Feb 11, 2020 admin_bitlc Features, Music News, Reviews 0
By Christopher David
Philadelphia’s Dr. Dog stopped by Chicago for a triumphant, sold-out two night stand at Thalia Hall in support of their most recent album, 2018’s Critical Equation, bringing with them a magic bag of musical styles and a jubilant performance that shrank the room in terms of intimacy.
Critical Equation marked a significant step in the band’s evolution, coming on the heels of a two-year hiatus that brought a nine-album run to an uncertain halt. To a greater extent than even on record, Dr. Dog’s live show is hard to define, as the band’s mash of styles keeps things exciting as well as unpredictable. Blending styles can be a dicey prospect, but when a band has chemistry, a band has chemistry, and Dr. Dog’s chemistry runs deep – their arrangements walk a line connecting pop, folk, psychedelia in a way that most bands don’t attempt: a truly genre-less band reliant upon musicianship and stylistic gymnastics. “Worst Trip” offered a bouncy take on a Motown beat filtered through a wild jam that called to mind the New York Dolls, and “Can We Dance” from last year’s Critical 7” called to mind the kind of playful lyrical approach that Okkervil River have turned into their modus operandi. The quintet, particularly the interplay between bassist/vocalist Toby Leaman and instrumentalist/vocalist Scott McMicken, was a well-oiled machine throughout the night.
Which is not to say that the musicianship gets in the way of hooks. Songs like “That Old Black Hole” with its singalong coda and “Bring My Baby Back” with its simple, soulful refrain were balanced nicely between more introspective pieces like “I Only Wear Blue” and “Buzzing in the Light,” and the jangly melancholy of “Shadow People” from 2010’s Shame, Shame locked the crowd in early for a varied, career-spanning setlist (which differed entirely between the two nights, a welcome feat for any band).
Dr. Dog’s 2018 return was a welcome one, and if Critical Equation is any indication, the band still has considerable fuel in the tank. Their Chicago performances showcased a band in total control and having fun with their craft while still making a case for bending and blending styles however you want, rulebook be damned.
For more on Dr Dog, click here
For photos from the show at Thalia Hall, click here
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Dr. Dog – Thalia Hall, Chicago, IL, February 6th, 2020
The Rabbit, The Bat, and The Reindeer
Bring My Baby Back
Shadow People
The Ark
Casual Freefall
Survive
I Only Wear Blue
Can She Dance
That Old Black Hole
Under the Wheels
Fire on My Back
True Love
The Breeze
Buzzing in the Light
From
I Can’t Fly
Where’d All the Time Go?
Worst Trip
Go Out Fighting
Nellie
Be the Void
Jackie Wants a Black Eye
Oh No
Lonesome
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