First annual Shady Grove Music Camp kicks off at FMC Park

Friday in Pocatello, a concert was held at FMC Park for the first time in nearly a decade.

The first annual Shady Grove Music Camp kicked off around 4 p.m., with initial crowds surpassing organizers expectations.

“For that month that we were advertising things, things were moving pretty slow,” co-organizer Shelbie Harris explained. “So, we were like, ‘man, is this gonna happen?’ and we were super nervous.”

With 23 bands, a whole lot of food and even a few peacocks (the park has approximately 24), the event was off to a strong start.

Oregon based musician Jake Tillow grew up in Idaho Falls and came back to the Gem State for the event.

“They called me when they organized this music festival and said ‘we hope you can come back and play’ and I was like ‘I’ll be here,'” he said.

Now, he thinks the event will help local artists.

“There’s a lot of great local music that comes out of this area that I don’t think gets enough recognition because Boise gets all of the recognition at this point,” he explained.

But, of course, the event doesn’t just feature artists from southeast Idaho. Bands traveled from all over the Pacific Northwest and places like California to take part in the festivities.

Harris said he’s excited to give the people of Pocatello a truly music-focused festival.

“That’s something that we feel has been missing,” he said. “There’s been tons of benefits and fundraisers and different things that tie music into what they’re doing, but, for us, it’s all about the music.”

And the plan isn’t just to make it about music this year. It’s a plan for the future, something Tillow thinks would benefit the artists.

“I think it would be great. I think it would give these guys exposure and a lot of the bands from the area they could maybe progress from here and move outward.”

The event runs through Saturday and Harris wants everyone to come “camp out.”

“Bring your kids, you know, bring your family, bring your lawn chairs, bring your tent, bring your cooler. Come hang out and have a good time,” he said.