What’s the longest concert you’ve ever seen? Maybe an opener dragged on for a bit over forty-five minutes, or your favorite band graced the stage for an extra while, totaling maybe an hour and a half. Dogs In A Pile, however, topped any expectations I may have had. Even without their opener, their magnificent dual sets totaled three hours, and every last second was incredible.
The set led in with quite the tone-setter and a fan favorite: SpongeBob SquarePants’ own “Stadium Rave.” From a vantage point on the upper balcony, the immediate ignition of the audience’s faces was blatant, with hundreds of hands soaring into the air to eagerly bounce along to the number. With those iconic, blaring trumpets (mimicked expertly through the keyboard by Jeremy Kaplan), Dogs In A Pile captivated its audience from the start. Incremental “heys” and whoops allowed for a wondrously outrageous lead-in for their show. If there’s one thing that’s universally uniting, it’s most definitely SpongeBob.
With that momentous intro out of the way, Dogs In The Pile got to showcase their musical prowess. Leading in with the folky tune “Look Johnny II,” guitarist Brian Murray articulated that emblematic country sound, forging a toe-tapping number — and this would be far from the last. Something I noticed throughout my time spent with Dogs In A Pile is their extreme versatility. While their sound tends to lean towards funk, they’re dexterous in a way I’ve yet to see from another live artist. “Look Johnny II” was their first in the roots genre, but would be followed by the likes of “Burning Daylight” and most conformingly to the bluegrass sound, “Amos Moses.”
This multifaceted grasp on music continues into other genres. For more ska-like songs, there’s “Fenway” and “G Song.” A fan of some Latin influence? Look no further than the leading piano evocative of that same Spanish style in “Bubble.” Missing some rock? “Unfocused” was a favorite of mine, when spontaneously throughout the number we were thrown into a raucous guitar solo. You also wouldn’t have wanted to miss their rousing send-off cover of Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls On Parade.” They’re a funk band by label, yes, and certainly mix that genre into every piece they perform, especially with the help of the hammering thwacks of the bass from Sam Lucid; but they’ve proven to exceed any and all convention.
A band on the larger side, Dogs In A Pile has struck gold with its lineup of five artists. From Murray’s intricate, prolific strings to Joey Babick’s astounding labyrinthine drum solos — exemplified in their original number ‘Four More Days’ — and carrying further into the crisp, clean harmonies shared between Kaplan and guitarist Jimmy Law, the entire group is nothing short of star-studded. With rocking stage personalities capable of charming an audience with a mere kick of a drum or twang of a guitar, Dogs In A Pile is not a group you’ll want to miss.