Dr. Dog at Minnesota State Fair
Two fun nights of Dr. Dog at Minnesota State Fair
Dr. Dog, the indie rock band from Philadelphia, rocked the free Leinie’s Bandshell stage at the Minnesota State Fair for two consecutive nights. With a definite cult following, the front area of the stage packed in tightly both nights with fervent fans dancing and singing along wildly. At one point on the first night, a girl next to me told her boyfriend, “Don’t ever come to a Dr. Dog show again without knowing all of the lyrics.” It was that kind of show, and it was a lot of fun.
The biggest highlight of night one was when singer / lead guitarist Scott McMicken asked that the stage lights be turned off during the slow dynamic build of the bridge to their song “Heavy Light”. The band proceeded with an extended jam that was absolutely fantastic, while the stage was only lit by surrounding fair lights.
Rain threatened night two, but only fell lightly on a few occasions, and it turned out to be another gorgeous night with Dr. Dog. The pit was a lot rowdier this night. The highlight of night two was a drawn out version of “Shame, Shame”, from their 2010 album with the same name. The bluesy and soulful guitar jam that ended the song was incredible, and it was obvious the band was having just as much fun as the crowd.
Besides the song order, the setlists changed little over the two nights. I am still glad I made it for both shows, as each night had its own vibe, and Dr. Dog was very appreciative of the large crowds. Singer / bassist Toby Leaman said towards the end of Wednesday’s show, “You’ve got a good thing going on here.” Two nights of Dr. Dog at the Minnesota State Fair makes me agree.
Night 1 – Wednesday, Aug 27
Night 2 – Thursday, Aug 28
