–Margaret Main (photos by Matt Enbar/MenbarPhotos)
Camp Bisco 12 has come and gone, but the memories it created will always remain. Drawing one of the most unique and diverse crowds of any festival out there, those who attended “Camp,” as it is affectionately called, know that they can expect an experience unlike any other. Where else can you see classic jambands like The Disco Biscuits, Umphrey’s McGee, STS9 and Lotus in the same location as rapidly rising EDM stars such as Seven Lions and Madeon? A wonderland of music, art and beautifully interesting people, Camp Bisco’s devout cast of dedicated fans, musicians, artists and employees make it one of the best experiences you can find from an American festival.
Put on by MCP Presents, Camp Bisco is no newbie to the scene, and you can tell when you go. Seasoned festival veterans make Camp one of the most entertaining festivals I have ever attended. In addition to two side by said main stages, a “Label” tent and a “B.I.G” tent stage, Camp included a multitude of vendor stalls carrying the funkiest and freshest in rave and hippie fashions. There was also a “Gazebo” stage hidden amongst the trees on the shore of the river bordering the camp grounds, and you cannot forget to mention the Silent Disco stage which started popping off every night after the live music ended at 3am. Live art was created each day in the middle of the festival by an extensive list of talented artists, my personal favorite being work by Greg Mike a surrealist pop artists based out of Atlanta. And in case you somehow need more than all of this, Camp came equipped with a giant ferris wheel provided by the company Wheel of Lights, and a 3-story tall wooden platform you could jump off of onto a giant air bag provided by US Airbag.
Thursday kicked off to the funky melodies of Umphrey’s McGee, STS9 and The Disco Biscuits on the main stages, the sounds of the OWSLA label and Boysnoize Records on the B.I.G. tent, and the trap beats of RL Grime and Flosstradamus in the Label tent. Dillon Francis, Flux Pavilion, and Boys Noize drew some of the biggest crowds of the night at the B.I.G. tent while STS9 owned the main stage. Dillon Francis’s dad made a special appearance on stage during his set and got the crowd super pumped for Boys Noize. As always the Disco Biscuits brought one of the best light/laser shows anyone’s ever seen with an equally unique set. Come 3am, as the music started to wind down you could still wander the festival and listen to local DJ’s throwing down on decks attached to food vendor stalls, RV’s and even tent campsites. Along with accessory and food vendors there were hookah and hammock oasis’s for campers amongst the campsites for carefree souls to stop and take five. As the sun was rising over the first night of Bisco many campers were still going strong and for those attempting sleep, electronic melodies lured them into dreamland.
Disco Biscuits – Menbar Photos
STS9 – Menbar Photos
Day two attendees exhibited no less energy than they had on Thursday and as the summer sun beat down on the festival spirits were high all around. Wolfgang Gartner‘s first signee to Kingergarten Records, Popeska absolutely killed it at the B.I.G. tent with his unique brand of progressive house. Wolfgang Gartner drew a huge crowd to the main stage shortly after and stayed true to form, refusing to drop any of today’s top 40 EDM hits or even close (which is refreshing, to say the least). Paper Diamond also owned the stage, looking as funky fresh as ever in those defining glasses.
Bassnectar, arguably the most highly anticipated set of Bisco, took the stage next and I think it is safe to say that every totem pole (aka Rage Stick) of the festival was in attendance. As any true EDM fan knows, Lorin has a fan base that translates to a following like no other, and Bisco was no different. The energy in the air was palpable as the long haired musical icon took the stage and the bass did not disappoint. Choosing to close with a mind blowing remix of “Killing in the Name” by Rage Against the Machine, Bassnectar walked off stage to fans screaming his name. Going from one epic moment to the next with hardly a pause, Destroid, Excisions project featuring Downlink and KJ Swaka on drums, took the stage and blew the crowd away. Their use of custom made midi guitars used to control Ableton during the show combined with an electronic bass music drum kit and full body LED suites making the performers appear as slightly demonized robots, the set was astonishing from start to finish. Lotus closed out the night and had the entire fest grooving within moments. Using almost all live instrumentation and hardly any samples, Lotus was the perfect set to mix up the pattern of the night.
Paper Diamond – Menbar Photos
Menbar Photos
As the final day of Bisco arrived so did Break Science and Audrey Napoleon. A relatively new name in the game, Napoleon rocked the crowd with her Lady GaGa-ish style and fresh heavy beats. Many left the stage feeling surprised they had never heard her name before, but you can bet they know it now. Zeds Dead threw down a wickedly dirty set as always, putting an awesome spin on their remix of “Eyes on Fire” by Blue Foundation. Passion Pit injected pure happiness into the crowd with their feel good favorites while Crizzly, Gramatik and Dirtyphonics live killed it at the B.I.G. tent. To close out the night fest-goers had Madeon and Boombox to look forward too. Boombox, as old school as ever, showed the Label tent what it means to fuse rock n’ roll and electronic while Madeon didn’t even need headphones to play his set.
A magically uplifting experience all around, Camp Bisco 12 leaves festival-goers eagerly awaiting the next installment in Bisco history.
To check out some photos from Day 1 of Camp Bisco, courtesy of Live for Live Music photographer Matt Enbar, click here.
To check out some photos from Day 2 of Camp Bisco, courtesy of Live for Live Music photographer Matt Enbar, click here.
To check out some photos from Day 3 of Camp Bisco, courtesy of Live for Live Music photographer Matt Enbar, click here.
To read our review of just The Disco Biscuits at Camp Bisco by Chris Meyer, click here.