At the beginning of October, jam bands Dopapod and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong began a 35 date co-headlining tour that traversed all over the East Coast and the Midwest. Last night, they brought their penultimate concert of the tour to Milwaukee’s Miramar Theatre for a great evening of danceable music. Amidst the winter weather advisory, fans didn’t hesitate to make the treacherous trip to the venue to see both bands entertain.
With shows on the tour alternating the band to open and close, last night’s show began with PPPP. With the place packed, they began promptly and took the energy into high gear. The band’s vivacity was exuded in every note they played and every smiled flashed across their faces. One of the tunes they played was “Sunny Days”, which had lyrics appropriately switched out and lead singer Greg Ormont sang “Snowy Days” in their place. A track off their newer album Pleasure called “Burning Up My Time” followed. It was stretched out to the maximum and even had a fun “Psycho Killer” by Talking Heads sandwiched inside. The PPPP set ended with a short but sweet version of “Julia.”
One great set was followed by another great set with Dopapod closing out the show. It was the first time that I have seen the band since the original drummer Neal “Fro” Evans returned from his hiatus, and he fit right in where he left off just a couple of years ago. The first highlight of their set was an incredibly sexy, 14 minute version of “FABA.” The melody was so silky smooth and keyboardist Eli Winderman’s sounds hypnotized all the concertgoers into a get-down groove that ensured everyone’s participation. Another monster highlight of their set was the set closing “Trapper Keeper.” Always a fan favorite, this one didn’t disappoint as it spawned a massive and sprawling jam that put an exclamation mark on the night.
With only one more stop tonight in Indianapolis on the co-tour, it’s been a ton of fun with these two bands on tour. After tonight the next thing around the bend for both bands will be their New Year’s celebrations. You can find more about Dopapod’s two-night New Year’s run, here.
Coverage courtesy of Ojeda Photography; check out the full gallery below.
Setlist: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong | Miramar Theatre | Milwaukee, WI | 12/16/16
Set: ?, Sunny Day, F.U., Burning Up My Time -> Psycho Killer -> Burning Up My Time, Julia
Setlist: Dopapod | Miramar Theatre | Milwaukee, WI | 12/16/16
Set: Black and White, Like a Ball, FABA, Bluetooth, November, Bahbi, Super Bowl -> Cloud World, Dracula ‘s Monk-> Trapper Kepper
Encore: Priorities























