Dr. Dog

Here's the thing about the Greek Theater in Berkeley: it's pretty difficult to have a bad show-going experience there. There's not a bad seat in the house, thanks to the surprisingly intimate set-up of the classic amphitheater. Sitting way up on the lawn? You have jaw-dropping views of San Francisco to back the band. Shows here seem epic, grand, larger-than-life.It's a perfect venue for Dr. Dog. The Philadelphia-based six-piece band thrives on the epic -- their layered, building orchestrations veering between drama and joy with ease. It's a sound that comes through on their albums and is even more captivating in a live performance.For this show, Dr. Dog was the opener for current indie-folk darlings The Lumineers. Rather than detract from their performance, being followed by The Lumineers further emphasized for me just how superior Dr. Dog is as a band, as performers, and as songwriters. Their songs have sticking power that goes beyond simple catchiness. Their songs are carefully crafted, layered affairs, that demand a level of attention and immersion that the simple stomp-happy melodies of The Lumineers can't touch.. at least, not yet.Dr. Dog's set, while shorter than I'd have liked, covered numbers from their most recent album, Be The Void, including a rousing rendition of album opener "Lonesome," but dug back into older material, including a totally show-stopping performance of "Shame, Shame."This is a band that gets better with every album, and every performance. Their passion catapults their songs deep into memory. They are absolutely the headliner, whether or not they're billed as such.