Dr. Dog @ XPoNential Festival

Saving the best for last with my XPoNential Festival coverage.

As I said before with my first point, Dr. Dog isn't just the best band that Philly has to offer, they are one of the best bands working in the U.S. today. When other countries question what rock music the U.S. has to offer, we can say proudly put forward My Morning Jacket, Wilco, The Boss, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Dr. Dog. Well, that's the first bands that come to my mind.

Dr. Dog's high flyin' set was the perfect groove to watch the sunset behind the band. Yes, there was magic all up in that bitch. Dr. Dog, how does it work?

The setlist:

• Shadow People
• Stranger
• I Only Wear Blue
• The Beach
• The Breeze
• Someday
• Hang On
• Mirror, Mirror
• Station
• The Old Days
• The Way The Lazy Do
• Shame, Shame
• The Rabbit, the Bat, and the Reindeer
• ENCORE: Jackie Wants A Black Eye

What makes Dr. Dog the best? They've grown through the years from a little hippie-folkie jam bandish band to an all-out classic rock/70s AM radio sound. The songs have more depth with different elements and grooves. The songs off Shame, Shame just floored me at first listening. They have that bounce that Dr. Dog are known for. Now, the harmonies are sweeter and the songs' construction are loose without being lazy. This the kind of album you listen to twice in a row, and return to every year for the rest of your life. You got those Skynyrd guitar riffs on Mirror, Mirror and The Band-like togetherness on Stranger.

When you see the band move around on stage like their doing a choreographed dance, you can tell the music is coming together. Their set at XPoNential was the best I've ever seen them, probably because the new material (their first for the Anti label) is just made to played loud and in front of a mass of people. The ended with the sing-a-long styled "Jackie Wants A Black Eye", which was a perfect conclusion for the weekend for me.

Even the kids love the Dog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[the qweeb!]

This band has come a very, very long way. First time I ever saw them was 2004? when they opened up for My Morning Jacket and M. Ward at the TLA! Yeah, pretty sick show. I have seen them do the progression of venues - Mercury, Maxwell's, Bowery, Webster (skipped that one...for obvious reasons), and T5. Even saw them at Johnny Brenda's a few times... Good times. I really wish they would release Psychedelic Swamp...