BY JILLIAN PETROSKI
Camp Bisco is ready to keep the jams going in its fifth year.
The festival kicks off this Thursday, July 18, at Montage Mountain, Scranton, and runs through Saturday, July 20, with an array of different musicians and genres, from EDM and jam music to hip-hop and rock.
Started in the late ’90s by the Disco Biscuits, a jam band that originated in Philadelphia and continues to run the festival, Bisco this year will include headliners ODESZA, Bassnectar, Umphrey’s McGee, STS9 and Tipper plus three sets by its founders.
For music festival lovers, Camp Bisco offers high energy and loud music, making for a sense of not only music appreciation but also community between guests and performers, said Birocratic, a musician who will perform at Camp Bisco for the second time.
“Bisco is like a vacation for a lot of people,” said Birocratic, whose music melds hip-hop beats with instruments such as synthesizers, bass guitar and drums. “It’s this immersive experience because these people are just there for the music. They’re a really captive audience. … And I look at playing Bisco specifically because people really aren’t coming to see some specific (act), but just going from set to set enjoying the music. It’s all different kinds of people.”
A New Jersey native based in New York City who is classically trained and has a degree in audio production, Birocratic is relatively new to playing festivals, but the experience is an exciting and thrilling one.
“Before, my type of music is something that’s very online,” he said. “It mostly exists on the internet through streaming.”
Birocratic takes joy in being able to play in an environment like Bisco but also appreciates what sights Northeast Pennsylvania has to offer.
“It’s such a beautiful area and a beautiful drive coming up here, surrounded by nature,” he said.
And Birocratic plans to bring something different for this year’s Bisco audience.
“My music is different from a lot of the stuff at the festival,” he said. “Music is really a beautiful outlet, so my music is more melodic and heady, vibey but not overaggressive. It’ll be a nice break for the audience. It’s kind of calming.”
At Bisco, Birocratic, who has made music professionally for over seven years, wants to see people connect and celebrate their love of music, fun and excitement.
“I look for fun audiences looking to have a good time,” he said. “I try to reflect good energy onto them, and hopefully, they’ll give it back to me. I just want everyone to have fun this weekend, support each other, recycle and be conscientious. They should just have a good time and enjoy the good vibes.”
Contact the writer: jpetroski@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9127
If you go
- What: Camp Bisco
- When: Thursday, July 18, through Saturday, July 20
- Where: Montage Mountain, 1000 Montage Mountain Road, Scranton
- Details: Ticket and camping prices vary. Guests must be 18 or older with a valid ID. For a complete list of acts and set times, to buy tickets or find more information, visit campbisco.com.
