12/31/01 - Monday, Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA

By any definition, 12/30/01 is a tough act to follow. This is especially true if you consider that 12/29/01 was a tough act to follow and 12/30 managed to top it, or that 12/28 was a tough act to follow and 12/29 topped it. But 12/30/01, easily one of the best shows of one of the best years, is a tough act to follow in itself. 12/31/01, played the next day in the same room, is bound to invite comparison. This was as true this weekend, with the never-before-released footage of both shows debuted on back-to-back days, as it was when the shows were first played nearly twenty years ago. While the comparison is inescapable, it has not been kind to 12/31/01. Therefore, in this review, I will try my best to avoid dwelling on it any more than necessary.

📷: discobiscuits.net

The New Year's show opens with three above average standalones: Aceetobee, Spaga and Three Days. Aceetobee is a fiery opener, both exploratory and fast-paced enough that the long stretches of improv don't drag. Spaga is probably the strongest of the three, a patient dnb excursion that builds to an explosive conclusion. These first two standalones are, unfortunately, one of the high water marks for the show. It's not hard to fault the fans, after being treated to Jigsaw > Sound 1 > Jigsaw, the first inverted Shelby, Floes > Sound 1 > Floes, Triumph > King of the World > Pygmy > Ladies, for expecting a little more than a few excellent standalones. Unfortunately, most of the rest of the first and second sets is pretty pedestrian. Three Days is a solid version of what I believe to be a great cover, but it does not go as deep as either Aceetobee or Spaga. The Dribble jam starts off in swampy dub territory, and while I am more forgiving than some towards this style of play, it only becomes interesting to me when there is some kind of high-energy payoff. In this instance, the jam only plods along until it finds Hope. The Hope offers nothing at all—this is the first Senor Boombox style Hope, in which the formerly exploratory jam section was replaced with a simple vamp on the ending. A disappointing development for the song, and a disappointing conclusion to the first set.

Darth Vader and The Disco Biscuits

The second set opens with a standard Plan B, which gives way to the New Year's Eve gimmick: a mashup of the theme music for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Superman, with the last of these three containing the countdown. After the John Williams montage, the band launches into the traditional Happy New Year Helicopters, with a twist. This was the first Helicopters to feature the composed jam section that would appear in every Helicopters through late 2003, and would come to be known in 2017 as "Bionic Helix." Its first performance here is inspired; it actually sounds like a new section to the song. After an excellent atmospheric rendition of this section,  the band plays the Helicopters riff again to signal the drop into the jam proper. This second jam is nicely exploratory: it builds up to an early peak before breaking down for more exploration. The transition back into the peak is sudden, but this is only a reflection of the exploratory quality of the jam. Reactor finds its way into a weird dub style jam, and this style works a lot better for me here than it does in the Dribble, for a couple reasons. Dub jams are considerably rarer in Reactor than in Dribble, the jam covers more interesting territory here, and it resolves to a more interesting conclusion. Magner in particular crafts an excellent and catchy theme in the minutes before Brownie lays down a distinctly Crickets bass line. Shortly after this the jam picks up the pace and builds to one of the more energetic and organic post-1999 Vassillios intros. Vassillios is a little more standard, but eerie and sinister, building to a solid Reactor ending. The set closes with fan-favorite Jamillia.

Superman, Indiana Jones, Vader, and Barber

Set three is probably the most consistent after the more uneven sets one and two, and probably the strongest overall, even if it doesn't have any music on par with the highlights of the past three nights. The final Boulevard ever builds with extreme patience from a lumbering bliss groove to a chaotic Dribble ending. The point in the jam when the tempo begins to rapidly pick up is excellent and masterfully executed. Barber holds on to the bliss riff from the beginning of the jam through all of the twists and turns, ebbs and flows of this jam, up to and through the Shimmy teases, giving context and continuity to this sprawling masterpiece. The Dribble ending is bombastic, an excellent conclusion to this multifaceted jam. The Dribble outro is excellent fare, moving from the traditional shuffle to a more relaxed blissful trance jam, with Magner simultaneously working those distinctly 02 trance synths with the ambient soundscape effects. The tempo picks up and builds to an inverted Confrontation. The jam out of Confrontation is short and strange as the band segues into the first of the modern, reworked Save the Robots. Robots still has a lot of work to go before it would become the heavy hitter it is today, and it is weird to hear what is essentially a jamless Robots. The jam into it is very solid though. After Robots comes an early Sister Judy's, which develops into a patient, old-school trance-fusion style jam that builds to a minor key Shimmy-esque crescendo before a gradual shift into a fantastic Basis ending. The encore is a drawn-out Aquatic Ape, dedicated to Max Dawson, and played with a by-then unconventional dub jam in the vein of the 1999 Aquatic Apes. It's not terribly interesting but it's a good piece of fan service to a dedicated fan.

