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11 Strangers Meet, Become a Family Through Camplified

Friday, September 9th, 2011

Eleven strangers in one van working together as a team. I wasn’t quit sure what to expect going into Camplified. I was excited to meet my crew members and share an adventure with them, but our experience ended up as more than just an adventure — it was an amazing learning experience. When I arrived to New York for the first time, I was amazed by the city! New York got nothing on Los Angeles, I thought. But I didn’t realized how lucky I was until I walked into the Primary Wave office and met some of my team members — Mike, Dre, Alex, Josh, Katie and wonderful Aimee Berger, the one woman who made this opportunity happen for all of us! Aimee gave us a tour through the Primary Wave office and discussed the great work PWMP participates in; it was then I realized how lucky I was to be apart of the Camplified crew. I felt as if this Camplified tour experience brought me one step closer to my dreams of working in the music and film industry. And I was right!

The first week of tour, we met up with Christy, Evelyn and Kris. We also stopped somewhere in Virginia at a Walmart and bought fireworks to shoot off for Katie’s birthday! We also went to Camp Highlander in North Carolina, in which I realized quickly was the camp I used to watch on a Disney TV show called Bug Juice! I had always wanted to go to this camp when I was younger, and now 10 years later, I was finally here. I was so excited! We started to adjust to sleeping in the van and working on a tiresome two hours-a-day sleeping schedule. However, during this time of lack of sleep, we were all getting to know one another, and it wasn’t long before we would eventually start to get on each others nerves haha. However, we all somehow adapted to one another and each others’ personalities. (more…)

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Sweat, Laughs & Craziness (That’s Camplified For Ya!)

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011

Before I left on tour, I was joking that I was entering into an MTV reality show: 10 strangers in a van traveling cross-country, working a music festival along the way… sounds like a good pitch, right? Looking back, I sort of wish there had been a camera crew following us, because I’m not sure I can do the memory justice when I try to recount the sweat, the laughs and the craziness that went into this tour!

I’ve been up and down the east coast — from walking the Daytona beach boardwalk to visiting the shop from Cake Boss in Hoboken — our crew had a blast! I feel as though I really lucked out when it comes to the people I was working with. We all worked so hard — setting up activities, tearing ‘em down, unpacking and repacking the van in all kinds of weather. There were a lot late nights and early mornings, but it always felt worthwhile when you saw the way campers reacted to Camplified.

My primary job was running a design contest for DEOS headphones. Whether the kids were using the online design program or creating their headphones with colored pencils and paper, they always let their creativity shine. When they heard about the free pair of custom ear buds they could win, even the counselors wanted to participate! I also had these great colored silicone ear bud covers to give away, so I had the campers answering trivia questions or coming up with great DEOS cheers.

And then there were the music shows! There was such a talented assortment of artists, and an unstoppable production team behind them. There is nothing more exciting to me than a rock concert, and seeing one every night for six weeks was spectacular! Not to mention the fact that I’ve got some great new music in my iTunes. 2011 brought me the most interesting summer I’ve ever had, and I learned so much.  I don’t think I really understood what I had signed up for with Camplified, but I don’t regret a minute of how I spent my summer.

-Camplified Road Crew Member Katie Beiter, @thebuzzgirl

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Six Weeks Come & Gone (But Memories Never Forgotten)

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011

Tour wrap up already? My my, 6 weeks seemed to creep by but somehow left the impression that there was so much more time left. It’s funny to think that 6 weeks ago, we were all strangers, but in no time we were a family, a dsyfunctional one, but let’s be honest, those really are the best kind to have. The Camplified road crew (pictured above) fought, we got on each others’ nerves, we laughed, we had inside jokes, and most of all, we had fun! Everyone now knows that I’m sassy, I need meat at at least one meal a day or I get cranky, I need my diet coke like they need coffee, I will order corned beef hash at every diner, and I am so not a morning person. We really should post a video of Mike and Will’s impressions of me. They also learned that I really am good at claw machines, and when I win, the prize will travel in the van with us. Hehe (lil christy, my creepy look-a-like doll that we scared people with).

