Rob Compa has announced he is joining Rochester-based jam band The Niche, now that Dopapod is no longer touring and on indefinite hiatus.
Compa briefly substituted for Niche guitarist Erik Ward during his temporary leave from the band back in 2006. He has cited the quartet as being one his major musical influences and is looking forward to working with some old friends again. A string of shows is currently being planned for April 2025.
The Niche formed in 2000 out of Rochester but have not played regularly since 2006. In 2020, the band finished a previously shelved sophomore album, Breaking Down, which sat in the studio archives for fifteen years. A two-night 20th anniversary show was planned for March 2020 but the coronavirus pandemic forced a cancellation and the band went back into hiatus.
With the band offering up a unique blend of adventurous compositions, fearless improv and a quirky sense of humor, they’ve been compared to acts like Frank Zappa and Ween. Their original studio release Building Up garnered rave reviews with Andy Gadiel (CEO/Founder of Jam Base and creator of Andy Gadiel’s Phish Page) going so far as to say, “It’s been the go-to in my car stereo.”
Now with Compa added to the mix, The Niche looks to begin writing a new chapter in their career. Compa recently took to social media to explain the move, saying, “This is not a new band that’s gonna replace Dopapod and go on the road full time 200 days per year or something. We are all old friends with families and jobs who just want to play together when time permits for the sheer joy of music and friendship. I can’t speak to the indefinite or definite-ness of Dopapod stopping, but I’ll surely be playing with lots of other people in the meantime too.”
Three show dates are already scheduled which include a performance in Rochester at Three Heads Brewing on April 25 and a stop at Colony in Woodstock the following day. See here for more information.
More dates are being planned for the fall as The Niche prepares to celebrate a 25th anniversary.
The Niche Tour Dates
April 24th | Three Heads | Rochester, NY
April 25th | Colony | Woodstock, NY
April 26th | Nectars | Burlington, VT
May 24th | TBA | TBA
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