Bright lights flashed within the dark belly of the Town Ballroom as music blasted at an ear-piercing decibel. Everyone in the room was padded by music and completely unaware of their surrounding concertgoers.
On Thursday, The Disco Biscuits were poised on stage as their signature silver disco ball rotated above them. The band, comprised of guitarist and lead vocalist Jon "The Barber" Gutwillig, bassist Marc Brownstein, drummer Sam Altman and keyboardist Aaron Magner, is currently on a mission to bring their recently released two-disc live album, "The Wind At Tour To Fly," to life.
The band, with a name begot from a whim, has quickly gained popularity for its innovative sound. They mix jazz and techno to create something called trance-fusion and have rapidly gained a loyal fan base.
"I've never heard anything like them," said Elana Stanley, a senior at Binghamton University. "They're like Phish gone techno. I love it!"
The band opened with the song "Helicopter," in which Gutwillig strings along short, choppy statements.
"Three, three. Fly high. No wings. To show. Show, show/ Hey! Helicopters, look out below. Helicopters, flying low/ Night, night. In the red sky. Three fly. All in a line. Running out of time!"
This was followed up with "Spraypaint Victory" and "Cyclone." During intermission, audience members appeared physically spent from dancing, grateful to step outside and take relief from the concert's intensity. Following the break, the band continued to entertain with their other hits, "Saga" and "Mr. Don."
Sam Altman formed the band in the mid-90s at the University of Pennsylvania. They initially drew crowds at fraternity parties, completely unaware of the fact that on New Years Eve 2003 their audience would reach the full capacity of the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.
Not only is the sound an important part of The Disco Biscuits' show, but the amazing use of lights also plays an equally significant role in their performance.
"It was so easy to close your eyes and just dance to the songs," Stanley said. "And even better to open your eyes and realize how cool the lighting was, how it matched up with the music so well, and enhanced the music that much more."
The Disco Biscuits are definitely worth a trip to a nearby concert venue. It's their unique sound that intrigues listeners, a sound that they intend to have recorded during live shows.
"You haven't really experienced The Disco Biscuits until you've actually seen them live," Stanley said. "Their CD doesn't even begin to compare to a live show."
