From the beginning, everything about Dopapod playing The Miramar Theatre felt special. It’s not often you get to see a show on a holiday, but Easter Sunday was also the very first time Dopapod played the city of Milwaukee.
The turnout filled about half the room with many folks traveling from as far as Chicago to see this next generation jamband throw down. The Miramar has been providing a steady flow of Summer Camp artists through Milwaukee for the past year now, introducing new audiences to new music on a weekly basis and deepening our appreciation for quality live performances. The fact that this is the venue was now introducing Milwaukee to Dopapod made so much sense.
The night’s opening act, Conundrum, is a local Milwaukee group that has taken an unofficial residency at the Miramar over the past year. This three piece unit consists of Alex Klosterman on guitar, Owen Reed on bass, and Charlie Celenza on drums. The trio layers their jams with a complex interplay of thick grounding bass and tasteful guitar licks. Conundrum is in the midst of recording their first album and you could tell they were hell bent on perfection, as well as presentation, during this early April show.
It was soon time for the main event. The ambient back lit stage sat patiently while we waited for the magic to commence. From the first song of the night, “Nuggy Jawson,” you could tell Dopapod was ready to throw down a tight knit set of explosive jams. The quartet quickly locked into their sweet spot of being young, ambitious, and well practiced. Their constant touring has obviously paid off and their transitions were seamlessly unforgettable. The show’s production eventually encompassed the whole room and provided a stimulating experience packaged in the form of a concert.
Dopapod is one of those bands that is constantly exploring new territory and refining their unique sound. The overall result is a weird artistry is distinctly Dopapod. They have an exploratory sense of jamming that produces soundscapes of whimsical fairy tales chucked full of shredding plot twists. Their live show contained elements of hard rock, jazz, and funk. It was sexy, terrifying, complex, and uplifting all at the same time.
It’s becoming more and more clear that the Midwest loves Dopapod. There is something about their nitty-gritty sound that speaks to our industrial roots. Dopapod’s set at Summer Camp last year was the talk of the fest and now Milwaukee has a new artist to dive into and explore. Both Dopapod and Twiddle will be hitting the road together on their way to Summer Camp and stopping in Louisville and St. Louis on May 19th and 20th, respectively. Do yourself a solid and check these guys out!
The historic Easter show. Posted by Captured by Carmel on Monday, April 6, 2015
