Biography

"Affecting lyrics and exquisitely crafted melodies ... Big Dopes is one of the best Denver bands not enough people know about yet." - Tom Murphy, QUEEN CITY SOUNDS AND ART Big Dopes evokes the loose, lighthearted feel of 90s alternative and indie, with detours into loungey pop. Lead songwriter Eddie Schmid (also of Denver dream-pop band Oxeye Daisy) uses a playful, conversational baritone to sing through neuroses and inner dialogues about long-distance relationships, being a houseguest, and thank-you notes to friends named Tom. Veteran drummer Ricky Brewer lends a steady groove and harmonies, and Justin Catanzaro’s bass often takes the lead, playing energetic, melodic lines. Paul Simmons, who joined in 2019, plays tasteful guitar, violin, and keys. The band's second album, Destination Wedding, was released in November 2021. That fall they opened for Tokyo Police Club at Denver's Bluebird Theater. After several tours behind the LP, the band marked the album's one-year anniversary by releasing a psych-pop remix of their song "Take You Anywhere," a collaboration with Little Trips, in November 2022. In spring 2023, the Dopes Spring Eternal tour brought the group's energetic, turtleneck-heavy live set to venues throughout the East Coast and Midwest.