Dr. Dog kicked off the first night of their 4X4 New York City concert series last Friday night, and if one thing’s for sure it’s that the six-piece band is made for live performances.
The Philadelphia-based band performed to a sold-out, jam-packed show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg — an intimate venue in which you could feel the heat radiating off your neighbor and you could see the sweat dripping off singer/bassist Toby Leaman’s forehead.
Dr. Dog has proven on their albums that they’re not afraid to go against the norm. They don’t spend their time creating artificial, studio-refined pop hits. Instead, they give us what we so desperately need in this world – authenticity. And their performance in Williamsburg was no different.
Watching Dr. Dog perform live in such a personal setting is an unforgettable experience. They feed off the crowd’s energy – they can take a song and strip it down, add a funky jam-sesh, or add an electronic element that wasn’t there before. They have a way of making your favorite song feel new again.
I’ve probably listened to their cover of “Heart it Races” a hundred different times, but that night in Brooklyn I heard a version I’ll never forget. It’s always a beautiful moment when you feel as though you just experienced something that can never be repeated. You just know if you were to purchase tickets to all eight of their New York shows that each one would be a completely different experience.
The overall night was filled with some throwbacks to their older albums as well as popular, more recent songs, like “Lonesome.” But the most anticipated song of the night had to have been “Jackie Wants a Black Eye.” Members of the crowd were requesting it from the moment the show started and Dr. Dog saved it for the encore where they really left their heart and soul on the stage.
The audience was filled with avid Dr. Dog fans, sporting the notorious beanies who began clapping along singing in unison, “We’re all in it together now/As we all fall apart/And we’re swapping little pieces/Of our broken little hearts.”
A Dr. Dog concert is one of those unique experiences where you can attend the show all by yourself, but come out leaving and feeling the complete opposite of alone.
Article by: Liz Dennerlein
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