“Have you ever heard of this band before?” someone asked the people next to them in the crowd. “I dig them!”

Dogpark, the indie rock band from New York City, gained new fans the night they opened a show at The Anthem in Washington, D.C.

On August 8, Dogpark opened for KALEO, the Icelandic alternative rock band, who were on their “Way Down We Go” tour, celebrating the 10th anniversary of their debut album A/B. The show in D.C. was Kaleo’s final stop of their North American tour, and it is the only stop in which Dogpark joined them.

The band officially formed in 2023, though they were created through playing music at fraternity parties and events at the University of Richmond. While they’re a young band, social media platforms like TikTok helped the band skyrocket in popularity. People online often comment on how similar the lead singer Eamon Moore’s vocals sound to the late Jeff Buckley or Adam Levine.

Dogpark shared their summer schedule online, with stops on the east coast and the midwest – and even Canada. Their set in D.C. was the only show of the summer in which they were opening for another band. They will be traveling throughout Europe in September on their own and the West Coast in November in support of the rock band Houndmouth.

The four-piece indie rock band owned the stage during their half-hour set. The band consists of Eamon Moore on lead vocals, Chris Conte on drums, Declan Harris on lead guitar, and Billy Apostolou on guitar. They now have three studio EPs and one live EP in addition to a few singles.

Their music is reminiscent of the ‘90s rock scene while remaining fresh. All of their angst and energy was laid out on the floor of The Anthem that night, and it invigorated the crowd before the next segment of live music. They opened their set with “Hollywood,” their single released in 2025. 

Following their first song was the lighthearted, breezy “Dreamwalker” from their second EP, Until The Tunnel Vision Melts.

They played a solid set, a mix of music from each of their EPs as well as their single, released at the end of May this year, “Don’t Lie.” Their tunes are full of sass, swagger, and serotonin. The stage was simple: just them, their music, and solid colored lights. They didn’t need any fancy setup because their songs are the real stars.

In between some of the songs, the band would talk to the crowd so that they could get to know each other. Despite some audience members’ lack of knowledge about the band, there were some superfans in the crowd. Some people brought signs just for Dogpark and asked them to sing certain songs (which they did).

The band concluded their set with a classic ender, “Now It’s Over” – which was, ironically, their first single, but also the last song on their debut EP Breaking In Brooklyn.

What impressed me so much is the band’s consistency. I saw their headlining concert at the 9:30 Club in December of 2025, and they sounded incredible live, but they also sound exactly the same live as they do in their recorded music. It’s a testament to how much they seem to emphasize and value the sound of live music in their work. As members of KALEO said later in the night, live music is one of the “last true art forms.”

There is no doubt that Dogpark walked away with new fans of their music and that they will continue to grow and thrive as a band. These boys have a bright future in music and especially live music.