The Disco Biscuits Return to Oregon For First Time in Decades with Triumphant Dance Party (SHOW REVIEW)

You might not call it a comeback but the Disco Biscuits are currently burning through what is, according to bassist Marc Brownstein, “the first legitimate 3 week Disco Biscuits touring situation in probably [15 years].” Not only that, but it’s on the West Coast, hitting some towns for the first time ever and others for the first time in two decades. By any stretch, this would seem like a risky endeavor for a band that has long maintained a stronghold in the Northeast. But clearly the love for the jamtronica stalwarts has only strengthened with time as the band is playing to large and enthusiastic crowds thus far. The pinnacle of this early-tour energy took place at the packed Roseland Theater in Portland, Oregon on Saturday, July 15th with the kind of show that proved that time away from the road has somehow only sharpened this band’s skills. 

Set one found the Biscuits getting into their collective comfort zone and gradually setting the tone for what would follow, starting with a layered jam that drifted from ambient to spooky to euphoric before dropping into a bass-heavy “To Be Continued.” In typical Biscuits fashion, each song blended with the next as the band inserted snippets, vocal lines and teases throughout. Moments of funk and dub lead to Aaron Magner laying down an organ solo before Jon “The Barber” Gutwillig ultimately lead the charge and brought things full circle back into “To Be Continued.” All of this felt like a suspense-building exercise before the highlight of the first set, a sprawling and spunky “Little Shimmy in a Conga Line” that started in loose, boogieing fashion before dropping into a full-on salsa dance party. The beauty of any Biscuits set is their ability to manifest what can feel like frenetic musical chaos (that’s still danceable, of course) and still connect the dots. They did this as they deconstructed “Shimmy” before building it back into a simple dance groove that went from dark and industrial into dubby, somehow managing to insert “Photograph” and “Floes” into the middle of the action. Just as they reached for that quintessential moment of euphoria, they brought it back to “Shimmy” and wrapped the set to a barrage of applause from a clearly jazzed up crowd that seemed to genuinely surprise the band.    

The band didn’t waste much time getting back to the stage for the second set, opening with a huge “Mindless Dribble” that found them leaning into a rock and roll sound. From here, they let the tune morph into an interstellar club sound that carried a cool flow. This portion of the show featured a tightness that wasn’t fully present in the first set as they locked into a dance groove that focused less on individual bust-outs and more on the group creating something that kept the audience entranced. Though there were no rarities in this part of the show, songs that had made recent appearances – including new tune “Falling” – were a reminder of just how dialed in the band has become these days. Musically, they veered from tribal to rave to trance, disco and even New Wave.

Stretching well past the three-hour mark, the band left the stage to even more applause than they had received on set break. Their obvious gratitude was clear and they looked like they could’ve played all night. Luckily, they quickly returned to the stage for a proper party closer with a danced-up take on the 80s classic “You Spin Me Round” that balanced upbeat New Wave energy with quintessential Disco Biscuits crunchiness. Closing out on such a fun high brought the fans back down to earth and wrapped up a triumphant show that clearly bodes well for the rest of the tour. Don’t call it a comeback, but damn if the Disco Biscuits aren’t primed and ready to take the country by storm once again. 

July 15, 2023 Roseland Theater, Portland, OR

I: Jam > To Be Continued > Down to the Bottom (1) > To Be Continued, Little Shimmy in a Conga Line > Photograph > Floes (2) > Little Shimmy in a Conga Line

II: Mindless Dribble > One Chance to Save the World > Orch Theme > Falling > Spraypaint

E: You Spin Me Round

(1) Inverted

(2) Unfinished