Some people
spend the final moments of a year watching the ball drop in Times Square.
Others spend them at home with friends and family. And still some others hit
the road for the chance to be surrounded by gyrating souls, while a favorite
band lays it down on stage, bringing in the new year with music and laughter.
Guess which one I am.
This year
(or last year, depending on how you look at it), I had the distinct pleasure of
spending my final moments with Dopapod and Papadosio at their New Year’s Eve
bash at The National in Richmond, Va. This was due, in part, to Papadosio’s
offer of two complimentary tickets for me and my boyfriend. The band is a long
time favorite of mine, so there was no way I was going to miss out.
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| Photo: Jason Pier (flickr.com) |
If you’ve
never had the chance to visit The National, it is an excellent venue. As a
historic renovated theater, it sports an elevated stage with hardwood dance
floor, an extremely high ceiling, balcony seating, several bars, and beautiful
interior artwork and design. It has a capacity of 1500 and this show sold out,
so you can imagine what the energy was like inside.
Shortly
after we arrived, Dopapod took the stage. I’ve seen this band live before, but
I was truly blown away by its performance Monday night. Members Eli Winderman (Keyboards),
Neal “Fro” Evans (Drums), Rob Compa (Guitar), and Chuck Jones (Bass) have been
tightening, as well as expanding, their incredibly executed hard rock meets
organ meets psychedelic funk style.
Dopapod
knows no limits, mixing genres, time signatures, and expressions seamlessly, keeping
the crowd on its toes. And we were loving it! Cheers and howls arose with every
shift, every dynamic change in sound, signaling the crowd’s admiration of the
band’s highly inventive style.
Its newest
studio album, Redivider, is currently
available for free download at dopapod.com/redivider, so head over and check it
out. All you need is a Facebook account and an email address.
After a
seemingly eternal set break, Papadosio made its way to the stage. The quintet
took control of The National from 11:30 p.m. on, playing some old, as well as
some new from its recently released album T.E.T.I.O.S.,
or To End the Illusion of Separation,
available at papadosio.com.
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| Papadosio and Dopapod do a Beatles tribute. |
Shortly
after midnight (and an energizing midnight kiss), Dopapod was invited to return
to the stage for a Beatles tribute, which included “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts
Club Band,” “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” and others. It had the crowd
swaying just as much as any rendition of “Auld Lang Syne” ever could.
Papadosio
continued on, and I spent the rest of the night in an uplifting-music-induced haze,
crossing paths with old friends and big smiles. We found ourselves seats on the
balcony and enjoyed a bird’s eye view of the band and the crowd. 1500 souls
gyrating and laughing in the new year.
