Ah, the Dodos. When last we met, I was, let’s just say… not impressed. Your performance’s energy level matched that of a sloth on a Sunday afternoon after a late, late night at the Black Swan Saloon. The amount of attention you paid to the crowd was roughly equal to the service a vegetarian gets at a steak house.
Yes, we were not impressed.
But your new album! It’s upbeat! It’s actually… quite good! So, we decided to give you another chance. Plus, this time, you were playing at the Loft, a much smaller venue than the South Side Music Hall, where your last performance underwhelmed. Our hopes weren’t high, but we did have them.
The first new thing I noticed – the age group at this show was about 10 years younger than last time. Maybe it’s because you were the headliner, not the opener (for the equally unenthused New Pornographers), but the drinking age wasn’t in sight for at least half the crowd.
And the crowd. They were Dodos superfans. Girls were swooning over lead singer Meric Long, and boys had come prepared with pre-choreographed routines that shook the very floor of the Loft. Don’t believe me? Check the video:
As for the show? I didn’t know you cared! No, really. This time you actually cared, and it showed. The band was positioned right at the front of the stage and each song break saw you actually interacting with the crowd. It brings a tear to my eye to think that this was the band last time that actually made me fear that music could be the cause of a global energy crisis.
Okay, fine, not really. But it was nice to see the Dodos play a great set, complete with a guest appearance by a french horn player, courtesy of “we have light bulbs on our keyboards, that’s cool, right?” opening act the Luyas. The music was groovy, the scene was chill and, above all, the crowd loved it.
And isn’t that what really matters most?
