There is the notion of the band seasoned through tour: a group of musicians so comfortable in the nuances of their songs that they perform with an effortless cool and incite a room full of people to forget everything, but the precise moment-the now. That’s a Dr. Dog show. 
The band took the stage at the Pike Room on Wednesday night and the audience became a moving form dotted with cell phones and cameras hurriedly trying to catch the moment. The set was comprised mostly of material from Fate, but songs from We All Belong, Takers and Leavers, and a few songs—which will presumably be on the forthcoming Shame, Shame—appeared. The new songs (no titles/set list stolen) continue to mine similar territory: tight vocal harmonies, tight rhythm, engaging guitar hooks, Garth Hudson styled piano…but a more refined version that displays greater comfort and awareness.
During the final song of the set, “The Rabbit, the Bat, and The Reindeer,” a group of people broke into a spontaneously choreographed dance complete with mimed vocals. Being par for the night it was clear that Dr. Dog has a metro Detroit following. The same is true of Ann Arbor, where the band will be performing in April. While this Blind Pig show is worth attending, some of the intensity Wednesday night was certainly owed to environment itself.
The Pike Room lends an intimate quality to performances. The backstage area is located behind the bar and about as far away from the stage as you can be. In getting to the stage the band must first pass through the crowd. It’s akin to a sporting event—the home team triumphantly taking the field.
This element also creates a good barometer for the show. When the band plays their last song the audience can either disband or if they really liked the show (and want to block the band’s exit), stand there like a personified brick wall demanding more. The latter happened and Dr. Dog obliged, playing for another half hour and returning to Takers and Leavers, Easy Beat territory: “Die, Die, Die,” “Ain’t it Strange” and “Oh, No!”
At this point the audience relented. The band worked their way through a sea of back patting, congratulations and general cheering. The sold-out performance ended.
The band has a few more February dates with a March show at the Harvest of Hope Fest and then a brief respite before a tour in support of Shame, Shame starts in April. That album comes out on Anti- Records April 6th. The springtime of Dr. Dog soldiers on.