We also got to do some pretty amazing things like rapping with Bera, staying at country clubs, ziplining through the Pocono Mountains, chasing wild turkeys, setting off fireworks, and being shown around Chicago by two great city guys who will convince the small town southerner that it was Chicago day, and then making up for it by hand-picking me a beautiful bouquet of flowers as we walked the streets. As someone who never went to camp as a kid, I have to admit, I was not expecting such active dinners, non-stop chanting, singing and dancing at every meal! I made a lot of great friends, and thanks to working the green-screen tent, I feel very close to Nathan at tech support. Haha, Bridget the printer sure did give me trouble, but Nathan took care of everything.

All in all, I call this summer a success thanks to new friends, lots of adventures, girl talks on the lake, birthdays, cake from Carlo’s Bakery, hanging with the guys, sleeping in the van, dancing on stage, Celin Dion sing-alongs, playing the diet coke game with Mike, and Aimee, oh Aimee. I don’t think I will ever look at ketchup the same ever again. Ha! The only problem was summer just doesn’t last forever, as all things do come to an end. But don’t worry kids, camp will begin again, and when it does, rest assured, you will be CAMPLIFIED!

-Camplified Road Crew Member Christy Coates, @fuzzywildbanana

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Camplified Through The Eyes Of An Experienced Tour Manager

Sunday, August 21st, 2011

“Do for a living what you love to do and you’ll never work a day of your life…” I’ve been fortunate in my few years in the music industry to travel and work alongside some big-name artists. Those experiences were as expected; 30K or more fans in attendance, fancy hotels, tour buses, after parties, different cities every night, etc. Some elements of the Camplified Tour was very similar, but the experience was far better than any tour I’ve done in the past 8 years. As tour manager for 40+ dates, 30+ bands, double the personalities, triple the responsibilities… it might not sound like anything anyone would sign up for. Well, I love the concept of taking emerging artists on the road to do rock concerts at summer camps. I met some amazing young talent. I made some really cool friends. I learned a lot more about myself in the process.

The crew couldn’t have been more amazing. I had something in common with everyone. It’s like we had all met before and reunited on the tour. What made this tour experience more memorable than the others are the people’s lives I was able to impact and the lives that impacted mine. In the beginning we were strangers. At then end we’re friends. That kind of connection doesn’t happen all the time… Patti F., Graham H., Jeff G., Jared H., Kim L., The Comer Family, Luc & Stacia R., Ken F. aka Uncle Kenny, Lori W., Julie B., The Kingsfoil, McKenzie Comer, Jessarae, Bera, Jenny & Ashley, Primary Wave Music and my favorite, Aimee Berger (above, left): Thank you for impacting my life. Summer 2011 will be a summer I will never forget.

-Tour Manager Dre Bouie, @drebouiemusic

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Batman Fantasies & Midwestern Memories

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

The Midwest crew is back! After six days in Michigan and Illinois, we’ve arrived in the Northeast and are about to meet up with the rest of the Camplified staff. We had a blast on our little journey to America’s heartland. On the way up, we got to pass through Chicago; which I secretly pretended was Gotham City. For those of you who aren’t huge Batman fans, the Windy City is where they filmed most of The Dark Knight. I didn’t see the bat sign though, so I guess Bruce Wayne had the night off. But in all honesty, there were a few really cool camps we visited!

Our first date was the American Diabetes Association Teen Camp where the campers really showed us a good time. Although it was a smaller group, they took about a million crazy photos at the green-screen tent, making my job much more fun. At the concert, they totally went wild dancing to bands like The Empty Pockets, which I couldn’t help but get in to the groove, too. A few days later at Camp Tanuga, we got to meet new artists Rob Drabkin and Brent James and the Contraband, who both rocked the house. It was a great time and after the show, the campers actually wanted the Camplified crew’s autographs as well! I felt almost as cool as the rock stars. The next day, we went to Tamarack Camp, and their stage was actually floating on the water. It was a pretty awesome venue that set us up for a killer show. The Midwest was a successful trip, and it’s definitely not going to stop there. We’re all set to end the last week of Camplified with a bang, so get ready campers! -Alex

Photos (clockwise from left): Brent James and the Contraband, The Empty Pockets, Rob Drabkin.

