Who let Dr. Dog out?

By Angela Hu

Dr. Dog lights up the Westcott for a crowd of hipsters

The crowd chanted for the Doctor.

By 10:30pm on a frigid and blanketed Saturday night, The Westcott Theater filled to its brim with fans of all ages (and I mean all ages including some 40-year-old drunk women who swayed furiously in front of me) geared up for the Philadelphia lo-fi band, Dr. Dog.

The lively ambiance, thanks to opening acts such as The Silent League and The Growlers, prompted hipsters to bob their heads in delight. It was an ungodly sight – “alternative” beings with their square rimmed glasses and neon colored beanies actually enjoying something they thought was worth listening to. I was so in shock I failed to notice when the lead singer of The Growlers began doing his sliding two-step across the stage, much to the screaming encouragement of the crowd.

But it wasn’t until Dr. Dog took the stage that the audience erupted in claps, jumping along when lead singers Toby Leaman and Scott McMicken sang some of the old Dr. Dog classics like “The World May Never Know,” “The Breeze” and “My Friend.” Their tenor voices were sometimes overshadowed by the sing-alongs of the audience, but the signature harmonies held by the band could not be replicated.

As one commentator for Parkthevan.com writes, “Dr. Dog makes magic from an enduring pop palette of intricate harmonies, shape-shifting melodies, and ramshackle audio ingenuity – all presented through the band’s slightly skewed and utterly individualistic outlook.”

I agree. One thing Dr. Dog phenomenally produces music enjoyed by people varying taste in music genres—staying true to themselves without losing their edge as others do when they make it big in the indie music scene.

Dr. Dog showcased a refreshing line-up, a total departure from the usual music scene of Kei$ha and Owl City, whose song “Fireflies” could make me murder someone in the Ernie Davis Dining Hall.