NYS Music 20​13

Tag: mariaville

  • Camp Bisco 12: Raising the Bar

    Over the past 12 years Camp Bisco has climbed the ranks of EDM festivals becoming a Mecca for electronic music lovers all over America. Camp Bisco is an annual event that I look forward to from the very first moment early bird tickets go on sale. Each year I meet friends, new and old, for a three day gathering of amazing music, art and people. This year certainly did not disappoint and was one of the best Camp Bisco experiences I’ve had. Every aspect of the festival contributes to the foundation of a phenomenally amazing experience, and it’s so close to home you really can’t go wrong.

    The past two years, I spent the extra money for a VIP ticket, so this year I left Wednesday night to ensure that my friends and I would miss traffic and have a full day of live music Thursday afternoon. What I have found in the past years is that there will always be traffic. I often like to think that I’m the only person in the world who is belligerently excited to be back at Camp, and I am always sadly mistaken when I hit that line of traffic miles from the Indian Lookout Country Club. Overall it wasn’t too bad and I was happy we made the trip up a day early so we had a full day of music on Thursday.

    Thursday afternoon started the weekend off right with a beautiful blue sky and some great daytime music. Although the day began a little rocky for my friends and I, as we ended up locking the keys in our car with the engine running and spending hours trying to break in with a bent hanger, we were lucky Camp Bisco has AAA on site, so clearly this fairly common predicament for campers was solved for us. Judging by the amount of people I ran into who had also locked their keys in the car throughout the weekend, it’s safe to say that AAA should be on site for every festival.

    With the release of Daft Punk’s new album Random Access Memories, it seemed to be a major trend within many sets throughout the weekend to sample or cover one of their new songs. Twiddle and Digital Tape Machine kicked it off with the first sets of the weekend mixing in a little Daft Punk, which the crowd certainly did not contest. The Manhattan Project took over the label tent with a phenomenally large crowd for an early set, which was no surprise. This was The Manhattan Project’s third year at Camp Bisco and it has been amazing to see their talent and fan base grow so immensely year to year. RubbleBucket Orchestra took the main stage in the late afternoon with the perfect upbeat, feel good music. One thing I can say about the sets at Camp Bisco is that they are almost always spot on with separating the beautiful and relaxing day time sets with the late night high energy sets. I, of course, had to check out a little bit of Macklemore’s set on main stage (“Thrift Shop” is quite possibly the most catchy song in the entire world.) I’m not really a huge fan of live rap shows simply because the sound is extremely difficult to emulate the quality of a studio recording, which sometimes make it difficult to hear the vocals. Still, it was an entertaining set with hilarious moments. Camp Bisco does a great job of bringing in different genres, and especially with their rap acts, getting the latest and greatest artists.

    Although I’ve never really been the biggest Umphrey’s McGee fan, I was definitely impressed by their set, despite bassist Ryan Stasik not being in attendance, as his daughter was born that weekend. Bryan Dohery of Digital Tape Machine, Dave Murphy of STS9 and Marc Brownstein of The Disco Biscuits filled in on bass during the set, with Brownstein stepping out to play on a cover of the Biscuit’s own “Home”, to welcome everyone back to the festival we have all grown to love so much year after year. Being a huge Sound Tribe Sector 9 fan, I went over to Main Stage 2 early so I could be front and center to see what they had in store for their sunset-set. Some of the craziest shows I have ever seen in my life have been at main stage of Camp Bisco during sunset (Shpongle live of Camp Bisco X was mind blowing). Sound Tribe certainly did not disappoint. Some highlights included “Scheme”, “Inspire Strikes Back” and “Vibyl”. They were also accompanied by live saxophone and trumpet who brought the level of energy and the complexities of each song to new levels.

    Overall all of the Biscuits sets were absolutely amazing and this year brought some of the best Disco Biscuits sets I have seen at Camp since Camp Bisco 8. The Disco Biscuits started their first set of the weekend on a very high note, including a 20 minute “Spaga” and a stellar 25 minute “I-Man”. All around, the Biscuits gave a great performance. Oh, and the new light show? C’mon. Insane.

