Following their 2017–2018 New Year’s Eve show, jam scene favorites, Dopapod, began an indefinite year-long hiatus, with no word on any upcoming shows or festival appearances announced as of now. Comprised of guitarist Rob Compa, drummer Neal “Fro” Evans, bassist Chuck Jones, and keyboardist Eli Winderman, the band has a deep history dating back to 2007, with over 1,000 lives shows under their belts.

Dopapod was originally formed by Michelangelo “Mikey” Carubba, Compa, and Winderman, when the trio met as music students at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music. Through shared mutual interests and a love of jamming together, Carubba and Winderman started booking gigs, with Compa joining shortly thereafter—marking the original Dopapod trio’s formation. In the time since, Dopapod’s lineup has continued to evolve with the addition and departure of players; in 2010, Carubba left the band to become the full-time drummer for another massively popular band in the live music scene, the fan-favorite funk act Turkuaz. During Carubba’s time with the band, they recorded their debut album in 2009, Radar.

Dopapod – Berklee College of Music – 4/23/2009

[Video: jazzrevelation]

Following Carubba’s departure in Dopapod’s early days, Boulder, Colorado native Neal “Fro” Evans joined the band, playing an integral part in the band’s formative years of recording and writing music together. With their new drummer, the group began touring harder and harder, year after year, eventually playing upwards of 150 shows a year. However, Evans was no stranger to the Dopapod boys, as he formerly played in a band with Jones and Winderman called The Actual Proof.

Dopapod – “Turnin’ Knobs” – 10/16/2011

[Video: DrifterMedia]

With Evans in the mix, the band recorded and released Drawn Onward in 2011, which was recorded as an entirely instrumental album and followed the same style as Radar. However, Compa and Winderman started to sing more on stage together and work out tight vocal harmonies, with the band’s sound and style slowly moving to include vocals and lyrics. 2012’s Redivider is Dopapod’s first studio recording to feature Compa and Winderman sharing vocal duties. Following a successful summer tour in 2013, Evans left the band for personal reasons, as longtime friend Scotty Zwang joined the band on drums, helping the group record 2014’s Never Odd Or Even, while also touring the country relentlessly coast-to-coast.

Dopapod – Brooklyn Bowl – 4/4/2012

[Video: mk devo]

In 2015, RollingStone named Dopapod Bonnaroo’s “Best-Kept Secret”, comparing them to Phish, the Disco Biscuits, and Frank Zappa—some of the quartet’s biggest influences. With almost three years in the bag with a new drummer, the other three members found themselves reeling over their initial band chemistry with Evans on drums. Eventually, in 2016, the band invited Evans back into the mix, with Zwang leaving the band to start playing with Tom Hamilton and Holly Bowling for their recently launched improvisation-heavy endeavor, Ghost Light.

Dopapod dropped some surprising news to many last fall, with both the announcement of their fifth studio album, MEGAGEM, as well as the band’s announcement that they would take a yearlong hiatus in 2018. The band shared, “Following seven years of ceaseless touring, the sabbatical is a blueprint for wellness borne from love and mutual respect amongst old friends. It’s a pre-emptive move of self-preservation inspired by the TED Talk, ‘The Power of Time Off’.”

“Every seven years, this guy closes his design firm and everyone who works for the company works on their own projects for the year,” explained keyboardist and singer/songwriter Eli Winderman. “When they come back, everyone is inspired and working with a newfound sense of excitement.”

Dopapod – Fete Music Hall – 12/30/2017

[Video: mk devo]


While Dopapod may be off the road this year, fans of Rob Compa, Eli Winderman, and Chuck Jones can still catch them performing at Brooklyn Comes Alive in various supergroup formations later this month. At this year’s Brooklyn Comes Alive, the original Dopapod lineup will re-form for a special performance. Winderman and Compa will team up with their original drummer, Mikey Carubba, for a set of funked-out jams and exploratory improvisation under the moniker “Carubba, Compa, Winderman”. Jones will join Katharsis, a project led by The Motet’s Dave Watts along with fan-favorite keyboardist Todd Stoops (Electric Beethoven) and guitarist Marcus Rezak (Digital Tape Machine).

The fourth-annual Brooklyn Comes Alive will return to Brooklyn’s beloved Williamsburg neighborhood on September 29th for an all-day music marathon at Brooklyn BowlMusic Hall of Williamsburg and Rough Trade. Inspired by the vibrant musical communities of Brooklyn and New Orleans, Brooklyn Comes Alive brings together more than 50 artists, allowing them to carry out passion projects, play with their musical heroes, and collaborate in never-before-seen formations. For more information, ticketing, and to see the full list of performers scheduled for Brooklyn Comes Alive 2018, head to the festival’s website here.