Roger Daltrey Annoucnes Discovery of "Antidote to American Idol"

Summer band camp was never like this. In June, around 80 black-clad boomers each traded $6,500 for a bunk in New York's Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp. For this group, crooning beats canoeing, and their campfire chats are with the likes of Daltrey, Levon Helm, and Marky Ramone.

Actually, no actual campfires are involved: New York City was the site of this year's Fantasy Camp. According to the Wall Street Journal (June 26), this year's campers consisted of "thirty guitarists, 18 drummers, 10 bass players, seven keyboardists, seven vocalists, one saxophonist, one flutist, one harmonica player, a triangle player, a kazoo player and a woman who described herself as 'a back up, way, way, back up singer."

The Fantasy Camp was developed by rock promoter David Fischoff as a chance for middle-aged professionals (mostly lawyers, stock brokers, CEOs, and doctors) to get their ya-yas out. Again.

Campers were "auditioned" on the first day, in order to match them up with players of comparable ability, then formed into nine bands. The bands rehearsed morning and afternoon each day to prepare for the final night's "Battle of the Bands," with special guests providing lunch-time and evening entertainment and enlightenment.

This year's rock veterans featured The Who's Roger Daltrey and The Band drummer/vocalist Levon Helm, along with Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad), Marky Ramone (The Ramones, of course), Leslie West (Mountain), and experienced side players for Billy Joel, Night Ranger, Free, Peter Frampton, and Ted Nugent.

No word yet on whether camp will be in session again in 2004.

Visit Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp

Watch CBS television's tour of the Camp(Real Audio)

Read the Business Week story, in which writer David Rocks [!] recounts his experiences at the Camp.

Read the New York Daily News' coverage of this year's Camp

Read Entertainment Weekly's coverage of the camp (with pictures) or follow numerous other press links

Read a summary of "The Simpsons" Rock Fantasy Camp episode, "How I Spent my Strummer Vacation," which first aired on Nov. 10, 2002

Read a related article in this issue of Vibrations