Dopapod and Turkuaz are ready to bring festival-goers back to the days of disco when they take the stage for their Dopakuaz Plays Studio 54 set at this year’s Catskill Chill Music Festival. The groups have been passing emails back and forth to nail down a setlist, and Dopapod keyboardist Eli Winderman says those who attend the event will experience a wide variety of tracks from the late 1970s.

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“The goal is for it to be a big dance party,” he explains. “We’re trying not to make it too cheesy or what is expected. We’re going to do some of the big hits and deep cuts that you can dance to, but tracks that you wouldn’t expect.” Winderman adds the collective will offer up a fresh take on the disco-era tracks. “We’re all improvisational musicians, and I’m sure that we’ll take some liberties with the songs and make it our own,” he notes. The keyboardist reveals the bands will also be in costume for the performance because “it’s pretty much mandatory to wear some cool 70s threads if you’re going to do a Studio 54 set.”

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When asked about Dopapod’s set, Winderman hints the guys may be premiering some new material. “It’s usually hard to get the new stuff together because we’re pretty much constantly touring, but now that we’ve got a little time off, we’ll be able to get some new stuff performance-ready for the Chill and our fall tour,” he asserts. “I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some new songs and maybe a new cover in the mix.”

Dopapod has been a staple of the Chill, and Winderman is always looking forward to making more memories up at Camp Minglewood. “There’s a lot to love about that experience, every year tops the year before,” he declares. “Plus, there’s such a cool artist hang at Chill. It feels almost like a wedding or something. Everyone’s there and hanging out and talking to each other, more so than a lot of other festivals.”

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One of Winderman’s favorite backstage moments at the Chill occurred in 2013 when Phish keyboardist Page McConnell performed with The Meter Men. “It seemed like everyone there was trying to meet him, and people were waiting in line to talk to him,” he recalls. “I remember this younger artist walked up to him, started talking to him, and it just seemed like Page got a little freaked out by the guy and ran away. It was pretty funny.”

Visit CatskillChill.com to see the full lineup and purchase your tickets for the festival.

[Cover photo by Amanda Sandwicch Photography]