Dr. Dog plays a phenomenal set at the Wiltern. (Vanessa Batyko/Neon Tommy)

On the eve of Valentine’s Day, overgrown beards and man buns filled the historic halls of the Wiltern in Los Angeles. I mean what else can you expect from Dr. Dog fans? The band has a refreshing, folk-inspired take on indie rock and a spirited way with words. The entire venue seemed to be on the same page: “Dr. Dog has the highest song count on my iPod. I know all the words to every one of their songs. I’ve already seen them play two or three times.” 

As devoted fans patiently awaited Dr. Dog’s arrival, Hanni El Khatib and his band entertained with a few songs highly reminiscent of the Black Keys’ later work. If his songs sound familiar to you, that’s probably because his music has appeared in House, Suits, and even the 2013 rendition of Carrie. Talk about beefing up your resume… 

El Khatib’s style is hard to define, as he pulls influences from rock, garage, blues, and folk. Despite his unique sound, he fails to set himself apart from the typical LA rock’n’roll artist. 

For the duration of his set, El Khatib’s voice was muffled by excessive reverb, and his slightly unoriginal lyrics were undecipherable. Although there were a few impressive riffs and drum fills, his simplistic songs exuded monotony. 

The crowd obviously agreed with me on this point: by the end of El Khatib’s set, I witnessed some disheartening yawns and impatient, blank stares. Although he put on a lively show and radiated a bold stage presence, his critical audience dug deeper into the technical quality of his music. But El Khatib was not the focus of attention that night.

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As Dr. Dog waltzed onto a stage decked out with rainbow lights and a neon pink flamingo, the crowd was overcome by a wave of respect, thrill, devotion, and relief. Everyone already knew the show would be phenomenal; they just couldn’t wait for it to play out before their eyes. 

These guys knew what they were doing. Opening up with a roar, Dr. Dog preached “Distant Light”, a sure-fire crowd pleaser.  Throughout their show, bassist Toby Leaman and guitarist Scott McMicken harmoniously shared the role of lead vocals. The band alternated between rambunctious head-bangers and poignant ballads. Their performance was like a fluid tide of poetry that encompassed even the fans up in the nose-bleeds.  

The harmonies during “Turning The Century” were radiant, and the drumming of “Broken Heart” was impressively tight and complex. 

Especially during their performance of “The Beach”, Dr. Dog was, for lack of a better word, vibing. A synchronized pulse seemed to run through every extraordinary member of this band, creating one remarkable, unified entity.These individuals display a rare sense of brotherhood.

Dr. Dog didn’t just “put on a good show;” they played their music with an unparalleled soulfulness. 

Reach Staff Reporter Vanessa Batyko here