A lot of things are new for Dr. Dog drummer Eric Slick. First is the fact that Slick joined the Philadelphia-based band just last year. Now the group is putting the finishing touches on its first album with its newest member, and this weekend will mark Slick’s first trip to the long-running HFStival.
The HFStival is this Saturday at Merriweather Post Pavilion. Dr. Dog performs along with the Avett Brothers, Flogging Molly, Clutch, Gin Blossoms and nearly a dozen more acts.
| ONSTAGE |
| HFStival |
| » Who: Avett Brothers, Flogging Molly, Dr. Dog, Clutch, Gin Blossoms and more |
| » Where: Merriweather Post Pavillion, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia |
| » When: 10 a.m. doors Saturday |
| » Info: $35 to $50; merriweathermusic.com |
“The kind of random element to this festival is really intriguing to me because a lot of the bands like Clutch, Flogging Molly and us don’t really seem like we’re cut from the same cloth,” Slick said during a phone interview earlier this week. The drummer was taking a break from working on Dr. Dog’s new album. “I’m interested to see how it all works out. It seems like a pretty diverse lineup. ‘Eclectic’ is definitely the word.”
“Flogging Molly, I have no idea what to expect,” Slick continued. “Hopefully it’ll be fun and hopefully I won’t get my butt kicked. I kind of imagine they have a rowdier crowd. I’m the drummer, so I really can’t get pummeled that much. I don’t want to die.”
Dr. Dog formed a decade ago, and the band’s most recent full-length album, “Shame, Shame,” dropped last year. Hailing from just north, Dr. Dog has a strong following in D.C. and plays locally a few times each year.
The HFStival, which as been held off and on for the last two decades, is Dr. Dog’s only live date for the immediate future. The band plans to finish up the new album, due out in early 2012, and has scheduled a short tour in November that bypasses the Northeast.
Slick, who has been friends with members of Dr. Dog for a number of years, was asked to join the band at the beginning of 2010. He said he believes the upcoming album is a new era for Dr. Dog.
“It’s coming along great,” Slick said. “We’re just about finished mixing the record. It’ll be out early next year. It’s my first record with the band. It’s a pretty exciting thing for me.”
