Dr. Dog in concert

from ToneAudio Magazine, issues # 18

August 27 2008

The Bowery Ballroom
New York, N.Y.

Article and Photos by Brian Hughes

I couldn’t resist catching a glimpse, on YouTube, of a Dr. Dog performance from last year’s tour before going to their show, but – at least on my MacBook Pro screen — this band that I love was loose and unsure. However, a year later at the Bowery Ballroom on New York City’s lower east side, the band was extremely tight, focused and motivated to entertain the crowd. And the acoustics at The Bowery were fantastic to boot.

This Philadelphia-bred band of Scott McMicken (lead vocals, guitar), Toby Leaman (lead vocals, bass), Zach Miller (keyboards), Frank McElroy (guitar) and Juston Stens (drums), has that rare ability to draw on great music from the past, wrapping it into the present and future. This band knows songwriting; their music is full of complex, yet pleasurable song structures, beatific harmonies, and global themes of regret, love and life.

Their performance mirrored that of their most recent television appearances, full of energy and bounce, with the band members hopping up and down across the stage in a fit of rock and roll euphoria. Rarely did the group converse with the audience - allowing their expert musicianship to do the talking.

The set list drew heavily from the stellar songs on We All Belong and their latest release, Fate. Standouts were the high voltage performance of “The Girl” (recently remixed by Beck), the chant infused chorus of “The Old Days,” and the rapturous two-song fusion that closes Fate, “My Friend.”

Dr. Dog’s fan base is growing, thanks to their three recent albums and polished live performances. It’s exciting to see this band mature so quickly, and to gain the critical acclaim it deserves.