12/31/01, in my final estimation, is an unfairly maligned show that has plenty of merit on its own. Sure, it isn't a front-to-back transcendental experience the way 12/30/01 was, nor does it contain anything on the level of the highlights of 12/28 or 12/29, but at the same time it isn't the most disappointing drop in quality for a New Year's show either. The gimmicks are fairly restrained, and although the band plays it a bit safer, that's true of nearly any New Year's Eve show. The highlights from sets one and two combined with the fairly nonstop set three is enough material for two sets worth of great music. It doesn't live up to the combined expectations of being the final show of 2001 and the show to follow 12/28 - 12/30, but could any show possibly meet these expectations? 

Highlights: Reactor > Vassillios, Boulevard > Dribble, Judy's > Basis, Spaga, Dribble > Confro, Aceetobee, Helicopters, Confro > Bots

—Andy

Welcome to Virtual Tour 2020 - 12/30/01

"Strange things are afoot at the Circle K" - Ted Theodore Logan, 1989

📷: The Disco Biscuits 'Virtual Tour' 2020

A prophetic statement indeed by Mr. Logan over thirty years ago as we are living in very strange times currently.  I want to thank both the Disco Biscuits and Nugs for coming up with such a fantastic way to entertain the Biscuit Kidz and any newcomers out there looking for a new thrill.  Another major thanks to Chris Lonergan for having the foresight to begin video-taping the band so long ago.  An interesting note, 12/30/2001 was the first show that Chris ever recorded for the band and these tapes have been long sought by the fanatical base of the Biscuits - this is special stuff.  Also, the synchronicity of the 12/30 E-Factory show finding its way out to the masses on the anniversary of 3/27/99 is not lost on me - these are my two favorite shows this band has ever played.  I have long stopped trying to figure out which I like more, but I will say that this opening show of the virtual tour will always hold a special place in my heart since I was there, still a noob to a degree, and experiencing my first show in Philadelphia!  

The first set is a masterpiece in rock-based Disco Biscuits that had reared its head over the fantastic December mini-tour across the southeast just a few weeks prior.  The 'Pilin' is a blistering attack with a monster Barber solo that had the over-crowded E-Factory going bonkers right off the bat.  After a rowdy pause that allowed the fans to let the band know they were ready, the Biscuits would dive into one of the smoothest sets of music they played all year.  The transitions are all flawless and the ideas from each member built a set of music that would catapult this show into anyone's Top 20 lists; yet, it surprisingly did not even contain the jam of the night!!!  That would come in the decidedly more dancey second set, but we will get to that later. 

The opening notes of 'Magellan' trickle out over the wild crowd in front of the band and we are off and running.  The first jam is a solid, if not standard jam with a dark, somber mood turning the E-Factory into a tribal stomp of heaving bodies jostling to the tom-drum back bone.  Magner brings in swirling, repetitive keys that elicit laser beams from Barber as we head to the peak.  On the back side of the peak the band heads out into the jam.  Early on Brownie sets the tone of this delay drenched improv with a descending bass line that molds the entire next few minutes.  Fine rotational jamming leads to 3-4 distinct mini themes that could all be up there with some of the better jams of the night.  It seems as though we may be headed for a standalone until the beat gets a bit off-kilter and Sammy becomes more present.  As if on cue, the Doctor slides in the shuffling intro beat to 'Floes' and the band is on it instantly.  Everything rolls along nicely as 'Floes" hits its normal pace and tone until the drums begin to pick up the pace. The dynamic duo of Barber and Sammy show just how well they worked together.  The pace continues to quicken and the entire venue was going nuts.  Where would they head next?  Back to the end of 'Magellan' or somewhere new, we found out quickly as the smooth as silk transition to 'Sound One' shocked the sweaty, crowded fans (this was not a place for "social distancing").  The jam in 'Sound One' is down-tempo and dominated by Brownstein's bass for a bit as he and Barber twirl around each other in one of the most memorable moments for me in this first set.  Barber varies his lick slightly over the course of the next few minutes dropping an octave at one point as Sammy picks up the pace underneath.  In hindsight, the pattern the drums take on did foreshadow the return to 'Floes' in my opinion, but at that time I had no clue and the rest of the band was still taking this jam out as far as they could.  The bluesy licks are gone as the band slides effortlessly back into 'Floes.'  The finale is HUGE and had the venue erupting, but they aren't done as the dark, brooding tone gives way to Barber's tease of the Allman Brother's classic 'Jessica.'  The rest of the band seems to be just as excited as the crowd and jumps right in with Barber for a brief jam of the song that winds its way down in key to the drop into 'Shem-Rah Boo!'  This 'Shem Rah' jam is a classic example of quality over quantity as the band brings up the pace and crams a mammoth dance party into the space of about five minutes.  The MOTH MOTY is nice, albeit short and seeps into the end of 'Magellan' led mostly by Magner's beautiful piano.  Pure bliss as the band peaks again and Barber takes one more swing from the rock star side of the plate.  As the final lyrics of the song are sung the crowd can no longer hold back and explodes with delight.  There aren't many bands that summon such ovations heading into setbreak, which by the way, will only be "fifteen minutes."

