Shawnee Cave Music & Camping Festival
We had a first time experience this weekend; our first music festival (with camping) together, our first concert together, and our first time visiting the Shawnee Cave Amphitheater in Murphysboro, Illinois.
When I was originally asked to be on the Media Team for the Shawnee Cave Revival, I was excited and nervous! This is such a great opportunity to capture a beautiful venue, a lineup with names that are in the process of becoming HUGE, and meeting so many new people to talk about Southern Illinois with. But we had never done something like this, didn’t know the venue, and I am a bit of a camping diva. I also love a challenge, so we were in.
The Shawnee Cave Amphitheater has just started having events in the last few years. We overheard staff mentioning there were a few hiccups, but truly this went unnoticed by us. There are a few things that could be perfected, as is the same with venues that have been operating for decades. I think within the next 2-3 years, this is going to be a MAJOR attraction and event venue for our area. I can’t express how grateful I am for this experience, for the skill of the team in picking these acts and vendors, for the beautiful land it rests on, for our neighbors at the campground, and for Tuna, our favorite volunteer.
Anyways, here is a breakdown of our weekend!
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The Shawnee Cave Amphitheater is a natural rock formed theater. The cave part is formed by an overhang of bluff that the band plays in. Part of the VIP area is shaded from rain and sun by this bluff, but the majority of seating is in the open, on astro turf. Chair are permitted and encouraged. For this event, it was BYOB. Shuttles were provided to help ticket holders bring chairs, coolers, and other comforts to the turf.
The Eagle’s Nest is an area past the campgrounds that overlooks the amphitheater, where after parties and communal bonfires are held. The views from this area are beautiful, and help you understand just how amazing this formation is.
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Glamping sites by Comfortably Wild
Basic sites (no hookups) for RV’s, oversized vehicles, and Tents
Shower stalls (4 per gender)
Nearly 100 Portapotties with outside sinks
Shuttles to run from Campground entrance/general parking to amphitheater
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The team did an amazing job handpicking the perfect food and merchandise vendors for this event!
We enjoyed:
Elote Fries & Monte Cristo from Haute Wheels Food Truck, Philly Cheesesteaks from Ms. Peggy’s Food Service, Gyro’s from Dusty’s Gyro, cookies from Sierra’s Sweet Shoppe, bagels from Winston’s by B-rad, and iced butter cookies from I.E. Originals cookie boutique.
Event sponsor The Wellness Center had both THC and Delta 8 products for sale. It was SO cool to see and be able to smoke THC in the venue, instead of smell it from people hiding in the crowd or bathrooms, like in my youth. While it was BYOB, I did not notice anyone acting overly intoxicated or loud during our time there.
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Now onto the main event, the music.
I want you to go look at the line up on their site, because there were SO many musicians it would make this box ridiculously large. But let me tell you, the folks picking the bands KNOW who is about to be big. I’m not going to break down every artist’s performance, because it would just be me repeating how amazing each band was. But these are the ones that stood out.
The Red Clay Strays just opened for the Rolling Stones this week and were on Jimmy Kimmel a few weeks ago. They were a big draw on Friday night, and for good reason. The lighting was so cool, they were loud, they were awesome.
The Brothers Comatose was a huge hit on Saturday night. They finished their encore acapella in the VIP section, mere feet from us (and of course my phone was dead). Their sound was unique, the covers they did fantastic crowd pleasers. Their lighting effects were also spectacular. Check my highlights on IG for more performances!
Samantha Fish was also one people were excited for Saturday night, but unfortunately technical sound difficulties seemed to keep happening during her set. I hope to see her again!
Tips from Us
So, here are our tips from first-time 30-something music/camping parents, who had a weekend without their kid and are not regular campers.
Bring:
Earplugs - it is LOUD in the cave, and you can hear the after party perfectly from the campsite. I ended up using wax earplugs with my Beats playing a White Noise app and a small fan in our tent and did not hear anything. I did need the wax plugs in order to be comfortable at the concerts, but I have auditory sensory issues so up to you!
SPF - we forgot ours, but were shaded enough in VIP that it wasn’t an issue, but would have been if it wasn’t overcast Saturday
Bug spray (especially deep woods/tick specific)
Sunglasses - it is SO bright
If camping - breakfast & lunch, plus something to do for several hours. The gates do not open until later in the afternoon, around 2-3pm with shows not starting until 4pm. The vendors did not start serving food until the gates opened. If you are an early riser, you’d find yourself without something to do or eat for several hours unless you brought it with you
Closed toe shoes (the grass/hay in the parking and camping areas was unpleasant when wet and lodged in my crocs)
A cooler - it was BYOB, and we saved a lot of money bringing in our own Powerade, water, and beer
Cash - vendors accepted cards, but there are less fees associated with cash
Multiple charging banks - I brought two, but they died quickly and without a dedicated place to charge them (our car had to be started to fully charge devices), I ended up not having a phone for Saturday’s prime performances
Some kind of solar generator - for above reasons, there are no power hookups and there is no wifi reach in the RV/Tent camping
Prepare for rain. It’s the Midwest. So, ponchos, umbrellas, jacket/hoodie, set of warmer clothes if you’re camping. Tarps for tents. We put our tent in the back of our truck and didn’t have to deal with damp earth, but I could see how that could stink for others.
A good attitude! We had an up-for-anything attitude this weekend and it took us far. We made friends, we had amazing food, we embraced the weather and our surroundings. We only saw one person with a bad attitude, and out of the hundred surrounding us, that’s pretty good!
Here is an Amazon link with items I took with me or think would be helpful, I do earn commissions from your clicks!
Did you go to the Revival this weekend? What were your favorite parts?
Let me know in the comments!
