City Bisco – October 5 / 6th, 2012 – Philadelphia, Pa

City Bisco is the Disco Biscuits first headlining, multi day festival in the city of brotherly love (Philadelphia). Other artists that would grace the stage over the two day stint at the Mann Center included A-Trak, Diplo, Paper Diamond, Ott, Aeroplane, Brothers Past, Cinnamon Chasers, and Wyllys to name a few.

A view from City Bisco of the Philadelphia Skyline.

“Triumph was the Underdog” ; Fans, who also considered themselves merchants, sold various types of paraphernalia ranging from collectable pins, clothing, and food, in the parking lots before and after the event each night.

The side stage was packed featuring artists such as Aeroplane, Ott, and Brothers Past. One thing I really enjoyed about the this stage was that it felt like you were in a normal festival setting, rather than just outside the city.

Brothers Past performing on Saturday at the side stage during City Bisco.

Gettin’ Down

Ott performing alongside a full live band for his set.

Vito // Aeroplane Portrait

Aeroplane in front of a packed house, headlined the side stage Friday night.

Some lovely ladies enjoying themselves before the Biscuits set.

New Bisco Merch flew off the shelves all weekend long.

Much like their staple festival “Camp Bisco”, City Bisco provided a plethora of quality DJs such as Paper Diamond, who had one of the best sets Saturday in my opinion.

The Biscuits spared no expense bringing in local legend Diplo to perform during their set break Friday, as well as support from A-Trak Saturday night. These are easily two of the most relevant producers / DJs in the electronic music scene and kept the crowd dancing for over an hour between each of the Biscuits sets.

“Express Yourself”

A-Trak Portrait

The Disco Biscuits perform in front of a massive crowd during City Bisco at the Mann Center in Philadelphia. I give these guys credit for being the first artists who really had me listening to electronic dance music. With their Trancefusion sound, they really left no genre untouched blending progressive, house, trance, drum and bass, along with dubstep into their jam-based improvisational sets over the past 10 years (that I’ve been listening to them).

Appropriately titled “Barber Shreds”

City Bisco’s production featured several large LED wall panels mounted behind the main stage, along with a heavy dose of floodlights and lasers.

The Disco Biscuits

Marc Brownstein and Jon Gutwillig having a little fun during their set Saturday night.

Allen Aucoin incorporating drum loops during the Biscuits set.

In summary, The Disco Biscuits have remained one of my favorite artists over the past 10 years. I’ve traveled all across the United States seeing them play in a variety of venues (from small clubs to amphitheaters), totaling well over 200 shows. Their Trancefusion sound is just that, a constantly changing / evolving electronic force that has no limits as long as the crowd is still dancing.

City Bisco is a pleasant reminder; an added two day treat in the beginning of October, that brings back all those fond memories we had just a few months ago at Camp Bisco. Overall, I thought management couldn’t have chosen a better venue (within city limits) that could appropriately handle Biscuits scene, while encompassing a festival setting just outside the city.

The Entire 180+ Photo Gallery of City Bisco Can Be Viewed Here
City Bisco at the Mann Center

The Entire 180+ Photo Gallery of City Bisco Can Be Viewed Here
City Bisco at the Mann Center

Lotus, Ghostland Observatory, MiMOSA – September 15th, 2012 – Philadelphia, Pa

MiMOSA

Lotus wanted to create something special for the City of Philadelphia, and decided to put together an outdoor event which would take place in FDR park. The lineup would include artists such as Ghostland Observatory, MiMOSA, Michael Menert, and another hometown band, Sonic Spank.

Sonic Spank, a local jam quartet, started the day off playing old fan favorites, along with material from their new album “Drama”, which is available for FREE via their website (www.sonicspank.com).

As Sonic Spank’s set came to an end, gear was quickly escorted on and off stage, as Michael Menert was scheduled to perform next. Menert who is signed to PLM label, has a sound very similar to Pretty Lights (go figure), and uses a controller synced with his laptop to initiate / loop additional effects during his set.

As the crowd became more dense, hoopers began to Hula, and aromatic scents saturated the air. His tunes set the mood for the rest of the afternoon, creating a perfect soundtrack for the event.

Toward the end of Menert’s set, I headed into the crowd to meet with friends and have a few drinks.

After conversating with the crew, I finished my beer and headed toward the stage to catch the beginning of MiMOSA.

His set was a direct assault on the crowd, delivering trap + bass heavy selections one after the other.

I didn’t think anyone could top MiMOSA’s set, however I may have changed my mind after witnessing Ghostland Observatory live.

I had the opportunity to see Ghostland live last year at Virgin Free Fest, and was equally impressed this time around. Frontman Aaron Behrens’ vocals and stage antics are to the extreme in every way imaginable. In addition to Aaron’s vocals, Thomas Ross Turner (a caped crusader), provides layers of synthesized beats and drum patterns.

Ghostland Observatory mixes elements of electro, rock, and funk to create a very unique sound. Their live performance is additionally combated by high powered lasers and thick clouds of smoke, which leave the audience in a state of audio/visual overload. If you ever have the chance to see these guys perform live, do yourself a favor and GO, you’ll thank me later.

Finally, the moment had come for Lotus to take the stage. The crowd was at its maximum, flowing past the soundbooth and into the designated drinking area.

Their set featured some of my personal favorites which included “Spiritualize”, “Spaghetti”, & “Tip of the Tongue”.

I spent most of Lotus’ set hanging with friends and filming from the side of the stage.

Overall, I was really impressed with how smoothly the event went and couldn’t have asked for a better crowd. Fans seemed full of energy from the first to last artist. The audio / visual production was impressive, creating a glowing aura around FDR Park for hours into the night. I personally would love to see more events at this venue. You felt like you were miles away from the city, but in reality only blocks from the stadium.

One additional note, Lotus have announced their New Year’s Run schedule which features performances in Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore. If you’re in the area, I highly suggest you check them out and support your local music scene.

The Entire 80+ Photo Album of Lotus, along with Ghostland Observatory, MiMOSA, Michael Menert, & Sonic Spank at FDR Park Can Be Viewed Here
Lotus, Ghostland Observatory, MiMOSA Photo Gallery

The Entire 80+ Photo Album of Lotus, along with Ghostland Observatory, MiMOSA, Michael Menert, & Sonic Spank at FDR Park Can Be Viewed Here
Lotus, Ghostland Observatory, MiMOSA Photo Gallery