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More From The Superstar Camplified Crew…

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011

Wow, the time has gone fast! It’s already August and we’ve been on the road for exactly a month, seeing a ton of cool stuff all over the country. Recently, Camp Hilltop really impressed us, having a full alpaca farm and a trapeze set for the campers to use; both a first on the tour. The crew was obsessed with the alpacas, although the feeling was not mutual. We tried to pet them for an hour, but they wouldn’t come near us. I guess they hadn’t heard of the famous Camplified crew! We had better luck at Emma Kauffman Camp where their horses were much more friendly. Clearly they got the memo on the VIPs visiting for the day.

This past week has been a nice vacation from our typically driving-intensive schedule. Pretty much all of our dates, except for Emma Kauffman Camp in West Virginia, have been in the Northeast. It’s been great to have a little bit of down time after our shows. I’ve gotten to catch up on all my TV shows I’m missing and even had the luxury of doing laundry. Yes, when you’re on the road, laundry is, in fact, a rare treat. Sometimes the simple things aren’t so simple when you’re traveling everyday, but it only makes them that much better. All good things must come to an end though, as the Camplified crew is splitting up one last time. Tomorrow night, crew members Josh and Irene, tour manager Dre, and myself will be heading to the Midwest while the rest of the group stays back in the Northeast.

It’s such a shame we have to break apart because it’s been a blast having everyone all together again. Last night at Camp Danbee was no exception. During the encore performance of Justin Beiber’s “Baby,” the crew got up on the stage with bands The Varsity Girls, Jessarae and A Million Pieces. We all went crazy, jumping up and down and loving the reaction from the audience. It was super fun to get a taste of being stars like all of our amazing artists — I definitely understand why they work so hard now! There are still more bands we have yet to meet in the Midwest and I can’t wait to see what’s in store. I’ll be sure to let you all know just how awesome it is! -Alex

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Reunited… And It Feels So Good

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

After a few tour dates apart, the Camplified crew is all back together again. As promised, there was a hilarious story the Midwest group had to share with us. While in Chicago, the crew obviously had to try some real deep-dish pizza, so they picked Lou Malnati’s, a place they heard had some of the best in the city. Well, it was so great that the restaurant was packed with a huge line to get in. Being the clever Camplified crew they are, they called in to let them know that a “band” had just finished a show nearby and that said group was very hungry for some pizza, but did not want to be seen or cause a commotion. Well, the restaurant partitioned off half of the restaurant for the famous band, comprised of the Camplified crew under new rock and roll aliases. Everyone thought they were huge stars, and they dined in style like true VIPs. Unfortunately, that celebrity treatment wasn’t exactly repeated once we all returned to work!

After getting adjusted to working with half of a crew, we have been crushing it at the last few camps. We had a couple of dates in my native Garden State — Camp Arrowhead and Ivy League Day Camp, both of which went swimmingly. And yes, that is a pun. We got there right in the middle of a heat wave; at Ivy League, it actually reached over 100 degrees! The camp directors were super gracious hosts and actually let us swim in their pool, complete with a crazy waterslide that was a straight drop down about 30 feet! We all took turns with the campers, but I think we were enjoying it a bit more than they were, ha.

Thankfully, it cooled down a bit today, possibly from being farther north in New York, at Camp Brookwood from which I am currently writing this blog. We just finished the show where Beyond The Summit, the Varsity Girls and Michaela Wallace totally rocked it. One of the great things about Camplified concerts is the variety of music we showcase. Beyond the Summit jammed out to some hard rock, with covers from Jimmy Eat World! The Varsity Girls’ pop and dance performance harkened back supergroups like the Spice Girls, and the crowd went wild for Michaela’s country and rock tunes. It was a really great show and there are plenty more to come! -Alex

Photos of Camp Arrowhead courtesy of William Ross.

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From Florida to Jersey & Everything In Between

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

Hey readers! It’s been a while. We’ve had a nice little vacation, albeit lots of driving, which is why I haven’t had much to report. However, that shouldn’t be a problem again as we will be at a camp pretty much everyday for the rest of the tour. After Camp Blue Ridge, we were able to check out Atlanta for a day. It was my first time in the ATL and we got to see some cool stuff, especially the Little Five Points neighborhood which is similar to New York’s Greenwich Village. We then hopped on over to Florida where we got to spend a couple days at the beach — a totally welcome change from our normal schedule.

