Dr. Dog Delivers the Goods at Surly Brewing

As thunderstorms rocked the Twin Cities throughout the day, this show was a bit in question. But just before Shakey Graves was to take the stage to open for Dr. Dog, the rain passed as if a switch was flipped, and sunny skies filled the area. Due to the storms, this show got an early start and after an introduction by legendary First Avenue stage manager Conrad Sverkerson, Dr. Dog took the stage at 7:30pm with plenty of daylight still remaining.

Dr. Dog opened with a loose and dragging version of “That Old Black Hole” from their excellent 2012 album Be The Void. The band quickly tightened things up when Toby Leaman traded his bass for guitar, and took the vocals on “Broken Heart” which was played next. From then on, the show progressively got better with the help of the large crowd that expanded across most of the lawn at Surly Brewing Festival Field.

Dr. Dog is no stranger to the area, and seeing them outside at the best brewery in town was truly a treat. As I stood in the middle of the crowd towards the end of the show, I was surrounded by smiles as Dr. Dog delivered the hits including a really nice “How Long Must I Wait?”, “Bring My Baby Back”, “Nellie”, and fan-favorite “Shadow People”. The night ended with “Jackie Wants a Black Eye”, and fans stumbled towards the gates buzzing on the hard to beat combination of Dr. Dog and Surly ales. Dr. Dog at Surly Brewing Festival Field was a real fine time.

Dr. Dog at Surly Brewing

Shakey Graves