On Thursday, January 19, The Disco Biscuits and Karina Rykman took over the Town Ballroom in Buffalo for nearly five hours of incredible and energetic music.
I have been eagerly awaiting my first opportunity to see both acts and was incredibly excited when Karina was added to the bill at the Buffalo Biscuits show.
Taking the stage at 7:30 and performing an unrelenting 45-minute set, Rykman filled the room with her deep and punchy bass tone as drummer Chris Corsico and guitarist Adam November backed her up with tight beats and screaming leads. November in particular has a pedalboard capable of making crazy sounds as he tweaked knobs like a mad scientist throughout their set.
Rykman also demonstrated her contagious and joyous energy as she bounced around the stage while shredding. Standout tracks included the unreleased “Joyride” and the upbeat and driving “City Kids.” Do NOT miss her shows if she plays in your area!
When the lights dropped in Buffalo for the first set of the Disco Biscuits and the band jumped into “Bazaar Escape,” I was immediately struck by how cleanly they executed the wild and proggy twists and turns of the song. Very much a newcomer to the band’s material, I had naturally assumed that there were many simpler song structures to act as launchpads for long and dance-y jams, so “Bazaar” was a pleasant surprise as its arpeggios bounced around the packed venue.
Moving into “The Bridge” next, the music became incredibly euphoric as guitarist Jon “Barber” Gutwillig’s leads reached for the sky. The fabled “untz” began to set in as the Biscuits smashed through an inverted “Home Again” into “The Wormhole.”
As a keyboardist, I am naturally very curious and dialed in to Aron Magner on his side of the stage as he bounced from one board to another, looping on the fly and generally having a ball.
“Spacebirdmatingcall” continued the strong untz jamming and seemed to be closing the set, but bassist Marc Brownstein called for another tune as Gutwillig was in the process of removing his guitar. The funky “Morph Dusseldorf” closed out the set with lots of wah guitar and an anchoring beat from drummer Allen Aucoin.
The energy in the Town Ballroom did not abate in the slightest during setbreak, and the band was met with raucous cheers as they took the stage for the second set. “Jigsaw Earth” was a huge Magner moment as he continued to loop sounds and show off his dexterity on the keys. Aucoin began laying into a propulsive four-on-the-floor dance beat that would dominate the unrelenting and nonstop second set as the Biscuits drove into “Anthem.”
While Brownstein had been sticking out to me all night, this was the moment where he truly blew my mind. While I had previously had a difficult time zeroing in on his playing in the videos I had watched of the Biscuits online, his tone carried through loud and clear last night, locking in with Aucoin to form an incredible rhythm section and groove throughout the second set.
“Times Square” was tapped next and continued to amp up the crowd even more as smiles on band and audience alike grew wider. Moving into “I-Man,” a clear crowd favourite that elicited loud and energetic singing from those in attendance, Gutwillig shredded the song to pieces as the catchy chorus came around again.
Dipping into an inverted “Naeba” before finishing the set with “I-Man,” the Biscuits left a thoroughly torched Buffalo venue with a concise “Helicopters” encore, once again bringing energy to new heights.
My first Disco Biscuits experience was an absolutely incredible night – two sets of nonstop dance party and energy from a very talented band. I look forward to seeing them again soon!
Biscuits tour continues tonight with a two-night stand at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA. Webcasts are available via Couchtour.TV. Karina Rykman joins them again next week for a two nights at Higher Ground in Burlington. Don’t miss it!
This review was initially featured on Storm Sound
Setlist via Discobiscuits.net
Disco Biscuits – The Town Ballroom, Buffalo – Thursday, January 19, 2023
Set 1: Bazaar Escape, The Bridge > Home Again^ > The Wormhole > Spacebirdmatingcall, Morph Dusseldorf
Set 2: Jigsaw Earth > Anthem > Times Square > I-Man > Naeba* > I-Man
Encore: Helicopters
^ first time inverted
* inverted
Photos by Brian Ferguson
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