They've come a long way since forming at the University of Pennsylvania in 1995, schlepping their gear from frat party to frat party and building a solid fanbase which they soon took to the night clubs of Philadelphia. Since then tDB have brought their trance-fusion dance grooves to evergrowing audiences across the country.
2010 has been a big year for these guys. Their latest studio album, Planet Anthem, was released earlier this year and reached #5 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. Riding the success of the album, the band found themselves breaking into larger venues across the country with a headlining return to the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre as well as gigs at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Atlanta, Boston's Bank of America Pavilion, Paper Mill Island Amphitheater in Syracuse NY, and Virginia's Hampton Coliseum. Oh, and then there's that whole summer festival thing. 2010 saw tDB making open-air stops at Bonnaroo, ULTRA, Wakarusa, Bama Jam, Blackwater Festival, and, of course, the upcoming North Coast Music Festival here in Chicago. In addition to their set at NCMF, tDB will be relocating across town to the Congress Theatre for a special late night, post-fest performance sure to feature special guests from the electronic-heavy NCMF lineup.
In anticipation of their stop here in Chicago over Labor Day weekend, the boys took time out of their hectic schedule to collectively talk to the Logan Square Dispatch about glowsticks, haters, and the death of the musical genre.
LSD: In past studio efforts, TDB have taken sort of a backwards approach to recording in that the records were based on material that had already been played and experimented with live for some time. The most recent record, Planet Anthem, represents a break from that method wherein the songs were for the most part created during production of the album. Were there any challenges in recreating the new material in a live setting? Now that you've had time to tour on them a bit, how have the songs off of Planet Anthem adapted to the stage, and how have they changed your approach to the live show overall?
The Disco Biscuits: Interesting. For the most part, the more we play the Planet Anthem songs, the more they become second nature just like all the others before them. But, there are times like, for example, when Magner triggers a spinning coin sample in Loose Change and other sounds and music that we want to be as much “from the album” as possible in the live setting. It could be a result of presenting the songs the way we want to, or it could be a result of simply being more sophisticated and advanced, technology-wise, as a band. Once you know what you CAN do with your new expensive toys, it is hard not to fulfill that potential. When we first started out, we didn’t have our own studio. We didn’t have the best and newest gear and computer programs integrated into our studio setting…let alone the live experience. So now, having access to that stuff, and the time to get it right, propels you to stay consistent with it whether live or in studio.
LSD: What percentage of the glow-stick industry do you think the band singlehandedly supports? It's got to be up there.
tDB: hahaha. Well, as music fans ourselves, we know there are other bands out there doing just as much if not more for the industry. Since Camp Bisco, we’ve been heavy supporters of the LASER industry – we have been touring with some pretty serious pieces of laser equipment. We need FAA approval for our outdoor shows! It is quite the sight.
LSD: You guys are well-versed in the 'jam' scene, partially a product of it, and arguably still one of the major players involved, but you've really done a lot to diversify the notion of what a 'jam band' is. Does the term 'jam band' still have any meaning? Has the traditional 'jam' scene run its course? Where is the scene headed?
tDB: There is a lot of genre-blurring these days. For example, you look at bands like Phoenix and Arcade Fire, and it seems like alt-rock has become the new pop. Which speaks volumes for the next decade of music. We are in a good place for good music. There is still “jam” music out there. But the term was probably more applicable when it was defining a whole scene of music and fans. Now, as that term becomes dated, it is probably trendier to further define the sound of a band that you used to call “jam.” Ours is a combination of our changing personal influences and just a general feeling of where our songwriting and performing is headed. But, all in all, the idea of a genre (any genre), seems to be on the way out. You might say a particular album or period for a band was influenced or defined by a certain type of music...but the days of having each and every song from any one band fit into the same cookie cutter are long over.
