I recently found myself north of the Bernalillo County line when the opportunity arose to attend a sold-out Dr. Dog show at the Santa Fe Brewery Pub and Grill. The first band, Deer Tick, did not disappoint. Combining original tracks with covers like ZZ Top and Chuck Berry, they kicked off a fantastic set that left their large fan base wanting more and giving early justification for the sold-out venue. Deer Tick staged an impressive opening for the headliner Dr. Dog who seamlessly kept up the momentum by firing up the crowd in a way this band is becoming legendary for doing!
Dr. Dog sellouts are not uncommon across the country with their "blow the roof off" guitar break-outs, amazing vocals, and consistently solid performances regardless of venue size. They played a variety of tracks from their newest Album Shame, Shame as well as successful 2008’s,Fate. The enthusiasm and creativity poured into every track is a Dog trademark to personalize each show and create a truly exceptional experience for the audience. This concert gave the reviewer the feel of an arena show, although I don’t think it would be quite as easy for a fan to jump on-stage and deliver an impromptu duet of "Hang On" in Madison Square Garden, as one such reveler accomplished in Santa Fe! I echo the sentiments of singer and songwriter, Prudencio Dimas, who was in attendance and summed up the evening with, "I enjoyed every minute!"
On a final note, it would be a sin not to mention the surprise found on the way out the door. The Strange, the band called in as a provisional measure, unfortunately did not get a chance to play but did manage to whip up an impressive one-stop shop of merchandise as the show was concluding. We couldn’t pass up the dynamic young man at the helm of t-shirt and CD sales priced extremely reasonably at $5.00. The purchases were quickly put to use as we donned our newly acquired apparel while grooving to the tunes for our drive back to Albuquerque. This CD was a perfect way to end a perfect night of good music from start to finish!
