Dr. Dog & the Cave Singers @ 400 Bar
(The Cave Singers)
There are two different types of “sold out” shows. The first involves tickets still being available at the door and a crowd that isn’t packed in wall to wall, with an atmosphere that doesn’t scream “packed rock and roll show.” The second is where there is a line outside the door 40 people long, trying in vain to get tickets that don’t exist and the crowd inside filling every spot in the venue and creating a tangible energy. The Dr. Dog and Cave Singers show Saturday night at the 400 Bar was most assuredly the latter. The crowd, which was as wild any crowd I have seen at the 400 Bar in quite a while, seemed to give the bands extra energy that pushed them to play two really solid sets.
(The Cave Singers)
(Dr. Dog)
The Cave Singers, a three piece band, played before Dr. Dog and really got the crowd going. Their raw and primal sound was based in classic folk music, but was filtered into something that sounds new and exciting by three guys who came the folk genre from other types of music. They opened their set like their debut CD with the great song “Seeds of the Night.” Their swampy sound was created by lead singer Pete Quirk’s warbly vocals, Derek Fudesco’s stunning guitar work (often on classical guitar) and the ramshackle percussion of Marty Lund. Their music ranged from more mellow folk to some really heavy stompers that got the crowd moving. The band, who haven’t released any new material since their 2007 debut Invitation Songs, played a great 45 minute set that hopefully will be a precursor to a sophomore album.
(Dr. Dog)
(Dr. Dog)
Dr. Dog, who played to a much smaller crowd at the same venue last year, came onstage to a small roar from the packed crowd. The band wasted no time before starting off with the thundering bass of “The Ark” from their latest album Fate. The band spent their 90 minute set playing from their entire back catalog, but they really focused on the great songs from Fate. Highlights included a tense and dramatic version of the title track and a taut reading of the song “100 Years.” While the band still had their usual vigor and bouncy stage presence, they seemed to be a more polished unit then the last few times I have seen them. They had a full on stage setup, with trees and flowers and colorful sheets, and seemed slightly more focused than previous shows. This lost a little bit of the fun nature of their previous shows for the middle portion of the set, but the band really came on strong at the end. Their last four songs, “Hang On,” “From,” “Worst Trip,” and “The Rabbit, The Bear and the Reindeer” sounded excellent and provided the band with an opportunity to really let loose and jam out, which they did to great effect. After a few minutes of rowdy cheering and stomping from the devoted crowd, the band came back on stage for a four song encore, which they used to highlight their amazing We All Belong LP. Starting with “Old Ways,” the band made sure to leave everything they had on the stage with stomping versions of “Die Die Die” and “Ain’t it Strange.”
(Dr. Dog)
(Dr. Dog)
(Dr. Dog)
Overall, both bands showed over the course of their sets that they deserved the crowds’ adoration that was lavished on them Saturday night. Both bands’ sweeping Americana and vintage rock and roll sound provided the crowd, which ranged from hippies to frat boys, with a show that highlighted the strengths of two bands who take a no frills approach to rock and roll. Hopefully next time Dr. Dog or the Cave Singers come to the Twin Cities, they will play slightly bigger venues so that their fans who were turned away Saturday night can be part of the sweltering masses packed in the venue instead of being left out in the cold.
(Dr. Dog)
[Review by Josh Keller, photos by Jon Behm.]
Dr. Dog: Purchase | Official | MySpace | Wikipedia
The Cave Singers: Official | MySpace | Wikipedia
