Disco Biscuits | Review – Live Music Daily

Live at 9:30 Club

July 31 & August 1, 2014

Washington, DC

By John David Church

Night 1

So there I was sitting on the rail of the balcony amongst folks that I call family eagerly awaiting the music to start. It had been over a year since the last time I had seen my favorite band play. The lights dimmed as the band took the stage and began with an intro jam that led right into “Little Shimmy in the Conga Line.” Interesting way to start a set; it certainly set the tone for me as Magner fluttered across the ivory. An in depth jam carried us across space into “Helicopters.” Personally, I have always loved this song, especially the drop into the jam after the chorus. Some nasty guitar playing as I could swear that I heard “Funky Town” teases and before I knew it I heard such a beautiful sound. “Humahumunukunukuapua” came in across the room and smiles spread across the crowd as the band took us in and out of a “Dancin’ in the Street” vocal jam. Only after they had returned back to finish Little Shimmy did they decide to stop the music to start a fresh track. “Pilin’ It High” had the crowd singing along as Jon got surgical with his guitar. The band ended this by taking us into a musical cannonball, “Svengali.” I looked around at a few friends and we all seemed to agree that this would be a fine way to end the set. But they just had to pile ‘em on. After all, it’s not the pile, it’s pilin’ it high. So, a standalone “Morph Dusseldorph” would finish us all of nicely and certainly give us something to talk about as we overcrowded the sidewalk at set break.

This is the set that I had been waiting for since I first walked into the 930 Club and noticed the 3 drum sets erected on stage. The lights once more dimmed as The Disco Biscuits took the stage flanked by Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann of The Grateful Dead. The band started off with a heavy hitter, “Memphis”. I looked around the room and noticed, perhaps for the first time that evening, that this was not entirely your normal Biscuits crowd. The average age seemed to be a little above the par and while flat brims were around, they weren’t overwhelming atop attendees’ heads. The general vibe in the air seemed to congeal into that of pure love as the musical pulses took us into “West L.A. Fadeaway”. Welcome to the Disco Dead. A hard hitting jam took us right into perhaps the most covered GD song, “Shakedown Street”. That’s fine with me though. Seeing everybody move side to side only accented how timeless these tunes are; how the music crosses generations to bring us all together. In and out of “I Don’t Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing” and into one of my all time favorite Dead tunes, “Eyes of the World”. I was quite impressed with Magner’s vocals on this as I would not normally point out the Biscuits for blowing me away vocally. Into “Space” which was followed by a truly spectacular drum jam that for a moment had me thinking, “Floes?” Never have I been happier to be wrong in calling the next song as the drop into “Caterpillar” came to round off the set with the Biscuits sound it began with. As the band returned to the stage for the encore, I heard Brownstein (I think) say, “We need more drums!” That’s when Jeremy from Big Gigantic took the stage to join The Grateful Biscuits for a rousing rendition of “I Know You Rider.” There really is no greater feeling than watching a sold out 930 Club sing along to your favorite band.

The Disco Biscuits
07/31/2014 • 9:30 Club • Washington, DC

Set 1: Little Shimmy In A Conga Line > Helicopters 1 > Humuhumunukunukuapua’a 2, 3 > Little Shimmy In A Conga Line, Pilin’ It High 4 > Svenghali 5, Morph Dusseldorf

Set 2: M.E.M.P.H.I.S. 6 > West L.A. Fadeaway 6 > Jam 6 > Shakedown Street 6 > I Don’t Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing 6 > Eyes of the World 6 > Space 6 > Drums 6 > Caterpillar 6

Encore: I Know You Rider 7, 6

1 with Funky Town jam
2 with Dancing in the Streets vocal jam
3 inverted
4 Perfume version
5 end
6 with Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann on percussion
7 with Jeremy from Big Gigantic

Night 2

“I am really glad that I was here last night to experience what happened. It was something truly special and perhaps legendary. That being said, I am glad we got it of the way. I need me some serious Biscuits tonight.” – Random person outside 930 Club

And some serious Biscuits is exactly what we got. Right from the beginning of “7-11” you could tell, this was going to be a rager. There was a completely different atmosphere in the club as we slid ever so smoothly into “Trucker’s Choice.” If last night was special, then tonight was for lettin’ loose, gettin’ down and gettin’ dirty. As I gazed out upon the stage from my perch along the top balcony, I silently complimented Johnny R. Goode’s work behind the light board. While the lasers have become almost expected at Disco Biscuit shows, their usage has become more refined. Johnny’s ability to seamlessly intertwine them with the traditional lighting that melted my brain when I first started seeing this band has improved beyond measure. I feel like he once told me that he wasn’t a fan of the lasers though you certainly wouldn’t believe it at a show like this one. This is about the point where Magner just decides to go off on the keys as they sail into “Munchkin Invasion” and right into “Abraxas.” This segment brought back memories of show’s past as they brought it back into Munchkin to close out the set. Highlight of the set goes to the Munchkin>Abraxas segment for all I can really remember is dancing around like a madman during it.

They came back out on stage to give us exactly what anyone wants, “Hope.” Barber was certainly taking no prisoners in this standalone set opener. No time to breath as they started “Run Like Hell” with the customary jamming build. The feeling in the venue was electric by the time “Spraypaint” had taken hold of the crowd. Magner was laying it down on the keys as Barber’s choice notes created this victorious rush in the minds of the audience. Beeps and bops abound as we danced in and out of “Bombs” and to the bottom of “The Great Abyss.” There would be no asking of questions tonight, this was the band in their rawest form. And ever the band to enjoy a good multi-song sandwich, we landed back in “Run Like Hell.” Goddamn, did this segment make me feel alive. “And the Ladies Were the Rest of the Night” was truly a fitting standalone encore; both in its musical precision and as a rarity to be unaided as such. Overall, this whole evening was just what I had been craving; pure blissful Biscuits.