American indie rock duo the Dodos will be making a rare appearance in Bangkok next week, an occasion so auspicious that concert promoters SUPERSWEET Live have used it as an excuse to stage a daylong mini-festival (full disclosure: Coconuts Bangkok is a proud media partner, because this show totally rocks).
Though well known amongst the United States’ festival and club circuits, the Dodos are new to Southeast Asia. In the interest of introducing this awesome band to an awesome new continent, Coconuts has prepared the following compare and contrast, in which we look at how the Dodos compare with the fowl from which they derive their name.
The basics:
Dodo bird: The dodo was a flightless waterfowl native to the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. After its discovery by Dutch sailors in the sixteenth century, the dodo found itself soon hunted to extinction and was gone from the picture by the seventeenth century. (“Gone the way of the dodo,” as they say.)
The Dodos: Founded in 2005, the duo of Meric Long and Logan Kroeber continues to hew to the San Francisco Bay area as its base of operations, though the two-piece (composed of guitar, drums, vocals and, occasionally, vibraphone) spends much of its time on the road.
With four albums to its name (2011’s No Color being the most recent) the band has commanded the adoration of the American indie rock press and an enthusiastic, intercontinental fan base for almost a decade.
Sound:
Dodo bird: No one thought to preserve the dodo bird’s calls before its demise (the lack of recording technology playing a large part in this decision), but apocryphal sources suggest that it may have emanated a light warble.
The Dodos: Long and Kroeber first earned their reputation based on a unique approach to the oft-revisited combination of acoustic guitar and drums. While many thought this setup had long since been mined of its creative possibilities, the Dodos infused fresh life into the form by dint of Long’s plaintive songwriting and Kroeber’s cyclical drumming, which borrowed from such unconventional sources as West African’s Ewe tradition. The Dodos use acoustic guitars, and therefore often fall under the broad rubric of “folk music,” but their creativity and energy have turned them into a beast that defies categorization.
For the duo’s upcoming fifth album, the propulsive songwriting that secured their reputation will be attenuated with a larger helping of conventional “rawk.”
“Meric has some of his most shredding rawk moments on this record,” says Kroeber, via email, “but they are counterbalanced with some ballads as well.”
Familiarity with Southeast Asia:
Dodo bird: Nonexistent, at least so far as the fossil record suggests.
The Dodos: Nonexistent as well, though that’s about to change. For their initial jaunt through the region, the Dodos have shows lined up in Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Beijing and Hong Kong, among other locales.
“When I imagine the shows sometimes I see a crowd of confused faces and sometimes I see people dancing frantically,” says Kroeber. “I’m hoping for the latter.”
The Dodos’ as-of-yet-untitled fifth album will be released in Thailand this August.
Approach to touring:
Dodo bird: Spotty, at best. In addition to the aforementioned flightlessness, the dodo cut a generally gangly figure. At three-feet tall, it moved slothfully about the island of Mauritius and proved an easy target for hungry Dutchmen.
The Dodos: An expanding catalog has helped the Dodos stay sane through (gulp) seven years of intermittent travel. By pulling from its back catalog and working on new songs, Long and Kroeber have managed to stay on top of their game.
Because of their membership, the Dodos have had an easier time than most bands when it comes to hitting the road. Though they sometimes tour as a trio, Long and Kroeber can head out on their lonesome as well, which they will be doing on their trip to Thailand.
Plus, when you travel a lot, you get to eat lots of good food, and that alone seems reason enough to indulge one’s wanderlust.
“Finding good food has been a constant pastime that keeps spirits high,” says Kroeber, “and we have high hopes for Thailand.”
FIND IT:
Dodos Day Fest
Centerpoint Studio
Sukhumvit 105, Bangkok
May 18, 2 – 11:30pm
THB1,000 advance, THB1,200 day-of (includes one drink)
Also, check out Coconuts’ Instagram contest to win free tickets to the fest!
View SUPERSWEET Live! presents the Dodos Day Fest in a larger map
