Papadosio, a band based out of Athens, Ohio, traveled to Athens, Ga. this past week to perform at the Georgia Theatre on March 31.
After taking a lengthy break from touring due to Covid-19, the group announced their spring 2022 tour on Twitter, making this their first full-fledged tour since the beginning of the pandemic.
Athens was Papadosio’s 15th location they’ve visited on their tour with only five stops remaining.
It is difficult to describe the exact genre of music the group performs. Some call them a jam band while others say they are livetronica group, which is a combination of jam band elements with electronica.
Papadosio not only plays their instruments but also incorporates electronic music synthesizers, making it hard for anyone to resist the urge to dance to their funky songs.
The band has released 16 albums and 17 singles, collecting 121,491 monthly listeners on Spotify.
Papadosio has seven songs that have garnered over one million streams on Spotify. Their most popular song is “Find Your Cloud” which has been streamed over 13,507,858 times, followed by “Cue” which has 4,447,278 listens.
Founded in 2006, Papadosio is made up of five members, Mike Healy, Sam Brouse, Robe McConnell, Anthony Thogmartin and Billy Brouse.
Thogmartin, one of the band’s co-founders, not only does the vocals but also plays the keys and guitar for the group.
Billy, the other co-founder, welcomed his brother Sam to the band in 2010. Both brothers sing and play keys and synths for the band.
The remaining members, Healy who plays drums, and Brouse who plays bass, were both founding members of the band as well.
This was my second time seeing the group, the first being last summer on June 25 when they had a show at the Coca-Cola Roxy venue inside The Battery in Atlanta.
My most current experience seeing the band was quite different compared to the first time since there were heavy Covid-19 protocols at the last show.
At the Georgia Theatre, everyone stood on the floor in front of the stage with plenty of room to move around but at the Coca-Cola Roxy, everyone was assigned a small section that included four chairs and a table.
One of my favorite things from the previous show was the mesmerizing visuals on stage and they did not disappoint the second time around either.
Both shows had very similar sets on stage, with separate panels of screens lining the platform behind them while colorful lasers beamed out to the audience.
The screens were connected to a camera near the front of the screen, creating an Inception-like infinity mirror with the reflected image repeating endlessly behind them.
At other times, the screens had psychedelic graphics that lined up perfectly with the music.
The mind-bending visuals ranged from blue and pink space graphics to funky multicolored kaleidoscopes.
The aesthetically pleasing stage visuals continued throughout the entire show as Papadosio played nonstop for over an hour and a half.
Though the show did not sell out, this gave everyone the opportunity to dance as freely as they wanted to without invading other peoples’ personal space.
Unlike the last time I saw them, Papadosio had two opening acts that took the stage before their performance.
First was The Orange Constant, which is a vintage rock jam band that was formed in Georgia.
The Orange Constant’s debut album, Time to Go, was actually recorded with producer John Kean who was nominated for a Grammy in 2011 after working with groups like R.E.M., Indigo Girls and Widespread Panic.
The band has released four albums since it was founded in 2012 and put on a very lively show before Lespecial followed with the next act.
Lespecial, a trio from Millerton, N.Y., put on a performance that fans of any genre would enjoy.
The band played a variety of genres, from a metal cover of a video game soundtrack to a Kendrick Lamar cover of “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”.
Both of the opening acts fit well with Papadosio’s energy, successfully getting the crowd warmed up for the main act.
On a different note, the second I walked in I saw something unique that I have not seen at other shows at the Georgia Theatre.
Though it is common for bands to have their own merch table set up at their performances, which Papadosio also had, this concert provided a little more than just that.
Directly next to the bar on the right side of the building, there was a man making art as music was being played on the stage. On top of this, there was a table of various artworks for sale.
Chance Losher, also known as Professor Rainbow, is an artist from Knoxville, Tenn. who creates a variety of visual art, including tapestries, foil posters, murals, and much more.
After speaking with Losher, I found out that he has created visuals for Papadosio and goes on tour with them to create art as they perform.
Though the main show took place on stage, watching him create colorful art on a canvas while in the dim-lit environment was very special.
I loved the idea of Papadosio helping support an artist that works closely with them by letting him showcase his talents for everyone to see.
Nearing the end of their spring tour, Papadosio will be traveling to Detroit, Mich. soon for a performance on April 15. Based on my experience, I highly recommend seeing the group if you get the chance.
