The Disco Biscuits treated a hometown crowd to five sets over two nights at Pennsylvania’s The Fillmore Philadelphia on December 30th and 31st. This New Year’s affair saw tDB deliver some typical setlist shenanigans with some bust-outs, inverted and unfinished tracks, and even a fitting tribute to the late Betty White, who unexpectedly passed away on Friday.
Thursday night saw members Jon “Barber” Gutwillig (guitar), Marc Brownstein (bass), Aron Magner (keys), and Allen Aucoin (drums) play things pretty straight, not straying too far from setlist norms. The first frame saw “Caves of the East” flow into an unfinished rendition of “Run Like Hell”. “Rock Candy” then worked its way into another unfinished offering, “Astronaut”, before “Cyclone” set up the set-ending second half of “Rock Candy”.
A six-song second set saw “Tribulations”, an Eden “Tractorbeam Jam”, “Orch Theme”, and an inverted “Svenghali” fit between two ends of a “Confrontation” sandwich. The Philly four-piece then ended the first night of festivities with a fitting “We Like To Party”, sending the Fillmore crowd off into the night and preparing them for the three sets of antics that would follow on Friday.
Check out a pro-shot video of the set one opener below (music starts at 1:05:30).
The Disco Biscuits – “Caves of the East” > “Run Like Hell” – 12/30/21
Barber, Brownstein, Magner, and Aucoin opened the floodgates with “Rivers” to kick off night two. With the river flowing, the jamtronica quartet finished the previous night’s “Run Like Hell” before filling a “Munchkin Invasion” sandwich with an inverted “Miracles”.
After ending the first set with “Voices Insane”, a raucous second telling began with a “Spectacle” that segued to “Running into the Night”. The segues continued into “Anthem” ahead of the first “History of the Disco Biscuits” in 19 years. Last played on December 31st, 2002 (per Phantasy Tour), this led to a new song, “History of the Disco Biscuits, Part II”, which documented the band’s history with Aucoin, who joined the band on December 28th, 2005. Joined by Tom Hamilton (Ghost Light, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead) and Chris Michetti, this debut included excerpts of “The Great Abyss” and the Grateful Dead‘s “I Know You Rider”. The first telling of “Biscuits Are Coming Home” since February 2nd, 2017, followed before “Helicopters” with topical “Happy New Year” lyrics ended the second set.
With time for another frame, the Biscuits opened up with Andrew Gold-penned theme to The Golden Girls, “Thank You for Being a Friend”—a tribute to Betty White who had passed earlier in the day. An unfinished “Spaga” worked its way into “Strobelights and Martinis” and “I-Man”, before a “Morph Dusseldorf” sandwich filled with a “History of the Disco Biscuits, Part II” reprise ended the festivities, sans encore.
Check out The Disco Biscuits set one opener from the band’s New Year’s Eve celebration at The Fillmore in Philadelphia below and scroll down for detailed setlists of the run. Full-show audio is available thanks to taper PhilthyDan.
The Disco Biscuits – The Fillmore Philadelphia – Philadelphia, PA – 12/30/21 – Full Audio
Next up for the Biscuits is an appearance at the inaugural Wham Bam Music Festival in Pittsboro, NC (3/10–3/12). Head to the band’s website for tickets and a full list of tour dates.
The Disco Biscuits – “Rivers” > “Run Like Hell” – 12/31/21
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