Camp Bisco bounces back with music, vibes, and new location [PHOTOS]

Published: July 23, 2015

Photos and story by: Chris Conte

Allow me to start by saying Bisco is most certainly back.

Similar to every other festival festival out there, this one had its ups and downs. Name a festival that was 100% perfect from start to finish. I'd love to know. You can't because it doesn't exist. Camp Bisco was no different. The saving grace? The music, the venue and the vibes.

My group was lucky enough to get through the relatively airtight security in relatively quick time. We showed up Wednesday afternoon and got in without a hitch. Our other friends were not so lucky as the shuttles from the off site parking closed down for the night. Meaning there were hundreds of people denied access to the festival grounds all night leading them to sleep in cars and pitch tents in the parking lot. After around 5 hours of waiting in two separate lines they were finally in. There were reports of people waiting up to 8-10 hours. The logistics just were not right. Definitely something for Team Bisco to work on. The festival was off to a rough start for many, some swearing to never come back again but we'll see about that...

Something to note is whenever a group of thousands of people gathers, of course there will be some bad apples. You hear horror stories of all different types. Bassnectar fans camping at the rail, super expensive beer, or not being able to bring water into the festival grounds. These are all true but I'm not going to concentrate on them. Your best bet is to go experience it yourself. That's the most ideal way to learn about a certain event, so for now I'll give you some highlights. Just remember negative thoughts do not equal a positive life, so let's focus on all the good!

After everyone was settled in and took their naps. Thursday's music was on the horizon and coming up quick. SOOHAN kicked the weekend off in the Disco Lodge with his high energy beats and diverse groove. I got nothing but love for the man from Baltimore who knew how to set the vibe right.

Zoogma was next on my list, opening up the Above the Waves stage that was situated right next to Montage Mountain's wave pool. Quite an awesome experience being able to go swimming and catch your favorite artist on stage at the same time. There was an unfortunate even that happened during Zoogma's set. A fan ran from the back of the crowd, jumped the barricade up front and tackled keyboardist's Ryan Nall's equipment. Yet another lapse in Bisco security's judgment. But, the band played on opening the weekend with a killer story with footage to boot!

I caught a few songs of Atmosphere and let me tell you, this dude has still got it. Rocking the crowd, belting lyrics, this legend still owns the stage every time you see him. I then made my way over to the last few songs of Of the Trees. Holy shit, this kid is good. As I was walking to the Steamtown stage I could hear the crowd going off. I burst into a sprint and damn that dude can throw down. I'm super psyched to see him at Farm Fest this upcoming weekend.

Then it was time to scurry back to the Above the Waves stage to get the funk down with Kung Fu. These guys know how to move a crowd. If you like dance music and are looking to try something else out. Try out some funk! The whole crowd was moving. Next up was the first of six Disco Biscuits sets. It was so awesome to see them play their home festival again. The energy was unmistakeable, we were overflowing with excitement. It was inspiring to see them up in their element. The weekend had officially began!

After an animated first day decorated with ups and downs, we were finally in the thick of it. Months of anxiety patiently waiting to see if it was really happening. Then three months ago we finally got word that that it was really happening and here we are, Day 2!

Tauk started us off with an afternoon ripper. Their mixture of Floyd-esque grooves and funky dance lines was a great way to start Friday. Getting right into the action were The Floozies. They can really awe a crowd, not a person was standing still. Whenever their funky bass dropped we all knew what to do. Flowing right from The Floozies was Herobust. This dude killed his Camp Bisco set. It was one of the most exciting of the whole weekend. He threw down! Spanning genres, crossing boundaries from hip hop to dubstep and trap then ending with Rage Against the Machine opening up a massive mosh pit. It was killer. Another highlight of the day was Snails. Vomitstep live is nothing like you will ever experience. That vibration the tramples through the crowd like a bulldozer and sends people into a frenzy.

The final day had arrived with hangovers throbbing, sore muscles pulsing, sunburn glowing but we pushed through with a little help from some vodka and bacon. Moon Hooch started the day for me. The two sax players and a drummer deem themselves "cave music." They create a genre of dance music unknown before their creation. Live brass based EDM is one of the freshest ideas to come into our scene in years. They rocked the Steamtown stage. Right from Moon Hooch directly into one of the current dubstep kings, Trollphace. After his new single "Burial" with Skrillex his career is off and running, with his live show generating buzz throughout the scene. The stage was packed to the brim under 95 degree humidity but that was no matter. We went on a rampage; a sweating, shoulder glistening, hot mess of people seething with intensity.

Then it happened. The announcement that all of us dreaded to hear. "Please return to your campsites and seek shelter. Inclement weather is approaching. Thank you for your understanding." As campers poured back to their sites shouting "Mudson Project 2.0," we thought the worst case scenario was occurring. Can this really happen two years in a row? Bassnectar and Tipper getting cancelled again? We would riot. But alas, after 20 minutes of heavy downpour, we were saved with sunshine and a double rainbow. It was time to avenge the Mudson Project. Bassnectar truly brought the heat. He knew how important this show was for so many people and blew everyone's mind. Camp Bisco is Lorin's second home, this being his 8th year playing, he has stated the Bisco has a special place in his heart.

All in all it was a festival that will go down in history. Disco Biscuits covering Pink Floyd, the Dead, LCD Soundsystem, Bassnectar avenging Mudson Project, Tipper playing with Jonathan Singer's visuals, Herobust blowing everyone's mind and a freaking wave pool stage! The people were there to dance and rage, and that's exactly what we did. In the end, the music saved us all as it usually does. Tremendous sets all around, we got down, we got dirty and we had fun.