Article Contributed by Jamie Huenefeld
Published on 2026-02-18
Dogs in a Pile | Port Chester, NY | February 14, 2026 | Photos by Jamie Huenefeld/Killahwave and Videos by Vinny Vallely
Dogs in a Pile brought an exciting night of Valentine’s Day love and music to their fans on Feburary 14, 2026. This was their first time headlining the storied Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY, and their performance was certainly memorable. They were joined by the Sam Grisman Project, Bushwick’s Dead and Boojum, who performed sets of their own, making this extended night of music special for all who attended.
Prior to the start of the show, the Brooklyn collective Bushwick’s Dead played a pre-show set of Grateful Dead covers at Garcia’s, which is next to the Capitol Theatre. This certainly warmed the crowd up for the night of music ahead.
Channeling deep roots from the Dawg family’s San Francisco Bay Area lineage, the Sam Grisman Project delivered a richly textured electric set. The lineup started with Tod Livingston’s commanding dobro work, which was particularly striking during a soaring take on “Opus 38.” Max Flansburg performed with a re-imagined Jerry Wolf electric guitar that added both tonal warmth and historic resonance. Larry Eagle’s steady drumming anchored the ensemble while Joe K. Walsh, the electric mandolinist and professor of Dawg music, and banjo virtuoso Victor Furtado wove intricate melodic interplay throughout. Sam Grisman held down the low end on an electric bass crafted by the same builder responsible for Flansburg’s guitar.
Highlights included the band’s first-ever performance of “Brokedown Palace,” a beautiful version of John Hiatt’s egalitarian love song “Bound by Love,” and a soulfully delivered “You’re a Big Girl Now,” sung with quiet intensity by Flansburg. Notably, the first letter of each song in their set spelled out “Bobby Weir.”
Dogs in a Pile took the stage shortly after, and set the mood for Valentine’s Day by starting with “Ugly Song,” written and sung by guitarist Brian Murray. Check out a video of the tune by videographer Vinny Vallely, which is linked below.
The band moved into the bluesy, funk-driven “Dangers of Rah Rah,” and dropped into a slow-simmered organ jam anchored by keyboardist Jeremy Kaplan. Guitarist Jimmy Law layered tasty shredding on top for the show’s first deep dive.
A smooth transition ensued into “The Bag,” from Distroid, and featured Law’s soulful vocals. The band built up intensity as Murray unleashed his guitar fury. Another brilliant segue launched into “My Disguise,” written and sung by Kaplan. Dressed in a fancy pinstripe dinner jacket with a lapel pocket flower, he unleashed a jazzy jam that was complemented by Sam Lucid’s bass thumping, ending this stellar sequence. Murray ripped on the guitar to end this must-listen to track.
A sixteen minute “Nicolette” followed, clocking in as the longest set-one tune. Kaplan elevated the funk with the clav. The rhythm section was strong as drummer Joey Babick unfurled dynamic beats while Lucid continued to slap. The chill, infrequently played “Ms. Pepper and Mrs. Paige” was up next and included more piano niceties care of Kaplan.
A ripping, twelve minute “Chop Shop” had the crowd bouncing during a blues rock fueled jam with back and forth between Law and Murray. The quintet pivoted to a delicious jazzy sequence before ratcheting to a raging conclusion for both the song and the set.
Before the second set began, the winner of the Valentine’s Day card contest was announced, where fans submitted custom Valentine’s Day cards. Stella L from Maine won the honors, which included two tickets to select shows at the Capitol Theatre and two tickets to any Dogs in a Pile show. One notable additional prize included a hug from Kieran Tooker, aka Mr. Tooker, who is the band’s Video Director.
Set two opened with “Good Lovin’,” originally written by Rudy Clark and Artie Resnick though credited to the Young Rascals on go-set.net. Law unleashed fiery vocals and guitar licks during this fan-favorite that was often covered by the Grateful Dead. Babick had a brief but ripping solo at the end that ushered the band into a twenty minute “Tillie.” View a clip of this tune by videographer Vinny Vallely. The song brought more dark blues-funk that this band revels in. As they settled in, Kaplan drove this stellar jam using a piano effect on a synth with strong support from Lucid on bass. Babick’s beats were notably resonant as he nailed all of the changes.
This vibe flowed into “Look Johnny,” from Not Your Average Beagle. Kaplan led the vocals on this vintage Dogs tune and dialed up the funk on the clav, before the Garden State quintet dropped into a mellow, bluesy sequence. Babick gradually increased the cadence with his incredible drumming skills as Law shined on guitar.
The euphonious “Lazy Susan” shepherded a much-needed chill moment. This was fleeting, as Law launched into a face-melting guitar sequence. Kaplan dove into an upbeat jazzy piano intro for “Spun,” and contributed vocals to this high-energy original. He continued the delightful back and forth with Law during the jam, as Babick skillfully wove jazz drums around the thick tapestry. The set ended with a soulful “Day the Music Came to Me,” with Law leaning in on blues guitar.
The band returned for a short but sweet encore, which included a moment of thanks via Law. The band made haste, and dropped into a raging “Fire” by Jimi Hendrix, led by Babick on drums. Kaplan supplied lead vocals and Law ripped into the recognizable guitar riff. The show ended with a proverbial bang as fans had their hands in the air with delight, including a brave fan with a crutch.
After the show ended, the Brooklyn-based jam-rock band Boojum played a raging after-party at Garcia’s. Overall, fans were treated to a marathon night of incredible music and love.
Dogs in a Pile will return to the stage in March for the Okeetchobee Music and Arts Fest on March 19 – 22 in Oketchobee, FL. A two night stand in Asheville, NC follows on March 25-26. On March 27, they will make an appearance at the Mental Awakening Music Festival in Atlanta, GA before heading to Nashville, TN on March 28. They also have dates planned in Charleston, SC, Washington, D.C., Charlottesville, VA, and Raliegh, NC. A two night stand in Roanoke, VA on April 6-7 ends their run in the South. They have a number of additional shows planned, including sets at Viva El Gonzo, Dark Star Jubilee, Northlands, and Electric Forest Festival. Visit their tour page for more details about these shows, and more.
Check out more photos from Sam Grisman Project and Dogs in a Pile!
Date: February 14, 2026
Venue: Capitol Theater
Location: Port Chester, NY
Band: Sam Grisman Project
Set: Buckets of Rain [1], Opus 38 > Shady Grove [2], Brokedown Palace [3], Bound by Love [4], You’re a Big Girl Now, Waiting for a Miracle, EMD [5], It’s All Over Now Baby Blue [1], Red Rocking Chair [2]
Notes:
1. Bob Dylan
2. Traditional
3. Grateful Dead
4. John Hiatt
5. David Grisman Quintet
Set list via @samgrismanproject on Instagram
Band: Dogs in a Pile
Set One: Ugly Song, Dangers of Rah Rah > The Bag > My Disguise, Nicolette, The Ballad of Ms. Pepper and Ms. Paige, Chop Shop
Set Two: Good Lovin'[1] > Tillie, Look Johnny, Lazy Susan, Spun, The Day The Music Came To Me[2]
Encore: Fire[3]
Notes:
[1] Young Rascals
[2] Debut
[3] The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Set list via go-set.net
