This past weekend, Papadosio returned to Brooklyn Bowl for a two-night run on Friday, April 12th and Saturday, April 13th. The five-piece has been touring out of Asheville by way of Ohio for nearly a decade. Like the musical pioneers that came before them, they’ve cultivated a dedicated fan base that is scattered across the country. Their sound has continuously shifted between their earliest and most recent albums. This run showcased the band’s ability to hypnotize crowds with precision and passion. When they’re on, Papadosio operates like a well-oiled machine, and this past weekend was a prime example of that.

Space Bacon, the up-and-coming jamtronica quartet out of Brooklyn, opened for Papadosio on the first night. Their playing was aggressive and electrifying, flooring the crowd with one fierce jam after another. Bacon set the tone for Papadosio to follow with their style of airy psychedelia. Utilizing the energy in the air, they opened their set with a jam that made its way into “The Lack of Everything”. The sonic communication between Billy and Sam Brouse was super impressive during “Threes” and “Dream Estate”—two of the biggest highlights of the first set. It’s a treat to be able to witness two brothers laying the melodic backdrop on stage together, night after night. Their telepathic connection is an intangible that has propelled Papadosio to the next level. It especially stands out in instrumental songs like “Geoglyph”, taking the crowd on a journey through time and space.

The second set started off with “Ear to Ear”, a song off of their 2012 release, T.E.T.I.O.S. It features poignant lyrics from guitarist Anthony Thogmartin along with multi-layered programming run through Ableton. It was a solid fifteen minutes littered with captivating themes throughout. “Monochrome” > “Advocate of Change” was a magic carpet ride of the mind and body. The band flexed all of their musical muscles during it, using the eerie blissfulness to push boundaries with complete control. They closed the set with fan-favorite, “Magreenery”, one of their oldest and most-requested songs, prompting die-hard fans to freak out during the opening notes. It capped the night off with their signature blend of heavy livetronica.

Night two used the success of the first show and catapulted the band into a momentous night of music. After playing “The World is a Cube”, they dropped into an absolutely beautiful version of “Liminal Daybreak”. If the sunrise had a soundtrack, this song would definitely be it. It’s truly a breathtaking piece of music that blends post-rock with ambient elements of world music and electronica. Its symphonic movement froze the crowd into a meditative state of synchronicity.

Drummer Mike Healy is undoubtedly the heartbeat of the band, and that will never change. It’s as if his playing is perfectly balanced between being in the pocket and having a forward presence. “Just Like the Days” gives listeners a look into the mature songwriting of their most recent album, “Content Coma”. The entire song is masterful and unique. “Improbability Blotter” was exploratory and pulsating, it highlighted the impressive DnB chops of Mike Healy. It’s reminiscent of the psybient stylings of acts like Shpongle and Hallucinogen. Brooklyn Bowl was spinning while Papadosio was at the helm, steering the collective wavelength with spirited discretion. The song melted faces and left jaws on the ground.

An epic Papadosio show wouldn’t be complete without “Method of Control”, which shook the rafters of the Bowl. The furious tribal syncopations make it impossible not to dance, it taps into the primal instinct of human beings. They were so locked in during the jam that it was almost robotic, but at the same time it had remarkable depth and soulfulness. What came next was one of the biggest highlights of the run, they seamlessly jammed into “Smile & Nod” with dynamic gentleness. The song is off of their 2009 release, “Observations”, and it exemplifies everything that fans love about Papadosio. The band was pushing their limits, making sure everyone that bought a ticket got their money’s worth. The thunderous bass of Rob McConnell bounced off the brick walls with power. By the end of the final set of the weekend, the band was all systems go, they pulled out all the stops. The soundboards will show and prove how good this band played, they just get better and better – the evolution is astounding.

Papadosio, The Polish Ambassador, Random Rab To Bring A Surreal Spectacle To Red Rocks

Papadosio will definitely be invited back to Brooklyn Bowl in the future. Their performances were original and professional. Using the timeless sounds of rock and jazz mixed with the technology of the 2000’s, they’ve created a concoction of mind-bending music. They stimulate your senses in ways that few bands can while almost always keeping you on your toes. If these shows were any indication as to what the rest of the tour is going to be like, music fans should buy their tickets now. Papadosio puts on a show that a lot of bands cannot match, you should go check them out if you haven’t seen them in a while.

For a list of Papadosio’s upcoming tour dates, head to their website here.

Setlist: Papadosio | Brooklyn Bowl | Brooklyn, NY | 4/12/19

Set 1: Jam > The Lack of Everything, Threes*, Dream Estate*, Geoglyph, You and Yourself*

Set 2: Ear to Ear^, Monochrome* > Advocate of Change, Cushion, Magreenery

Encore: Write Sing Play Mix (1. XL, v2.0)

*XL

^2.0

Setlist: Papadosio | Brooklyn Bowl | Brooklyn, NY | 4/13/19

Set 1: World is a Cube, Liminal Daybreak, Just Like The Days ][ Improbability Blotter, Fire Rite

Set 2: Method of Control > Smile & Nod > Skipswitch XL, By the Light > Curve

Encore: Polygons