That Dog just barely missed the big time back in the ‘90s. They were tuneful enough, a girls-with-guitars vibe, and locked into the post-grunge sound of the time. They even got some play on KROQ and 120 Minutes, which was probably my entry into them (not going to enough shows in town to witness their ubiquity), and “Never Say Never” was fun and crunchy enough to lead me to Retreat From The Sun. It was more that the album got into my rotation early when there was less stuff rather than playing it so much because I loved it, but even if it was a little longer than it needed to be, there was still plenty to like (including “Long Island,” which was the most painful earwig I’ve ever had, taking at least one night of sleep from me). I even followed Anna to her solo album, though the band’s first album, which was even more acclaimed depending on who you asked, was too indie for me. Anna might have been in the L.A. scene but didn't stay as present as her early promise showed she might have been at. So That Dog could have kept being away, but then suddenly, almost at random all these years on (before catching whatever '90s nostalgia fad might have brought them up by default), they had a show. Their getting back together would have been special (or inevitable) enough, but then they were also playing Retreat in its entirety, so we could pretend that album had been a big deal back in the day. I may have passed on a standard show by them, risking that they would play too much earlier stuff that I hadn't been worn into familiarity with, but I'm automatically interested when a band plays an album I've heard as much as I did that one. They only did this one local show, with only one other for the year (which I also happened to be at but didn't need it twice, especially since they played so early), and it didn’t sell out the El Rey, a medium-sized club at best, which goes to show that there wasn’t exactly a crazed demand for them, so they might as well have done it when their schedules met up. It was a casual rock show without pretension or concern that this could lead to something bigger, like it might have seemed earlier on, and with a crowd that didn’t pack out the place, and maybe a bit older, made it actually fairly intimate, like they were doing a show for friends and family, and some of those finally got to bring some people to see them play after all these years, but not necessarily the usual fans (though also eschewing that it would be a show to make money at, given how long that guest-list must have been), balanced by those who have been obsessed with them since back when. They probably worked that album so hard back then trying to break through that it was a stroll to play it, and they, and the audience, now could have a good time with it. They even did one new song, as if to show that they’re still in it (though that one could have had a long time to sit around). The album sounded great even without the polished production (maybe the result of Anna’s connections rather than paying to position them), showing that they could be carried by good songs veering close to what pop back in the '90s (though not as always as rock-out as “Never Say Never,” a misrepresentation that might have peeved some fans expecting more of the same (like me, though I found more than I might have thought)). She even sweetly dedicated a song to her husband, from Redd Kross, since they’re a cute, L.A.-scene couple that's also lasted. Imperial Teen was another band that missed being a big deal, despite getting around here and there (though Roddy had things to do with Faith No More). They were coming back after the same post-’90s hiatus, and it could have been a toss-up who headlined this show, though each were friendly enough that they probably would have been happy to give it to the other. Less the theme of two groups sharing low-key reunions that didn't need to go anywhere and more a group of friends hanging out on stage and rolling through some hits that didn't make it, together with the fans that saw them through originally and family that had seen them since, or at least getting out just because they want to, without expectations. They all had some years on them, but they still knew their way around some tunes that deserved more than simple nostalgia. Carla didn't know them as well but went along anyway.
That Dog’s set-list:
“I'm Gonna See You“
“Never Say Never“
“Being With You“
“Gagged and Tied“
“Retreat From the Sun“
“Minneapolis“
“Annie“ (original version)
“Every Time I Try“
“Long Island“
“Hawthorne“
“Did You Ever“
“Cowboy Hat“
“Until the Day I Die“
“Just the Way“ (new song)
“Jump“
“She Looks At Me“
“Old Timer“
“He's Kissing Christian“
"Sugar"
"Ivanka"
"Our Time"
"No Matter What You Say"
"You're One"
"Yoo Hoo"
"Room With a View"
"Lipstick"
"Waterboy"
"Million $ Man"
