Dr. Dog at The Fine Line Music Cafe Review
For better or for worse, I can’t help but let my surroundings effect my experience at a live show. Seeing Dr. Dog in the past, their organic, classic rock sound was matched by the small but dedicated crowd. While I have always heard people rag on them for this or that, I always would say that their live show was where they were best and was my refuge when I cringed at the occasional “Choo Choo Train, rolling away” lyric. Unfortunately that last line of defense came crumbling down Saturday night during their show at the Fine Line Music Cafe.
I try not to fault bands for getting bigger and more popular, but when your experience changes to such a dramatic degree, it is hard to ignore it. When Dr. Dog were a scrappy little band, full of exuberant energy and funky, rootsy Band-esqe rock and roll, it felt like a fun revelation seeing them with a small crowd at the 400 Bar. When they play to a packed crowd of people at the Fine Line with a light show backing them up, they suddenly felt like a band conforming to all of the shackles that people have put around them. Even though I didn’t like their latest CD, Shame, Shame, I was hoping their live set would bring me back. The main set opened and closed with the two singles from the latest album (“Strangers” and “Shadow People”), with the main portion of the set split between older and newer material. While I still will say I loved hearing the older material (especially the stuff from We All Belong), I still left the show more disappointed than I ever have leaving a Dr. Dog show. 
While seeing them in the past has been invigorating and exciting, the whole scene Saturday night felt like a well rehearsed show that had little of the edge or passion that I have seen in the past. Maybe Dr. Dog has changed, maybe it is me, but either way, between their sub par last album and their new, more polished show, I am wondering if that excitement will ever be back.
-Photos by Meredith Westin, Words by Josh Keller
Writer / co-founder
Nice shots Meredith! Josh, your stuff is ok too… ; )
sorta glad i decided to just keep drinking at a friends and eat my ticket for this show now…
their in-store at the Fetus kicked a ton of ass, so it’s definitely not the band that’s changed much in this case as much as it’s the surroundings as you mentioned.
ummm…this concert was actually AMAZING and the light show adds a new element to Dr. Dog’s music. i didn’t think the show felt rehearsed at all.
i should also add that their new drummer Eric Slick is frickin’ amazing
I’m with fincher on this one. I thought the show was great. It was a nice blend of old stuff and new stuff (although I would have liked to hear a few songs of Easy Beat). I agree that the new songs aren’t as good as the songs off We All Belong, but I really don’t think anything has really changed with band with their move to a new label.
I don’t think adding a lighting rig has changed their approach on stage, and it definitely doesn’t have anything to do with the music being played. Dr. Dog gave a high energy set that held the room’s attention for the better part of an hour and a half. They reaffirmed why they are one of the best live acts around in my opinion on Saturday.