    Late night in the Label tent consisted of Com Truise and Squarepusher, two highly anticipating artists. Com Truise had a lot of energy and was an all around feel good show. Squarepusher was quite possibly the most chaotic and amazing set I have ever seen at Camp Bisco, and having wanted to see him live for almost eight years, I was unbelievably floored that he was playing a festival in Upstate New York. His set, true to his nature, was insane. I think a lot of people expected something else and were very confused when they walked into the tent. Squarepusher focuses mostly around heavy drum and bass and electro-acoustic music, so often times the progressions are spastic and abrupt. He took the stage donning an intense mask that lit up in sync with the projections behind him, and to his music. It wasn’t until he stepped away from his table and picked up his bass that I was truly blown away. This set was certainly one of my highlights for the entire weekend. After Squarepusher, I walked down to the hill stage for some Silent Disco, but once the sun started coming up, I made the responsible decision of getting some sleep before the next long day of music.

    Friday was another beautiful day, and completely unlike the average Camp Bisco weekend, as there was absolutely no rain and it was not 100 degrees, making for absolutely perfect weather during daytime performances. If you’ve never been to Camp Bisco, or even if you have, one thing to do is ride the Ferris Wheel, which provides the most amazing view from the top and really puts into perspective how enormous this festival has become. I didn’t end up spending the money on the air bag dive, but it was entertaining enough watching other people jump off that I think it is a great addition to Camp Bisco’s tomfoolery. I popped in and out of the Label tent during Govinda which surprisingly packed for such an early set. Watching the crowd, I was very much blown away by the dedication some of these attendees have. I don’t understand how they have the energy to dance that hard for that long and not be passed out by 5 o’clock.

    Being clock-less via dead cellphone made it difficult to ever know what time it was. I was happy that I stumbled upon Toro Y Moi on the main stage, who I was very much looking forward to seeing. The set was very low key and an awesome way to spend a Friday afternoon. His music is very different from most of what’s around, which is why I was so excited to see what he would pull out in a live performance. This performance proves what I said about Camp Bisco’s set placements for each artist always being incredibly on point. The schedule for Friday was shifted around a bit due to issues with Animal Collective. In true Camp Bisco fashion, the moment Animal Collective couldn’t perform, they had the legendary Thievery Corporation on a flight from across the country to fill their slot. By shifting the set time an hour earlier, Thievery Corporation was a perfect cap to the day and beginning to the night. After Thievery Corporation I took a short break before hitting up the Bassnectar set, sandwiched by double Disco Biscuits sets. I didn’t stay for all of Bassnectar because the crowd was a little crazy, but nevertheless, it was a high energy show and the crowd clearly enjoyed themselves.

    Both sets from the Disco Biscuits were, once again, spectacular. Each set seemed to get better than the last. As a Biscuits fan, it can be easy to be cynical and walk away from some shows feeling a little let down, but there was none of that this weekend. Each set was absolute fire. The highlights of all of night two included “Lunar Pursuit”, “Helicopters” and a “Highwire” encore.

    Gigamesh, Aeroplane and Lotus were all awesome late night sets. Gigamesh and Aeroplane were so high energy I was physically exhausted when it was time to switch tents for Lotus. Luckily, Lotus was a little slower and more ambient which was a nice end to a long day of music.

    Saturday mornings are always the best and the worst at Camp Bisco. You know you have a whole day of music ahead of you, but there is still a looming reality of it all coming to an end. By the time I had gotten myself together to head down to the main stage for the noon Indobox set, it appeared there were some technical difficulties with the stage and music would be pushed back until it was figured out. Music was pushed back for a few hours so I popped into the label tent until the first Biscuits set. Everyone seemed to be having a great time despite the mishap at main stage. By the time The Disco Biscuits came on, the excitement level was high. The daytime Biscuits set is always something I look forward to. They’re often more low key than their usual sets and great to relax in the sun during. However, this set was high in energy and packed with gems. The main highlight of this set was the “Spy” although I am always a fan of a good “Magellan.” I quickly left from main stage so I could catch Break Science who had been moved to the label tent.

