By: Ben McGraw
Date: April 17, 2024
One of Neighbor’s three 2024 debuts, “Old Dog” is quickly becoming one of my favorite tunes. It is upbeat, heartfelt, and has a catchy, earworm-inducing chorus quintessential of Neighbor.
The song tells the story of a person experiencing heartbreak after a long-term relationship, only to have to get back into the game in a new age of dating (specifically referring, according to lyricist Eric Stoltz, to dating apps). After some trials and tribulations in trying to form new connections in a changed world, the character seems to conclude that “it’s hard for this old dog to learn new tricks,” but still asks for another shot (with no clear answer whether the ask was accepted). The chorus, and the closing bridge, appears to use the metaphor of leaving on a plane in a hurry as a metaphor for leaving “baggage” behind them in a relationship to move on to the next; nevertheless, they don’t forget the story, indicated by having “this little little tune to sing to you.”
But, the most intriguing part of this new tune penned by Stoltz is that in its first three times played, it’s been played differently each time: the first performance was acoustic, the second on a single-mic, and the third electric. It has now been played a fourth time, as of last weekend at Cervantes, and was played electric.
The first, acoustic version was performed at Levon’s Barn on January 20, 2024. Despite the fact that it was all put together right before the show and written only days before (from what I recall), the band played a tight rendition that highlighted the show in my non-attendee, listener only opinion.
The second, single-mic version was performed at The Met on February 9th, 2024. I had the extreme privilege of being able to attend this show and saw this rendition live. Stoltzy came on stage before the encore and taped the lyrics to the monitors, and then retreated so the band could come back on stage. Lyle took his place on stage right of the single mic, Ricky in the center, and Dan on stage left with Dux on the kit. Ricky asked the crowd for silence, and you could feel a palpable sense of awe in the room as everyone waited to see what was going to happen. This second version solidly demonstrates one of my favorite things about Neighbor, namely the ability to play “soft” without losing emotion.
The third, electric version was performed at Soundcheck Studios on February 27, 2024 as a part of the Neighbor Soundcheck Residency. This version really dug into the track, stretching out the end sequence into a jam that would lead into “Take Me Alive.”
Overall, I’m super excited to hear where this song goes, and if the fourth time played at Cervantes is any indication, it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
You can listen to each rendition of Old Dog at the links below:
January 20, 2024 (Mixlr Audience): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NWUPq0Jn2DxQHsaAQVCRTccBQfKuBgoF?usp=drive_link
February 9, 2024 (Mike Boge Matrix): https://archive.org/details/neighbor2024-02-09.ck93matrix.flac24
February 9, 2024 (Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keqYi8Mkm_c&t=2258s&pp=ygUQbmVpZ2hib3IgdGhlIG1ldA%3D%3D
February 27, 2024 (Mike Boge Matrix): https://archive.org/details/neighbor2024-02-27.matrix.flac24
February 27, 2024 (Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Zfp8hQqOBU&t=4309s
Views from the Hot Air Balloon 