Here is the latest installment of our summer series, highlighting a diverse mix of upcoming festivals. Today we look at Camp Bisco, which will take place from July 15-17 in Mariaville, NY.

The Essentials:

Mariaville, NY, July 15-17

The Lineup:

The Disco Biscuits; LCD Soundsystem; Ween; Thievery Corporation; Method Man, Ghostface & Raekwon (“Wu Massacre”); Girl Talk; Break Science w/ special guest Talib Kweli and David Murphy of STS9; Bassnectar; Pretty Lights; Major Lazer; Diplo; Aeroplane; Pusko; Holy Fu*k; Caribou; The New Deal; Sunrise Silent Disco; The Album Leaf; Dieselboy; Brothers Past; Gift of Gab (Of Blackalicious); RAQ; SOJA; Kill the Noise; Future Rock; Felix Cartal; Emancipator; King Britt; Tipper; Telepath; Two Fresh; Beats Antique; The Black Seeds; Orchard Lounge; Rubblebucket; Spiritual Rez; Eskmo; Welder; Sub Swara; Big Gigantic; Papadosio; MoPo; Mimosa; Derek Plaslaiko; Dubskin; Earl Greyhound; The Constellations; Morning Teleportation; Nobody Beats the Drum; C-Mon & Kypski; Archnemesis; Woodhands; Grimace Federation; Justin Paul; Lee Mayjahs; DJ Everyday

The Buzz:

Camp Bisco offers a medley of musical tastes ranging from the jammy Ween to the rappers “Wu Massacre” to a DJ dance tent for those who just want to dance. This year’s event also features many expansive changes from a revamping of the DJ tent, to the addition of a second main stage for nonstop music all day long, plus an expansion of art, dancers and firedancers and other performers.

“People will definitely see a big step up in the overall level of the whole festival,” said Jonathan Fordin, the festival’s promoter. “This year, we’ve taken it a step further by adding the second main stage in the main concert field to keep more bands in the main concert field and kinda have it as two separate entities. So we’re expecting a lot of people to camp out at the dance tent and we’re expecting a lot of people to camp out at the stages.”

The Back Story:

Camp Bisco was started by the Disco Biscuits in 1999 and has been held on and off since then in different locations in the Northeast. After 2000, the festival took a year off and returned in 2002 only to go on hiatus again until 2005. In 2005 at Camp Bisco IV marked the last appearance of Sam Altman in the band. Allen Aucoin replaced him the next fall. He remains with the band to this day.

Since 2005, Camp Bisco has been going strong and gaining in size and popularity. The past four years, the festival has been held at the Indian Lookout Country Club in upstate New York. The festival has grown to a whopping 15,000 people and has expanded from one stage to two main stages as well as a DJ dance tent. “As the event’s gotten bigger obviously the budget has grown,” Fordin said. “We’ve been able to book bigger and bigger bands every year, spend more and more money on artistic stuff and sound and lights and visuals, all the aesthetics that go into an event like this. All the sensory over load stuff we’ve continued to grow and grow each year and we’re not stopping anytime soon.”

Headliner Headlines:

The obvious headliners, The Disco Biscuits, will play three shows throughout the weekend. The other three headliners are Ween, Thievery Corporation and LCD Soundsystem, three huge bands for Camp Bisco. “LCD is one of my favorite bands and I really didn’t expect us to be able to get them,” admits Fordin. “LCD, Thievery and Ween are pretty much three of my favorite acts that are out there that do a live setting, LCD having a live band, Thievery having a live band and Ween obviously being a live band.” LCD and Thievery will both do live sets at the festival, which is not always common for the two bands. Gaining three powerful headliners like these attest to Camp Bisco’s growth over the year.

Don’t Overlook:

Don’t forget to check out the revamped, surround sound equiped DJ dance tent if you’re looking to get your dance on. The tent will offer live DJ sets through out the day, a newer feature of the festival. And, if you still can’t get enough dancing, check out the Sunrise Silent Disco. Also be sure to check out the stuff going on outside of the music; there are a lot of art, fire art, dancers and other performers coming to Bisco this year at the performing arts stage.

Helpful Hints:

“Don’t bring glass, that’s the number one rule,” said Fordin. “Don’t bring glass and don’t speed on the property.” Two pretty simple rules to keep in mind when packing and heading to Camp Bisco. Security will be searching cars so don’t try and hide those glass handles among plastic items. Other obvious items to bring with you are plenty of water and sunscreen.