Night 1
The Disco Biscuits returned to Asheville after 8 years (last show 10/30/2010) for a 2 night stand at the Salvage Station. Salvage Station is an old salvage yard that has been transformed into a beautiful venue overlooking the French Broad River. All week weather forecasts had called for rain but as we arrived the first night the skies had settled for the moment and the band arrived on stage at 6:30 pm.
Set one opened with Pink Floyd’s Run Like Hell served up as a great opening jam that got the creative juices flowing before getting to the vocal section. The second jam section of RLH kept the same bouncy beat but explored some darker tones as the transition into a first time ever inverted Magellan began. Bisco traveled through the composed sections of Magellan well and set up for the jam of the night. Magellan began to finish with drummer Allen Aucoin’s rolling drum beat then transitioning into a super dance-friendly opening Mr. Don jam. Keyboardist Aaron Magner began a slew of different trippy melodies and sounds guiding the jam until a small breakdown and a breath of fresh air before Aucoin started the e-drums and sent the crowd back into dancing bliss. Mr. Don ended with a solid peak and ended set one.
Strobelights and Martinis opened the second set, which although short, was still jammed well. Frank Zappa’s Pygmy Twylyte continued the set and featured an excellent solo from guitarist Jon Gutwillig and transitioned into Cyclone. Cyclone’s jam took the crowd into full blown untz mode as Aucoin e-drum pads guided the jam. Towards the end of Cyclone the jam took a turn into dark psychedelia and the opening words of Digital Buddha began with Acoins e-drums still driving the show. Magner took over the jam section of Buddha creating dark sounds sometimes sounding like a straight up siren as darkness began to really fall on the night and the full effect of the lasers could be felt. Digital Buddha ended the epic 3 song sandwich and the night ended with a close to 20 minute stand alone House Dog Party Favor. Lighting began to flash throughout the song and the band was forced to end the show and not come back out for an encore thus ending night one.
Night One Setlist
I: Run Like Hell>Magellan (inverted)>Mr. Don
II: Strobelights and Martinis, Pygmy Twylyte> Cyclone> Digital Buddha, House Dog Party Favor
Night 2
Night two began with Spectacle which was supposedly the encore that they had to cut because of the rain and lightning the night before. King of the World continued the set and really got the dance grooves going during the jam section and featured an epic solo from Gutwillig before seamlessly transitioning into a short but sweet Voices Insane. The opening section of Hope fueled the next part of the show and the jam picked up speed before transitioning into an inverted Above the Waves. The Disco Biscuits played the composition sections of Above the Waves well and the set came to a close with the ending verse of Hope.
Set two from Saturday was easily the best set of the weekend (and maybe the year). The band returned to the stage and the opening of Hot Air B
alloon filled the air and the Bisco crowd cheered with excitement. HAB’s first jam section stayed light and fluffy with soaring melodies coming from Magner’s keys. An inverted Naeba continued the light and fluffy feel of the set through the composition section, but as the band moved onto the jam the dark funk began to show. In the middle of Naeba’s jam Aucoin’s e-drums emerged and had the crowd
bouncing and smiling to the beat. Bisco transitioned smoothly into The Champions and the dark untz theme continued. The mayhem continued as the ominous sounds of Orch Theme continued the set and dark clouds began to really fill the air and that “Is it gonna rain” feeling started to be felt throughout the crowd. Orch Theme finished and the rain started to fall creating a beautiful crystal like effect on the lasers as the sounds of Hot Air Balloon began to fill the Salvage Station once again. Hot Air Balloon ended the amazing second set and smiles and wide eyes were seen everywhere as we knew we had just been a part of something special. The Disco Biscuits encored with Rock Candy, giving a little jab at their Colorado run this week ending at Red Rocks Amphitheater, and finished with the ending of Pink Floyd’s Run Like Hell completing the 2 show sandwich.
Night Two Setlist
I: Spectacle, King of the World>Voices Insane, Hope>Above the Waves (inverted)>Hope
II: Hot Air Balloon>Naeba (inverted)>The Champions>Orch Theme>Hot Air Balloon
E: Rock Candy>Run Like Hell
Catch the Disco Biscuits this week with three nights at the Ogden Theater in Denver and one night at Morrison’s Red Rocks Amphitheater.