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On September 26th the Disco Biscuits performed two sets of fan favorites that kept everyone dancing all night, at a pre-party show to City Bisco, at the Baltimore Soundstage. The song selection chosen for the setlist in Baltimore had a number of songs that are played way less frequently than most songs in their repertoire. Every song played at the Baltimore Soundstage was emblematic of their recent performances, it seemed as though the Biscuits kept it coming with jam after jam.

The band’s improvisation had been locked in completely by the second set; the first set was extremely enjoyable but the jams seemed to be slightly out of sync, everyone sounded good individually but they strugged to find a cohesive groove. The second set proved the first set was definitely a warm-up. Some may consider the entire show to be a warm up for City Bisco and technically it was but for many Biscuits’ fans it was also more than that, it was a chance to see our favorite band up close and personal at a strictly Disco Biscuits concert, something that happens only four or five times a year these days.

The first set opened up with “Little Lai,” which then segued nicely into “Wet.” “Wet” is an older jam well known as one of the songs on the live album Wind At Four To Fly, one of the classic Disco Biscuits releases from the more distant past. Wind At Four To Fly is a live album and somewhat of a compilation of the best performances during the Disco Biscuits’ New Years run, December 27th through 31st back in 2004. The beloved “Wet” then segued right back into “Little Lai” for an ideal “Lai” “Wet” sandwich. This was a great way to start the show as it left the crowd feeling the intense level of energy and anticipation for what the band might play next.

Following the “Wet>Lai” sandwich the Biscuits went into “Minions,” a more frequently played track in recent years. “Minions” had everyone in the crowd singing along and strapped in for the ride. Next up, the Disco Biscuits performed another older rarity, that had everyone singing along. “Therapy” is a tune with a little more traditional song structure, with a silly whimsical style. “Therapy’s” lyrics are as fun to sing along to as they are relatable to many fans. Many in the crowed screamed the lyrics at the top of their lungs. I have never seen “Therapy” live and this was extremely enjoyable, however, I was a little disappointed that they did not allow the song to take flight and jam out. Regardless, I enjoyed the anthem all the same. “Minions” and “Therapy” both offered some serious sing along opportunities and really showed the Biscuits just how excited the fans truly were. “Therapy” ended and the Biscuits then prepared for their final songs of the set. “Strobe lights and Martinis” segued into “Spacebirdmatingcall” to close the set. “Strobe lights” had tight build ups and a dark intro jam that pavesd the way for a funky electronic dance party with heavy synth leads. “Spacebirdmatingcall” was executed well and left everyone in the crowd grinning with satisfaction.

The first set was incredible on paper and was no doubt extremely fun to see however the jamming felt a bit off. A realization only reached after noticing how on point the jams were in the second set.

The second set opened with “Little Shimmy In A Conga Line,” then went into an inverted “Bernstein and Chasnoff.” Inverted means the song was played starting from the end of the song and the song ends with the beginning segment. Following the inverted Chasnoff, the Biscuits went into a more recent addition to thie massive catalogue, “Bombs.” Every time the song reached its catchy chorus the lights would light up the entire venue allowing you to see clearly around the room for a brief second while everyone yelled “Bombs!” Following “Bombs,” the band went back in “Shimmy” which they left unfinished earlier in the set. In a perfectly executed “Little Shimmy>Bernstein and Chasnoff (Inverted)>Bombs>Little Shimmy” sandwich. This segment of the set was exciting and on point comprising the bulk of the set.

The energy in the room seemed to be building up for what was undoubtedly the highlight of the show: an incredibly executed and quite long “House Dog Party Favor.” I would love to discuss specific details and aspects of this jam but there is honestly too much to say… it was the best “House Dog” I have personally seen live and if anything from this show is a must hear this would definitely be it. “House Dog” was definitely the improvisational piece that stood out the most out of the entire set, and the entire show for that matter. The show closed out with a “Spy” encore, another song off the album The Wind At Four To Fly. “Spy” was well executed and well rehearsed. Magner stole the encore with amazing style and “Spy” proved to be a fantastic way to close out the show.

Thursday night at the Baltimore Soundstage was a success. Upon leaving the show I could certainly feel the energy among the crowd; everyone was so far from ready to go home and night one of City Bisco could not come soon enough!

Check out some clips from the show to get your Biscuit-fix here!