The Disco Biscuits Return to Philadelphia: I Return to Music Journalism

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.

There’s a few reasons why the Biscuits are my favorite band. Each member brings a certain sense of originality to the table. Together, they’ve solidified themselves as the innovators of a genre that has now become the norm. The truth is, when the Disco Biscuits are on, not only are they untouchable, they’re inspiring and one of a kind. They’re the catalyst that motivated me to give music journalism an honest shot in the first place. So when I took a break from covering events, I spent a lot of time reading articles written by writers from other outlets, especially when they had to do with the Biscuits. While it should’ve pushed me to start writing again, it made me bitter. And instead of publishing my own work, I became introverted and indifferent.

After missing my first Biscuits NYE in years, I considered taking a break from attending shows. I had spent hours upon hours working on my craft and building a reputation as a music journalist, especially in the scene, and I thought about giving it up for no particular reason. Don’t get it twisted, I’m not Cameron Crowe, but I’m good at what I do. I listened back to the Atlanta run and was seriously impressed with multiple segments. It made me rethink my idea to take a break from seeing them, but I had a hard time justifying my attendance if I wasn’t going to be covering them. After covering them for the past two years, I considered that to be going backwards instead of moving forward, which is most definitely true.

The Disco Biscuits @ The Tabernacle 12/31/16 [Photo by Dave Vann]

The opening segment of 12/30 made me realize how important it is to stick with your passion, especially when you reach a point of decreasing inspiration and low motivation. I say this because five years ago a lot of us thought the Disco Biscuits were going to break up. There were obviously some internal disagreements between members and it became evident on stage during certain shows. To many fans, it seemed like Barber had lost interest in the one thing that he always loved. Individuals who had been fans for ten years stopped attending shows for a while. Some wondered if their favorite band would ever return to their original form.

The Disco Biscuits @ The Tabernacle 12/30 [Photo by Adam Winokur]

Well, it’s 2017 and the Disco Biscuits are coming off two extremely solid years in a row. While I was listening to the transition from Mindless Dribble to Shem Rah Boo, I was able to make a connection in my own life. Whether you’re a musician, writer, or artist, you’re always going to have rough patches throughout your career. Your creativity isn’t always going to be at a high point. In fact, sometimes it'll be at an all time low. But it’s those rough patches that separate the artists from the people that want to be artists. Some say it’s the ebb and flow of the universe, others say it’s just life. The Biscuits could’ve disbanded when they stopped playing at the high level they were always used to, but they didn’t. They pushed through and found a solution that catapulted them to their current success. It was this segment, which is a serotonin-filled exploration through the mind and soul, that forced me to saddle up and get back on the horse.

Here we are, days away from the Disco Biscuits’ return to The Fillmore in their hometown of Philadelphia. Due to some unfortunate circumstances in my life, I was unable to attend their debut at the venue last year. I had to contact Drew, who’s in charge of their day to day operations, and give up my press pass. To me, it’s pretty ideal that I get to make my return to the world of music journalism during this run. And I plan on taking it more seriously than I have in the past. I’m prepared for the Disco Biscuits to blow my brain out of my skull while filling a certain void in my soul. With my friends by my side, I can only hope that they bring the ruckus like they did last year (which had some of the best musical moments of the past few years). I know the band is looking forward to returning to the best venue in Philadelphia and so are the fans. Saturday is already sold out and Friday is close behind, so if you’re planning on being in The Fillmore between February 2nd and 4th, I’d purchase tickets as soon as possible. If their NYE run was any indication to what these shows are going to be like, everybody will be getting their money’s worth.

Be sure to keep an eye out for my review of the run.