NYS Music 202​1

Tag: prog rock

  • Dopapod Brings Heavy Jams and Energy to Buffalo

    The room at Buffalo Iron Works filled in quickly and the energy was high for a mid-week stop for Dopapod on their 2021 Fall Tour. There was chatter and excitement from previous performances, with fans draped in the band’s merch and a general feeling that this tour felt special. The jams were unique, went harder, longer, with the Boston-bred jam-band utterly locked in. There’s been a sense of renewed energy in the jam scene after a long period of stagnation with many feeling like it’s a good time to be a jam fan.

    After the intro music and the pink floyd-esque light show that have become standard to any Dopapod concert, the band walked on stage to a welcoming applause. Guitarist, Rob Compa, greeted the crowd, Keyboardist, Eli Winderman, commented on how beautiful the crowd looked, and bass player, Chuck Jones, sarcastically pointed out that “there were in fact people there.” After more amusing banter, the band kicked off the set with “Braindead.” Heads were banging, bodies were moving as fans sang along.

    Aside from the pleasing aesthetics, the strobing lights are used to shift the mood as they went from dark to light, shifting to a more delicate records like “Mucho” and “Turnin’ Knobs,” as fans serenaded along. The emotion in the room could be summed up in a few images of everyone smiling. Some had their eyes closed, while others sang along with the band.

    The concert ebbed and flowed, with each soaring high followed by another as the band followed with “Weird Charlie” into “Please Haalp”. The first set closed out with a sit in from Michelangelo Carubba, of Turkuaz. There was a smile on every band member’s face as Michelangelo provided a strong backbone to a rip-roaring “Freight Train.” As an older gentleman exclaimed “That was incredible! I really liked that a lot,” a seasoned younger veteran warned, “Just wait.”

    A fat chunk of the second set was spent in one big jam over the other sandwiches of the show. The band flowed seamlessly from their dissonant, but catchy “Vol. 3 #86,” into “PLSS” and back and didn’t stop to let anyone pick their faces up off the floor.

    It is worth noting that there were teases of “Kitty Chaser” by Aqueous, another legendary jam band that hails from Buffalo. Dopapod led the audience from the spark and zest of the moment into “Psycho Nature,” as the audience went from brooding to jazzy.

    By this point, the audience had been going strong for a while, but the occasional exclamation of astonishment and amazement could be heard. The dynamic jam of “Psycho Nature” moved into an upbeat “8 Years Ended” which included “Wipeout” and “Johnny B. Good” teases. The sustained joy of this segment resulted in an uproar of cheers as the band returned to finished off “Psycho Nature”. After a short bit of banter, Dopapod cleanly finished the second set with the cerebral “Velcro” into fan favorite, “Nerds.”

    Like any Dopapod show, the music featured varied sounds, rhythms and genres, as Eli spun beautiful tales from the piano or blasted the audience with sonic bliss from his synths and Rob twisted from a jazzy clean sound to a heavily distorted rock tone. Ever present at every Dopapod show is a respectful, fun-loving crowd that is even better to be around when the band plays with this kind of vigor.

    Before signing off, the band came out for an encore and played their cover of Billy Eillish’s “Bad guy.” After ripping through the song, Eli commented on the audience and how great they had been. Hence, Buffalo was treated to ten more minutes of blistering beauty with “Bubble Brain.” The house lights came up and everyone was all smiles as they exited the venue.

    Setlist – Dopapod – Buffalo Iron Works – Wednesday October 27, 2021

    Set 1: Braindead, Mucho ->Turnin Knobs -> Mucho, Weird Charlie > Plaese Haalp, Freight Train*

    Set 2: Vol. 3#86 -> PLSS^ -> Vol. 3 #86 > Psycho Nature -> 8 Years Ended% -> Psycho Nature, Velcro+ -> Nerds

    Encore: Bad Guy=, Bubble Brain

    *W/ Michelangelo Carubba from Turkuaz on drums

    ^contained teases of Kitty Chaser by Aqueous

    %contained Wipeout and Johnny B Goode teases

    +unfinished; contained 23 Forever teases

    =Billie Eillish cover

  • Hearing Aide: Trauma Cat ‘Prepare To Apologize’

    From the post-industrial hellscape of Syracuse, New York comes Trauma Cat, who have delivered to the world their first full length LP entitled Prepare to Apologize which was released in April 2021. This irreverent and ecclectic gem that was co-produced by the band and the elusive St. Julian P. Dingusand, sports 15 tracks (3 tracks including “Joshua,” “Fire in the Jail,” and “Freaks with Wings” are re-issued singles) that span rock genres that include pop, alternative, electronica, and prog rock.

