Dr. Dog sounds like a character name that Jim Henson would have devised for one of his wild creations on Sesame Street or The Muppet Show, although he already had Dr. Teeth, so it would have been Vice Admiral Dog or High Lord Chancellor Dog. At any rate, Dog MD is celebrating a couple of career events on its current tour, which comes to Covington’s Madison Theater this Friday (March 8); the nearly-one-year anniversary of its latest album, Critical Equation, and the 20-year anniversary of the Neo Psych/Folk/Indie Rock band’s formation.
Dr. Dog was borne of the friendship of singer/bassist Toby Leaman and singer/guitarist Scott McMicken, who met in eighth grade in their hometown, Newark, Delaware. Not content to play covers, Leaman and McMicken began writing original music as teenagers, which ultimately led to their first college band, Racoon. Dr. Dog coalesced in 1999 and self-recorded its first album, 2001’s The Psychedelic Swamp, which the Philadelphia-based band re-recorded for an official 2016 release.
Dr. Dog’s acknowledged debut album, 2002’s Toothbrush, ultimately led to tours with My Morning Jacket and a contract with renowned indie label Park the Van. After more Park the Van releases, including 2007’s We All Belong and 2008’s Fate, the band signed with Epitaph imprint Anti- Records and recorded Shame, Shame.
From the beginning, Dr. Dog had amassed the majority of its fan base through constant roadwork coupled with skillful use of the blossoming internet, which was exponentially increased with Anti-’s distribution. With the conclusion of their Anti- contract, Dr. Dog decided to pursue the freedom of its early self-releasing days and formed the We Buy Gold label, with distribution through established indie Thirty Tigers. Its first release was the initially-shelved Abandoned Mansion, which was posted on Bandcamp as a fundraiser for the Southern Poverty Law Center. Last year saw the release of Critical Equation, a dark and dense culmination of the band’s musical and personal histories.
You know you can trust Dr. Dog with your entertainment dollar because it’s right there in the name; man’s best friend with a doctorate.
This article appears in Feb 27 – Mar 6, 2019.