Camp Bisco Is Alive & It's Thriving: The 14th Installment Is Here [Preview]

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 80's took the place of the 70's, and the 90's took the place of the 80's, 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.

Camp Bisco may not be the intimate event that it once was, but it's both evolutionary and expansive. One of the first music festivals to combine jam bands and DJs, they've always been ahead of the curve. The curators have embraced trends while keeping their feet firmly on the ground. Every single year, there is one thing that will never change - six stellar sets from the Disco Biscuits. Other artists may come and go, but they'll always remain where they belong, at the very top of the lineup. After all, it wouldn't be Camp Bisco without the Disco Biscuits.

Besides the Biscuits, it wouldn't be Camp Bisco without some of the band's oldest musical friends - Lotus is returning on Thursday, Tom Hamilton's American Babies are playing on Saturday afternoon, and Sound Tribe Sector 9 will be playing before the Biscuits final set of the weekend. Other Camp Bisco veterans include the New Deal and Orchard Lounge. All of them have contributed their fair share to the one-of-a-kind festival in the past, and I'm positive they'll do the same exact thing this year. As we all know, history does repeat itself.

Camp Bisco 2015 Aftermovie Pavilion at Montage Mountain July 16-18, 2015 Music: "Home Again" by The Disco Biscuits "Get On Up" by Big Gigantic "Chasing Heaven" by Bassnectar & Levitate Video by Rose Transmedia

Some of the newcomers that I'm most excited about are FKJ, Josh Wink, and Thundercat. Together they bring an eclectic mixture of dance music to the forefront, a mixture that some mainstream fans wouldn't normally be familiar with. And that's the reason that I return to Camp Bisco every year. Most every time that I attend the festival, whether it's in New York or Pennsylvania, I discover new music. Do yourself a favor, do the same. Not to mention the fact that the staff has worked hard to improve their amenities to make sure that it's a more comfortable experience for patrons. The festival will be offering more transportation, a faster entry process, a brand new wellness program, and a more environmentally conscious clean up - all are major steps in the right direction. 

Camp Bisco was the very first music festival that I ever attended. I'd be lying if I said it didn't have a special place in my heart, a reminiscent affair of chaotic glory and unfamiliar satisfaction. Since then I've followed the Disco Biscuits all over the country, and I don't think that will ever change. The unique rawness of the experience has captured me, it's made me a fan for life. At one point, I didn't know if I'd be making the trek this year, but I'm beyond grateful that I am. I have a strong sense of passion that will encompass me soon enough. Times change and so do people, but I'll always do my best to come back home again, to where it all started, Camp Bisco.