Used to be a number one record.\u00c2\u00a0 You wanted that ceremony, with all the label geeks and your manager, where you were presented gold and platinum plaques, which you paid for, demonstrating your success.\u00c2\u00a0 But do you really want to be Lady GaGa?\u00c2\u00a0 Beholden to Perez Hilton?\u00c2\u00a0 A creature of the media?\u00c2\u00a0 Or would you rather fly under the radar?\u00c2\u00a0 Especially since the radar is controlled by the mainstream media, on its death bed and notoriously out of touch.<\/p>\n
The Disco Biscuits are having their own festival. I just learned this turning the pages of "Relix", which has turned into a compendium of ads for promoters trying to draw urchins to their multi-act presentations.<\/p>\n
On page 2, there’s an ad for the Telluride Blues & Brews festival.\u00c2\u00a0 I’ve never even heard of it!\u00c2\u00a0 I know about the venerated Bluegrass festival, one of my favorite downloads, Bruce Hornsby and Bela Fleck doing a cover of "Tangled Up In Blue", was recorded at that gathering. Headliners include Taj Mahal and Bonnie Raitt.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/p>\n
\nTelluride Blues & Brews Festival<\/a><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nPage 4 is Bonnaroo.\u00c2\u00a0 Do I really want to see Springsteen with all those twentysomethings?\u00c2\u00a0 Not really.\u00c2\u00a0 We don’t want no heathens in the temple during the religious ceremony.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/p>\n
\nBonnaroo Music & Arts Festival<\/a><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nPage 6 is Clearwater.\u00c2\u00a0 Susan Tedeschi, Arlo Guthrie and Richie Havens.\u00c2\u00a0 Sounds like fun if the tickets are cheap enough. <\/p>\n
\nClearwater Festival<\/a><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nPage 9 is the Jerry Garcia Birthday Bash.\u00c2\u00a0 They’ve got Hot Tuna and…\u00c2\u00a0 <\/p>\n
\nSunshine Daydream<\/a><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nPage 11 is Rothbury, featuring the remnants of the Dead’s only summer performance<\/p>\n
\nRothbury<\/a><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nPage 13 is All Good, with a bunch of second tier jam bands and "Art, Camping & Loving".\u00c2\u00a0 So, I guess if you want to get laid in a tent, this is your place!<\/p>\n
\nAll Good festival<\/a><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nAnd on page 19, there’s an ad for CAMP BISCO!<\/p>\n
No, the magazine didn’t run out of first tier festivals.\u00c2\u00a0 On page 27 there’s an ad for the Wanee Festival.\u00c2\u00a0 They’ve got a pretty good lineup.\u00c2\u00a0 The Allmans, Gov’t Mule, lovable has-beens like the Doobies and Toots and the Maytals, and up and comers like Umphrey’s McGee.\u00c2\u00a0 But can you imagine camping in Florida in June?\u00c2\u00a0 Check it out!\u00c2\u00a0 <\/p>\n
\nWanee Festival<\/a><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nActually, in the back of the magazine, there’s a whole directory of festivals.\u00c2\u00a0 The mind boggles, one’s eyes roll back into one’s head. Everybody’s trying to make some money!<\/p>\n
You overpay the headliners and the wannabes play cheap, for the theoretical exposure.<\/p>\n
The commercialism runs rampant.\u00c2\u00a0 The festivals want ink.\u00c2\u00a0 They’re playing to the aforementioned mainstream media.\u00c2\u00a0 They want attention.\u00c2\u00a0 But most newspaper reporters have no idea who the Disco Biscuits are, never mind those telling stories on TV.<\/p>\n
But from July 15-18, there’s going to be Biscuitmania in Mariaville, New York, twenty minutes from Albany, wherever the fuck that is (Mariaville, of course, I know Albany!)<\/p>\n
You’ve got to be deeply into it to know more than a few of the acts appearing.\u00c2\u00a0 But this festival sounds like a truly good time.\u00c2\u00a0 Because everyone going is on the exact same page.\u00c2\u00a0 This isn’t a mixture of the tribes, multiple religions, this is solely your brethren.\u00c2\u00a0 THIS is the festival that will stay in your memory bank, that will be the basis for your first movie.\u00c2\u00a0 You won’t be fighting the crowd, you’ll be making friends!<\/p>\n
Phish did this first.\u00c2\u00a0 moe. has had their moe.down for years.\u00c2\u00a0 Actually, they’re on their tenth iteration, there’s an ad on page 23.\u00c2\u00a0 But moe. actually had a major label deal.\u00c2\u00a0 They tried to play the big time game.\u00c2\u00a0 But the Disco Biscuits?<\/p>\n
Actually, this is the EIGHTH Camp Bisco.<\/p>\n
And it’s truly a camp.\u00c2\u00a0 They’re going to have Color War! <\/p>\n
\nCamp Bisco Color War<\/a><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nAll for $145 in advance ($165 at the gate!)\u00c2\u00a0 Hell, there are even VIP tickets, for only $225.\u00c2\u00a0 I’m against the segregation of the classes, but if you can pay to sit in front of the plane, I guess you can pay for special toilets and showers, away from the riff-raff.<\/p>\n
Actually, the list of VIP perks seem to be extremely well thought out.\u00c2\u00a0 Not only free wi-fi, but the computers to use it!\u00c2\u00a0 And a free shuttle from the Albany airport! <\/p>\n
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