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Words by: Kevin Schwartzbach |
Images by: Dave Vann
Camp Bisco :: 07.15.10-07.17.10 :: Indian Lookout Country Club ::
Mariaville,
NY
Since moving to the Indian Lookout Country Club back in 2007, most aspects of Camp
Bisco had remained
stagnant. With its biggest lineup and highest attendance to date, Camp Bisco's ninth
incarnation was one of major
change and progress. It's no wonder really – The Disco Biscuits themselves have changed quite a bit over this
past year, garnering, for
better or for worse, a more mainstream appeal with release of Planet Anthem. And
this change was most
salient vis-à-vis their own festival, with more high-profile acts than ever before,
including Wu-Tang
Massacre, LCD
Soundsystem and Ween, which attracted a turnout out of roughly 15,000. I dare say
the flat-rimmed-hat-
wearing Bisco ilk has become a minority.
The Disco Biscuits by Dave Vann
The high-profile laden lineup also prompted the addition of a second main stage, adjacent
and identical to the first,
in order to help facilitate smoother transitions between acts in the main concert venue
(though the massive lineup
still lead to a considerable amount of overlapping sets, more than any previous Camp).
The dance tent, previously a
target for biblical style flooding from Camp's habitually torrential weather, was moved to
higher ground and closer to
the main stage. For the late-night ravers, the hill stage was converted to a silent disco
in the evening, with two
different channels manned by two different DJs, that raged on well into the wee hours of
the morning.
Not all the changes however pertained to music. At long last, Camp Bisco has developed a
conscience. In addition to
the Marc Brownstein founded Head Count and Strangers Helping
Strangers, many
organizers this year have gone green, introducing recycling and compost bins to the
festival grounds, as well as
enlisting the help of green volunteer teams and Zerohero, a Colorado-based company
that focuses on
reducing the negative impact festivals have on the environment, rendering the festival
much cleaner and
environmentally friendly throughout. Also, there were various new extra-musical
activities such as The
Philadelphia Experiment, an interactive art installation along with a pyrotechnic
display of flame cannons, and
Brainquility, a cerebral, sensory-tickling, trance-like experience, and a PS3
truck.
But for all that changed, there were many familiar elements from previous years found at
CBIX. Once again, we
experienced several severe thunderstorms, and once again those storms interfered with the
schedule. For the fourth
consecutive year, the sprawling fields of ILCC served as our playground, and its resident
biker gang our security
force, who managed to fruitfully keep the peace while still managing to let us enjoy
ourselves. Though still with
some kinks to work out (please for the love of god, more port-o-potties in the main
concert area), this once tiny
jam-centric festival has developed into a multifariously ripping good time. One can only
imagine what the future
holds for this ever evolving, ever growing festival.
Camp Bisco 9 Highlights
Electronic Music and Hip-Hop Reign Supreme
Continuing the musical trend of years past, the 60-plus-act lineup was fraught with hip-
hop and electronica acts.
Wu-Tang Massacre, arguably the biggest hip-hop act to ever grace the main stage at Bisco,
came out with a haughty
New York swagger that could only be justified by the mind-blowing performance that was to
follow. Though
Method Man possessed the most stage presence of the trio of rappers, Raekwon
and
Ghostface Killah were not without their moments in the spotlight, as the three
expertly traded lines. Their
powerful, albeit short-lived set was mostly a showcase of their hits, including the Ol'
Dirty Bastard tune "Shimmy
Shimmy Ya", dedicated to the late Dirt McGirt. "You think you know the Wu-Tang Clan?
Well let's see you sing the
words to this one," spat Ghostface, letting the crowd sing the words to "Shimmy Shimmy Ya"
in the absence of ODB.
Hands in the shape of ‘W's shot up into the air as triumvirate, aided by DJ
Mathematics, busted out "Ain't
Nothi' Ta Fuck Wit", the most energetic song of the set. Wu-Tang was joined at Bisco by
other high profile rappers
such as Talib
Kweli,
performing with Adam Deitch's Break Science, and Gift of Gab.
CBIX also saw some of the biggest names in electronic music, running the gamut from all
different styles. House
maestro Diplo and dubstep
phenom Rusko saw some of
the most packed crowds the late-night dance tent saw all weekend, while Pretty Lights and
Bassnectar both
drew comparable
audiences to our hosts in the main concert venue.
That Happened
LCD
Soundsystem |
It's not often that I walk away from a festival with the sense that a single band
definitively put on the best
performance. But on the drive home Sunday morning I still couldn't get shake the sense
that LCD Soundsystem's
Thursday night
headlining set stole the show. Brainchild of James Murphy, LCD's chimerical
concoction of punk, disco,
electronica and New Wave is as enticing as it is unique. Indeed, parts of the show felt
like they belonged in a mosh-
filled punk throw down at CBGB, while others felt like they belonged in a drug-laden rave.
