Dr. Dog's Toby Leaman joins crowd at Fox Theater Oakland and gives them up-close-and-personal performance

This week in Oakland, Dr. Dog kicked off their tour with Hanni El Khatib in support of their recently released live album, Live at a Flamingo Hotel. Consisting of some of their most popular tracks like “Heart It Races” and “The Rabbit, The Beach, and the Reindeer”, the album offers a playful and catchy experience for new listeners and old fans alike. The psychedelic rock group played to an almost sold out crowd at the Fox Theater, who despite looking as the type of people who would typically stand still at a show aside from a few head bobs, were surprisingly energetic. During every song, the vast majority of the crowd was singing all of the words along with the band without missing a beat.

Towards the middle of the set, lead singer Toby Leaman hopped off stage and into the crowd to get up close and personal with fans during one of their songs. I find that most bands who are comfortable enough to leave the bubble that is the stage to interact with the audience create a much more enjoyable experience for fans, one that is not only more memorable but allows us to connect with the artist on a level past just watching a performance. It shows that the band doesn’t view shows as a way to place themselves on a pedestal simply for admiration, but as an opportunity to make a connection with fans through their music. This is the appeal of Dr. Dog–their music is obviously considerate of combining elements of rock and pop that will sound catchy to most, while also retaining a genuine nature to their style and content.

Dr. Dog will continue their tour across the US until mid June. Don’t miss out, especially older fans–you’ll appreciate the variety in their live show in how many of their older songs they play!

Words & Photography: Michelle Borreggine

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