A Long Way Down to Boston
By: Patrick Torres
I’ve got a friend who loves Dr. Dog.
She has a friend who loves Dr. Dog, that’s me. So what should we do when the only place they
are playing is in Boston? Well the
answer is drive two hours north east.
It was fall 2013 and Dr. Dog’s new album B Room had only been out for a couple weeks but Julie and I already knew every song. Anyways there was a show in Boston we needed to get to. We hopped in Julie’s Honda accord and took to the road, singing the whole way. Shows like these are ones I really enjoy the most. Entering the venue I knew we had general admission (standing room) seats and I prefer that. There’s just something about standing, able to dance and move around, that makes the show that much more enjoyable. With the open floor plan of venues like The House of Blues and most of all the Bowery venues in New York City one can feel intimate with the music being played. I’ve been to arena shows before, sitting in the seats admiring from a far. But it’s never the same as being on the floor closer to the band that really excites me.
Dr. Dog opened the show with “These Days” and oh boy was it a great choice. Right off the bat I was grooving and moving around. Off of the album Be the Void, which is one of my favorites, “These Days” got the crowd amped up and ready for more to come. Immediately coming out the gate with another Be the Void sampling “That Old Black Hole” brought a large smile to my face and a rasp to my voice once I finished screaming the whole thing. That’s the beauty about Dr. Dog shows, or really any show you are really into. Everything about the show was great from start to finish. Even before the band started playing I was having fun. My friend Julie and I struck up conversation with two nice fellows standing behind us. Making connections with other people is something people don’t do very often and it felt good. With the energy up from the start I knew it was going to be a good night. I forgot to mention the opening band and how they could melt you face off hours before Dr. Dog tried to reconstruct it. Fly Golden Eagle opened the show with their refreshing form of groove and bass driven rock.
It was fall 2013 and Dr. Dog’s new album B Room had only been out for a couple weeks but Julie and I already knew every song. Anyways there was a show in Boston we needed to get to. We hopped in Julie’s Honda accord and took to the road, singing the whole way. Shows like these are ones I really enjoy the most. Entering the venue I knew we had general admission (standing room) seats and I prefer that. There’s just something about standing, able to dance and move around, that makes the show that much more enjoyable. With the open floor plan of venues like The House of Blues and most of all the Bowery venues in New York City one can feel intimate with the music being played. I’ve been to arena shows before, sitting in the seats admiring from a far. But it’s never the same as being on the floor closer to the band that really excites me.
Dr. Dog opened the show with “These Days” and oh boy was it a great choice. Right off the bat I was grooving and moving around. Off of the album Be the Void, which is one of my favorites, “These Days” got the crowd amped up and ready for more to come. Immediately coming out the gate with another Be the Void sampling “That Old Black Hole” brought a large smile to my face and a rasp to my voice once I finished screaming the whole thing. That’s the beauty about Dr. Dog shows, or really any show you are really into. Everything about the show was great from start to finish. Even before the band started playing I was having fun. My friend Julie and I struck up conversation with two nice fellows standing behind us. Making connections with other people is something people don’t do very often and it felt good. With the energy up from the start I knew it was going to be a good night. I forgot to mention the opening band and how they could melt you face off hours before Dr. Dog tried to reconstruct it. Fly Golden Eagle opened the show with their refreshing form of groove and bass driven rock.
A goofy looking man, probably in his late twenties,
with wire thin classes and hair looking like he just went through a carwash
dryer gave the crowd a swift laugh. But
don’t let his appearance get to you before you hear these guys tear into
it. I had the pleasure of seeing these
guys a couple months before this show when they opened for Alabama Shakes. That was my first time seeing them and I was
super excited to get another sampling.
In fact the bassist was my inspiration for growing out my hair.
With an album titled Swagger some might not know what to expect from Fly Golden Eagle but once they ripped into their set I knew everyone was into it. One of my favorite parts of the show was the organist who looked like he was higher than an airplane. Dreads up in a beanie, sunglasses on, and dance moves stolen from a mummy made for one of the most comical aspects of the night. But with a killer set Fly Golden Eagle still wasn’t Dr. Dog. What I love about Dr. Dog is the fact that they aren’t just a band that plays music, but also a band that makes art and has a whole lot of fun doing it. Both times I’ve seen them they’ve had different back drops on stage that really accentuate how creative they are. This time I got to enjoy a brightly colored piece of art encapsulating the drummer Eric Slick. A nice touch to the stage was the movie theater style light up sign that read Dr. Dog, Boston!
With the intensity coming from everyone on stage it’s hard not to have a good time. This probably being one of the most enjoyable shows I’ve been to had me singing the whole way through. Even though the band ignored my cries for “Say Something”, or simply couldn’t hear me, the fact that the last song of the set was “The Rabbit, the Bat, and the Reindeer” made me a very happy concert goer. Dr. Dog has been one of my favorite bands for years now and continues to bring me back to every show I can get to. If you’ve got the chance to see this band I’d highly recommend it. And even if you can’t you should pick up one of their albums, you won’t regret it.
With an album titled Swagger some might not know what to expect from Fly Golden Eagle but once they ripped into their set I knew everyone was into it. One of my favorite parts of the show was the organist who looked like he was higher than an airplane. Dreads up in a beanie, sunglasses on, and dance moves stolen from a mummy made for one of the most comical aspects of the night. But with a killer set Fly Golden Eagle still wasn’t Dr. Dog. What I love about Dr. Dog is the fact that they aren’t just a band that plays music, but also a band that makes art and has a whole lot of fun doing it. Both times I’ve seen them they’ve had different back drops on stage that really accentuate how creative they are. This time I got to enjoy a brightly colored piece of art encapsulating the drummer Eric Slick. A nice touch to the stage was the movie theater style light up sign that read Dr. Dog, Boston!
With the intensity coming from everyone on stage it’s hard not to have a good time. This probably being one of the most enjoyable shows I’ve been to had me singing the whole way through. Even though the band ignored my cries for “Say Something”, or simply couldn’t hear me, the fact that the last song of the set was “The Rabbit, the Bat, and the Reindeer” made me a very happy concert goer. Dr. Dog has been one of my favorite bands for years now and continues to bring me back to every show I can get to. If you’ve got the chance to see this band I’d highly recommend it. And even if you can’t you should pick up one of their albums, you won’t regret it.