Their latest release,
This Is Happening, is shaping up to be as enjoyable and influential as their
previous two releases, and live
Murphy takes his productions and brings them to life with the aid of a full band.
Murphy's crew wasted no time
pumping out the new stuff, dropping "Pow Pow" and the album's lone single "Drunk Girls"
early in the set. It was
clear though from the crowd's reactions that the new stuff hadn't quite sunk in like most
of their older material. The
biggest reaction of the set was from a dark, electro version of "Daft Punk is Playing At
My House." "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
(Pretentious Version)" and "Losing My Edge," both off the eponymous first album, were two
of the highlights of the
set.
Yet, whether displaying new material or delving into more canonical LCD material, Murphy
always commanded the
stage with an authoritative presence. His often David Byrne-like stage antics, from his
dance moves to banging away
on his cowbells, made it impossible to take your eyes off of him, even with a giant
freakin' disco ball suspended
above his head. The set closed, appropriately enough, with "New York I Love You But Your
Bringing Me Down." The
waltzing ballad, filled with hilariously lamenting critiques of the city, took a short
detour into a comical a cappella
version of Jay Z's "Empire State of Mind."
Live Manifestations
Theivery
Corporation |
LCD Soundsystem wasn't the only act to bring their often-DJ'ed music to life with a full
live band; in fact, it seemed
to be a common theme at this year's Camp Bisco. Jimmy LaValle's The Album Leaf
drew only a handful
of people, as the hordes began to clear out immediately after Wu-Tang's set. Admittedly,
it was quite hard to shift
gears to the ambient, electro-post-rock of The Album Leaf from Wu-Tang's in-your-face
hardcore hip-hop set, but
those who made the leap were rewarded for their courage. Often, their plodding, wispy
sound is compared to that of
other post-rock giants such as Sigur Ros and Explosions in the Sky, both apt comparisons.
LaValle's minimalist
beats met Matthew Resovich's serene violin and Drew Andrew's textural
synthesizer soundscapes
to make for the perfect daytime chill-out set. I grabbed my lawn chair, sat back, and let
the ambient waves of sound
wash over me.
After Album Leaf, the hordes reformed around me like a flash flood for Thievery
Corporation. The DC-
based DJ/producer duo of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton not only have an ear for
production, but
apparently for arrangement, instrumentation and orchestration as well, allowing them to
bring their downtempo,
politically and socially charged music to new heights with the aid of a seven-and-a-bit
live band. Several guest
vocalists were called upon throughout their set, each adding their own unique voices to
Thiev Corp's eclectic,
dubbed-out sound.
Big
Gigantic was another
group that brought their electronic productions to life with live instrumentations.
Dominick Lalli's hip-hop
influenced electro beats caught a funky twist with his own effect-smothered saxophone
lines and the animated
drumming of Jeremy Salkin.
Plight of the Jam Band
The New Deal |
As Camp Bisco grows, the presence of jam bands seems to shrink. Once a jam-centric
festival, our jam-tronicca
hosts invited only a handful of crunchy ad-libbers to CBIX, including The New Deal,
Brothers Past,
RAQ, Future Rock,
Telepath and
Papadosio, all
returning acts except
for the last.
The New Deal's late night set Friday was one of the most energetic of the festival. With
no new studio material
released since '03, they're still, for the most part, playing the same stuff they have
been for years. Fortunately, their
live take on breakbeat house never gets old. Nearly a two-hour set, their lengthy jams
took a long time to get where
they were going, including abundant detours into Dan Shearer's beatboxing, but once
there, they arrived
with a vengeance.
Future Rock has grown up a lot in the past few years. Their once meandering sets have
become much tighter and
more focused and now maintain a much higher level of energy than ever before. Felix
Moreno himself has
become much better at switching off between his thumping bass and warbling synthesizer,
too.
Expletive Deleted
Holy Fuck |
Camp this year once again offered an eclectic array of quality late night music, none more
captivating than Toronto's
experimental rock quartet Holy
Fuck. Though I had heard a great deal of their studio work, that did not prepare
me for the bizarre
exposé that is their live show. I entered the Dance Tent Thursday night, greeted by a
wall of coarse sound, to find
keyboardists Brian Borcherdt and Graham Walsh hammering away
indiscriminately at their
synthesizers. Using an array of miscellaneous instruments, toys and effects, Holy Fuck's
goal is basically to create
electronic music without the use of the laptops, drum machines and samples traditionally
used in the genre.