    Each time I have Break Science, the energy is high and the talent is mind blowing. Adam Deitch is the kind of drummer you need to see to believe. I almost always try to find my way to the front just to be able to see both artists work their magic in synchrony. I wish I had been able to catch more of their set, but I was definitely happy I didn’t miss it. The next act I caught was Passion Pit on the main stage, which was definitely a highlight of the weekend. Passion Pit is just the kind of feel-good, upbeat night time set you want to see on your last day of Camp Bisco. The crowd chimed in, singing each song and waving their rage sticks through the light show that stretched across the grounds. Immediately after Passion Pit left the stage, the Disco Biscuits quickly filled in for their last two sets of the weekend. It was a treat being able to see two Disco Biscuits sets back to back, giving the crowd a full Biscuits show on the last night of their festival. Highlights included, “Story of the World, “Run Like Hell,” and a personal favorite, “Little Shimmy in a Conga line.” This was a brilliant way to end a weekend of some of the best Biscuits sets I’ve seen in a long time. After the two sets I needed a long break to recollect myself and rest before late night. The last set I ended up catching was Boombox at the Label Tent. I have seen Boombox a handful of times and they never disappoint. They put on a psychedelic, funky, disco-esque set that kept us all dancing and put the close on a phenomenal weekend at Camp Bisco.

    Each year Camp Bisco stretches its potential and our expectations. The festival has branched out to include acts and artists that might not ever share the stage otherwise. Each year is an experience, and a mind blowing one at that. At one point during the weekend Marc Brownstein exclaimed, “It’s been 12 years! That means combined we’ve been at Camp Bisco for almost a month!” It’s crazy to look back at what the festival started as and what it has now become. It is so much bigger than anyone ever truly anticipated, but hey, Upstate New York knows how to party. Thank you Camp Bisco for another brilliant weekend.

  • Ten Tips for Camp Bisco That You Will Thank Us For Later

    This will be my fifth year attending Camp Bisco in Mariaville at the Indian Lookout Country Club. As a Camp Bisco veteran, I have a few tips and suggestions that I wish someone would’ve told me before my first Camp. Following these guidelines can only help make your festival experience run smoothly and make fora successful weekend.

    1. Use a marker for your camp site. This is something I’ve always put number one on my list. As the festival has grown, the grounds have become a maze, making it difficult to find your friends and campsite. Use whatever is easiest to transport. In the past I have seen everything from flags to balloons and “rage sticks” to identify where you are in the labyrinth of easy ups and tents; whatever it takes to make sure you don’t end up sleeping in another person’s tent. If you choose to bring a balloon, make sure you bring ample string or rope and tie it tightly. I’ve seen all too many fallen balloon-soldiers to the weak ribbons of festival land.

    2. DON’T bring glass. Just don’t do it. If you look at the Camp Bisco website  you will see this clearly indicated under numerous times in the “What Not To Bring” portion of the site. Your car is going to get searched and there is nothing that holds up a line like a couple glass jars or bottle, whether full of beer, salsa or other things. You’ll end up having to throw out your stuff and you’ll probably make a lot of people mad. This is your warning.

    3. Always buy warm beer. A rookie mistake at a festival is buying a 30 pack of ice cold beer thinking that it won’t become skunk after day one. At a festival, ice is a privilege, not a right, so if you have things you need to keep cold, you have to wake up early to get to the general store and pick up a bag or two. With the thousands of people attending Camp Bisco, there is no way that you can plan on keeping ice forever on site for your crew, especially in the warm July heat when you’re gonna need it. Don’t pack things that you know need to stay constantly iced, because chances are you’ll run into a time where you’re going to have to wait for the festival to restock their ice supply. It isn’t fun having a cooler of food that’s gone bad, that’s for sure.

    4. Stay hydrated. Another rookie mistake I’ve seen year after year is the first year festival goers putting back beers in the 100 degree weather waiting in line to get in. Yeah, it’s nice to have a beer after a long commute but you have a long day and a long weekend ahead of you. The amount of people that collapse from not properly staying hydrated in the heat is outrageous. No matter where you go within the festival grounds, keep water on deck. You certainly don’t want your festival experience to be ruined by waking up in the EMT tent due to dehydration.  Bring TOO MUCH water; it’s better to be safe than sorry. The pump water is completely kosher for a quick rinse down in the morning, but bring your own water to drink. Water is a huge necessity at a festival, don’t make the mistake of not bringing enough. Last year between two people, we went through a case and a half of water. Given, it was peaking 98 degrees during the day, but with all the dancing and sweating you’ll be doing, you’re going to need a ton of H20.

