The Dodos Go Big for AOL Pop-Up Show at SXSW

The last day of SXSW can be a confusing time for participants, as -- four 24-hours days into it -- everyone is a bit torn and frayed. And yet, it's both the weekend and the grand finale, so you want to go big. The Dodos toed the line between both emotions for their AOL Pop-Up Show on Saturday afternoon (March 19) at a beautiful Methodist Church in downtown Austin, Texas. A stone's throw from city hall, the church proved an inspirational setting -- with My Morning Jacket-worthy natural reverb -- for the final AOL-produced show of SXSW 2011.

Talking to Spinner directly before taking the stage, the band admitted that they felt as haggard as anyone, having performed multiple shows a day, seemingly non-stop, since arriving earlier in the week. Add to that, their latest CD, 'No Color,' was released on Tuesday (March 15). With the finish line in sight, the Dodos performed a free 45-minute set in the church for a few hundred, lucky fans.

"Thanks for getting up early," drummer Logan Kroeber told the crowd -- well past 1 p.m. "I promised I would sermonize today, but I'm just wiped out." And yet, to their credit, the Dodos performed perhaps the best set of all their SXSW showcases, taking the opportunity to introduce fans to new songs such as 'Good' and 'Black Night' from the new release. And while Neko Case appears on more than half that album, the three full-time Dodos were able to recreate the incredibly singular sound and vibe of 'No Color' from the pulpit, inflecting and elaborating on the tracks live.

Maybe they got help from divine intervention. Or, more likely, they just had their eye on the prize -- the finish line. "What ice cream cookie should I treat myself to, after this?" asked Kroeber, referring to the free ice cream sandwiches T-Mobile was preparing to hand out to fans on the way out. After various suggestions from audience members, Kroeber, tellingly, decided to go big. "I'll just get all of those," he said.

Sounds like someone figured out that it doesn't have to be either/or -- you can go big and then go home.

Watch the Dodos Perform at SXSW 2011

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