Dogpark rocks the Union

Dogpark, a New York based alternative indie band, performed a short setlist consisting of both original pieces and covers this past Friday evening in the McNeil room. The band consists of five members, including Eamon Moore on vocals, Declan Harris on guitar, and Chris Conte on drums alongside Billy Apostolou and Will Harford, who both fill a variety of positions including guitar, bass, and vocals. The group got their start with original music in October 2023 when they released the song “Now it’s Over”. Even with a small discography of only five songs, they have gained enough popularity to be currently touring across the country, with their next stop being Richmond, VA.

This popularity can be chalked up to the incredible stage presence the group has. Lead vocalist Moore has great charisma when addressing the crowd and a rich, captivating voice with a nice twang that gives their songs that distinct indie rock vibe. The guitarists and bassist bring lots of energy to the stage as well and share excellent chemistry with each other, especially during solos and riffs.

Something that adds to their presence that has the audience keeping their eyes firmly glued to the stage is their theatrics. Their stage was a largely dynamic one, even with the smaller size of the venue. Depending on the song, Apostolou and Harford would frequently swap instruments, changing up who was a guitarist and who was the bassist. At one point during the show, Moore ran off the stage, and, without missing a beat, Harford immediately took up vocals alongside the guitar while Apostolou took his place and sang supporting vocals. After two songs, Moore finally returned only to take a seat in the back corner of the stage and jam out to Harford singing one more song. It was hilarious to watch and made the audience feel more included in the group’s dynamic. The casual, friendly feel of their performance just made listeners want to stick around longer to see what other antics would take place.

The group also played a currently unreleased track titled “Dreamwalker”, which gave the audience a special treat. They played it rather early into the concert, and yet it was still one of the most memorable songs of the whole night. It had that classic indie sound, being reminiscent of songs by other popular groups such as Wallows and Hippo Campus and got listeners excited for the future of their discography.

Dogpark and their amazing performance will be returning to New York again on December 12th in Brooklyn.