A slut nixes sex in Tulsa, but BOOBs were on full display in Port Chester on Tuesday, Aug. 19. The BOOB & Friends boobday/birthday bash for Dopapod’s bassist/palindrome enthusiast Chuck Jones raged well into Wednesday morning at Garcia’s, fueled by good vibes and heavy improvisation.
Dopapod stealthily took the stage before a rapidly filling crowd and began jamming shortly after 9:30 p.m. With eagles and seductive photos of Chuck alternately soaring across a screen in the background, Jones took the lead, pumping out quaking bass lines. Boobday boob-shaped balloons bounced around and “Weird Charlie” invaded the room as Chuck was clearly Jones’ing for a dance party. Many of NY’s finest musicians came out to celebrate, thanking Chuck for the uniquely creepy thuds and plucks his well-trained fingers strike in unusual time signatures.
Dopapod’s original drummer, Mikey Carubba, had the first sit-in as Scotty Zwang cooled off from a hot start. Having just ridden through Garcia’s with his own funk army Turkuaz last week, Carubba smashed the kit with the force of an oncoming train—“Freight Train.”
With Eli Winderman still grinning and grooving on the keys, Chuck waded off the stage into a sea of love from family, friends, colleagues, and fans. Guitarist Rob Compa welcomed Consider the Source to the stage, but not before their bassist John Ferrara made eye contact and already began grooving with Eli. Once guitarist Gabriel Marin and drummer Jeff Mann were set up, they opted to play “_/” (yes, the song is a symbol), going from 0 to 100% instantly with screaming guitar riffs, thumping bass, and crashing drums.
“We learned your favorite song for your birthday, Chuck. It’s a questionable music video, but that’s why we think you like it,” Gabriel said with a twinkle in his eyes before the Sourcerors flamboyantly covered Queen’s “I Want To Break Free”. Generous as they are, CTS had one more gift in store for Mr. Jones. They fried onlookers’ brains while reminding Chuck to “Keep Your Pimp Hand Strong,” and then Gabriel timidly—almost apologetically—wished “happy birthday!” one more time.
After a raucous singing of “Happy Birthday” and a BOOB cake delivery, everyone took a much needed breather. Outside, festival-families met up and marveled at the music and atmosphere of the night. I reunited with my favorite UMPHreaks (it had been a whole two or three days since I had raged with them at Snarky Puppy or The Ron Holloway Band!) and we were in universal agreement: this was Dopa-fucking-pod.
The festivities continued as members of Mun, ShwizZ, Mister F, and others crammed the bar’s stage. There was a Rage Against the Machine cover and Phish teases. Mun’s Wiley Griffin and Dopapod’s Rob Compa sparred on guitars and Todd Stoops wailed on the keys. As 2 a.m. neared, Eli reappeared on stage followed by Zwang and, with heavy, deliberate notes oozing from his bass, Chuck rejoined the stage for Dopapod to close the night.
After a three-way tie choosing a final song (“FABA,” “Donkey Kong,” or “Bats In The Cave”), the band mashed all three into a funky, creepy shakedown—“Donkey In The FABA Cave.” Nearly five hours after the celebration began, Eli was not quite ready to put this BOOBday fest to rest.
“It’s about the love: for you guys and for Chuck. It’s about the love.” One last time, everyone showed the love for Chuck during an emphatic Alanis Morissette cover. As the party wound down, grins filled the room and Rob’s voice echoed, “You oughta know!”
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