    5. Map out what music you want to see prior to getting to the festival. Chances are there will be a million things going on at once that you want to experience and enjoy, so make sure you have a clear path cut out to ensure that you get the best of your festival experience. Also, do not lose your schedule. By day two everyone and their mother is going to try and borrow your schedule because they lost their own. Make sure you keep your schedule somewhere safe so that you’re not missing out on the awesome acts throughout the weekend. And make sure you see something new! Camp Bisco has introduced me to some of my favorite bands and DJs that I would not have heard otherwise. Venture out, follow the crowds and jump from stage to stage. You will not regret it.

    6. Pack appropriate clothing; It seems like a given, but sometimes you need to be reminded. I’ve seen past Biscos that have rained the entire time and I was definitely happy to have a pair of rain boots, umbrella and rain coat on deck. You can never be sure what the weather will bring when you’re camping outside vulnerable to mother nature’s wrath. In the same breath, bring sunscreen! I have also seen a Bisco where it has been 100 degrees every day with nothing but beaming, hot sun (i.e., last year). I made this mistake my first year and have always made sure I bring ample sunscreen every year since. There is nothing worse than being brutally burned for an entire weekend of sun, dancing and music. Also, don’t bring an expensive pair of shoes that you value. Regardless of the weather, somewhere there will be mud. If there wasn’t, it wouldn’t be a festival. I’ve seen people go barefoot the entire weekend and it just isn’t a good idea. You never know what lies in the depths of a muddy field that you really don’t want in or around your bare feet.

    7. Bring a solar powered charger. You’ll be happy when you’re not standing in line at a charging station or killing the battery on your car. There is little to no cellphone service at Indian Lookout so you’re phone will die almost immediately. Honestly, the best advice I could give you in regards to your expensive smart phone is lock it up. You won’t have service, it’ll constantly be dead and you’ll probably end up breaking, losing or dropping it in a port-o-potty; just lock it up and forget about it. Sounds unbelievable, but I promise you’ll survive.

    8. Get some sleep. As tempting as it is to pull all nighters for an entire weekend, your body will hate you come Sunday morning when it’s time to make that commute back to wherever you live. Even if it’s only a couple hours a night, make sure you sleep. This could be difficult due the constant thumping bass from your neighbors and the mandatory Five a.m. drum circles, so bring ear plugs, maybe a sleep mask and catch some shut eye. I have never been happier at a Camp Bisco than when I am fully rested and ready to keep moving.

    9. Wet wipes are God’s way of saying “You don’t need a shower to smell clean(ish)”. The shower lines at Camp can get pretty long. The best way to ensure a shower is to go at night, but then you’re risking missing an epic set on main stage. Wet wipes are cheap, easy and will keep you relatively clean. At least clean enough to not be that smelly guy in the crowd.

    10. Lastly, have fun! A day at Camp Bisco can feel like a week in real-time. Take things slow, don’t get overwhelmed and enjoy your time at one of the fastest growing, greatest electronic music festivals in the world.

  • Camp Bisco 12: Back with a Vengeance

    It’s about that time of year again when the social media feeds fill with people’s excitement and let downs about their up coming festival season. Every year I find myself in a mad dash to acquire the funds to support my undying love for live music. It seems everyone is in agreement over this past week’s Camp Bisco 12 lineup release. The best thing about Camp Bisco is you never know what to expect. Within the past six or seven years of my own attendance I’ve been able to see such a wide spectrum of music acts all so close to home.

    The past years have included major acts such as Shpongle live, (including Simon Posford, Raja Ramm and the rest of their psychedelic entourage) LCD Soundystem, The Disco Biscuits (of course), Cut Copy, Thievery Corporation, Snoop Dogg (when he wasn’t quite a lion yet), Pretty Lights,  Sound Tribe Sector 9, The New Deal, Girl Talk, and many, many more. Over the past years we have seen Camp Bisco grow from the one stage local festival into a national phenomena attracting individuals from all across America for the longest weekend of their lives. It has been amazing to watch the growth of such an amazing festival over the past few years. This will be the twelfth Camp Bisco and the seventh of which will be hosted at the Indian Lookout Country Club in Mariaville, New York.

