Dopapod with Moon Hooch at The Ogden, 10/17/15 [review]
Two bands poised for endured success in Colorado and beyond
By Lindsey Paulette
October 19, 2015
Dopapod is way more than just a palindrome, and they certainly showed that this past weekend at The Ogden Theatre in Denver, CO.
The East Coast-based band came into Colorado hot, bringing an amazing set list with a light show to match. On Saturday, October 17th, the band covered every spectrum of their musical catalog, from “Turning Knobs” all the way to “Trapper Keeper”, a song depicting how technology is taking over our world. They also brought an uncommon sound force as their opening act, known as Moon Hooch – another East Coast-based band.
A personal favorite of mine, Moon Hooch consists only of two horns and drums, but they sound like so much more. The best way I can describe this trio is “Revenge of the Band Nerds”.
Michael Wilber (saxophone, front man) had a stage presence that cannot be mimicked. The audience loved him, especially when he journeyed into the crowd and played his sax with onlookers. Moon Hooch turned typical instruments into rare sound machines. At one point, Wenzl McGowen (saxophone) attached a traffic cone to his horn, making a sound so rare I did not know if I should dance or bow down. Moon Hooch brought a dubstep feel with a funk vibe along with unique raps throughout. They seemed to love the energy in the room.
Wilbur joined Dopapod for their first set closer, “Monk”, and then rejoined them in the second set which opened with the “Donkey Kong” theme song. It was clear the band was having just as good of a time as its audience. Dopapod also covered “TNT” by AC/DC and “Norwegian Wood” by The Beatles. It was a start-to-finish dance party.
In my opinion, it is obvious both these bands are here to stay. Both have blown up on the festival scene and have headlined Colorado venues like The Ogden, Boulder and Bluebird Theatres. In this music scene, a band needs to have something that makes them different from all the others, and both Moon Hooch and Dopapod are bringing the noise every step of the way. I look forward to seeing where their journeys go.