Dogs Run Free unleash raucous deftness in underground performance

14 hours ago

Sam Russell,

Dogs Run Free. // photo by Sam Russell

Where meatballs may have once rolled off plates of spaghetti, Dogs Run Free’s rhythms rolled us from any Monday drearies on Monday, July 13. Just a short flight of stairs down from Post Coffee Co.’s Broadway cafe, in the basement that someone once told me used to be an Italian restaurant, exists an occasional live-performance venue moonlighting as Arts on Broadway. Its small size lends to intimate performances, a venue literally underground, surrounded by cool-to-the-touch brick walls painted white.

I let my mind loose there last Monday to catch local acts Ten Times Fast and God’s Computer, headed by out-of-town band Dogs Run Free from Cleveland, Ohio. Dogs Run Free heeded KC with steady energy that delivered a rolling buzz to the cool-walled AOB. Living Light Forms by Brandon Dremann created live visuals across CRT TVs.

The trio, reminiscent of Superbad pals, hit a steady groove and kept perfect tension throughout their set. Drummer Zac Breitbach held down the back of the stage, profusely unwavering on the beat. Guitarist Ryan Cook and bassist Austyn Benyak cycled between vocals to compound emotion in their tracks. They brought a warm geniality to conversation between songs, real Midwest-neighbor-style. Dogs Run Free effectively leveled Monday with their punk rock riot and head-banging beats drilling into the night.