Music Video Monday! Dr. Dog: Shadow People

I must begin this Music Video Monday! by explaining that I am in the midst of an all-out Dr. Dog lovefest.  Considering that I was just able to witness one of their live shows, which was nothing short of amazing, I am overcome with emotion about them (read:  absolutely smitten) and will be singing their praises like an old songbird (anyone familiar with their new album will recognize that line) for a long, long time to come. 

Shadow People is one of my favorite songs and I think it's a good description of who Dr. Dog is.  Band vocalist and song-writer Scott McMicken explained that he wrote Shadow People about the edgy Philadelphia neighborhood he once lived in and the wide variety of characters he met and befriended while living there - some good people, some not so good people.  He sings about his run-ins with the shadier folks and the need to "move along."  He also sings of crossing the path of an old friend and seeing that "something's gone from her eyes."  It's a song that's happy and sad - and it makes me think about the people we encounter along this road of life, both good and bad, and what they mean to us.  

I think one of the reasons Shadow People resonates so much with me is because I feel like the guys in Dr. Dog must be some of the friendliest folks you could ever find.  In fact, I once described hearing Scott's voice flow through my speakers as making me feel like I was being comforted by a friend.  I love that the two main vocalists and songwriters - Scott and Toby Leaman - met in eighth grade!  They just seem like warm, genuine people and all of that flows freely through their music.  They're accepting - all characters, all walks of life are welcome.  Interestingly enough, in reading up on the band today, I learned that they used to TRULY be accepting of anyone, as evidenced by this from their website:

Dr. Dog was officially established in 1999 with the Psychedelic Swamp record. What followed was an intense period of stockpiling eight-track recordings, open-ended enrollment policies where Dr. Dog membership included a man who played a one-string guitar in a skintight skeleton costume and another who danced in the crowd while wearing a tuxedo.

I loved learning that about them!  What a crazy, fun bunch of guys.  I feel every bit of that when I listen to their music.  And I felt it even more strongly when I saw them live.  If you've never been to a Dr. Dog concert, you should really consider checking them out.  They make amazing music, because they love amazing music.  And yes, all characters are welcome.