The Musical Masada

© Silvia Lazala / RumBum.com

In life, we all create bucket lists, and when you’re a live music fanatic, there’s one phenomenal venue that reigns supreme: Red Rocks. On Saturday, The Disco Biscuits inaugurated the 2010 Red Rocks season in Morrison, Colorado with a burning desire to jam, as sound bounced from one monster rock to another. That, my friends, is just the beginning of Bisco Inferno.

It’s common knowledge in the jam scene that Bisco guitarist Jon “The Barber” Gutwillig injured his wrist in March on tour at The Egg’s post-party festivities, forcing him to miss the Biscuits debut at Ultra Music Festival and a slew of tour dates – guitarists Tom Hamilton and Chris Michetti filled in. Fans weighed the highs and lows of heading to the band’s second installment of Bisco Inferno, uncertain that Gutwillig would be fully recovered and ready to shred. But before we talk Bisco, we’ll pause and rewind to the dominant pre-party.

Sparks Before the Inferno

Buses and cars teaming with Biscuits arrived at the bottom of the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, clad in song-themed costumes, overloaded sequences and homemade Bisco attire. The fancy fiesta was quite the lot bash, as party people ascended the rocks, the buses and their spirits before hiking up to the architectural wonder. The two-day run leading up to Inferno proved that the band was blistering for the big event. Calf muscles burned as tipsy climbers took to the stairway to what is truly live music heaven. Hundreds of steps surround both sides of the burnt sienna-hued formation, which has been hosting concert instillations since 1906.

© Silvia Lazala / RumBum.comThe Disco Biscuits were not the only artists to rage the Rocks Saturday. Pnuma Trio kicked off the festie with a day set that had the threesome turning out a spacey glitch-hop that was the first flavor to slather and bounce back off Red Rocks, a taste of the amazing acoustics and an ideal warm-up set to get the temperature rising. Botwin’s basslines bounced and his freaky glitch layers swerved, Shaw’s drums untzed and Hazlegrove’s melodies added a balanced cube of sugar to the reverberation.

Once Aeroplane got the nu-disco boogie going, Red Rocks looked like an all-out dance-a-thon. A rainbow of metallic and neon came alive to a 45-minute set that almost felt like a tease, but there was business to get down to…Serious raging.

The Crystal Method’s set was nothing short of brain damage. The twosome tag-teamed a headbanging, addictive drug of synth-hop and breakbeats that included an amped sample that had the everyone in the crowd chanting “Take drugs,” as their fists pumped.

The Glitch Mob, of whom the Biscuits are friends and fans of, was chosen as the main opener. Mixed reviews were shouted from the crowd as the threesome presented their newly constructed live set, which premiered at Coachella in April. The tech-obsessed Glitch Mob worked touch screen computers, keys, bass and MIDI drums (with at least two of the three members going head to head during the show). Still repping the West Cost with their gangster rap throwdown, the mob also debuted new tracks from fresh release, entitled Drink The Sea. During their encore, they claimed to have had a minor computer glitch, but gimmick or not, it was on with the show.

3...2...1...Ignition

As the lights flashed onto the crowd, a mega stadium became a mountain moving in unison. The view from ground level was enough to knock the wind out of anyone. The Disco Biscuits opened with the beloved “Hot Air Balloon,” the namesake of Barber’s brilliance; a love story that moves oceans on its own. Coupled with the venue and the chilling energy, Red Rocks transformed into a majestic palace, a thrown backed by a disc-shaped rock that received a beautiful gift of projected psychedelia in all shapes and colors throughout the night.

© Silvia Lazala / RumBum.comA dark and dirty segue into “Gangster” followed, but it was a fascinating display of artistry to see how far the Biscuits have come with 6-month-old “Portal To An Empty Head.” The space disco/drum and bass hybrid showcases Allen’s robotic, surreal repetitions on drums, Brownie’s symmetric bass to match, Magner’s lucid looping and Barber’s obvious improvement on vocals. Chris Michetti sat in on guitar as all eyes fixed on Barber who took the floor, a jab at his short stint as the band’s guitarless frontman last month.  Others set highlights included a scatterbrained “Mindless Dribble,” a song filled with rants from lyrics to progressive instrumentation. “The Great Abyss” was a fine parallel to the rocks that were red, enveloping a vibe and massive family into a gigantic crater-sized celebration The sandwich was topped off with a completed “Hot Air Balloon,” and with eyes closed, Barber took us all into the sky for one romantic ride.

During the set break, it was German electro duo, Booka Shade, that forced tired feet back into dance stance. The bass-booming tech house was the talk of the Rocks, and as the duo tricked out popular club track “Donut,” arms flailed, legs kicked and booties bounced proper to the beats. Afterthoughts of the show confirmed the initial hype that was virally circulating amongst Biscuit fans and Inferno ticketholders.

Minds melted and feet wobbled, but then it was time to return attention to the quartet that landed everyone on this rocky mountaintop from the get-go. It was a full-throttle “House Dog Party Favor” set opener that seemed to last forever and a day, with an ending that was bittersweet. The bluesy-meets-waltz flavor showcased more classical work by Magner, as Brownie and Barber went head to head, creating a rich blend.

© Silvia Lazala / RumBum.comDance track “On Time,” finally felt like it was growing into its own, setting a sexy ambiance to spread Biscuity pheromones through the air. Fan favorite “M.E.M.P.H.I.S.” brought Michetti back to guitar, and the Inferno did swelter, the cool breeze in the air could not stop the charge that had body heat magnetizing.  “Minions” felt like the second set’s “Portal,” captivating eager ears with spacey synths, a catchy bassline and sing-along chorus, radiating with Barber’s touch. Next came an ignited completion of “Basis For A Day,” a pyrotechnic act to go along with its peak. It was at that point in the show that reality chimed in – the show was almost over. Before the Biscuits ripped into their last track, Brownie told the audience that he had worked on the set list with a fan, which made the show that much more unique.

A hearty “Magellan” closed out the second set, and as the lights shone from the bottom of the amphitheatre, thousands of toothy grins flashed right back. The splendor of the band came together as each man owned his instrument, collectively creating a moment of Red Rocks history. Their chemistry was potent. Intoxicated by the brilliance of sound, denial set in as encore approached. “Home Again” was the fitting finale for this extraordinary family reunion. And the boys did croon, “Never had a home like this/And the prophets said, ‘be careful what you wish’/Never had to think twice/ Always knew my home was in paradise.” Red Rocks with The Disco Biscuits. You’ll never feel at home again like this in your life. Welcome back, Barber.