Headstash

Headstash's STRING CHEESE INCIDENT Horning's Hideout 2012 Review Guide

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Weather and Atmosphere

The weather at Horning's Hideout this year was all over the place. It was sunny, rainy, cloudy and at times, a bit chilly.

It was gorgeous Thursday as Cheeseheads rolled into the Hideout. A light rain started during EOTO's set Thursday night and it continued to drizzle into the early morning.

The rest of the weekend stayed dry and cloudy with some spots of sun here and there. Aside from some chillier evening weather, everyone stayed comfortable all weekend.

The atmosphere at the Hideout is always incredible. The Horning's magic was traveling through the trees all weekend. If you've ever been to the venue, you know what I'm talking about. The peacocks were howling and synchronistic manifestations were happening at every turn.

Campers are nestled into every nook and cranny on the grounds. Every morning at dawn, people sent enormous bubbles over the lake. The Main Stage is a cozy natural amphitheater tucked under a grove of enchanted pine trees.

There was sculpture art everywhere, including an amazing organic altar that gets built every time SCI plays there.

String Cheese Setlists

Friday, July 20
Set I: Outside and Inside > Can't Stop Now, Yo Se, Water > Pack It Up, Hey Pocky Way¹, Song In My Head > Best Feeling It > Let's Go Outside
Set II: Shantytown > Howard, Freedom Jazz Dance², Restless Wind > Land's End, Can't Wait Another Day > Drums > Magic Carpet Ride > Glory Chords > Rosie
Encore: This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)² > Restless Wind²

Guests:
¹with Dumpstaphunk
²with Stanley Jordan

Saturday, July 21
Set I: Miss Brown's Teahouse, Sittin' On Top Of The World, Mouna Bowa, Colliding, Sometimes A River, So Far From Home, Birdland > Big Sciota, Birdland > Rollover
Set II: Ritual set, BollyMunster > Way Back Home, Jellyfish > Desert Dawn > Synchronicity > Las Vegas > Joyful Sound, Colorado Bluebird Sky
Encore: Could You Be Loved

Sunday, July 22
Set I: Hold Whatcha Got¹, Whiskey Before Breakfast¹, Old Train¹, MLT¹, One Love² > Lonesome Fiddle Blues¹, Struggling Angel, Galactic, Smile
Set II: Black Clouds¹, Rivertrance¹, Eye Know Why, Late In The Evening > It Is What It Is, Big Shoes, Close Your Eyes > Rocket Man > Close Your Eyes
Encore: Just One Story

Guests:
¹with Sam Bush
²with Sam Bush and Liza Oxnard

SCI's first two sets of the weekend were some of the best music the band has played in a long time They opened with the classic “Outside and Inside” that had everyone moving early on. They segued “Water” into “Pack It Up” before Dumpstaphunk joined them on stage for the first guest spot of the weekend. This resulted in the best “Hey Pockey Way” of the year hands down.

After set break, Stanley Jordan came on stage to play “Freedom Jazz Dance.” Jordan returned to stage for the encore to play some Talking Heads and finish the “Restless Wind” that started about halfway through the second set. Watching Jordan perform was a real treat. SCI also performed a cover of “Magic Carpet Ride.”

Photo Credit: Josh McHale

Saturday's ritual set was a wild underwater adventure. If you don't know about the SCI ritual set at the Hideout, read carefully. At Horning’s, SCI always begins their second set on Saturday with a ritual jam. Organizers push the crowd out of the bowl and up into the trees to make room for one of the biggest artistic performances you'll get to see at a music festival. This year's ritual set was underwater themed with dancers dressed as pirates who came out with a funky dance that quickly escalated into a fire spinning extravaganza. There was a mermaid caught in a giant net hoisted way above the crowd, a flaming sea dragon and an enormous jellyfish accompanied by a dozen smaller jellyfish that came floating out of backstage.

Once “Jellyfish” started playing, the crowd rushed the performers and the whole amphitheater erupted into the biggest party of the weekend. Everyone was filled to the gills with that good ol' Horning's magic. There was even one attendee who brought out their own jellyfish made of an enormous beach umbrella and plumbed with fiber optic cables. Speckles of light sparkled from its tips as it danced. It was incredibly synchronistic, as SCI soon confirmed with an outrageous “Synchronicity.”

The Saturday night set was one for the ages. The Polish Ambassador played shortly after SCI and kept the mayhem going. It was one of the funkiest side acts of the weekend.

Everyone was off to a slow start on Sunday. People didn't start moving around the Hideout until well into the afternoon. Nershi confirmed everyone's rage-hangover with a little comment about how wild his Saturday night had been. At one point during SCI's first set Sunday, Hollingsworth even called himself out during the end of “MLT” for messing up the ending for the first time ever. He felt so bad he made the band re-do the ending a second time, only this time, Kang fudged it up. A third attempt did the trick. Only at Horning's will you see shenanigans like that be so welcome and accepted.

The legendary Sam Bush played a spectacular set just before SCI took the stage for their final performances of the weekend. Bush accompanied SCI for most of their first set and was called back up for the encore. SCI got their money's worth out of him for sure. Highlights of the final night included the entire first set with Bush, a beautiful “Struggling Angel” and an great “One Love” Bob Marley cover – the second of the weekend.

Set two included a killer “Rivertrance,” Paul Simon's “Late In The Evening," Elton John’s “Rocket Man” and “Just One Story” to wrap up the weekend.

Best Videos and Pictures

Photo Credit: Josh McHale

Photo Credit: Josh McHale

Photo Credit: Josh McHale

Photo Credit: Josh McHale

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Check out our coverage of all your favorite summer festivals in our 2012 Festival Guide.

What did you think of String Cheese's Horning's Hideout stint? Highlights, lowlights and surprises. Let us know in the comments below . . .