Photos and Review by Jolene Rheault
CHARLOTTE, NC — Dogs in a Pile returned to the Queen City for their first headlining show in three years, and the Visulite Theatre crowd made it clear they’d been waiting. The New Jersey quintet—Jeremy Kaplan (keys, vocals), Brian Murray (guitar, vocals), Jimmy Law (guitar, vocals), Sam Lucid (bass, vocals), and Joey Babick (drums)—fed off that energy for over two and a half hours, proving why they’ve become one of the most exciting young acts in the jam scene.
They wasted no time setting the tone with a 15-minute “Go Set,” a kaleidoscopic opener that blended funk, jazz, and rock into a hypnotic swirl of improvisation. Each player found space within the chaos, weaving their instruments together like a living, breathing organism. “Crazy” kept the groove alive, while a raucous Ben Folds Five cover of “Song for the Dumped” gave the crowd a dose of playful rock attitude before sliding effortlessly into the extended journeys of “Today” and “Way to Be.”
Throughout the night, Jimmy Law looked like a man possessed—half-wrangling, half-worshipping his guitar as if even he couldn’t believe the sounds coming out of it. His expressions of disbelief and delight mirrored the audience’s reactions, adding an extra spark to every jam.
The first set closed with the upbeat “Happy Song” and a sprawling “G Song,” a masterclass in group improvisation that saw each member trading melodic lines with unspoken precision.
Set two opened with the breezy “Stevie Lew” before diving into the expansive “Craig and Pat” > “Writing on the Wall.” The 30-plus-minute run stretched and folded on itself, moving from psychedelic exploration to tightly wound funk and back again. The seamless interplay between Kaplan’s keys, Murray’s rhythm work, and Lucid’s deep, fluid bass anchored the flow, while Babick’s steady groove guided each twist and turn.
The emotional centerpiece came with “Thomas Duncan, Pt. 2” > “Four More Days,” a nearly 33-minute stretch of pure musical storytelling that rose and fell in waves—delicate, daring, and bursting with heart. The connection between the band members was palpable, each feeding off the other’s energy in real time.
The night closed with the buoyant “6 Little Lies” and a quick tease of “Bubble” to cap things off, sending fans out into the cool Charlotte night buzzing with the kind of euphoria only a truly great live show can deliver.
Dogs in a Pile left no doubt that their rise is no fluke. Their chemistry is undeniable, their jams are adventurous but purposeful, and their sheer joy onstage makes every moment feel alive. They’re not just carrying Asbury Park’s torch—they’re blazing their own trail.
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