In July of 2023, I wrote this about The Disco Biscuits:

“It boggles the mind to think that these Philly jam giants have never played in town before, given the number of similar bands that roll through Central Oregon every year. But it’s true: This is the Disco Biscuits’ Bend debut, and it promises to be a party.”

Eighteen months later, they’re back. On Jan. 19, the band will return to Bend as part of what it’s calling the Bubble Tour, which runs from Seattle to San Diego to Denver in January and February. Says the Disco Biscuits Instagram: “Gone are the days of 10+ year West Coast droughts!” And in March, the group will celebrate the one-year anniversary of the release of “Revolution in Motion” — its first new full-length studio album since the early 2010s.

To what do we owe this recent surge in Disco Biscuits activity? Keyboardist and vocalist Aron Magner explains:

“Lots of factors led the band to recommit to each other in 2019,” he told The Bulletin in an email interview. “Frankly, the album and the flurry of activity the past couple years would have happened a couple years sooner had it not been for the pandemic, which afforded us creatives with much-needed time. Time with our families, time to create. And though the band was somewhat active throughout the pandemic, it was towards the end of that time that we really went for it.”

Formed among college buddies in 1995, The Disco Biscuits have long been one of the most adventurous jam bands in America, known not only for their exploratory rock ‘n’ roll, but also their relentless incorporation of electronic sounds into their songs. They are pioneers of a style that has a few different funny names: Trance fusion. Livetronica. Jamadelic dance music. Whatever you call it, it’s fuel for extended, sweaty dance parties like the one that will happen in Bend not long after the Biscuits’ bus parks outside the Midtown.

Before the band headed out West for the Bubble Tour, we sent Magner a few questions, and he kindly sent back a few answers. Here’s that interview, edited for space and clarity.

Ben Salmon: This year marks the 30th anniversary of The Disco Biscuits. Looking back to those first weeks and months, what were your goals for the band at that time?

Aron Magner: The goal has always been to play Madison Square Garden and we ain’t stopping till we get there!

BS: What’s the secret to your all’s longevity? How does a band of college buds stay together and active and happy for 30 years?

AM: I wish I knew! It would be hard to believe at any point throughout our career that this band of all bands would have this type of longevity. We’re all passionate people and sometimes those passions don’t line up at the same time. But here we are, 30 years later. Still activated. Still passionate. Still traveling the country spreading our musical gospel.

BS: How would you describe The Disco Biscuits’ sonic evolution over the years?

AM: The music is always evolving. The songs, the jams, the concepts, our abilities, even our growth as people is always evolving. We’ve been harnessing the powers of tech and blending it with our musicianship while staying true to our philosophy of improvisation.

BS: Can you tell me about the origins of the concept behind “Revolution in Motion”? Where did the idea to do a space opera about aliens come from?

AM: Aliens of all sorts are having a real moment right now. We’re just trying to capture that zeitgeist. But we also truly believe that music has the power to heal and unite. So on that off-chance that aliens do invade, perhaps we now know that The Disco Biscuits are prepared as first responders.

BS: In the mid-’90s, bands that infused jammy rock ‘n’ roll with electronic sounds weren’t all that common. Now, there are quite a few out there. How much influence do you think The Disco Biscuits have had on that growth?

AM: If it wasn’t The Disco Biscuits that pioneered electronic music blended into jam, it would have been someone else. We were coming of age as a band at the right time and place in the mid-’90s to connect these sounds. It was new, exciting and unique. When I see the band labeled by a publication as the “forefathers of trance fusion” I definitely have a sense of pride that we were influential in the many bands that followed. That said, what I would love to see are more bands pushing those boundaries of what that can be.

If You Go

What: An evening with The Disco Biscuits

When: 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19

Cost: $35

Where: Midtown Ballroom, 51 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend

Contact: midtownballroom.com