Concert review: Dopapod and Jimkata @ TLA
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
Those of us dancing in the crowd didn't miss a step.
[ 5/2 ] At the packed TLA, drinks were flowing and thanks to a rousing set from Jimkata — featuring the title track from their new EP Feel In Light with its spacey guitar solos over a heavy, almost hip-hop bass line — energy was high as Dopapod took the stage for the second-to-last-show of their spring tour.
The band’s versatility was perhaps best exemplified during an extended jam of the second and third tracks on their most recent LP Redivider, when Rob Compa’s heavy guitar riffs on “Braindead” transitioned into the intricate synth-laden sections of “Bubble Brain” and those of us dancing in the crowd didn’t miss a step. In December, drummer Neal “Fro” Evans left the band and sit-in Scotty Zwang took over the gig full-time. On Friday night, Zwang proved more than capable, locking in with bassist Chuck Jones and keeping everything crisp and tight beneath the guitar and synth. I left wanting more, but thankfully I won’t have to wait long: Earlier this week Dopapod announced they’ll open for Umphrey’s McGee at the Tower Theatre on Aug. 9.
