Dogs In A Pile continued their countywide Winter Tour on Saturday night in Stroudsburg at the Sherman Theater, supported by local acts The Tribe and Mosey Beats. The evening began with The Tribe, a Funk/Jazz/Hip-Hop fusion band from Wilkes-Barre, PA, which set the mood for the cold and rainy night. Despite playing as a quintet instead of their usual sextet, they delivered a tight, polished, and energetic short set of originals reminiscent of Lettuce, minus the trumpet, with a significant focus on the saxophone.
Following The Tribe, Mosey Beats, a power trio from Phillipsburg, NJ, took the stage. They shifted gears with a set of heavy, progressive rock that seemed to draw inspiration from early '70s bands like Rush and King Crimson, even covering Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” amidst their originals, including a debut track.
Dogs In A Pile, familiar faces in Northeast PA and originating from Asbury Park, NJ, comprises guitarists Jimmy Law and Brian Murray, drummer Joe Babick, bassist Sam Lucid, and keyboardist Jeremy Kaplan. Known for their diverse styles, exploratory jams, creative songwriting, and seamless transitions, they began with “Stevie Lew” and “Frosty,” then moved onto an unfinished “Craig and Pat,” showcasing Lucid's mastery of his six-string bass. The performance gained momentum with “Hot Dog” and a debut rendition of “Devil Went Down to Georgia,” featuring Kaplan on vocals.
The band's energy, amplified by the enthusiastic crowd, propelled them into a remarkable 50-minute segue session. This included the heavy Dogs-original “Creep,” the laid-back “You Didn’t Hear It From Me,” an extended drum solo by Babick that looped back to finish “Craig and Pat,” and concluded with “Samba for Sam” and the Grateful Dead’s “Cumberland Blues.” They ended the marathon set with a full-band debut of “Man of Steel,” followed by a medley of “Let U Go” > “Por Que Pedro” > “EDM Song.”
Returning for the encore after the two-hour set, they offered a 30-minute performance featuring Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets” and concluded with a 20-minute version of “G Song.”
Catch this rapidly rising group as they continue their tour across the country, with upcoming stops in Massachusetts and Vermont, a three-week residency in California starting at the end of March, a 4/20 performance in Phoenix, and dates throughout the Southeast to close out April and begin May."
