Gallery/Music: Psychodots!

Cincinnati-based “power-pop” band Psychodots played the Coca-Cola Stage at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Fast Friday, May 11, 2007.

One of the many benefits of having live bands at the Speedway is that race fans have an opportunity to discover bands they might never have been exposed to otherwise. Depending on the band and the type of music they play, that can be viewed as a good thing or a bad thing. In my opinion, getting a chance to hear Psychodots was a good thing indeed.

Psychodots is a trio made up of Rob Fetters (guitar, vocals), Bob Nyswonger (bass, keyboards, vocals), and Chris Arduser (drums, vocals, mandolin). I won’t try to recount their entire history here (which dates back to the late 1970’s), but all three were part of The Raisins and The Bears (with Adrian Belew) before Psychodots. More info and links to some great interviews, etc. can be found at Psychodots.com.

I have to admit that when I first heard the name “Psychodots” I figured that the band was going to be some Indy-based group of kids just out of high school- I really wasn’t expecting much. And because of that, when I first saw the guys on stage I was surprised at their age- and again I wasn’t expecting much. But when I heard them play, WOW, they were great! I was impressed not only with their sound but the energy they put into each song. They rock!

Their performance left enough of an impression that I tracked them down on the web and went ahead and bought their latest CD from CDBaby.com titled “Terminal Blvd”. Definitely give it a listen… you can play mp3s at CDBaby.com, but keep in mind that the quality is greatly reduced. My favorite tracks are “Disposable Man”, “Not a Pretty Face”, and “Hope It Works Out”.

I’ve got to think that for a lot of bands, playing at the Speedway is a tough gig. Most people aren’t there specifically to see them, and when there’s action on the track the crowd at the stage gets pretty sparse. I can’t imagine the acoustics at the Pagoda Plaza are the greatest either. But I’m all for the concept of combining music and motorsports, and Psychodots have gained at least one new fan, so thanks to everyone involved!

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