Recap: Doom Dogs at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall 1/8/2025

Words By: Rob Smittix

Photos By: Stephanie J. Bartik

I (Rob Smittix) have been very much looking forward to Doom Dogs at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall ever since I heard the announcement. In preparation for the performance I interviewed all 3 members of Doom Dogs which you can check out here:

Reeves Gabrels: CLICK HERE
Jonathan Kane: CLICK HERE
Jair-Rohm Parker Wells: CLICK HERE

On Wednesday January 8th, I finally got to witness the super-group for myself. This was part of the Lift Concert Series which is a unique experience in itself. The Lift series allows fans to sit on the stage with the band as they perform, creating an almost interactive but definitely an intimate concert experience. I made sure to get an isle seat as I am one to frequently get up to refresh my beverage or use the facilities. That’s what happens when you get to be my age lol.

Let me remind you that no two Doom Dogs shows are exactly the same as the band improvises their entire set. Our photographer Stephanie J. Bartik was given the standard photo instructions for a concert, no flash and she was allowed to shoot the first three songs. Well, I had to laugh because after they played for 20 mins it became apparent that they were just jamming and there was no way to tell when a song has ended or started. I whispered to Reeve’s wife Susan that it was funny that we had the 3 song rule and she responded “Yeah, it’s all one really long song.”

I believe that to a couple of audience members that I probably appeared to be inebriated but that wasn’t the case. I did bring my Troy Savings Bank Music Hall cup but I was just filling it with water from the water cooler. The reason I believe that I looked intoxicated to a few people seated in the back was because when I got up to refill my cup, I turned around to exit the stage seating area and realized there was a TV camera filming; I thought that I may have been obstructing their view. Instead of continuing forward I dipped to the right thinking there was room for me to walk around these few seats, however I almost took a step off of the stage. Yeah that looked pretty stupid I’m sure, but I also think that those that witnessed this, probably wondered what I was on. My eyes were adjusting to the light change and I most likely should make an eye appointment. Here’s a fun fact I haven’t had a drink since New Year’s Eve.

I did however smoke some grade A quality cannabis right before I walked into the music hall. The music that came out of Doom Dogs that night fell into the psychedelic realm. I almost wished that I was tripping but the music itself took me on an adventure. At times during the show I decided to close my eyes and just let the music take me away. So if I had one word to describe the show it would be “journey.” And no not Steve Perry’s Journey but rather a journey that we all took together as the music morphed before our very eyes and ears. Doom Dogs is an experience that you will not get anywhere else.

It’s not a matter of IF but rather WHEN you get the opportunity to see these guys do their thing, don’t let that opportunity slip away. Even though the core audience for this show was on the stage, there was a good amount of overflow in the regular theater seating. Three quarters of the way through the show, Reeve’s looks out to the theater crowd and says, “woah, when did you get here?” Haha what a great night!