October 11, 2000

Post month long "break up" show. Filled the tank and checked the oil...the oil was nice.

tremendous 1st set with something to rage about on every tune from start to finish. there is much beauty in the CWB jam, swinging to and from with a sweet melancholy vibe. Barber shines patiently as they they two-step nicely through an inspiring DttB with an eventual DnB jam into an excellent Floodlights debut. again, Sammy...is...king tonight. Lovin' the 2nd part of Magellan. Sammy and Magner have some interesting conversations while Jon is flawless. The first CWB I've seen split up in the same set and it works well here.

I don't have much to say about set II , it's very underwhelming (imo). Where a usual hour long HDPF~>Shimmy(inv)~>HAB would usually be a show highlight, this trio is well, not inspired.(imo) They did a swell 1st version of Confrontation, that's for sure...yet, it's a pretty boring second, especially compared to the fantastic 1st set.

The 2am 'Hypnotic Clambake' show was the highlight on Oct.11th 2000.

Peasse and knuggs.

On 10/11/2000, the Biscuits gave fans at the Roxy something rather remarkable to cheer for. Pulling from the grit of the streets of Hollywood and maybe even the fact that Slash's Snakepit was playing less than a block away, the Biscuits put together, particularly in the first set, a spectacular blend of despair and darkness with that hint of uplifting tone they can bring to any setting.

When you dissect this first set, you can pick apart every song and see just how it fits into this juxtaposition of despair and delight. Magellan is a bold adventurer, and he starts off the set on a high note, hoping to tell us all a new tale. As Jon the Barber helps the ship avail the crests of crashing waves, we are plummeted smack into Chemical Warfare. Though the music is, at times, uplifting, the song enlightens us to the images of armageddon. Out of this madness, the jam begins very serenely. However, while Magner leads a lot of melodic tone, Jon is really experimenting here with some piercing one-off notes, and it works to perfection. He really falls into the background for much of this set, but in a way that allows him to lend the key textures to the jams. And the way this particular jam slides into some of incredible dub stylings is perfect...they let that mellow jam peak, and suddenly they're thick into it. Out of this richness peeks Down to the Bottom, again, another song dealing with some desperate, uneasy mental states in a surprisingly high-spirited direction. And it is out of this that springs some crazy, off-kilter riffing again from Barber. In fact, at times he's pushing the jam so hard, it seems like he's playing the wrong notes. And then, right as you're about to ask, "What are you doing, Jon?", he shifts one note in the sequence, and suddenly everything is alright again. One note, and you've gone from the darkest of dark to this emphatic, emotional peak, something almost akin to the Hot Air Balloon in theme. And out of this peak, they push on into the Biscuits' debut of Floodlights. And as I'm sitting there dancing to this uplifting, tense jam, watching Marc rap for the first time, I got that feeling. There was just so much going on...we were on a rollercoaster of ups and downs, goods and evils, and then to just see this bobbleheaded bassist grab the mic and start going off about life and death...I think I just lost it. I was laughing; I was pumping my fist; I was certainly alive. And from the depths of this intensity, out comes Jon with this incredible, clocklike plucking. I have no idea how much time passes, but this Floodlights is dark and unsettling until Magner starts overlaying these synthesized vocal-like notes, and suddenly we're looking at another hill on the coaster. But just when it seems like things are going to be alright, Magner and Barber bring us back to that evil place with what sounds a whole lot like a return to Floodlights. Out of this gnarled jam, though, comes Marc and Sammy to the forefront. And while slowly Barber begins to take the melodic lead, Marc and Sammy are just kicking it up level by level. Finally, when there is nowhere left to go but down, the jam peaks, and we ride the Hot Air Balloon. The Hot Air Balloon appears to just be a traveling mechanism to get us back to where we started this set, oh so long ago, with our friend Magellan. After the first series of peaks, the band really takes the song out into spacey territory. It's not dissonant in the least, but it's a very open jam, with the exception of Sammy, who is just planting some lightning fast work on the high-hat. And as the band brings this jam to a close, and we bask in the sun, relieved in part that this tumultuous journey is over. But wait...as the ship has returned from the journey we feel one last pull into this gorgeous, serene territory we had forgotten about amidst the gloom. This subtle, soft jam suddenly slides away to reveal our true final destination: Chemical Warfare yet again. And to give us something to ponder over setbreak, the last session of good and evil comes to a close in this most ominous fashion.

There is nothing like seeing this band in a tiny venue like the Roxy, your body shaking within arm's length of Magner's keys. And it is in these small rooms that the band seems to let themselves loose, taking chances right and left. Much of the first set, I would say is a success because of this. The second set, the band lets loose from the shackles of darkness and just plain has fun, and I think the intimacy with the crowd is definitely a factor here. The crowd had definitely thinned a bit at setbreak, so there was a little more dancing space, but more than that, the band was amongst a more favoring crowd. Starting off the set with a nice, uplifting House Dog Party Favor, Jon in particular was playing with a much softer tone. Magner lays down some nice horn-like textures, and Sammy's work on the drum kit sounds, at times, like there are two of him back there. There is just so much going on without getting lost...it's beautiful. Out of this uplifting peak, though, comes an incredibly fast second House Dog jam. While Magner is playing with a little bit of noise texture, mostly this jam is lead in the forefront by Sammy and Jon. It's definitely held together and pushed by Marc, though, and I think it's this full-on four-person improv that really showcases some of the best aspects of the band. Magner's noise gives way to these light, robotic chirping riffs, and suddenly it seems like the band really has turned over a new leaf from the first set. And just when you're about to relax and enjoy a bit of peace, you can feel that tension again crawling back. And suddenly, Marc is sounding a little scary...apparently Jon thinks so, too, because his once-melodic, beautiful riffs have given way to terror and dissonance. And there we are, in the middle of a full-on Middle Eastern assault! The jam really kicks into high gear here, and the ending riff of Little Shimmy in a Conga Line rears its head. But on its face is a smile, and all uneasiness passes. At the singing of the first ending verse, Jon completely botches the lyrics of Little Shimmy, and Magner taunts him with a little "Oopsies!" chime. The band is clearly loving the moment, basking a little bit of extra time in the funk section of the song, and the crowd is nothing but elated, when out of the joy of the dance, up springs an unnerving darkness. This is exactly the sound people are talking about when describing the most evil aspects of bisco. Freddy Kreuger himself would probably crap his pants if he ever listened to music this evil. At times the band nearly comes to a complete stop, possibly because things had just gotten too hairy and they were terrified themselves. But luckily we all escape intact together, in a Hot Air Balloon. Given, at last, a time to breathe, Marc's beautiful love song News from Nowhere is extremely heartfelt and moving. The Confrontation is short and sweet, and that gives way to a shortlived reworking of Eulogy. I'm certainly convinced Spectacle came out of the drawn out intros of this song, and this Eulogy is definitely an interesting take on the song, as it features some great piano work from Magner and complimentary snare from Sammy. Capping that all off with some really choice ascending patterns from Barber and Marc just keeping it all together, it's just a gorgeous way to introduce one of their most powerful songs. And while there is no need for an encore after something so beautiful as a well-played Eulogy, the way this Hope unfolds into that all-too-familiar Basis theme before unleashing the capping Run Like Hell is just magnificent...I hope you find it as perfect a cap to the evening as I did at my first show, the Roxy, 10/11/2000.