The Giant Magic of Magic Giant

How One Band Dances with the Misfits

By Emilie Rohrbach

Once a long, long time ago, in the year 2018, at a land called BottleRock, a tall, muscular singer with a man bun and a smile that could light the darkest, deepest sky jumped off the stage and danced up and down the center aisle and into my heart. (See said magical moment here:)

I think I managed to sputter something enormously eloquent to my friends like, “What…who…the heck…is that??”

The answer, of course, is Magic Giant.

Hailed as one of “10 Awesome Bands,” by Billboard Magazine and “One of the Top 10 Artists You Need to Know,” by Rolling Stone, Magic Giant – comprised of members Austin Bisnow, Zambricki Li, and Zang - has taken the world by storm since the 2017 release of their debut studio album, “In the Wind.” This LA-based indie-folk band quickly became a festival favorite, wowing sold-out audiences at Coachella, BottleRock, and beyond with their upbeat lyrics, multi-instrumental hooks, and catchy choreography.

I went home and programmed their music to be my morning alarm clock. For months, the first song of my day was, “Shake Me Up.” Life was good.

The next time I saw Magic Giant, they played at August Hall in San Francisco, and I had the pleasure of interviewing Austin for Marin Magazine a few weeks before the show. I brought my friend Lizzie, because I love her company, I knew she’d love the band, and she needed a pick me up after breaking her ankle a few weeks prior.

Lizzie was doing her best to be upbeat, hobbling gingerly out of the taxi with her boot and crutches when I saw Austin standing in front of the tour bus. I was worried he wouldn't remember me but he did, and he was warm and gracious, lighting up especially when he met Lizzie: “We match!” Turned out Austin was also wearing a boot after an injury, but it didn’t stop him from dancing the night away on stage – pretty sure he even flipped onto his hands at one point. Once again, the alchemy was palpable, and the audience, including Lizzie, was mesmerized.

“Hmm,” I thought, “These guys really create something beyond a concert. This is a completely elevated experience. I wonder if everyone feels this kind of joy at a Magic Giant concert?”

Then, after talking to Austin again, I found out about Magic Giant’s Camp Misfits - a weekend in the redwoods playing charades, writing songs and dancing the night away with the guys under a star-filled sky.

Apparently, after an extensive national tour, Austin started noticing fans were following them from one show to the next. “It was amazing – we had fans coming to as many as 50 shows across the country. We started getting to know them and realized we really LIKE these people. We wanted to find a way to bring everyone together.” Austin, Zang and Zambricki began brainstorming about an adult summer camp - out of this conversation, coupled with the artistic vision of Deena Robertson, founder of Modo Yoga LA and Bisnow’s wife, Camp Misfits, located at Camp Navarro in Mendocino County, was born.

This past September, Austin invited me to attend. At first, I was mildly concerned that a full weekend might expose cracks in the allure of Magic Giant. I, of course, was wrong.

It’s the accessibility of the band, the fact that they bring a tribe of friends with them from LA to lead yoga, salsa dancing, and creative writing (Austin and Zang also brought their parents!), and what happens when 200 people spend three nights around a campfire, sharing how Magic Giant’s music transformed their lives, be it inspiring them to quit their jobs or begin the healing process from sexual assault - by the end of this weekend I found myself moved from small cynic to Giant celebrant.

So it came as no surprise that they took the Fillmore stage by storm when they were back in town last Wednesday night. Magic Giant and American Authors (of “Best Day of My Life” fame) are on a Band of Brothers Road Show tour January and February of this year, each group taking turns on stage as well as coming together as one. Both bands came out to perform in the audience and both had family members at the show. There were also plenty of Misfits traveling from the show in Anaheim to San Francisco and beyond to Portland in an effort to revel in this band’s energy for as long as possible.

As the disco ball turned and dancing continued well into the night, the guys often singing and hugging fans at the same time, I realized it’s this, the breaking of the fourth wall, that makes the magic work: every single audience member felt included and important and part of something much bigger than themselves, even if they were seeing the band for the first time. Whether it’s one on one, like Austin’s interaction with Lizzie, in small groups at Camp, or on one of the most renowned stages in San Francisco, this band is devoted to using music for its divine purpose – celebrating, connecting, uplifting. If Shakespeare is right and “music be the food of love,” Magic Giant is making sure everyone has a seat at the table - and that you’re having a mighty fine meal.

Can’t wait for September and the third annual Camp Misfits. See you there to celebrate the reckless, Misfits!

Magic Giant and American Authors performing "Cecilia," The Fillmore, San Francisco, February 5, 2020:

Tour dates:

Camp Misfits, September 24-27, 2020, info here: www.campmisfits.com