On Friday, November 29, perhaps the two biggest rising stars in the jam-band scene – Dogs in a Pile and Eggy – took another giant leap, packing out The Capitol Theatre to near capacity.
The first time both bands were set to headline the iconic venue, Dogs In A Pile and Eggy had their fans pour in early to check out a pre-show at Garcia’s featuring Residual Groove. The link between the two fanbases was as clear as day, as was the decision to make the two evenings a co-headlining spectacle.
As announced on social media by Peter Shapiro a few days prior via a coin-toss, Dogs In A Pile were set to open Day 1 with Eggy following, and the reverse happened the next day.
Dogs In A Pile hit the stage at 8pm sharp on Friday night, busting of the gate strong with “Look Johnny ll”. Hailing from Asbury Park, New Jersey, Dogs In A Pile have become a nationally recognized act, touring all around the country with great frequency. Certainly no stranger to the New York music scene, playing huge shows like the Phish after show last year at Sony Hall, Great South Bay Music Festival, as well as going on tour with Andy Frasco at Pier 17 and The Capitol Theatre itself, though this time, under a very different circumstance.
Childhood friends who met fellow students at Berklee, the band consists of Jimmy Law on Guitar and Vocals, Joey Babick on Drums, Jeremy Kaplan on Keys and Vocals, Sam Lucid on Bass, and Brian Murray on Guitar and Vocals. Ending on a real high note, a difficult task was set upon Eggy, following what had just occurred was no small feat.
Eggy gracefully took the stage to great anticipation. In quite fitting fashion, “Here and Now” was the designated opening number as dancing re-emerged throughout the audience. Fresh off the release of their new album, “Waiting Game“, the band consists of Jake Brownstein on Guitar and Vocals, Dani Battat on Keys and Vocals, Mike Goodman on Bass and Vocals, and Alex Bailey on Drums and Vocals.
New York is a frequent stop for Eggy, and its easy to see why. Their impressive song writing abilities, along with deep experimentation of the material, a fantastic tour-de-force is always on full display. As the first set winded down, Dani Battat slowed things down, paying tribute to his bandmate and dear friend, Jake, to celebrate his birthday.
A cake was brought out as this touching moment was rang in by Bailey switching to his cajon and Goodman to his standup bass. An acoustic set brought the evening home, but the festivities were not over just yet.
For an encore, Dogs In A Pile came back on stage to join Eggy in family band style fashion. Paying homage to the day, “Black Friday” by Steely Dan rang out, followed by the Hunter/Garcia classic, “Bird Song”.
The evening concluded with strong enthusiasm as another epic night of music awaited everyone the following evening. Though the two bands have similar fanbases and style, their momentums are respectively separate and strong.
Dogs In A Pile go on to play more dates throughout December, including a 4 night run through New Years in Saratoga Springs at Putnam Palace. Eggy will also be playing in New York at the end of this month, hitting Electric City in Buffalo on the 27th, and Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock on the 29th. Tickets for all shows are available now.
Dogs In A Pile Setlist: Look Johnny ll, Nicolette, Apeman, Today, Ugly Song, G Song, Linus and Lucy, Lazy Susan, Look Johnny, Bubble
Eggy Setlist: Here and Now, A Moments Notice, Sweaters for Strawmen, Searchlight, 12 Pounds of Pain, Eggy Birthday Song, Thorns, Bad Side of The Moon
Dogs/Eggy Encore: Black Friday, Bird Song
