The great thing about Bisco Inferno weekend is that you get two nights packed in with the fans in the intimate Ogden shows, providing its own level of energy, and then they stretch out to the space of 1STBANK Center, where the lasers get put on steroids. After two wonderful shows preceding, the audience had decently high expectations for the 1STBANK Center, and the Disco Biscuits delivered.
See also: Marc Brownstein of Disco Biscuits: "I feel like we are the best we have been in years"
Opening the show with a free-flowing jam with a digital feel, they transitioned smoothly into "Gangster," kicking off the night with one of the high points. Rock and roll screeching and psychedelic sounds came from guitarist Aron "The Barber" Gutwillig, showing that he was again ready to play Guitar God (and again wearing his white pants). The jam sounded like raw, chunky bliss, a churning machine of rhythms and patterns that sounded fantastic in the more cavernous arena. It felt like he was making his guitar scream more and more to fill that room with his sound, and it really worked.
The act played a "Basis for the Day" ending fakeout and went into "Mindless Dribble," a sexy, synthed-up tune that sees the intro bass line melody that was then copied slightly on guitar and keys until they were all in a mellow groove. Aron Magner took things up a notch with his waves of synth that washed over the crowd like the lapping of an ocean as the guys built the tension stronger with each rising measure, never quite getting a big peak as they went into an inverted "Spacebird." The lasers seemed to be about three miles long stretching across the venue straight to the back, and every time they came on people cheered as if they were a fifth member of the band.
You couldn't help but notice just how cohesive the band is right now. Despite going into various unfinished and inverted songs, the sound was smooth and the transitions were so smooth that you barely realized that the group moved on until the tempo is different. From "Spacebird," they went into a perfume version of "Pilin it High(er)" and delivered a slight variation of the song that was recorded on 2001's They Missed the Perfume album. As they ended the set with "Little Betty Boop," we once again got to hear the band thrillingly building up to the climax and then hitting piercing peak after peak, assaulting the ears and eyes with strobe lights until the crowd lost its mind.
"Above the Waves" started up set two, and the circus-like melody grew into the beautiful compositional piece that sounded like you are fighting a boss at the end of a level in a Nintendo game. Leaving the song unfinished, the outfit went into "Spraypaint," with Brownstein throwing out "Disco Inferno" bass line teases once again, before moving the mellow beep-boop sound into a faster-paced untzy tempo and then launching into "Cyclone," playing faster and faster as the audience frantically danced harder.
As the Biscuits played the familiar notes of Pink Floyd's "Run Like Hell," the band exploded playing a pretty standard version that didn't stray too far from the original, which people seemed to eat up. Another "Disco Inferno" bass line tease followed, and the guys finished off "Above the Waves" from the beginning of the set. After a whirlwind of compositions and peaks, the group added on the extra "House Dog" to the end of the set list, pushing the audience to use every bit of the energy they had left after a long, fun weekend.
One local dispensary created branded "Nughuffer" joints just for Bisco Inferno, so it was no surprise that they encored the run with the song of the same name. You really know you've made it when people are making special joints with your name and logo on them. The Biscuits ended the night with the ending of "Helix," and fans were elated and pleased with the run. The Disco Biscuits know how to party, and the band provided a perfect soundtrack for it.
The Disco Biscuits 1STBANK Center - 1/25/14 Broomfield, CO
Set 1
Jam Gangster1 Mindless Dribble Spacebird2 Pilin it High(er)3 Little Betty Boop
Set 2
Above the Waves4 Spraypaint Confrontation5 Cyclone Pink Floyd Run Like Hell Above the Waves6 House Dog
Encore
Nughuffer>Helix6 Basis Ending fakeout Inverted Perfume Version Unfinished Inverted Ending
Personal Bias: I always love shows at 1st Bank for the sheer convenience and access to bathrooms. Random Detail: The lasers bouncing off the disco balls were a fantastic touch. By the Way: Aloft Hotel next door was raging after, no surprise.
• BACKBEAT'S GREATEST HITS • - The fifty best rap lyrics of all time - The ten biggest concert buzzkills - Five more concert buzzkills - From Phish to Floyd, the ten best light shows
Follow @Westword_Music
