Easy to Swallow - The Disco Biscuits Take a Bite Out of the Hype
Phishin' in my backyard
by Natalie Guinsler
Cleveland Convocation Center
Cleveland, OH
Nov. 13,1998
Friday the 13th and my friend's little brother, a show virgin, needs a
ticket to get into this sold-out show, I consider my odds slim to nil
as I step out onto the cold pavement, finger flyin' along with a
couple hundred other phreezing phans. Hmmmm..someone is offering
clean socks for an extra. Whaaaaa, did I just hear 'Cash or my
girlfriend for the night for your extra'? I've got fierce
competition. Lo and be-golden, I am blessed by a young chap who taps
me on the shoulder and says, "I almost gave this to the guy offering a
piece of string cheese, but you seem less scary." Good to know, I am
less intimidating than a guy with a piece of processed dairy products.
This is my friend's first show, physically and aurally. He has no
idea what is in store. His brother, a seasoned phan and taper, has
not clued in him really on what to expect. I decide not to ruin the
surprise, and after making sure he makes it to his seat, I head down
to the floor.
Lights out, opening riff of Chalkdust, I know my newbie friend has to
be awestruck. First set billows through with Wolfman's, Roggae, a
lyrically challenged Ginseng, Page layin' on thick on It's Ice, Mike's
turn with CTB, Farmhouse, Water in the Sky, Sloth, and a full-force
Antelope. I meet up with my friend at set break, grinning from ear to
ear.
Second set, again, energy high: DWD, Sample, Dirt, BOAF, Meat, and
Harry Hood, complete with glowstick war, during which some guy behind
me muttered, "My reaction time is too slow for this, man. Help me out
if I lose my eye." Encore: GTBT
Phish's Cleveland show was a solid, clean performance. I remember
after my first show how amazed I was that all of that sound was coming
out of just four guys. When I saw my friend walking around the
promenade, I knew, he too, had been hooked.
Easy to Swallow
The Disco Biscuits Take a Bite Out of the Hype
by Natalie Guinsler
The Roost, Denison University
Granville, OH
Dec. 9,1998
For at least six months, I've been hearing all about this great band
from Pennsylvania. People I meet at shows, friends from all over,
"Oh, you haven't seen the Biscuits? You really need to see the
Biscuits." Yeah, yeah, and I need to balance my checkbook, pay the
rent, wash my hair, blah, blah, blah, see another band. So the
Biscuits pop out of the oven in my neck of the woods and I decide it's
time to venture out and see what's causing all of this hoopla.
My cynicism, I apologize, was ranting 'Disco Biscuits, sounds like the
end result of a night with the Bee Gees and Betty Crocker.' This
cynicism quickly vanished as the Biscuits started their show. They
are not the best band I've seen, they are not the best songs I've
heard or lyrics I've listened to. They are however, the band with the
most potential I have seen to someday be those things. For the first
time, in a long time, I was impressed not so much by what was on the
plate, but what was still in the oven.
With a good mix of new songs thrown in with the old, I was honestly
impressed with how much growth was apparent. I was also impressed
with how many different influences in style I was able to detect. My
largest gripe with many of today's jam-bands is their seemingly
formulized improvisation, contradicting the whole concept of a
jam-band. The Disco Biscuits have the recipe for blending and mixing,
kneading and rolling, and then letting it sit and rise.
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