Dopapod w/ The Talismen

1977 Maybank Hwy.,Charleston Pour House SC 29412

14 May, 2023

Description

Dopapod w/ The TalismenSunday, 5.14.23 Charleston Pour House Main Stage 7:30pm doors /8:30pm show $22 advance /$25 day of show DopapodMusic resides in the fourth dimension unaffected by the constraints and restrictions of thismortal coil. Instead, it occupies the ether, affecting us emotionally, physically, and spirituallywithout concrete form or shape. As such, Dopapod access a heightened level of cosmicharmony in their music. The quartet—Eli Winderman [keys, vocals], Rob Compa [guitar, vocals],Chuck Jones [bass], and Neal “Fro” Evans [drums]—present albums as experiences meant tobe shared out of your speakers and on stage. After generating millions of streams, packingshows coast-to-coast, and earning acclaim from Rolling Stone, Guitar World, Glide Magazine,and more, the group architect an immersive and expansive vision on their self-titled seventhfull-length offering, Dopapod.“At the end of the day, we hope we represent being yourself, being unique, and trying to dosomething new,” exclaims Eli. “If everyone does that, I think the world would be a much moreinteresting place all around.”Dopapod have definitely done their fair share to make the world more interesting…The group’s hypnotic hybrid of funk, rock, jazz, bluegrass, and electronica bloomed brilliantly on2009’s Radar, and it continued to blossom on the likes of Never Odd Or Even [2014] andMegagem [2017]. Along the way, fan favorites such as “Present Ghosts” reeled in 2.4 millionSpotify streams and counting. 2019’s Emit Time arrived to acclaim from Guitar World, Relix,Glide, Jambase, and more. Simultaneously, they sold out headline gigs and graced the bills ofElectric Forest, Summer Camp, High Sierra, and Bonaroo where Rolling Stone named themamong the festival’s “best kept secrets.” After a marathon near-decade run, they enjoyed analmost year-long hiatus to realign and reenergize before reuniting with a new fire during 2019and partaking in something of a “soft return.”The guys agreed, “Taking the break felt like a necessary step for everybody to just step backand zoom out. It’s definitely a new chapter, because it allowed us to redefine our endeavor andcarry on with a lot of new energy. It was a restorative thing and helped us move forward. Itwasn’t even really spoken, but more like, ‘We’re back on track’.”Throughout 2019, the boys performed select shows as they assembled what would becomeDopapod in Syracuse, NY. However, the road shutdown in the face of the Global Pandemic. So,they spent the time off wisely, using it to perfect the music.They also picked up the threads of a loose “concept catalog” first introduced on Never Odd OrEven“We check in on this conceptual theme of time travel every once in a while,” reveals Rob. “It’speppered on songs throughout a bunch of our albums. The storyline goes all over the place asfar as the band timeline. It’s on different records from various years, but it works perfectly.”“In addition to tracks about time travel, we have songs about being in the present moment onevery project,” continues Eli. “Those concepts are opposites. However, they’re like a binarypair—similar to Dopapod, which is a palindrome. It’s a symmetrical word, and the songs playwith themes of left-right and right-wrong.”They add yet another dimension to the music this time by including an actual board game aspart of the vinyl’s gatefold. It further explores the theme of time travel through a retrospectivejourney through the band’s discography. To bring this to life, they conceptualized, designed,created, and tested the game with former tour manager, lighting director, and sound engineerLuke Stratton. Players follow a wormhole through time and arrive at Dopapod. They chose toself-title their seventh offering as a totem to the fact they’ve realized their full potential in termsof music and vision.“It’s genuinely four-dimensional,” observes Neal. “You can hang out with your friends and playthe game or play it alone. A lot of people don’t sit around and enjoy each other’s company likethis anymore. We’re often just watching screens, so it’s cool to turn Dopapod into somethingmore than just an album.”After initially teasing Dopapod with “Think,” the single “Grow” rides an intergalactic groovepunctuated by a head-nodding bassline, slick guitar, simmering cymbals, and smooth vocals.“The lyric ‘big things have small beginnings’ is from the movie Prometheus,” notes Eli.“Microscopic particles are the start of life. This is how we evolve. The song could be about acharacter time traveling back to the Big Bang.”“Black Holes” dives into the embrace of frenetic riffs and keys as Eli sings, “All for one and forall. You’ll never fly ‘till you learn to fall.” He elaborates, “The song continues the theme whereyou’re falling into black holes.”The distorted groove of the instrumental “Building A Time Machine” dissolves into theatricalpiano and off-kilter harmonics.“In theory, this is the song where the album’s story is made possible,” the frontman explains.“We’re creating the time machine here and can travel back.”Then, there’s “Fannie.” The guys originally crafted the song on an acoustic guitar at a campsitein Colorado. It stuck around and organically morphed into a personal favorite for the band.“Between Eli and I, this nice alchemy happens,” Rob goes on. “We leaned on the groove, andthe lyrics sounded phonetically cool, so it all worked together.”The album culminates on the upbeat “Time Is Funny.” Swaggering organ undercuts hummablemelodies with lyrics inspired by Tim and Eric.“We’re big Phish fans, so I wanted to get it out of my system and write somethingunapologetically influenced by them,” adds Rob. “As far as the thematic element goes, the timetraveler recognizes the irresponsibility of even inventing a time machine in the first place andthinks, ‘This is a really bad idea!’”Offering the deepest experience yet, Dopapod also collaborated with Tandem media on anaccompanying animation project, pairing each track with a visualizer to translate the coremessages on screen. These animated loops encourage further immersion, unspooling thethreads of a larger cohesive mystery. It can of course be absorbed track by track or in itsentirety. As always, there’s more to Dopapod’s vision with the board game, animation, and unionof the physical and digital elements.Ultimately as they continue touring and releasing music, Dopapod share an important message.“It all comes down to being satisfied with where you are and that you’re enough,” Eli leaves off.“No matter what state you’re in, it’s going to evolve and change. If you’re really sad, know it’sgoing to turn around. If you’re depressed, the storm system will pass with the blue sky behind it.Keep going.” The TalismenThe Talismen formed in 2015 in Montgomery, Alabama. These talented musicians have been learning and growing as they entertain audiences all over the Southeast. With a combination of energy and sophistication beyond their years, The Talismen put on a show containing soulful and funk-filled originals along with some music of their favorite artists from across the jam / rock / funk spectrum. * Show is 21+. Attendees under 21 must be accompanied by a parent & will be subject to a $5 surcharge. The surcharge must be paid in cash at the door on the day of the event.