Poi Dog Pondering @ Vic Theatre (12/31/2005)

It was the end of one year and the start of a new one all under the same roof. Poi Dog Pondering rang in the new year at the Vic Theatre with the same sort of energy and enthusiasm they have brought to the stage for over 13 years. The capacity crowd filled the balcony and the dance floor for a night of smooth, sexy grooves and all-out-ass-shaking beats.

From the outset, Poi Dog Pondering recognized the importance of the night and flexed their muscle early with "Be The One" and "Get Me On". The 14-piece band (including members of local band Head Of Femur) were interlocked the second the first note was played; much credit should be paid to the stability the band's lineup has maintained over the past few years. As the only original members, singer Frank Orrall and violinist Susan Voelz couldn't have looked happier on stage as the orchestra of musicians around them brought the songs to new heights. Whereas, in the past, new faces in the band introduced different interpretations to the Poi Dog catalog, the long list of musicians, from guitarist Dag Juhlin to bassist Ron Hall, who have been mainstays in the band helped bring Poi Dog Pondering to a point where now the songs lead the band to new avenues.

Although the band can never really be pigeonholed into one category, one aspect that has always been consistent was the band's skill with mixing colors; the electronica drive of "Natural Thing" and the melodic pop quality of "Jeremy Brett"--a new song--are two worlds coexisting as one.

When the countdown to midnight was over Poi Dog Pondering launched into probably its most popular single, "Complicated". It was the perfect soundtrack while making New Year's resolutions under a cloud of balloons and confetti. "I'm not afraid of death/I'm afraid of going through this thing twice," became the crowd's mantra. Suddenly, it was a new show for the band. The already high octane show went up a few more notches as the band branched out into more jam sessions. More new material appeared in the set; "Fact Of Life", "Sticky", and "Maybe We Could Make A Baby Together" packed the pop and funk of early Poi Dog Pondering with a more focused, straightforward approach. The crowd openly welcomed the band's latest material in the works. And why not? It has been two years since the band's last studio album In Seed Comes Fruit.

A true highlight of the show came near the close of the night. Reaching back to 1990's Wishing Like A Mountain And Thinking Like The Sea, the band delivered a powerful and moving rendition of "Bury Me Deep". Each member appeared caught up in the song's magic and hung onto its wings as it soared higher and higher. Orrall would step back from his microphone, eyes closed, and soak up the band. It was as if Orrall was acknowledging the fact that when the band is on fire you don't stand in its way.

As the night entered 1:00am, Poi Dog Pondering took one final lap on the stage of the Vic Theatre with the phasing pulse of "God's Gallipoli". Backup singer Charlette Wortham sliced through the air with her inspired vocals; Hall and drummer Earl Talbott--a dynamic rhythm section--never missed a beat. The band could have gone on to play another hour if it was okay under city ordinances.

Poi Dog Pondering rushed into 2006 ready to take on all new challenges. The fire and swagger in the band's step remains vibrant. The show put on at the Vic Theatre was the band's first major statement of the new year: Poi Dog Pondering is nowhere near drying up creatively.

All Photos By: Chris Castaneda