When was the last time you visited McGill, Nevada?
While the most common response to this may to wonder where it is: About 10 miles north of the town of Ely in eastern Nevada. Those in the know might already be aware of the area’s location near the crossroads of Highway 50, where travelers might branch off toward Great Basin National Park, might opt to ride the steam locomotive-pulled excursion trains at the Northern Nevada Railway Museum, may visit the Hotel Nevada which once stood as the tallest building in the state, or may visit McGill’s public swimming pool which happens to be a large natural warm spring.
As of June of this year, more may become aware of the town as it’s set to host the brand new Schellraiser Music Festival, a four-day event that will see an eclectic and wide range of performers grace the stage. High-class hillbilly Nikki Lane, Americana-influenced Old 97’s, rockabilly’s the Yawpers, spaghetti western soundtrack composers Federale, punk band The Paranoyds, bluesy Houndmouth, The Cactus Blossoms, Chuck Mead and singer of Shannon And The Clams, Shannon Shaw are just a few of the performers that will appear at the boutique festival.
Central to the event is the location: McGill sits at the basin of the Schell Mountain Range, a high-elevation area popular for hunters and mountain bike enthusiasts. The festival also coincides with the opening of a glampground (think unique glamorous camping options) which will offer fest attendees options to camp inside yurts, bell-shaped tents, restored shipping container homes or simple car camping options. The permanent camping area will remain open to visitors for the majority of the year.
The festival and glampground is the work of a local named Rudy Herndon, and the music festival is one of several projects of his in the McGill/White Pine County area. Schellraiser Music Festival will benefit Ely’s Northern Nevada Railway Museum and their track restoration project to continue running excursion train rides from their museum in the Ely Train Depot. Herndon is also working to restore McGill’s Odd Fellows Hall, which will one day be the home of a coffee shop and restaurant and host live music events. And his glampground is slated to have an outdoor amphitheater which will host future events.
With the goal of building and amplifying an arts culture in this historic area, as well as creating opportunities for small businesses, the Schellraiser Music Fest will take shape this June and bring a large-scale curated festival to this idyllic corner of the state. Along with the summer camping options and the site near the Schell range, this event will be a unique one for Nevada, placing McGill, if just for a few days, at the center of everyone’s itinerary.
The complete lineup and ticketing information can be found at Schellraiser.com
-Shaun Astor
- Schellraiser Music Festival
- Where: McGill, Nevada
- When: June 2-5
- Website: Schellraiser.com
Related stories:
-Album review: The Cactus Blossoms, ‘You’re Dreaming,’ a brilliant debut
-Show review: Nikki Lane’s calm before inevitable commotion
-Album review: Houndmouth, ‘Little Neon Limelight’ raucous, timeless and tight