The break ended pretty abruptly when we had our biggest camp yet, Eagle Landing and Night Owls, on July 15. What a busy day! It was a good thing we got all that rest because we might’ve died without it. After all the work was done though, getting to see so many kids rocking out at the concert really showed us the magic of Camplified. It was definitely worth the effort. The next day, we embarked on a 22-hour drive from Florida to New Jersey, of which I personally did 12 straight hours! It also happened to be my 22nd birthday, which was nice, because that night, I got to wake up in my own bed, eat a New Jersey breakfast sandwich from my favorite bagel place and only had to do a couple hours of moving. On top of it all, I got to eat dinner with my parents after they picked me up at our hotel in Connecticut.

The next day we went to Camp Greenwood Trails where, despite some rain, we had a great day. There were all new artists playing, like The Varsity Girls, Bera, Awesome Express and Eva Ricci, so we were super excited to meet some more of our awesome performers. Tomorrow night, we are finally reuniting with the rest of the Camplified crew. I think we all can’t wait to get back together again and share our tales from the road. I will be sure to keep you updated on any funny stories the other crew has to give us! Until then, over and out.

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Camplified Gets PRANKED!

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

We are in the middle of our second leg of the South and it’s been off to a great start. On the way down to Georgia, we stopped off at my house in New Jersey where we got to do laundry, eat some real food, and relax. We ended up staying the night, and I couldn’t have been happier to spend some time with my parents and sleep in my own bed. It was a nice little departure from life on the road. The next day we got down to Georgia in a total of 11 hours due to my insane driving, a pretty incredible feat which left tour manager Dre terrified in the backseat.

However, he was able to get his revenge yesterday when he got involved in a “Color War” prank at Blue Ridge Camp without telling us. For those who have never heard of Color War, it is a camp-wide event every summer in which the camp breaks in to two teams, competing in games that lead to a victor on one side. It is usually one of the biggest and most anticipated events of the summer, so the camp traditionally “breaks” the news about the competition by pulling an elaborate practical joke. Well, last night, the joke was not only on the campers, but the Camplified crew, too!

Early in the day, Dre pulled as all aside to let us know of some “issue” with a performance permit and that the show might not be able to happen, also adding that if the police did come, we should all be prepared to run. Later that night, Dre became embroiled in an “argument” with a counselor after calling him out on “not having a good time” at the concert which led to some shoving as the police came back to “check” on the “permit.” Both of them were handcuffed and put in to the back of the police car in front of all the campers during the meet and greet. Meanwhile, the Camplified crew is running around, trying to figure out what’s happening, and freaking out. As the phone is literally ringing to let Aimee, the head of Camplified, know that our tour manager was arrested, the camp director finally tells us it is all a joke, from the permit, to the fight, and especially the arrest. The campers found out a few minutes later when Dre and the counselor came back in the police car, throwing out papers with the team names accompanied by fireworks. Campers couldn’t have been more surprised and relieved. Despite nearly giving us a heart attack, we all had to give Dre props on putting on probably the best prank in Camplified history! -Alex

The prankster himself, tour manager Dre Bouie (above left), with Camplified founder Aimee Berger. Photo by William Ross.

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On The Road: Little Sleep (But Tons of Fun!)

Saturday, July 9th, 2011

As a die-hard Northeasterner, I have to say I’m happy to be back in my native province. I really did love traveling through the South because I got to see a bunch of things I’ve never witnessed before; the Blue Ridge Mountains, some really cool camps, and Walmart after midnight. However, there really is no place like home. Despite a pretty grueling schedule (last night was the first time I slept in a bed in three nights!) and a lot of rain, we had a blast. The campers had a great time at our activities and the concert; which really kept us going after some serious sleep deprivation. After finding out over half of Camp Canyon hails from Spain, I got to practice my high school Spanish, which is something I never thought I would do in West Virginia. We finished our first run in the South yesterday, finally arriving back in Syracuse, NY on an overnight drive. The Camplified road crew is actually going to be splitting up soon, as one group heads to the Midwest while the other goes to Georgia and Florida and I’m already feeling the separation anxiety. Sad face emoticon for the Camplified crew. -Alex

Photos above by William Ross.

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