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The Dodos @ Echoplex, 11/8
The Dodos are a percussionist's dream. If you like to bang, blow, and hit stuff, this is the band for you. Between the drums, glockenspiel, maracas, trumpets, trombones, and acoustic guitar, these boys were intent on making the most amount of noise possible. Even their poor guitar was drummed, plucked, and beat on within an inch of its life. The result? A brand of music that is perfect for jumping up and down.
The Dodos make you want to partake in the chaos by jumping up and down in time to the music. Halfway through the show I had fantasies about the security guards wheeling in trampolines and king size beds so that the entire crowd could express their desire to bounce to it's fullest capacity. Seriously, how great would that be? The other thing that would heighten the experience would be to give everyone bongos or maracas to join in. Let's give everyone the chance to bounce up and down while drumming furiously. Why should the Dodos get to have all the fun?
Was it all fun and games at the Echoplex on Saturday night? No, not all the time. Watching the Dodos is like mining for gold in a river. You have to sift through a lot of grit to get to the sparkle. They had long stretches of monotonous drumming between awe inspiring crescendos. Perhaps the stretches had to be there in order to give contrast to the crescendos, but man sometimes I think the guys just got caught up in their own rhythm. Just you know, spaced out and kept going. But I will say this, the Dodos have found their own unique sound in a landscape of rock n' roll same-ness. Their delightfully hectic brand of pop? rock? (let's just call it Pop Rocks because that's how it makes you feel) is unmistakable. Next time I'm definitely bringing my own maracas. And maybe a kazoo.
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