The rising jam rock artist Dogs In A Pile returned to the Brooklyn Bowl to headline their first ever two night run at the iconic venue on March 29, 2025. Their last show at the Brooklyn, NY locale was on October 21, 2021 as an opener, and what a difference three and half years made. Their friend and New York City resident Karina Rykman joined them for a tune, which only elevated this tasty performance.
The evening began with none other than Dogs, as they did not have an opener. They kicked off the festivities with the upbeat "Look Johnny II," before executing a detour into Grateful Dead territory with "Mr. Charlie." This classic tune is a set list staple for Dogs, with guitarist Brian Murray leading the blues rock jam that followed. Keyboardist Jeremy Kaplan and guitarist Jimmy Law contributed to this vibrant opening jam.
The band took a few steps back into "Look Johnny," which launched a fourteen minute jam. Kaplan fired up the clav like a mad scientist, which only dialed up the funk. The quintet originally from Asbury, NJ settled into a mellow psychedelic jam as drummer Joey Babbick drove the rhythmic cadence.
A short but sweet "Ugly Song" proceeded, along with new tune "116 Days." The band brought a light rig with them that included lower lights immediately behind them. This lit up the Bowl, and hit particularly well during "116 Days." The band quickly flowed into a funky, twelve minute "You Didn't Hear It From Me." They found themselves in a melodic grove that slowly built into a raging inferno. The funk continued into "My Disguise," which included Kaplan on vocals.
The catchy "Appleseed" was up next, and jettisoned the band into another twelve minute heater. Law elevated the prog rock inspired jam on guitar as bassist Sam Lucid delivered a thumping rhythm during this fun song. Law contributed vocals to the last tune of the set, "Way to Be." Kaplan took charge during a jazzy keyboard sequence that was uplifted by the light show, while Babbick skillfully matched the quickly changing cadence on drums. This energetic jam mellowed, as Law layered in the jazz guitar. This gave way to a face melting, blues rock driven conclusion to a killer jam that we highly recommend a re-listen.
The band returned to the stage after a short break, and began the second set with the breezy "Little Things," penned by both Murray and Lucid. A smooth transition lead the band to shift gears into the heavier "The Bag." This song contained blissful moments of interwoven dark and light, and was the perfect lead in for the next tune, "City Kids." Dogs brought their favorite city kid to the stage, Karina Rykman, who joined them as they performed her edgy, prog rock tune. Rykman brought a refreshing "Les Claypool meets unicorns" vibe with her incredible stage presence and skill as a band leader on bass. This eleven minute song saw Murray and Rykman playing off one another as the jam intensified.
Vintage Dogs tune "Go Set" followed this intensity, which included a disco funk jam. A dark, melodic transition ensued into "Minnie the Moocher," which is a cover by jazz singer Cab Calloway. This old timey tune is known for it's nonsensical lyrics, also known as scat singing, and was made for Kaplan to crush, both lyrically and on the keys. The band quickly pivoted into a sixteen minute "Tillie." This technical, prog rock inspired tune had all the deep set jam feels.
The music gently flowed into new, memorable tune "Chop Shop." This upbeat song came along with a stellar lighting display and on point playing from all five band members. A euphonious "Men of Steel" proceeded. The music was brought home during the last song of the set, "Bent," from their 2023 release Bloom. The fans were enamored during this ending sequence.
The band returned to encore with "Mr. Tooker," which was dominated by blues rock and jazz influences. This ended the show with a proverbial bang, and also reminded us of the ridiculously tasty "Mr. Tooker" cookies and cream chocolate bar that Dogs was selling last fall.
Dogs in a Pile delighted at the Brooklyn Bowl, and are on fire right now. They are up next at the Musikfest Cafe in Bethlehem, PA on April 3, 2025, and at Mr. Small's Theatre in Millvale, PA on April 4, 2025. Head on over to their tour page for more details on upcoming shows. Also, the Brooklyn Bowl always has something hot on the schedule, including Bushwick's Dead on April 6th, the Spin Doctors on April 12th, and Schpongle on April 13th. Visit their Upcoming Events page for more future listings.
Check out more photos from the show!
Date: March 28, 2025
Band: Dogs in a Pile
Venue: Brooklyn Bowl
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Set One: Look Johnny II, Mr. Charlie[1], Look Johnny, Ugly Song, 116 Days > You Didn’t Hear It From Me, My Disguise, Appleseed, Way To Be
Set Two: Little Things > The Bag, City Kids[2], Go Set > Minnie the Moocher, Tillie, Chop Shop, Men of Steel, Bent Strange
Encore: Mr. Tooker
Notes:
[1] Grateful Dead
[2] FTP, Karina Rykman, with Karina Rykman on bass
