The band brought back their “Spin The Wheel” tradition to determine Saturday’s second set at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania.
By Scott Bernstein Jan 23, 2023 • 12:10 pm PST
On Saturday The Disco Biscuits closed out their first weekend of 2023 concerts with the second of two shows at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. Bisco dusted off “Park Ave.” after more than six years on the shelf during the first set and let fans determine the second set and encore “Spin The Wheel” style.
Bassist Marc Brownstein, guitarist Jon Gutwillig, keyboardist Aron Magner and drummer Allen Aucoin hitched a ride on the “Space Train” to get the show underway. The band’s 10th performance of a song debuted last June featured plenty of exploration before the Biscuits dropped into “Pimp Blue Rikkis” Next up was the return of instrumental “Park Ave.,” a tune last played on July 15, 2016 — a span of 239 shows.
Saturday’s adventurous “Park Ave.” saw the band patiently work over multiple themes ahead of a move towards “Another Plan Of Attack.” Gutwillig helmed the song which like “Space Train” was co-written with lyricist Joey Friedman and premiered in June of 2022. More out-of-the-box improvisation came within “Another Plan Of Attack.” The Disco Biscuits went on to close the set with a +17-minute version of the classic “Astronaut.”
A wheel that included 12 different song choices was set up in front of Aucoin’s drum kit when the band returned for the second set. Baked Shrimp guitarist Jared Cowen, who had spun the wheel as a youngster, had a second turn giving the wheel a spin to start the frame one night after his band opened for the Biscuits. The wheel landed on “Lake Shore Drive” and the quartet complied with the selection. Bisco continued the seamless frame with “Running Into The Night” and “Barfly” after fans’ spins yielded those songs.
The “Spin The Wheel” set rolled on with “Tourists (Rocket Ship)” and “Evolve,” which were debuted in 2022 and 2021 respectively. Next, the wheel landed on a beloved classic in “Hot Air Balloon.” The Disco Biscuits left “HAB” unfinished as they revved into their seventh performance of “Why We Dance.” One final spin of the wheel on Saturday led to the evening’s “Floes” finale.
Watch a clip of Saturday’s “Park Ave.” bust out below:
Set One: Space Train > Pimp Blue Rikkis, Park Ave. [1] > Another Plan of Attack > Astronaut
Set Two: Lake Shore Drive > Running into the Night > Barfly > Tourists (Rocket Ship) > Evolve > Hot Air Balloon [2] > Why We Dance
Encore: Floes
- [1] – last played 7/15/2016 (239 shows)
- [2] – unfinished
Notes: with “Spin the Wheel” to determine songs played in the second set
