RECAP: Camp Bisco 2017

Camp Bisco 2017

One never knows what to expect when going to Camp Bisco. Whether it’s the location, the surprise sets, or the amazing production of each stage. It always seems to find a way to out-do itself. Camp Bisco kicked off Wednesday, July 12th with a sound check from The Disco Biscuits along with a barbecue while the RVs started filling in the lots. Those who were general admission ended up having to wait until night time to enter the festival with lines taking as long as five hours to move. Security was very tight, which added to these wait times, but nevertheless for the better of the festival.

GA camping began to fill up the ski slopes on the side of the mountain furthest from the RV lots. It was good vibes from the beginning as everyone helped each other set up their mini homes for the weekend. This is a festival that brings in people from all over the country. With such a lineup, there’s nothing less to expect. People flooded the festival grounds to get a grasp on which stage they’d have to go to for their favorite artists performance. There were four stages at Camp Bisco.

Electric City(Main Stage)

Inspired by city of Scranton, PA

There’s no doubt that this stage was the center point of the festival. All the big headliners such as The Disco Biscuits, Bassnectar, Pretty Lights Live, and Beats Antique performed under the amazing light production inside the Pavilion. At night, the stage really shined. With lasers, confetti blasters, and an entire light show projected onto the Pavilion, no matter where you looked, it was jaw dropping. The sound system was loud enough that the furthest audience in the grass in front of the stage could still feel the bass through their feet.

Above the Waves Stage

Inspired by the overlooking Wave Pool

This stage tends to be the fan favorite. Day or night, the lights and sound blasting at the water park is really something special. Artists such as 12th Planet, Space Jesus, Slushii, Kill The Noise and TOKiMONSTA threw down while the fans were either fighting the security with insane headbanging on the rails, or splashing and dancing while the waves sailed through the pool.

The Office Stage

Inspired by the show The Office

Offset to the right, walking towards the main stage, was The Office Stage. Again, there was nothing reserved for the production of lights, sound, and visuals. Artists like YOOK!E, EPROM, Marvel Years, and The Russ Liquid Test performed their sets. Along with after hours VIP sets exclusively for those who came with VIP including an Adam Deitch DJ Set, Manic Focus, and Ganja White Night.

The Renegade Stage

The Jaenga Bus

Last year at Camp Bisco, Jaenga setup his bus in the RV lots without ever expecting the outcome of artists who played, and the amount of people who showed up. With that being said, it inspired Camp Bisco to make it an official stage this year, hence the name: The Renegade Stage. Three separate production companies and Jaenga’s team came together to really put on a show. Some scheduled artists included: Esseks, Honeycomb, OCTBR, and of course Jaenga himself. Other acts that performed at the festival came to check out the stage and even some threw down. Space Jesus, 12th Planet, and MT EDEN were among the top artists. Some nights turned to dawn as music played till latest 6:00 AM with crowds as big as 3,000 attendees. All in all, this stage really proved itself and could also be considered a fan favorite.

Stand Out Artists

Bassnectar

As expected, Bassnectar really brought the crowd to his show at Camp Bisco. With more than 8,000 people scheduled, it was nearly impossible to walk through the pavilion during his set. If one was anywhere in the vicinity of the main stage, they weren’t going anywhere far until the end. Each live set Bassnectar does is completely different than the last. The lights and the sound were so loud that the township next door could hear his bass. Extra security was added to the stage and around the pavilion to ensure everyone’s safety. Heavy rain led up to his set which miraculously ended right before he began.

The Disco Biscuits

The Disco Biscuits give plenty of opportunity for performance at their own festival. With six scheduled sets and a split VIP set with Breaking Science, they were the real MVP’s of Camp Bisco. The amazing vibes of audience they bring and just their presence alone on stage is a true marvel. One of the best jam bands in history, it’s a great thing having their festival so close to home, along with seeing thousands of people in one area getting along and not fighting. This is what these festivals are all about.

12th Planet

Returning for his second year in a row to the waves stage, 12th Planet really had to perform with all he had. He had the crowd absolutely insane as he played tons of dub step and heavy “riddim”. The energy he had and the music he was throwing out really showed why he’s one of the top producers this year. The visuals on that stage were out of this world, and entranced everyone who watched. After his set, Kill The Noise took the stage and began with a back to back with 12th Planet himself.

YOOK!E

YOOK!E brought out all the bass heads to the Office Stage on Saturday. Releasing new music and brain melting sound to the audience, the visuals and lights were so intense you could see how zoned the people were. YOOK!E was very interactive with their crowd and absolutely tore the stage apart. It’s as if they were made for that stage alone that night.

Jaenga

For the first time in Camp Bisco history, Jaenga and his bus became an official stage of the festival. With almost 10,000 total attendees all weekend and hours of music played, it really proved itself worthy of the other stages. During his set, Jaenga kept his BPM’s at a high level to keep the party and crowd on their feet dancing. Along with 30 second song transitions he kept his music flowing quick and smooth, and was one of the best after hours sets all weekend. Just when you thought he was done playing, he surprised the crowd by climbing to the top of his bus, playing the guitar accented with beautiful girls, CO2 cannon guns, champagne bottles and a Black Sabbath guitar solo.

Camping

General Admission

Camp Bisco is located on a mountain, and for those who were camping with GA, they were placed on the steep ski slopes of Montage. There were four slopes utilized for general admission, and all four slopes were jam packed with tents. Tents were separated by mere inches or not at all. Unfortunately, there was a lot of rain over the weekend. Which made for muddy conditions, and some tents and camping setups were flooded or washed away. This was expected though, and nothing could stop the attendees in GA from having the time of their lives.There was also a cleaning company setup called Clean Vibes which helped keep garbage and debris maintained during the festival.

RV LOTS & VIP

These two go hand in hand, as those who were VIP mainly had RV’s and could setup a day early, along with tents that went along the grass embankments on the side of the lots. Just as the GA camping was packed, so were the RV lots. At one point, the staff bringing in RV’s had to be reminded that there was to be a Renegade Stage smack dab in the center and they needed all the space they could get. There were trash receptacles setup every corner, security, and staff based near the Renegade Stage.

Vendors

The variety of vendors Camp Bisco had to offer was fantastic. Food spots from all over the area came in with either food trucks or stands and delivered some of the best food imaginable. Some of these included: Notice the Gyro King, Nico’s Pizza, a Caribbean Food Truck, tacos by the Renegade Stage and many more. Merchandise vendors were some of the best in business. Including a southeast Asian stand with jewelry, statues, and masks. A shirt vendor that was UV reactive. Who could forget those Moon-mats though? Walking long distances from stage to stage, the Moon-mats they laid out randomly saved the heals of your feet. Vendors add more to a festival than just music. They really bring together people with different interests of food, heritage, and the newest products out in the music market.

Concluding Thoughts

This year’s Bisco was a huge success. With over 40,000 attendees and around 100 performing acts, everything that should’ve happened, could’ve, and then some. For how many people being in one place all weekend, it’s amazing that the positive vibes and energy stuck. After the festival’s end, sources have released information that Live Nation has signed a contract to continue Camp Bisco at Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA for another five years. Now, that says something all for itself. Overall, this festival was worth every penny. In the years to come, people surely will return for more great vibes and new things added that make Camp Bisco its own unique entity.