On Saturday, May 30th, over 70 artists and thousands of fans came together for Quarantine Comes Alive, a virtual music festival that raised over $150,000 for a litany of charities via the comprehensive PLUS1 COVID-19 Relief Fund.
The 15-hour live stream marathon featured virtual performances and never-before-seen videos by an array of artists from around the world including jam band mainstay Dopapod, who performed “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” by Cake from separate quarantines across the country. Despite the distance, Rob Compa, Eli Winderman, Chuck Jones, and Neal “Fro” Evans were still able to come together and give the alternative rock song some added Dopapod flair.
The clip began with some different perspectives on each member, most notably with the “Fro” cam sitting directly above his head and extensive cymbal setup. Meanwhile, Jones held down the low end from out in a garden and Compa took a rock n’ roll power stance with his new Gibson SG.
While the song’s simple, alt-rock guitar power chords didn’t allow for much exploration on Compa’s part, it let Winderman take center stage with his vocals and well-placed synth work. Winderman also became the focal point as he provided himself with backup vocals from other locations like a bank (just before the line, “At Citi Bank we’ll meet accidentally/We’ll start to talk when she borrows my pen”). While this sub-four-minute clip didn’t leave much room for the lengthy improvisation for which the band is known, it squarely hit its mark in showing off the trademark goofiness of Dopapod.
As Winderman explained to Live For Live Music about the performance,
Obviously, everyone is experiencing different emotions and experiences with quarantine, one of which for many of us in Dopapod is boredom at times. Because of that, we jumped at the opportunity to put together some content for QCA. We chose “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” because we’ve always been big Cake fans and we figured its simple form would likely be an interesting vehicle for us to add our unique flavor to the song and record in distant locations. We’ve covered a few Cake songs in the past and I’ve always enjoyed singing in his unique talking/monotone style as well.
If you enjoyed the performance, Dopapod asks that you make a donation to Black Lives Matter. Watch Dopapod perform “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” at Quarantine Comes Alive below, and keep an eye out for the premiere of the QCA Dopakuaz collaboration between Dopapod and Turkuaz‘s Dave Brandwein later this week.
Dopapod – “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” (Cake) – Quarantine Comes Alive
Presented by Live For Live Music in partnership with PLUS1 and Nugs.TV, Quarantine Comes Alive was conceived as a way to celebrate and support musicians, provide fans with unique musical experiences from the comfort of their couches, and raise money for comprehensive COVID-19 relief during this time of uncertainty. All funds raised from the donation-based event will be split evenly between the artists on the bill and the PLUS1 COVID-19 Relief Fund, which works directly with leading non-profit organizations like Sweet Relief, MusiCares, Center for Disaster Philanthropy, World Central Kitchen, Partners In Health, Trans Lifeline, and Backline to provide aid where it’s needed most. For more information, head here.