📷: The Disco Biscuits 2001 Promo Shot

Now, by this time in the evening, I was feeling no pain and stood up on the second level bleechers of the E-Factory, dead-center awaiting the second set.  My expectations were through the roof, but if I am being honest the band could have just stopped there and I would have been fine.  Luckily, they chose to come back after what I KNOW was more than fifteen minutes and proceeded to attempt to level the entire venue with all of us in it.  'Svenghali' signaled a different path for this set right off the bat with its drum-n-bass and breakbeats, this was no longer a straight rock show.  This jam is dark and industrial and makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.  Sammy drops out at one point as Barber drops a riff that is forever tattooed on my brain, turned to liquid at the time by the 180 degree turn the tone of this set had taken from the first set.  The next ten minutes of music is not the type that lends itself to description and I hope you all take the time to listen if you missed the stream on Friday night.  Standing in awe of the opener, there really was no telling what was about to happen.  I remember jokingly remarking to a stranger next to my buddy and I that I "thought they were going to open with something good after that first set" and could instantly see the earth-shattering confusion in his eyes.  I am not sure if I actually let him know that I was joking, so if you are reading this, I am sorry for freaking you out when you were just looking for a high five. 

There is not much I can say that hasn't already been mentioned over the years about the pairing of 'Triumph-> King of the World.'  When a jam is so good that a fanbase anoints it a name (Pirate Funk), I feel a bit oafish trying to describe in any detail what the jam sounded like.  Instead, I will implore you to delve deep into the Fall tour of 2001 and try to suss out the multiple times the band, led by Magner, attempted to reach the perfection found on the night of 12/30 with this theme.  Figure out some thoughts and look for a post about this exact topic at some point in the near future to really get into some online discussion about your findings.  All I can say about the 'Pirate Funk' jam is that I get goosebumps every time I listen to it, including now, and feel as though it is easily one of the best jams this band has ever played.  The energy level in the E-Factory as they come out of the jam and the pace picks up as they slam into the beginning of 'King of the World' is up there with some of the most memorable moments in my show-going career (is there a better term for this?) and I can vaguely remember almost falling off the bleachers that I had forgotten I was standing on.  Not to be outdone, the jam in 'KotW' is evil and industrial with razor sharp tone from Barber complimented by growling bass and hammering drums.  Magner next lays back with angelic washes of sound, which became a staple of the upcoming 2002 sound, as the band starts to take their foot off the accelerator for a bit and a blissful space is found, 'Blissco' as its been described over the years.  The next few minutes are all Barber's with which to toy.  His lead lines are a gorgeous representation of his ability to build and rebuild a single phrase in so many different ways that one can barely keep track.  But what's this, there is an hint of the Pink Floyd masterpiece 'Run Like Hell' that the Biscuits have made their own over the years.  NOPE, they deftly drop into the Zappa classic 'Pygmy Twylyte' but the games are not yet done.  Just as the crowd recovers from the quasi-fakeout of the 'RLH' build dropping into 'Pygmy' the holiday run classic 'Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies' comes out of the demented toy box and drops the entire room on its head.  I remember being completely floored by this childhood favorite echoing through the venue.  This night's offering still stands as my favorite version I have ever caught live.  The drop back into 'Pygmy' catches everyone off guard once again and the band slides in for the knockout punch.  The normally upbeat jam does not emerge and instead we are coated in thick dubby sludge.  Barber's lick that he lays over the top of the dub, echoing with delay is another of those sounds that encrusts my gray matter to this day and when Brownie drops out, leaving just Barber's guitar, there is barely anything left to hold onto anymore.  This is dark and dirty music as Barber heads up the neck of the guitar with bluesy slashes at your sanity.  The 'Crickets' tease from Brownie is yet another example of how easily these guys can toy with a crowd and disappears as quickly as it arrived.  The pace begins to quicken at just the right time and we find our way back to another brief 'Crickets' tease from more than just the bass before they begin to head towards another looming transition.  Tension is built and Barber and the band drop into the beginning of 'Hot Air Ballon,' what a great call...FAKEOUT!!!  This sent the venue reeling, the walls shook, people looked completely lost, and I just remember laughing uncontrollably.  The drop into 'And the Ladies Were the Rest of the Night' was flawless and the jam went to a straight four-on-the-jamband-floor dance party.  Apparently, this was the payoff for the complete destruction of our minds. The 'Home Again' closer was the sing-along good time everyone needed to dance off the cobwebs one more time.  The encore closes the night with above average versions of both 'Spy' and 'Mulberry's Dream,' but at this point every last bit of people's psyche was spent.  Unreal.

This show was my last of the year in 2001, sadly I wasn't able to make it to NYE due to work.  There isn't much else I can say about this show other than I am beyond elated that the video of such a momentous night of Bisco has finally seen the light of day.  It's definitely one of the best shows I have been lucky to see over the 20 years of following the Biscuits and I hope I have at least done it some justice in my ramblings. So to close, I leave you with more words from lips of Ted Theodore Logan and Bill S. Preston, Esquire, "Be excellent to each other!"

🌲👽🌲

- walsh.