Oh, those Dodos. The SF dudes aren't adverse to mixing it up with the rest of the city's music scene - even if it means working their skills as mischief-makers.
"I swear," said Meric Long, Dodos vocalist-guitarist-multi-instrumentalist, "I used to play with these two girls in Mixtape, and we did Valentine's Day at the Make-Out Room two years ago, and we opened up for Spencer Day and I just remember being so wasted. Spencer day is totally playing the piano, doing his thing, and I was a super-drunk dick, and I was dancing on the floor and being so drunk and obnoxious and ridiculous because [he and his Mixtape bandmates] hated the music. He got totally pissed off, and he was like, 'Will you guys please stop dancing like that?' And like, he stopped the song."
"No way!" drummer Logan Kroeber blurted. "Dude - I've never heard that one before!"
How does one calm the savage Dodo? Give 'em a nice trashy reality TV show like Rock of Love or a video game. When I sat down with the Dodos (for the rest of the interview, go here) a few weeks ago, we talked about what a weird moment it was in pop music right now - what with licensing deals seemingly more important than CD sales. Long nodded: "Yeah, like Guitar Hero. I'm totally part of that. I'm a sucker - I love that shit.
"Part of it is being on the road - these are the things that keep you happy and positive," he continued. "When you get that moment of crappy TV or that moment where you are staying at someone's house and they have a PlayStation..."
"We've shifted our alcoholism to consumption of pop culture."
Of course there are limits. "My understanding of Guitar Hero is that a lot of musicians aren't very good at it," Long added. "But the other day, I gotta say it's all about finding your tune! We were playing poker with friends, and "Cliffs of Dover" by Eric Johnson comes on, the fucking guitar jam of seventh grade, and it's really hard, and I'm unlocking more songs, and I couldn't help thinking, he's making a lot of money off this video game!"
No games here - the Dodos' Visiter is a doozy. And you can hear the album at a Guardian Hellraisers Happy Hour tonight, Feb. 27. Beer specials, vittles, a chance to win tickets to the Dodos' Noise Pop show at Cafe du Nord and other NP performances. It all happens 6 to 8:30 p.m. tonight at Doc's Clock, 2575 Mission at 21st Street. And like so many good things in life, it's free.
digg •
del.icio.us •
sphere •
google
•