Arranged in a square in the middle of the stage, with the two keyboardists in the front
and Matt Schultz
(drums) and Matt McQuaid in the back, the foursome were locked in step with each
other, feeding off one
another to bring the music to epic peaks. Their raunchy distorted intensity was broken up
from time to time with
light, fleeting ambience, giving their music a slight post-rock feel.
Our Gracious Hosts
CBIX was one of the Disco Biscuits' strongest showings in years. Though we only got five
instead of the promised six
sets due to a relentless lightning storm Saturday night, the general sentiment was that of
satisfaction on the Bisco
front. What made this year particularly special was that Brownie created most of the
setlists with the aid of the fans.
Bisco took the stage for their first set Thursday evening with a lingering sun still in
the sky. A rising drone kept us
all anxious to find out what our hosts would open with before dropping into "House Dog
Party Favor." It wasn't the
most stellar "House Dog," with a few minor flubs from Barber, but the excitement of
starting their tenure at
Camp with such a heavy hitter kept the version riveting. "Crickets" into an inverted-yet-
mediocre "The Great Abyss"
brought us into an exceptional "Crystal Ball" that included the oft-neglected middle
section, easily the best part of
the song. "The Tunnel," a rare gem played for the first time in over a year, was the
highlight of the set. The songs
were rather ephemeral, but a strong song selection, prompted by fans, and phenomenal
playing made it one of the
strongest first sets in CB history.
The Disco Biscuits
Friday's first set continued the opening day's pace, with much more in the way of
improvisation, particularly during
the set opening "Morph Dusseldorf" where Bisco was hitting their stride in style. After a
surreptitious segue into the
Magner penned "Spaga," the boys unveiled their new light show to boisterous
applause. Powerful,
fluorescent laser beams cut through the air, twisting and dancing in the night. The
ghostly apparitions appeared
almost like solid matter, as they hung just above our heads, catching sparkling raindrops
and swirling fog in their
midst. The beguiling light show was outdone only by drummer Allen Aucoin, who
completely owned the
rapturous "Spaga." Aucoin has proven time and time again to be the most flawless, if not
simply the most talented,
of Bisco's musically gifted crew.
A killer "7-11" into "Little Betty Boop" started off Friday's second set with a bang, but
unfortunately it slowly
degenerated from there. Sub-par versions of "Tricycle" and "Orch Theme" led us into
"Bombs," a meandering new
song. "Bombs," along with set closer "Naeba," utterly sucked all the energy out of the
set, once again illustrating the
meager caliber of most of their newer material. However, Saturday's daytime set quickly
redeemed Friday night's
letdown. Aside from set opener "On Time," which completed Thursday's version, this set
was a throwback to the mid
to late 90s - heavy on the jazz and good ol' crunchy jams - and there was little
untz wrapped up in the
concatenated sequence of "Aceetobee > Mr. Don > Pat & Dex" and the standalone "Wet" that
followed to close the
set.
Apocalyptic spider webs of lightning flashed in the sky as Brothers Past was reluctantly
carted off the stage Saturday
evening, cutting their set short. The storm rampaged for hours, holding the subsequent
Biscuits set, second of three
scheduled that day, at bay. The tempest did not die down enough until it was already
nearly an hour past the
scheduled start time, causing Girl
Talk's highly anticipated set to be moved to the late night Dance Tent and Bisco
to abandon one of their
own. But the solitary set they did play, clocking in at nearly two and half hours, more
than made up for the loss. "It
wouldn't be Camp Bisco if it wasn't Camp Bisco," ," joked Brownie. "I know that some of
you out there know what I
mean. I think this is the least rain we've ever had at Camp Bisco."
A standalone "Portal to an Empty Head" aided by RAQ's Chris Micheti (who saved
Bisco's ass this past tour,
filling in for the injured Barber) finally broke the sound of thunder and rain. Regarded
by many as the best of Bisco's
new songs, and apparently, the second most requested song of the weekend, "Portal"
contained one of the finest
jams of the weekend before they embarked on a nonstop, two-plus-hour odyssey.
Mostly instrumental, the Disco Biscuits' ultimate set of the weekend saw the quartet at
their tightest and most
spellbinding. Brownie's bass gave away the coming segue from a funky "Knight Rider Theme"
jam into a glorious
"Basis For A Day." It was not long before "Basis" morphed into an inverted "Above the
Waves." They would eventually
return to do a "Basis" ending out of "Munchkin Invasion" to close their tenure at Camp
Bisco 9 on a euphoric
peak.
To view the massive Photo Gallery from Camp Bisco, use the viewer below or continue
reading for day by day shots.
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