Jam is alive and well in the hearts of our youth. What started as a resurgence with bands like Spafford and Twiddle has become a full blown movement with the likes of Daniel Donato, Eggy and Dogs In A Pile. We aren’t talking about regurgitation or mimicry this is new jam through a fresh lens with a distinct focus. All across America kids are waking up to a new dawn in the world of music and these bands are spreading like wildfire. Oh the times they are a changing and it’s amazing to watch the scene evolve in real time.

The chilly November night was wet with fluffy globs of snow falling from the sky. I hit The Aggie early to catch Fort Collins native sons The Bramblers. Other than having a clever name these boys can rip. They have not been playing that long, but musically they are way ahead of the competition. The Bramblers played for about an hour at The Aggie taking us on a ride through several original tracks. They opened up with their ode to North Cackalacky with “Asheville.” They have a hard hitting Americana and roots rock vibe cemented by the stellar mandolin picking from Ben “Earl Lee” Markle. “Old 14” is a rolling rock tune about one last prayer. The highlight of their show was the “Desert” into “Chasing The Wind.” These boys came to play and by the end I’m sure they had more than a few new fans. The Bramblers started their final jam with a tight version of “Funky Town” which quickly gave way to Waylon Jennings’ “I Ain’t Living Long Like This.” It was a great mashup to close. After their set one thing was for certain, these Bramblers be bramblin’.

There was definitely an air of excitement in the room as the Dogs took the stage. They opened with an utterly appropriate version of the traditional, “Cold Rain and Snow.” “Nicolette” is about a strange kind of love while “Happy Song” is a fluffy piano driven track that feels like the first hit coming on. They kept that vibe with an utterly smooth “Didn’t You Know?” First giveaway that this band gets it are the relentless segues. Dogs In A Pile understands the assignment. They hit second gear going dark with a side of funk on “Look Johnny.” “Bent Strange” as the name implies, worked us weird with heavy psych riffs. “Fever” was the only cover of the night, but they were paying homage to The Cramps rather than Peggy Lee. The band returned to “Nicolette”before wrapping up the first set with the crowd favorite “Applesauce.”

Honestly it was school night and with an opener they could have played through, but this is a jamband. Two sets and an encore is on the menu and we were getting a full serving. Their set break was barley fifteen minutes and they were back at with the prog folk tune “Crazy.” Jimmy Law and Brian Murray got a chance to trade licks on “Go Set” but keyboardist Jeremy Kaplan stole the show during’ Thomas Duncan.” “Fenway” was easily the musical peak of the evening with all five members firing on every possible cylinder. “Spun” was a trippy shredfest into a funky instrumental ode to parking lot libations. They closed a massive second set with bright and bouncy “Charlie.”

The encore was chunky, starting with the reggae-infused “Bugle on the Shelf” and finishing with a return to “Thomas Duncan.” This band is just fun. They are young and on the verge of crushing some very big stages. They are building a fanbase and it won’t be long before they outgrow Fort Collins. But for now and maybe the near future we have a chance to see Dogs In A Pile in small rooms grinding it out on their way to stardom. If you are a jam fan and these Dogs are not on your radar, consider this a little zap to the ol’ shock collar. Dogs In A Pile are crushing it and now is the time to get them on your calendar.

Dogs In A Pile – Aggie Theater – November 8th, 2024

Set 1: Cold Rain and Snow, Nicolette-> Happy Song > Didn’t You Know?, Look Johnny, Bent Strange, Fever[1]-> Nicolette, Applesauce

Set 2: Crazy, Go Set-> Thomas Duncan, Pt. 2, Fenway, Spun > Trunk Rum, Charlie

Encore: Bugle on the Shelf > Thomas Duncan, Pt. 2

[1] The Cramps