    Two weeks ago when the lineup was released the excitement slowly began to build, and will continue to do so until the day we all wait in line in the hot July sun to enter the world of Bisco. “126 days until Camp Bisco”- the banner reads, ticking down every second on CampBisco.net. This years lineup so far includes The Disco Biscuits, Bassnectar, Passion Pit, STS9, Animal Collective, Umphrey’s McGee, Flux Pavillion, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Lotus, Boys Noize, Wolfgang Gartner, Tommy Trash, Dillion Francis, UZ, Aeroplane, Alvin Risk, Audrey Napoleon, Baauer, Bear Mountain, Boombox, Break Science, Cherub, Chris Malinchak, Clockwork, Com Truise, Congorock, Cosby Sweater, Crizzly, Dan Deacon, Designer Drugs, Dirtyphonics (Live), El-P, Eskmo, Flosstradamus, Free Energy, Gigamesh, Govinda, Gramatik, Grandtheft, Green Lantern, HeRobust, Heroes x Villians, Indobox, Killer Mike, Koan Sound, Manic Focus, M | O | D, Nadis Warriors, Nick Thayer, Paper Diamond, Party Supplies, Popeska, Project 46, RL Grime, Rubblebucket, Ryan Hemsworth, The Werks, Toro y Moi, Twiddle, Vacationer, VHS or Beta, Wick-It the Instigator, and Zoogma.

    Second leg announcement includes Destroid (Feat. Excision, Downlink and KJ Sawka), Madeon, Danny Brown, Seven Lions, Digital Tape Machine, Bondax, Strip Steve, Moon boots, Perseus, Alpha Data, Autobody and The Manhattan Project. PLUS: Curated tents by Owsla Vs. BoyzNoise Records, French Express and ThisSongIsSick.Com

    Last years lineup included artists such as Bassnectar, Crystal Castles, Amon Tobin, Big Boi and Atmosphere. Just when you think that Camp Bisco cannot out do themselves, they do.

    If you would like to listen to some of the scheduled artists check out Baxstar’s playlist on soundcloud:
    https://soundcloud.com/soulryder-princess/sets/get-pumped-for-bisco-carla-d

    The latest announcements are centered around the highly speculated and exciting performance by Zeds Dead. The festival also welcomed LTJ Bukem, Destructo, Samo Sound Boy and Gravity A for the upcoming festival. The announcement also included the famous Camp Bisco ferris wheel, a Bisco Air Bag, yoga and hooping workshops, greening initiatives and a brand new Hammock Lounge by the Lake. This year there will be increased water stations, new showers and refresh stations with power outlets for all you folks who need to charge up those cellphones. New and exciting things are heading our way for this upcoming festival which is just a few short weeks away.

    Tickets are still on sale at Campbisco.net, stay tuned for more updates

  • Camp Bisco 12 announced for July 11-13

    Questions were looming whether Camp Bisco was going to happen in Upstate New York this year.  There were rumors of it being completely done; moving south or even changing it’s name.  Well, Bisco fans don’t need to worry anymore.  Camp Bisco announced that the show will go on for # 12 of its run. Camp Bisco will be returning to the beautiful Indian Lookout Country Club, in rural Mariaville, NY.

    Camp Bisco is a unique festival for many reasons.  Where else can you find such a unique blend of electonic house, hip hop, jam bands and whatever else they might throw at you every year.  the only thing you can count on is that the disco biscuits will be gracing the stage and that you will have a great time.  Oh yeah, there is also a good chance of rain.

    The festival plans to expand and enhance the experience for attendees by adding “surround sound and greater concert production to all stages. From large-scale art installations and artist workshops to performance art demonstrations, carnival rides and more, Camp Bisco is also increasing the interactive elements in 2013 to create an even better festival experience for patrons. Long distance shuttles will also return, offering service from Albany, Baltimore, Boston, New York City and Philadelphia.”

    Early Bird tickets go on sale Saturday, February 2 at 10 a.m. EST for a very limited allotment at $170. General on sale tickets will start at $185, before raising to the last minute price $199. All-inclusive pre-sale VIP packages are available again this year, starting at $450 for VIP and $1300 for a pair of Platinum VIP tickets, before increasing to $500 and $1400 respectively. Camp Bisco will also be introducing a new layaway plan, where fans can divide payments on General Admission tickets equally between the on sale date and July 1st. Tickets will be available online at campbisco.net. Camp Bisco is an 18 and over event.