I remember first hearing Dr. Dog’s 2008 album “Fate” and thinking, this band is amazing. I thought, I must see them live! Then I questioned to whether they could even pull these songs off live. Dr. Dog have a very vintage sound, they use three part harmonies and draw influences from The Band, The Beach Boys, and The Beatles. Despite that vintage vibe, Dr. Dog sound modern and fresh.
Dr. Dog toured heavily off “Fate” and I missed them each time they came to Chicago and was deeply disappointed. With the announcement of a new record “Shame, Shame”, Dr. Dog would be back at the Metro and I couldn’t miss them this time.
Marty Lennartz DJ from 93.1 WXRT came onstage before the show and said he felt blessed to be able to host such a great band, and felt honored to see them progress from smaller venues around town to the 25-year Chicago staple, The Metro. He called their latest album “Shame, Shame” their most polished effort.
“Shame, Shame” is a very polished record especially production wise it is very smooth and it is a very good, consistent album. It definitely grows on you but doesn’t have the immediate impact of “Fate”.
Dr. Dog knows how great “Fate” is as well. Having missed them on every Chicago date in support of that record I was hoping to hear some songs from “Fate” mixed with most of “Shame, Shame” and their other four albums. Well I was in store for a treat. Dr. Dog played all but two song songs from “Fate” as well as “Shame, Shame” in its entirety.
They opened with the single from “Shame, Shame”, “Stranger”. Instantly I felt the impact of the band and I was hooked.
The crowd was loving it and singing along, they erupted when “Old Days” and “The Breeze” from “Fate” were played. The band sounded so much like the album.
During “From” and “The Beach” I closed my eyes just to listen and this show really could not have sounded better it was perfect. Both songs were among highlights.
Other highlights included “The Ark”, “Later”, and “Hang On”, as the crowd sang and danced along.
Bassist and vocalist Toby Leaman was high energy the whole night and his vocals were raw and primal. Guitarist and vocalist Scott McMicken offered a nice contrast and his vocals are softer and more innocent. They would swap vocal duties every couple of songs offering a nice dynamic but they didn’t get much of a break as many Dr. Dog songs require three part harmony. One of the only breaks in the show came when Leaman addressed the crowd saying that the band went to the Cubs game earlier that day. Their other break came before the encore; but otherwise the band played straight through a 90 plus minute set.
During the encore Guitarist Frank McElroy walked out with a giant hand giving a “thumbs up”. I think everyone can agree that’s what the show earned. It’s everything you want from a concert. Dr. Dog put on a stellar show that is fun, entertaining, energetic, moving and most of all sounds really really good.
Dr. Dog toured heavily off “Fate” and I missed them each time they came to Chicago and was deeply disappointed. With the announcement of a new record “Shame, Shame”, Dr. Dog would be back at the Metro and I couldn’t miss them this time.
Marty Lennartz DJ from 93.1 WXRT came onstage before the show and said he felt blessed to be able to host such a great band, and felt honored to see them progress from smaller venues around town to the 25-year Chicago staple, The Metro. He called their latest album “Shame, Shame” their most polished effort.
“Shame, Shame” is a very polished record especially production wise it is very smooth and it is a very good, consistent album. It definitely grows on you but doesn’t have the immediate impact of “Fate”.
Dr. Dog knows how great “Fate” is as well. Having missed them on every Chicago date in support of that record I was hoping to hear some songs from “Fate” mixed with most of “Shame, Shame” and their other four albums. Well I was in store for a treat. Dr. Dog played all but two song songs from “Fate” as well as “Shame, Shame” in its entirety.
They opened with the single from “Shame, Shame”, “Stranger”. Instantly I felt the impact of the band and I was hooked.
The crowd was loving it and singing along, they erupted when “Old Days” and “The Breeze” from “Fate” were played. The band sounded so much like the album.
During “From” and “The Beach” I closed my eyes just to listen and this show really could not have sounded better it was perfect. Both songs were among highlights.
Other highlights included “The Ark”, “Later”, and “Hang On”, as the crowd sang and danced along.
Bassist and vocalist Toby Leaman was high energy the whole night and his vocals were raw and primal. Guitarist and vocalist Scott McMicken offered a nice contrast and his vocals are softer and more innocent. They would swap vocal duties every couple of songs offering a nice dynamic but they didn’t get much of a break as many Dr. Dog songs require three part harmony. One of the only breaks in the show came when Leaman addressed the crowd saying that the band went to the Cubs game earlier that day. Their other break came before the encore; but otherwise the band played straight through a 90 plus minute set.
During the encore Guitarist Frank McElroy walked out with a giant hand giving a “thumbs up”. I think everyone can agree that’s what the show earned. It’s everything you want from a concert. Dr. Dog put on a stellar show that is fun, entertaining, energetic, moving and most of all sounds really really good.