The Untz Logo

Favorite ThisPapadosio brings positivity (and The Main Squeeze) to the Crocodile in Seattle

Published: April 1, 2014
By: Johnny Jones

“Their music is just so pure, so positive.”

This was how a friend of mine responded when I asked him how he liked his first Papadosio experience. In one succinct phrase, he summed up why so many of us "Cloud Finders" (the name many Dosio followers call ourselves) are drawn to their music. The pioneering quintet has cultivated a distinct sound that blends progressive rock, electronica, jam, folk and dance music. It’s uplifting. It’s happy. It just makes you want to smile.

The night began with a raucous performance by The Main Squeeze, a five-man band based out in Chicago. They displayed a range of soulful sounds from upbeat rock to slower, more beautiful ballads. The highlight of their set came just before their finale when vocalist Corey Frye took over for keyboardist Ben “Smiley” Silverstein who unveiled a smaller keyboard slung around his shoulder like a guitar to bust out a wicked solo.



Seeing Papadosio live is so special because you never what they are going to play or how they are going to mesh tracks together. This show featured several unique renditions of my favorite songs: a floaty, ethereal “Cushion” to open; a bouncy, almost trance-like “Smile and Nod” that melted into “Find Your Cloud”; a bizarre, ambient buildup to “Unparalyzer” that turned into a vivaciously funky jam. Before their “Holy Heck” encore, they closed with a blistering “Snorkle” which gave drummer Mike Healy a chance to show off his stellar skills. Every time they take the stage, these guys show us a new dimension to their music. Thankfully, they recorded this show and posted it on their Bandcamp Page for purchase.



Papadosio is about more than the music — it’s about a collective of individuals coming together to form a family. The band’s second full-length album, T.E.T.I.O.S., stands for To End The Illusion of Separation. They say that “the album is a call for people of all stripes to reject artificial barriers of wealth, class, and creed and come together under the flag of humanity.” You can practically taste the good vibes emanating from the friday night Crocodile crowd as we soaked in those purely positive tunes.


Tags: Livetronica