When I got the opportunity to shoot Dr. Dog at The Wiltern I said, "Sure." Without knowing much about the band, I took a chance...and boy, I'm glad I did.
First of all, the Wiltern is such an epic venue. In fact, it's a treasure to Los Angeles, and all of the employees are friendly and helpful.
I caught the opening acts Moses Sumney and Saint Rich; both were very solid. However, the crowd was clearly excited for Dr. Dog to finally take stage.
Speaking of the crowd -- wow, the vibe was incredible. There was magic in the air and a wide variety of different types of fans. Young, college-aged people and some older folks were in attendance as well, but one thing was consistent: they all came to have a good time, and every fan I encountered was polite in the super-packed house.
The lighting was fantastic and set in perfect timing with every single song. Everyone was grooving, dancing and singing along with the band.
One of my favorite songs, "Shadow People," was obviously one of the crowd's as well. "Say Ahhh" was amazing, with its impeccable percussion, timing and spot-on harmony. Each song kept getting better and better as the energy elevated. I was in heaven.
Like I said, before last night I didn't know that much about the band and after sifting through live footage and full albums, I discovered one important thing: the videos do the band no justice. Dr. Dog is an act you have to see live.
After Thursday night's show, I consider myself forever a fan. Dr. Dog is tight, they have a connection with the audience, and I am totally impressed.
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