Dogs in the Medical Profession?

The other night I went to Philadelphia to see a show with a friend of mine. We watched the opening band from seats along the wall, waiting anxiously for the headliner, a band by the name Dr. Dog. Now I was under the impression that I had paid for a show involving a dog and some sort of bypass surgery, but unfortunately that was not the case. However, what Dr. Dog lacks in medical prowess they more than make up for in ass kicking rock and roll.

After the opening band-Floating Action-left the stage, the Dr. Dog stage hands began to bring out fake plants, covering the stage and essentially bringing a forest to us. Once the band took the stage there was no time for talk as they ran through a solid chunk of their catalog. Now I must admit that prior to this show I was pretty unfamiliar with Dr. Dog, so my knowledge of what songs they played is beyond me. I can say with certainty though that they played nearly twenty songs, which included a majority of their new album Fate.

Once the music started it never slowed. One song would end and the next would start mere seconds afterward, allowing for the large set list in the short hour and a half set. The live show that Dr. Dog puts on is quite different from their album work, from what I can tell. Their newest album is mellow and harmonic, but their live show was unexpectedly raucous. From the first song it was clear that they were here to fuck some shit up and indeed they did. The confluence of instruments blaring out of the speakers was chaotic but maintained the melody underneath. Each song came with its own instrumental breakdown adding some serious kick to slower songs and making the more upbeat ones that much more incredible. In fact one of my favorite parts was during the song "Fat Dog." The band played this beautiful riff that just had me. They kept it going for a bit (i could have listened to it all night), and finally broke back in to the rocking out that they do so well.

The sheer energy that the band put into their live show was obvious. The lead singers were jumping around every chance they got and the bass player wasn't singing in his inside voice, but rather a scream that made the songs much more exciting, and left my ears ringing just a bit longer.

If you are a fan of Dr. Dog or just someone who likes music, do yourself a favor and see them live.

I still can't hear right.