The Lost Dogs in Jones Country
The Grove in Anaheim
February 17, 2004
By Dan MacIntosh
With sincere apologies to all who live outside of California, our beloved Lost Dogs recently opened a couple of George Jones West Coast concert dates. One of these rare doggie treats took place at The Grove in Anaheim, which is a venue located adjacent to Angel’s Stadium (or whatever that field is called these days). LD only had enough time for a short six-song set, but these guys nevertheless made the best of it. Although past Dogs albums have included everything from alternative rock to the blues, this crafty trio wisely stuck to straight country for its brief opening slot. Its time onstage may have been short, but oh was it ever so sweet. “The Great Divide,” with vocal harmonies pulled straight out of The Sons of the Pioneers’ how-to-sing-like-real-cowboys handbook, offered this unit’s brightest ‘Best In Show’ moment. Terry Taylor dedicated it to his departed father, who was a George Jones fan, and wished he could have been there too. Except for Mike Roe’s solo spot on “Real Men Cry,” Terry Taylor took the lion’s share of the lead vocals. Derri Daugherty sat on a stool the whole time, which was a little surprising since he’s the closest thing to puppy-hood within this increasingly graying group. There didn’t appear to be a whole lot of Dogs fans near the front of the auditorium -- which is where I sat -- but a noisy bunch of diehards could be heard barking out their approval toward the back of the room. Maybe they had their own little Dog Pound set up, I don’t know. All in all, though, this evening’s music added up to a quick musical fix, for anybody with a strong Lost Dogs jones. (Oh, and that guy George Jones wasn’t half-bad, either).