Dog’s Eye View w/ The Wallflowers
Thursday, June 6, 1996
Atlanta, GA
Variety Playhouse
1996 was an amazing time for me as a person, music fan, and musician. Having left the world of playing heavy metal music in 1994, within a year, I was lost, and then I was found. Having discovered the Grateful Dead and no longer feeling the constraints of being in the metal world, my mind was opened to a new world of music. While already a fan of bands like Gin Blossoms, Spin Doctors, and Crash Test Dummies during my metal era, bands such as Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Jellyfish, and Dog’s’ Eye View were playing a much more integral part in my life.
Dog’s Eye View was one of those bands that I needed at that time. Knee-deep in the ’90s jam band scene and folk scene, I kept my ears to the ground for new music to connect with. One day, while watching MTV (remember when they used to play music videos?) I caught a video for a song called “Everything Falls Apart” by Dog’s Eye View. I thought the song was so much fun and catchy. While it didn’t move me, I liked the song enough to pick up their debut album, Happy Nowhere. The minute I heard the opening song, “I Wish I Was Here,” I was floored. Sitting with my legs crossed on my bed with a joint in my mouth; I felt like I had just been filled with a huge breath of music.
Like with any band I was (and still am) obsessed with, I had to see them live. Well, luck would have it that they were performing at Variety Playhouse here in Atlanta, and a little too unknown band called The Wallflowers was in tow as their opening act. It was a cool and unusually brisk June night because I vividly remember thinking how weird it was that I was wearing a hoody in June.
After my usual stop at the merch booth for a shirt, I went to the general admission floor and took my space right in front of the stage. I stood against the stage with my plastic cup of beer, surrounded by screaming teenage girls. I kid you not. I felt like I was the oldest person in that section by about seven years (I was only 23). I didn’t let this phase me, so I squatted down, took two hits off my joint, put it out, and stood up to welcome the Wallflowers to the stage.
I had no idea what to expect from The Wallflowers because I had never heard of them. I can’t remember just what songs they played because I didn’t know any of them, but I knew I had just discovered a new favorite band. I remember remarking to my friend that the lead singer/guitarist’s voice reminded me of Bob Dylan a little bit. This would all make sense when, the day after the show, I would learn that his name was Jakob Dylan, son of Bob Dylan. Anyway, they played a fantastic set, and I would go on to see them another four times after that show and remain a fan to this day.
Once The Wallflowers were done, it was time for Dog’s Eye View. Even as I write this, I can feel the excitement and the smile on my face that I sported that very night. Lead vocalist Peter Stuart took the stage with his acoustic guitar and bandmates Tim Bradshaw on guitars/vocals, Dermot Lynch on bass, and Alan Bezozi on drums/percussion to a roar from the nearly sold-out venue. As the first gentle chords of “Shine” started to ring out, the room got so quiet you could hear a pin drop. I was absolutely mesmerized. The power, the raw emotion, and his undeniable connection with the song hit me so hard that I immediately knew this would be an unforgettable show.
The show was composed of songs from the debut album Happy Nowhere, such as “Would You Be Willing,” “I Wish I Was Here,” and a few unreleased tunes. “The Prince’s Favorite Son” at the time was my favorite song, so when they slid into that one, I lost my mind and was singing so loud that Peter Stuart laughed and said, “Do you wanna sing this one, dude?” I politely declined, of course. The hour-and-a-half set was capped off by the high-energy set closer, “Speed of Silence,” which was the cherry on top of an already decadent evening of music from what was and still is one of my favorite bands.
Dog’s Eye View was and still is in the top tier of ’90s rock. Peter Stuart had a way with humorous, tongue-in-cheek, captivating, and thought-provoking words. For most, it’s hard to be just one of those things, but Stuart managed to pull them off in one album and sometimes in one song. Unfortunately, unknowingly, at the time, this would be the first and only time I would see Dog’s Eye View. They released a follow-up album in 1997 called Daisy, which was sadly ignored by the press and the music industry, resulting in Peter putting Dog’s Eye View down.
After all these years of hallucinogens and cannabis, that Dog’s Eye View show is something I can remember like it just happened the night before last. The energy, the passion, the music, it was all there. It is a show that will forever be engrained in my mind as one of my all-time favorite shows. Remember that old Cinderella song, “Don’t Know What You Got (‘Til It’s Gone)?” That night, I knew what I had, and I mourned it when it was gone. Thanks for the music and amazing show, Peter Stuart & Co. Unforgettable.
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