally finding some at a horse farm a few miles from the festival site.

So, I had plenty of water, but the filter housing had shattered during the winter (totally my fault) and I ended up with water all over the bathroom floor when I turned on the pump. After what seemed like hours, my friend and I eventually figured out how to reroute the water around the busted filter but then I tightened something too tight and broke a piece of plastic and there was more water on the floor.

Ah, the heck with it, my friend said. Nobody’s showering here anyway. Let’s go listen to some music.

And did we ever.

Trampled by Turtles was our first stop. Solid, as always. Umphrey’s McGee put on some astounding shows on Friday, including a hugely entertaining set with Gene Ween. And then we closed out the night with a 12:30 show by one of my favorite bands, Trigger Hippy. Right up front, man. I was in heaven.

Saturday started with blueberry pancakes (I went off Atkins and indulged myself), hippie shopping and then a show by Kung Fu. I’d never seen them before, but I’d heard some of their music and was delighted by their performance.

* My friend had to leave after that show (family obligations) so I was on my own. I strolled through the massive grounds at 3 Sisters Park and eventually figured I needed a nap. Late night, early morning, etc. On my way back to the camper I heard a band playing and wandered over to a small side stage. I was really tired, though, and decided to leave after one song.

But then I stopped on my way out and said to myself, “Self, you’re not here to sleep, you’re here for the music.” Plus, the band was pretty good, so I turned around and walked back to the stage.

* If you’re lucky, there’s a moment during a break when you can feel your usual worries and urgencies dissipate, or even disappear. Despite all the fun I’d had at the previous sets, I had allowed life’s hassles to interfere just a bit. The Fergus Daly Band finally broke that spell…

* They’re local legends in Lafayette, Indiana, but don’t hold their home state against them. They’re some cool dudes. I ran into them at the Violent Femmes show later that evening and had a chance to hang out with them a while, passing around flasks and basking in the revelry of a hard-charging Wisconsin band which hasn’t seemed to lose a step in all those years.

I told the group about how I’d left their show then turned around and came back, and mandolin/banjo/vocalist Joe Kollman shouted “You’re the one!”

The band didn’t make much money on the gig, but they were all hoping that their set would turn on at least one person. Maybe that person would tell somebody else and maybe word would spread.

I told them about my website and we talked briefly about Indiana politics (a sore spot with the band members), and I promised them a post.

* So, take a few moments today and “like” them on Facebook, check out their website and browse through their YouTube channel.

I cannot promise that they’ll do for you what they did for me. It was a special set of circumstances, after all, and a special place. But with our state government falling down around our ears right now, it most certainly can’t hurt, right?