Twiddle kicked off their Plumperdump Winter tour with a weekend of sold out shows, and the band carried that momentum into last Saturday’s show at The Westcott Theater in Syracuse, NY. The night featured opening acts Universal Transit based out of the Adirondacks and Syracuse locals The New Daze. Both openers were very well received by the large crowd in attendance, and both got the party brewing for Twiddle.
Twiddle wasted no time, jumping into a stellar version of the crowd favorite “Syncopated Healing.” The lyrics “Shake your booty to the music let the grooves make you crazy, May the rhythm of your body put your mind at ease” resonated throughout the crowd for the evening, demonstrated by the ladies in the front row particularly.
The band slid into one of the highlights of the night, “Every Soul,” off of their new album PLUMP. (Read the review here). This version is a must hear, demonstrating the band’s talent for jamming; a testament to how far these guys have come. The building was exploding with energy after this version, and the band rode this energy right into “Carter Candlestick.”
Up next was a new tune of PLUMP, called “Five,” which featured Mihali Savoulidis on acoustic guitar. “Five” slowed things up a bit and gave both the band and crowd a breather. “Dr. Remidi’s Melodium” followed, and contained a “X-files” theme tease while showcasing Ryan Dempsey’s talents on keys and allowed Zdenek Gubb to dump his bass all over everyone lucky enough to be in attendance.
A standard version of “Dusk ‘Til Dawn” followed “Remidi’s,” and featured Brook Jordan singing leading vocals. It’s not often that Jordan sings, so it’s always a treat to hear the drummer vocally.
The band ended the set with the fan-favorite, “Doinkinbonk!!!.” This song was one of the first songs written by bassist Zdenek Gubb, and features some of the funkiest bass lines to really demonstrate his talent. This is another must hear version, and one of the best jams from the evening. The band stretched this version out and eventually they slid their way into a delicious “Funky Town” jam before segueing seamlessly back into “Doinkinbonk!!!.” Moments like this are what make Twiddle special and is a reason they are selling out venues all over the country.
The guys weren’t quite finished yet, as the end of Doink segued into their elusive cover of The Beatles’ “Rocky Raccoon.” Fans could be heard singing along with the band. “Rocky” morphed into a YEM-like vocal jam and put the band’s Phish influences on display.
The show concluded with an encore featuring the bluegrassy tune “Hattibagen McRat,” sending fans out into the night begging for more. The band is heading out for another three night run next weekend at Buffalo, Clifton Park, and NYC, and the shows are sure to sell out, so don’t miss them!
Peep the setlist below, via uTwiddle.
Setlist: Twiddle at The Westcott Theater, Syracuse, NY – 2/20/16
One Set: Syncopated Healing, Every Soul, Carter Candlestick, Five, Dr. Remidi’s Melodium[1], Dusk ‘Til Dawn, Doinkinbonk!!! > Funky Town > Doinkinbonk!!!, Rocky Raccoon[2]
Encore: Hattibagen McRat
Show Notes: This show was a part of the “Plumperdump” 2016 Winter Tour.
[1] “Dr. Remidi’s Melodium” contained a “X-Files” Theme tease.
[2] “Rocky Raccoon” ended with a vocal jam.
Check out the full gallery of images below, courtesy of Dave DeCrescente Photography:
