“A New Hopeâ€: Dopapod in Philadelphia
Dopapod | 02.23.2013 | The Blockley | Philadelphia, PA
Words & Photos by: Ali Kramen
Dopapod has been somewhat of a Rebel Alliance in the jam and jamtronica scene. In a world in which electronic music has become a Death Star of sorts for instrumental music, the band is one of a minority of up and coming acts who has succeeded in creating electronic music without being electronic. The classically-trained quartet is quickly proving that their diverse, completely instrumental blend of electronic, jam, funk, prog rock, heavy metal, psychedelic and more is capable of defeating the electronica Death Star and the legion of button pushers which has built it.
On Saturday night at the Blockley Pourhouse in Philadelphia, it was more than clear that the force is indeed with Dopapod.
The Blockley is an intimate music setting in the city’s University City section, and more a bar than a concert venue. The massive oval-shaped bar sits back far enough to allow for a large dance floor in front of the stage. Those under 21 on this night could watch the show from the slightly raised area to the right of the bar and stage. And whether seated at the bar, up front on the dance floor, or raging the raised side area, you can count on a decent vantage point. A disco ball hangs from the ceiling between bar and stage, and its shimmering created just the right spacey atmosphere for Dopapod’s battle against the Galactic Empire of artists seeking to destroy instrumentalism with their elementary beeps and whirrs.
Dopoapod has brought their eclectic mix to venues up and down the East Cost, as well as to numerous summer music festivals, including Camp Bisco, Catskill Chill, The Big Up, Mountain Jam, and Bonnaroo. I caught several of their festival sets this past summer, but tonight was the first time I had seen them playing their own show, after having not seen them for over five months.
Needless to say, when the band took the stage some time after 11:30 PM, I was more than ready.
With the opening notes of “Roid Rage†the crowd embarked on an all-night dance mission. People of all different ages flocked to the front of the stage to get down as Dopapod expertly performed a two-hour set. The band played in near-perfect unison and effortlessly executed tempo and volume changes. This quality of musicianship often goes hand-in-hand with the kind of classical music training this foursome received while studying at the revered Berklee College of Music in Boston. The level of awareness the band members had for each other and the ease with which they followed one another’s leads astonished me. The band rarely fell out of sync, if at all. The one break in the flow was a broken guitar pedal before “Priorities,†which guitarist Rob Compa quickly replaced while keyboardist Eli Winderman entertained the crowd with his amusing banter.
Dopapod ended the night with an encore of “Trapper Keeper†from their new album Redivider, and then played two more songs on the fly, including “Happy Song†from the band’s debut album Radar. Fans congregated to shake hands with Winderman and Compa after the show and congratulate them, as the theme song from “Star Wars†played in the background, signifying the band’s victory. It was a fitting finale to an epic evening of music. You are taking down that electronica Death Star, Dopapod – one city at a time.
The band continues to tour the East Coast and Midwest, and an updated version of their tour schedule can be found here: http://dopapod.com/tour/
Also, be sure to check out Dopapod’s newest album Redivider – you can download a VBR-quality MP3 of the album for free for a limited time, or you a high-quality download or CD for $10, here: http://dopapod.com/redivider/
SET LIST: 2/23/2013- Blockley Pourhouse, Philadelphia PA
Roid Rage, Turnin’ Knobs, Vol. 3 #86, Indian Grits, Blast, Priorities, My Elephant Vs. Your Elephant, Present Ghosts, French Bowling, Freight Train Filled With Dynamite
E: Trapper Keeper, The Happy Song > Weird Charlie Pt. 2
February 22, 2013
Jessica Shagalski — Hey ya'll - the gangs all here!
