Day three of Camp Bisco had an unusual beginning. From emails, to texts, to Facebook updates, everyone was hearing about schedule changes and re-planning their day. It seemed that the mud had finally taken over festival grounds, and it was consuming the Main Stage. No literally the Main Stage was sinking down into the mud. To Bisco's credit, the instance the structural integrity was in question, festival planners were quick to move sets over to the dance tents, and rearrange set times so that few acts would have to be cancelled. It was soon more joke then disaster among attendees, and when the music started piping from the first acts back on the Main Stage everyone was hyped and ready to throw everything they had into the last day of raging.
Photos by: Kristina Kauffman
Photos by: Kristina Kauffman
One the most anticipated acts of the weekend, Zed's Dead, kicked things into overdrive with a heart pounding remix of Ellie Goulding's “Explosions.” A half smashed, bloodshot eyeball, could be seen floating in sync with the music, like a symbol of the weekend. People were a little roughed up, a little dirty, but still ready to rage, one last time. These two super-hyped producers wove an electric journey through heavy remixes like their classic “Eyes on Fire,” and recently dropped “Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood,” one of several choice remixes off the Verve Remixed album. They dove deep into their own singles, “Oh No” and “Adrenaline” and kept one of the biggest daytime crowds bouncing and shaking through the sloppy fields of Bisco's final day. As their set wrapped up and sun hid behind the clouds, taunting the crowd with the impending doom of possible rain, the wave of the ever changing bass line forced even those just walking by to stop and physically appreciate what they had taken in.
Photos by: Kristina Kauffman
Photos by: Kristina Kauffman
After Zeds Dead, we made our way back over to the Big Tent as nightfall descended up the field. Nighttime at Camp Bisco was an attraction all on it's own. Average festivals goers turned into street performers lighting up poles, hoops, gloves and even whips and showcased their abilities for the joy of others and themselves. Twirling, spinning, and shaking themselves about, making their LEDs dance around them and form insane visuals. These individuals display what the root of festivals like these are all about: giving yourself over to the music completely in a creative and positive outlet. The experience at Camp Bisco is 50% their production and 50% what the attendees bring to it. This is what makes the adventure of going to summer festivals, especially Bisco a time unparalleled by any other music event you can participate it.
Photos by: Kristina Kauffman
Once we had finished admiring the talents of these happy crowd pleasers, we made our way into the tent for the start of Gramatik. Gramatik is the kind of act that brings everyone together at a festival that features jam bands and electronic music. He makes the kind of beats that build to a rage and mellow to an ethereal psychedelic breakdown. Gramatik draws dreaded out, tie-dye clad, granola lovers and fishnet encased, fluffy covered, Glitter and glowstick ravers alike. He kicked straight into his set with a funky guitar riff into fresh mixes like Bassnectar collab. “Dubuasca” and banger “23 Flavors.” From swanky smooth jazz like melodies, to heavy hitting robotic beats, Gramatik hit home with a force of what everyone needed. The love for this artist could be easily identified inside the balmy tent and the reciprocal love we felt back as an audience was mind-blowing.
Photos by: Kristina Kauffman
Up next were the good times kings from France, Dirtyphonics. I'm not going to rehash their set here, because we were lucky enough to score an exclusive interview with them at Camp Bisco, and got a chance to catch their set after. Check out what the guys had to say here.
Photos by: Kristina Kauffman
After Dirtyphonics finished their hyped up set, it was time for Australian heavy hitter Tommy Trash to capture the emotional peak and calm this weekend had filled attendees with. Keeping the mood airy and fun he hit the crowd with familiar mixes of MGMT's hit “Kids” and Mr. Finger's “Can You Feel It”, before breaking into his own signature tunes, “Monkey in Love” and his remix of Aoki's “Ladi Dadi.” The crowd bounced and bobbed like an extension of Tommy Trash's well-known voluminous locks of hair. When he peaked with the chart-topping “Reload” and Sebastian Ingrosso's majestic lyrics forced the audience into verbal exultation you could feel the tent had become one massive swaying body. Togetherness and pure joy had become the message of Trash's set, and it had been well received by diehard fans and newcomers alike.
Photos by: Kristina Kauffman
As the light set on the tents and main stages, and the crowds filtered out of the festival grounds, those clinging the Bisco experience could be found donning headphones to the competing DJ's at the Silent Disco. A site seen at many varying genre music festivals, Silent Disco gives listeners a chance to listen to artists compete for attention by wearing multi-channel Headphones and switching back and forth. A strange site to behold to those not in on the experience, people could be seen silently raging until the early hours of the next morning.
Photo Cred: Austin Meyer
As the sun rose over the dewy fields, the picturesque landscape served as a bittersweet contrast to the feelings of eminent endings. That weekend bonds were solidified, music was discovered, artistic expression flowed free, and the kindness of strangers amazed even the most skeptical of patrons. The experience of Camp Bisco became an almost tangible entity. Like the taste of sweet fresh-squeezed lemonade, or feel of the warm summer sun kissing your cheeks; the sounds and memories of Camp Bisco were sure to live on way past the sleepy drives home, and the monotony of the resuming of work or school. Bisco would live in our hearts and ears forever long.
Photos by: Kristina Kauffman
To see all of the photos from Camp Bisco you can check out our facebook album HERE! Tag yourselves and your friends. More to come throughout the next week.
FEST RAIDERS RATING:
LOCATION: Indian Lookout Country Club, provided ample space for the venue, but a grassier field or some more wood chips may have helped with the mud….8.5
VIP: Special VIP only shows, free food and alcohol, and up front viewing in photographer photo pits, 10, but because of the mud it was almost a hassle to tromp through the pits to utilize this stellar view….9
AMENITIES: Camp Bisco is truly a no frills festival, you use what you brought there. They did offer showers, and some shadier areas, but a bench or table every now and then would be nice. No frills equals no hassles though. Security was privately run at the festival, so if you messed up you were bounced, but that was about the stiffest punishment given. It's a toss up. 7.5-8
Installations and Vendors: The art installations at Bisco were awesome, and very interactive, it's just hard to be unbiased about what could have been after having returned from Electric Forest a week before. Vendors were friendly and had completely diverse selections of merchandise. Food vendors offered anything you could desire from greasy burgers to vegetarian rice platters, and were kind and considerate when taking your orders. 9
LINEUP:10 *see review above haha
Total Score: 8.8 out of 10
