Review: Disco Biscuits Inferno Weekend

May 27 – Ogden Theatre

The return to the Ogden on Friday proved to be a much more successful outing. From the moment the jam out of the Strobelights and Martinis opener started, the band was locked in, with bassist Marc Brownstein at the lead. Brownstein was easily the most consistent member of the band this weekend. Strobelights > Feeling Twisted saw the band really listening to each other, and produced a cohesive thematic jam right out of the gate. It didn’t take long for this show to get its legs.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the first set was the song selection. With the exception of Caterpillar, the entire set consisted of songs written after drummer Allen Aucoin’s induction into the band in 2005, and even then, Caterpillar has received exponentially more play in the band’s second incarnation. For having written an entire setlist filled with new tunes, they played the hell out of them, with almost every jam in the set resolved.

When Allen finally got comfortable enough to begin using his e-drums, things got really interesting. Allen displayed once again that he is at his most inspired when he is taking chances and experimenting, whether that is by throwing down different beats or by utilizing progressive sound design to steer a jam and stimulate the crowd.

In the second set,  the jam out of Papercut was good, and even if they slightly biffed the drop into Crystal Ball, it was hard to be disappointed in that kind of setlist decision. The next segment, a huge M.E.M.P.H.I.S. featuring a return of e-drums from Aucoin and excellent guitar playing from Jon “The Barber” Gutwillig, was a keeper. The meat of this segment consisted of the instrumentals Gangster and Lunar Pursuit, the latter of which featured a stellar dub jam that was not at all standard fare for the tune. Aceetobee closed the set, before the highly anticipated Bazaar Escape surfaced for the encore. After Bazaar, it seemed as though nobody even cared that they were playing Wet. Friday night was truly an excellent display, and had spirits soaring going into Red Rocks the next day.

Set 1: Strobelights and Martinis > Feeling Twisted > Strobelights and Martinis > Caterpillar > Minions > Caterpillar
Set 2: Papercut > Crystal Ball, M.E.M.P.H.I.S. > Gangster > Lunar Pursuit > Aceetobee
Encore: Bazaar Escape, Wet

May 28, Red Rocks

Back for its third year, it became apparent just how special Bisco Inferno is to fans and band alike as there is perhaps no other single date each year as exciting as this one for both parties. The majestic venue was truly a sight to behold, and to see the Biscuits perform their music at Red Rocks with all the lights and sounds that truly make this production so outstanding was a great pleasure in itself. For tDB to play well was the icing on the cake.

After Big Boi’s set of Outkast favorites and solo hits that did not disappoint in the least, many in attendance were ready to Biscuit. The Disco Biscuits took the stage and burst into a fun Highwire opener, which turned out to be the only standalone of the set. The first exploration of the evening came out of Spraypaint, and when the jam started to pick up it became clear where things were headed; right into the end of an inverted Digital Buddha. Choices like this were a welcome reminder that anything is fair game with this band. The highlight of the first set was easily Cyclone, by far the darkest number that would be played this evening, and the jam out of it into the end of Confrontation was glorious. The ending of Spraypaint was a fitting conclusion to the first set.

Having been spoiled on the lush, minimal tech-house that Booka Shade unleashed on the Rocks last year, Rusko was about as abrasive as things get so setbreak was truly painful. Ultimately the issue with his set was that it lacked any continuity. As soon as a beat or idea developed and became interesting and listenable, it inevitably exploded into a grinding, hard, dubstep noise session that lacked any kind of sensual appeal. Apparently, a lot of music fans find this very appealing, as the venue emptied out considerably after Rusko’s set. All this meant to those who remained was more dancing room for the final set of the Disco Biscuits’ Bisco Inferno run.

Just in case anybody thought they would make it out of Colorado without hearing the heavy-rotation King of the World, the second set opener immediately dispelled any such notions. Again having opened with the only standalone of the set, they broke right into Story of the World, which quickly found its way into a bouncy groove that was pushed to an energetic peak before the drop into Helicopters. It was an excellent start to a nice, long segment.

Next came Bombs, a song that seemed as though it was written to be played at Red Rocks, and many fans had been anticipating it all weekend. There was even a Bombs-style jam in the first set on Friday night. Since Barber teased Spacebirdmatingcall throughout the set, it seemed as though it would follow Bombs, but instead they made their way into Run Like Hell territory for a couple of verses of the Pink Floyd cover before leaving it unfinished as they headed towards Spacebird. Perhaps the most unbelievable moment of the whole show came when they slowed the ending down all the way, implying the end of the set. Just when it would have wrapped, they dropped back into a 4-on-the-floor jam, and triumphantly completed Helicopters.

The Jigsaw Earth encore was an interesting choice. They struggled noticeably with the composition – forgotten lyrics, missed cues and all. It took them a moment to get their bearings, but they quickly redeemed themselves. At some point in the jam, Brownstein set his bass aside and began bouncing and dancing all over the stage like a raving lunatic. It was certainly fun to watch. He then made his way over to the bass synth and they played what was probably the best jam into Catalyst the quartet has performed to date. It was genuinely spectacular, and may have been the jam of the show. They were patient with it, allowing the groove to develop, and when the time was just right they locked it in and put the pedal to the floor. Barber’s sense of direction here was what really nailed it down.

After Catalyst, the Disco Biscuits finished Jigsaw, having left Red Rocks torn asunder. Friday may have been the better showing all in all, but Saturday’s main event was easily their greatest performance at Red Rocks to date. One more successful Inferno weekend in the books, and hopefully many more to come.

Set 1: Highwire, Spraypaint > Digital Buddha1 > Cyclone > Confrontation1 > Spraypaint
Set 2: King Of The World, Story Of The World > Helicopters > Bombs > Run Like Hell > Spacebirdmatingcall > Helicopters
Encore: Jigsaw Earth > Catalyst > Jigsaw Earth
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