    Trauma cat

    The band has cheekily branded their special brand of musicial gumbo on their website, “Though critics speculate on the band’s true origin and the meaning of their existence, Trauma Cat are widely credited as the founders of “cuck rock,” an indeterminate school of music indebted to incessant apology and shameless cross-genre appropriation. Others have described Trauma Cat’s sound as “uncomfortable art rock,” and their politics as “alt-wrong.”

    The Trauma Cat roster is comprised of the musically talented and fashion forward Ralph Kojig (guitar and vocals), Roman Pando (bass and vocals), and Rutger DiBoyere (drums). Together they comprise a wonderfully creative power trio that has been successful in creating a personau that is reminicent of a combination of punk pioneers Devo and Saturday morning cartoon favorites Josie and the Pussycats. The glorious result of this concoction is the band’s demonstrable irreverance and hilarious comedic take on the music biz, and yet despite this silliness, they have created an enjoyable record and that is fun, fresh and creative.

    Trauma Cat has released the following “documentary” to introduce listener’s to their own distinct brand of “Cuck Rock” and to “apologize for their new LP.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7DSttG7mx8

    The record starts off with title track “Prepare to Apologize,” which is initially a short verbal rant between members Kojig and Pando, that leads into a short but sonically pleasing acapella number. The track seamlessly transitions into the second song on the LP “Indivisible,” reminiscent in musical style to a mash up of Rage Against the Machine and Tool. Heavy on bass and sporting great vocals that are both provided by Kojig, “Indivisible” illustrates why Trauma Cat won the 2021 Syracuse Area Music Award for Best New Artist.

    Prepare to Apologize’s third track is “Trauma Cat.” This is a fun and upbeat tune that has all the makings of the band’s offical theme song if they ever decide to create their own must see reality TV series (look out Kardashians). Kojig provides just the right amount of heavy guitar and along with DiBoyere percussion this track will get the listener’s blood pumping.

    Another highlight on the record is fourth track “Joshua”, which was originally released as a single by the band back in November of 2020. Trauma Cat deftly released a remarkably professional music video for “Joshua” that was animated and directed by El Salvadorian sensation Lincktendo back in January 2021. Lyrically the song describes a daliance into bisexuality that ends up in a bad breakup which then ultimately ruins a friendship. “Joshua” is a strong tune with loads of pop sensibility which makes it ideal for radio play. It features songwriter Kojig’s hypnotic chorus, “It came over me like a wave”, which is a catchy and memorable hook that will stay with listeners.

    “Fire In The Jail” is the eleventh song on Prepare To Apologize. This anti-social anthem promtoes dissent against the world’s demanding vapid conformity. Breaking out of the prision of these imposed expectations. Kojig sings, “I just can’t believe that these people…content to live like sheep following the crowd.” Living on your own terms without worrying about other people’s perceptions an expectations is the core message of this rebellious song, which utilizes a good amount of vibrato on guitar and reverb on Pando’s vocal to evoke a distopian landscape.

    Although this trio of self-depricating muscians does not take itself too seriously, the musical craftsmanship and production value of Trauma Cat’s debute LP shows passion and commitment that these Jester’s of “Cuck Rock” have for their craft. Prepare To Apologize is a great album that hopefully will be the first of many that these denzians of musicial mayhem produce for an ever increasingly bleak world that is crying out for more mirth and humor.

    Key Tracks: Joshua, Trauma Cat, Lob A Grenade, Fire In The Jail