Valentine’s Day at the Capitol Theatre – where the love is real, and will not fade away – hosted a heartfelt event headlined by Dogs in A Pile. Before they would take the main stage, Bushwick’s Dead provided a packed Garcia’s pre-party filled with spacey, funky Dead jams to get the people moving, while Boojum kept the party going after the show with jamtronica and bass heavy grooves.

The Sam Grisman project warmed up the main stage with a soulful opening to an evening jam-packed with music and all the love.

The Sam Grisman Project set an intimate and melodic tone with classic Americana songs mixed with virtuoso string playing. They have proven to be a staple of the jamgrass scene, and paid tribute to the late Bob Weir, spelling out “Bobby Weir” with the first letter of the song titles they played that night. Highlights included “Brokedown Palace”, “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue”, and “Waiting for a Miracle”.

The theater was packed with friends and fans of the Dogs, who just recently were playing Garcia’s next door. They have ascended quickly and gracefully through the jam band ranks, making their mark and solidifying their place with a fresh sound and youthful vigor.

Dogs in A Pile opened up with “Ugly Song”, a mesmerizing melody with Brian Murray shining on vocals. The first set interwove between epic guitar heavy peaks and melodic, spacey valleys. “Nicolette” had everyone swaying to the jazzy vocals while “Chop Shop” closed the set with syncopated breaks, setting the bar high for the second set.

Chatter around set break included potential Dead covers to be played. After all, The Capitol Theatre is the house the Grateful Dead built, figuratively and spiritually speaking that is. The band opened up the second set with “Good Lovin” which had all the heads dancing. Another classic “Look Johnny” stood out as rhythmically infectious and full of improvisational exploration. “Lazy Susan” and “Spun” showed off how the band easily at shifts between hypnotic grooves and extended jam portions.

The second set concluded with a live debut of “The Day The Music Came To Me”, a new treat for the fans to look forward to in future live appearances. The band encored with an epic, guitar god level cover of “Fire” by the legendary Jimi Hendrix.

This night proved that this community is full of love, apparent without a Hallmark holiday attached. The speed at which Dogs In A Pile have risen from Garcia’s to headlining The Capitol Theatre was showcased, as the band and their fans have provided a breath of fresh air into the jam band scene. Dogs in A Pile are in their groove, proving to be creative, confident, and hungry.

Dogs in a Pile – Saturday, February 14, 2026 – The Capitol Theatre | Port Chester, NY

Set 1: Ugly Song, Dangers of Rah Rah > The Bag > My Disguise, Nicolette, The Ballad of Ms. Pepper and Ms. Paige, Chop Shop

Set 2: Good Lovin'[1] > Tillie, Look Johnny, Lazy Susan, Spun, The Day The Music Came To Me[2]

Encore: Fire[3]

Footnotes: [1] Young Rascals [2] Debut [3] The Jimi Hendrix Experience.