LSD: I'm amazed at how polarized music has become in terms of the fans. It seems I can't go onto a jambase or hidden track thread without having to endure the inevitable argument of why The Disco Biscuits suck and why The String Cheese Incident rules, or vice versa. Would you care to provide an answer here and end this debate once and for all?
tDB: We are huge music fans. Aside from playing however many of our own shows and side projects through the year, we are traveling around to see our favorite acts just like a lot of our fans travel to see us. A lot of the acts people compare us to…well, first of all, we don’t always see the similarity or even the basis for the comparison. But, more importantly, more often than not, we are big fans of theirs on a personal level.
The internet has been a big help to our career. Seriously. We kind of took off at the same time as everyone was getting internet in their homes, AOL and stuff. People talked about us in a big way on the web, and still do. People traded a lot of our music and opened it up to a lot more of their friends and with strangers.
But it is so easy to say something you don’t really mean, or havent thought out, when you’re behind a keyboard. And, ya know, it is probably the same 5 or 10 people going back and forth. The same percentage of people you would hear making those kinds of comments in real life. At your Saturday night party or wherever. Do you pay those people any attention? They’re crazy! They’re probably drunk, too. But, when it turns into words on the internet, they have some sort of authority because you don’t realize it’s just crazy Billy from down the street.
The reality is that everyone you see at a live music event, no matter what band where or when, is having fun. Ya know? We know everyone is going to have their favorite band. We know that some other people wont care for that band at all. Travel to see us, don’t travel to see us. Catch us in your hometown, or don’t. But the people who are talking shit have probably never been to our show. The people talking shit about any other band have probably never been to their show. That’s kind of a roundabout way of saying that haters don’t know what they are talking about and will never be open minded enough to contribute a legitimate personal opinion.
LSD: tDB have an impressive amount of community involvement to add to their resume, notably the founding of HeadCount and involvement with The Conscious Alliance. Can you tell me a little bit about what you guys have had going on this year? How important is it that a band give back to their community?
tDB: Whether it is because we are playing upwards of 100+ shows a year and have some fans who attend a large percentage of those, or because we know and interact in various ways with a lot of our fans, or because we are the kind of band that constantly tours (vs touring every couple years in support of an album or whatever) there is a significant feeling of community involvement. This year, with HeadCount, we played a benefit show at Brooklyn Bowl that donated $15K to a Philadelphia school for a solar power project they had in the works. HeadCount is in full swing for the 2010 midterm elections, and we’ve had them at our shows, at Camp Bisco, and have otherwise lent a voice to the cause. It is really important to have that give and take within the community, because we are so fortunate, but especially because the potential for greatness is there inside of these people.
LSD: You guys will be returning to Chicago for the North Coast Music Festival this Labor Day Weekend with an after show at the Congress Theatre Sept. 3rd. I know you've played the Congress before, what is your take on the venue?
tDB: Everytime we come to Chicago, it is mind-blowing. We seem to grow each time, whether that is venue or attendance-wise. The Congress is one of the best places we’ve played in Chicago. How can you not love that big, open, beautiful room? The lasers are going to be AMAZING in the Congress.
LSD: Do you remember the first place TDB ever played in Chicago? Favorite clubs/venues played since?
tDB: We have played so many places in Chicago. In 1999, we really hit it hard. That was the first year we played Chicago. We played Chicago so many times in 1999! All small clubs that may or may not be there now, may or may not have changed names. The first time we played Chicago was some Saturday night at a bar. We played Milwaukee the next night, and were back in Chicago on Monday. Every time we come back, it is bigger in some way. One year, it was Magner’s birthday in Chicago. I think we played the Vic. One year, we did this thing where the hometown guys Umphreys McGee were playing our hometown of Philly the same night. We each covered a song from the other band, and tried to start playing it at the same time.
LSD: What can we expect from TDB in the near future?
tDB: Time will tell what the future has in store for tDB, and we’re excited to see it. We keep writing and playing new songs. A couple new ones for this tour, in fact, that no one has heard yet. We are moving into the amphitheaters and bringing along bigger and better production values wherever we go. Making the party bigger, more fun, and more memorable. We are hungry. And we’ll be around for a while.
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The Disco Biscuits will be performing this coming weekend at North Coast Music Festival with an official afterparty set at the Congress Theatre this Friday, September 3rd. Big thanks to tDB for taking the time to talk with us.
