CONCERT REVIEW: Dr. Dog Live from the 9:30 Club

One of my all time favorite concert stories took place at the Gasparilla Music Fest in 2013. Some friends and I went to the festival taking place in downtown Tampa mainly to see the band Dawes. Along the way we scored some VIP tix and unlimited access to a complimentary bar, which led to quite the concert buzz. Actually, the buzz was so intense that we had the confidence to sneak backstage to meet Dawes and then hang in the artist village for the rest of the night.

Among the many adventures of being backstage at a music festival, we found ourselves wandering onto a tour bus to meet the lead singer of Philly rock band - Dr. Dog. We had no idea who Toby Leaman was, nor any songs from his strangely named band. But of course we faked that we were big fans, and ended up drinking with him for a few hours. Cool guy, and great concert memory. (Fuzzy memory I should say)

Following that night, I looked up Dr. Dog and am happy to now say that they have grown into one of my favorite bands. I had been itching to see them again ever since that GMF show. But despite a quick set opening up for The Lumineers, they haven't been back to Florida since that night. So taking matters into my own hands, I decided to travel for them and flew up to DC for the weekend.

In addition to finally getting to see Dr. Dog again, a big benefit of this trip was that the show took place and the famous 9:30 Club. This small venue is rich in musical history. Dave Grohl visited it hundreds of times as a teenager when it was the go to spot for underground punk rock. It has since turned into a more mainstream venue that is a staple for all up and coming bands to play when going through DC. You can look up practically any list of best small music venues in the country and you'll see 9:30 towards the top.

The place was so iconic that there wasn't even a sign that says 9:30 as you entered. It didn't look like much, and it actually wasn't in the best area of town. But regardless, you could tell there was great musical energy in the room. (But for the record, my favorite it still the Metro) We walked in to the sounds of opener Family Spirit Reunion getting the night started.

Just after 10pm, Dr Dog took the stage and went right into some of their more up tempo numbers with "Distant Light" and "Phenomenon." These were followed up by a smooth cover of "Heart it Races," originally recorded by Architecture in Helsinki.

Leaman took the spot at center stage but he is by no means the only lead singer. Guitarists Scott McMicken and Frank McElroy mainly sung together for about 50% of the tunes on the night. McMicken is actually childhood best friends with Leaman and he sings some of the groups best known songs.

Dr. Dog had the sold out crowd loving it as they played material from all of their 8 albums. Toby slowed things down at times, including a captivating "Too Weak to Ramble," but there was no point where the show ever was boring. For every slower tune, the next was an attention grabbing comeback.

The strongest portion of the evening came towards the end of the set, with heavyweights "Shadow People," "These Days" and "Lonesome" all closing out the performance. If there's any Dr. Dog song that casual music fans would recognize, it's "Shadow People." The familiar opening lines turned the 9:30 Club into what seemed like a drunk group karaoke session.

My favorite part of the night was the encore, as the guys came back out on stage with even more energy to rip through four of their best tunes. The final of the night was quirky closer "That Old Black Hole," where Dr Dog shows off their unique lyric ability. I'm pretty sure they're the only band I know that would rhyme pillow with armadillo.

Overall, it was excellent to see Dr. Dog and and just as cool to cross 9:30 off the music venue bucket list. I'd definitely come back for another show here. Oh, and the night had quite the proper ending as well. After hitting a few bars after the show, we circled back to the venue and saw Toby having a cigarette outside the tour bus. Upon asking if he remembered that night in Tampa, he thought about it and laughed, saying he very clearly remembered a group of wasted guys coming onto the bus for some beers. He was all laughs about it though and told us to look for him at Shaky Knees. We'll be there for sure!

Concert Rating: 3.5 Stars

SETLIST:

1. The Rabbit, The Bat, and the Reindeer
2. Distant Light
3. Phenomenon
4. Heart It Races
5. Heavy Light
6. Too Weak to Ramble
7. Today
8. Army of Ancients
9. Be the Void
10. Broken Heart
11. Shadow People
12. Alaska
13. Black-Red
14. These Days
15. We All Belong
16. Lonesome

ENCORE:
17. The Truth
18. Nellie
19. How Long Must I Wait?
20. That Old Black Hole


And of course...have to throw in the tiny desk video: