I expected Beck to put on an amazing performance, knew Tom Petty would be reliable and Bonnie Raitt would rip it up on the steel guitar. What I hadn’t anticipated was an unexpected discovery at three in the morning.
I’ll be the first to admit I’ve never gotten in to the whole jam band scene. I understand its appeal, but I’ve never come across one that didn’t make me want to roll my eyes and beg “Is it over yet?” I never really experienced how good a jam band could be until early Saturday morning when I stumbled onto The Disco Biscuits.
It takes a lot of guts to put on a 2 a.m. show following Umphrey’s McGee at a place where the party doesn’t ever stop. The early morning hours are crucial to those who don’t want to let the night go, those who want to lose themselves in the moment and bring in the sunrise with a funky beat.
Man, did they bring the funk!
The music transitioned smoothly from one song to the next, never breaking the feel-good vibe of their performance. Every now and then, they’d take it back to the heavy guitar licks of The Who’s “Pinball Wizard,” driving the crowd mad.
I couldn’t tell you the names of any other songs or what they may have been about. There were few lyrics, but there seemed to be no need for words. The music spoke volumes.
The thunderous basslines resonated across the field in perfect harmony with the fluid drumbeats and wicked guitar licks.
Sure, part of me must’ve been influenced by the atmosphere?hard not to get caught up in the dancing, the dozens of glow sticks flying around under the canopy, and the energetic revelers surrounding me, feeling every second of it. Still, there’s no denying, this music is GOOD!
I’ve since discovered The Disco Biscuits are from Philly and have been around over ten years. They’ve been doing the festival circuit for awhile and this was their return to the ’Roo after partaking in its inaugural year, which was their first big gig.
What I don’t know yet is how well The Biscuits translate onto CD, but I’ll be checking them out and best believe?any chance I get to see them live again, I will. Let me suggest you do the same.
They left the crowd begging for more, screaming for an encore. Not even Tom Petty got that much love.
They will be playing Lollapalooza in Chicago on Aug. 5 and they have their own music festival, Camp Bisco, August 25-26 in Hunter, NY.
