The catharsis of live music has returned to small independent venues in the northeast. The magic feeling that thousands upon thousands chase every year has begun to show itself once again. Electron, the jamtronica supergroup from Philadelphia, returned to Ardmore Music Hall in the suburbs of Philadelphia for two nights of raw musical expression. As the COVID-19 pandemic outstretched from one month to the next, many were unsure of what the future held for small clubs and theaters. Luckily for some, they were able to utilize the time to renovate their layout and make upgrades – Ardmore Music Hall did exactly that. With limited capacity, they opened their doors and fans showed immense gratitude. The atmosphere was jovial and the experience will be remembered by many as their first indoor concert post-pandemic.
Last night was the Disco Biscuits’ first show back (in front of fans) since the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the country. As more and more jam bands adapted to producing drive-in shows, the Biscuits sat back and waited for their opportunity. Logistics are a little more complicated for them because they live in different cities across the country, from Philadelphia to Los Angeles. In true
Biscuits fashion, they rolled with the punches and put together a legitimate run of outdoor shows before
the weather gets too cold.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country (and world), a lot has changed. Few industries have been hit as hard as the live music industry. They were the first ones to shut down, and as it looks now, they’ll be the last ones to start back up. Touring acts (and production teams) in the live music scene have been taking huge losses, and a lot of people are out of work. These musicians cannot rely on album sales like mainstream artists. Every summer, these bands travel all over the country to play festival sets in front of thousands - all that vanished in the blink of an eye. Lotus is one of those bands. Not only did they miss out on multiple dates, they’re also unable to throw their annual festival, Summerdance.
Between the COVID-19 pandemic and the turmoil that spilled into the streets of cities across the nation after the murder of George Floyd, fear and uncertainty have plagued the hearts and minds of many as of late. During times like this, a lot of people count on music as a momentary escape from the darkness, and even that has been crippled by the current state of affairs. The live music industry has been brought to its knees like never before. Fortunately for artists and fans alike, it’s 2020 and technology has offered up a temporary solution until things (hopefully) get back to normal.
There are a lot of great jam bands coming up in the scene right now. It’s been a tremendous year as we’ve seen smaller acts evolve and climb to the next level. Some bands pride themselves on being polished and technical, never going too deep into the murky waters of the unknown. Other bands aim to keep it raw and experimental, pushing their improvisation as far as it can go on any given night. It’s a unique balance that makes live music the ever-changing anomaly that it is. When it comes to the latter of the two, Space Bacon and Microcave are prime representations – both bands catapult themselves into uncharted territory, fueled by the electric wonder of “going type 2” every single time they touch the stage.
What if I told you that there are special places in the world where time and space don’t operate by the laws of physics that we’re used to? You would probably look at me like I’m crazy and then laugh at me, and I wouldn’t blame you for doing so. What if I told you that there’s an ancient connection between human beings and improvisational music? Depending on who you are and what you’ve experienced in life, that statement might be more believable.
Space Ship is the inaugural Space Bacon/Rocks Off Boat Cruise taking place aboard The Lucille on Saturday, July 28th. The ship will be departing from Skyport Marina which is located at E 23rd street & FDR Drive. The boarding process will begin at 6pm and we’ll be setting sail at 7pm, do not be late.
There is a big difference between corporatized music festivals and grassroots music festivals, especially when it comes to the overall vibe. Over the past ten years, a good amount of festivals have come and gone, some good and some not-so-good. It’s far from easy to create and continue to build a music festival that thrives in today’s day and age without a big budget backing. So, when one breaks the mold and evolves to the next level, it’s undoubtedly special, and that’s exactly what Disc Jam is.
Jam bands need loyal fan bases in order to be successful and take their music to the next level. If you go down the list of the most popular jam bands, you’ll see that this fact is undisputed. From The Grateful Dead and Phish to The String Cheese Incident and The Disco Biscuits, each band has fans that are willing to follow them around the country. When you’re a young band coming up in this scene, you’re well aware of this, so you strive to create a movement that music lovers naturally gravitate to.
I first attended Disc Jam in 2013. I remember driving to Brimfield, Massachusetts from New York with two friends, excited to see what the small festival would bring to the table. It was a pretty new and the lineup was filled with mid-level bands from the northeast. The overall vibe was intimate and the concept was original. Upon arrival, it was apparent that it was culminated by a group of people that loved live music. It was the definition of grassroots and the farthest thing from a corporate event.
It’s December in New York City and the temperature continues to drop as the holidays arrive. The new year approaches with certainty and forcefulness, like the final train at Penn Station on a Saturday night. Piercing winds fly across avenues and around street corners as New Yorkers spend their Christmas bonuses on expensive gifts and stiff cocktails. Tourists wander around midtown, viewing the city through their iPhone cameras. To me, this time of year represents a color wheel of emotions, mostly gratitude for being alive and semi-healthy.
During the past few months I took a break from covering the Disco Biscuits and dissecting their live shows. I had been working a dead-end job that I didn’t enjoy and momentarily lost my passion for music journalism. Then I attended my first ever Holidaze in the Dominican Republic - it reignited my deep-rooted love for the Disco Biscuits, along with the art of true music journalism. My brain instantly began telegraphing imaginative descriptions of the improvisational compositions that I’ve come to love.
I started attending music festivals in 2010, it was the summer that I graduated high school and my life had come to an intersection of unintended darkness and misplaced passion. There was a void that I was constantly searching to fill and I used various forms of escapism to do so. July came around and I was in an odd place, unsure of what the future held. A few friends told me about a music festival called Camp Bisco that was a few hours north in my home state of New York.
Once upon a time music festivals consisted of rock bands and funk bands, blues music and folk artists. Psychedelic culture mixed with American values. As the 80s took the place of the 70s, and the 90s took the place of the 80s, music began to change. Electronic music infatuated urban cities as raves intoxicated the underworld of the American metropolis. A counter culture that was so different yet so similar to the one that had come before it. As the sounds changed, listeners evolved, and the wheels of the music world kept turning. Then came a young band of college kids from Philadelphia, mesmerized by the wanderlust of both sides of the spectrum. Using their creative intelligence and open-minded influence, they began to experiment with the roots of the past and the shooting stars of the future. A balancing act of sonic gymnastics. They had the foresight to see where the world of music was headed, and the confidence to sprint towards it. Pooling together their undeniable passion and limited resources, they created an intimate event that would change music festivals forever. That small band of college kids was the Disco Biscuits and that intimate event was Camp Bisco. The rest is history.