Piled High With Good Vibes, Dogs in a Pile Played Turner Hall

Turner Hall 8/14/26 Milwaukee WI

Turner Hall sits steps away from the riverwalk of downtown Milwaukee and right across from arena Fiserv Forum. Originally  built in 1882 by the city’s German-American Turner Society, the venue evolved from a place of gymnastics and political gatherings into one of the city’s most distinctive live music venues. Designed by Henry C. Koch, the hall’s large ballroom, with its high ceilings, balcony, and natural acoustics, made it an ideal space for performances even in its early years, when it hosted dances and musical events for the local community. Over time, Turner Hall has been shifted, with a stronger focus on concerts and weddings, attracting a wide range of touring artists across genres.

And attracting touring artists they have as Dogs In A Pile along with special guest Modern Joey took the historic stage. The Milwaukee stop brought the band into one of the city’s most recognizable concert spaces, filling Turner Hall with fans ready for a night of live music. Dogs In A Pile have become one of the busiest touring bands of today, averaging 130 live shows per year since 2022, and Milwaukee was the next stop on their lengthy list.

Starting up the show, Modern Joey took the stage to a flurry of cheers as the lights dimmed and the stage brightened. Formed in Milwaukee in 2017, Modern Joey has spent nearly a decade developing their own sound that denies staying within just one genre. The primarily jam-rock group pulls from classic rock, funk, soul, country, progressive rock and disco, blending those influences into their performances. After releasing their first single, “Light,” in 2023, the band followed with “Sweet Dreams” before releasing their debut album, “Hello Sunbeam,” in April 2024.

That wide-ranging sound was on full display at Turner Hall, where Modern Joey opened the night for Dogs In A Pile on August 14. The Milwaukee group took control immediately and established exciting energy, moving between grooves, rock-driven guitar and the improvisational feel that has become a defining part of their live shows. The Turner Hall appearance was another notable stop for a band that has steadily built its presence throughout the Midwest, with previous performances at venues including Milwaukee’s Cactus Club and Vivarium. Their ability to move comfortably between genres while waking the crowd up into a dancing and smiling flurry made them a fitting choice to open for a touring jam-rock act like Dogs In A Pile.

By the time Dogs In A Pile came on, Turner Hall was buzzing for the main act. The Jersey Shore based band has built its reputation largely through the road, developing from a local group into one of the more active young acts in the jam-rock scene. The band began taking shape around guitarist Jimmy Law and drummer Joe Babick, who had known each other from a young age. Bassist Sam Lucid and keyboardist Jeremy Kaplan, both students at Berklee College of Music, joined the lineup before guitarist Brian Murray became the final piece in 2019. With the five members in place, the group began playing regularly around the Jersey Shore and quickly developed a following in the Northeast. A run of successful local shows eventually led to a sold-out performance at Asbury Park’s Stone Pony in 2021, an early indication the band’s future touring success.

Since then, Dogs In A Pile have made touring a central part of their identity. The band has averaged roughly 130 live shows per year since 2022, giving them an unusually large amount of time to develop their material onstage and build a following city by city. Their music draws from psychedelic rock, funk, jazz and other corners of the broader American rock tradition, with songs often leaving room for improvisation. That approach has helped establish the band’s dedicated fanbase, known as the “Dog Pound,” which has followed the group from smaller Northeast venues to larger festival appearances Their newest album, Distroid, collects 10 studio recordings of songs that had already become familiar to longtime fans through the band’s live performances.

At Turner Hall that emphasis on live performance was apparent. Dogs In A Pile followed Modern Joey with a set that moved between their more structured songs and longer instrumental passages. Fans sung as they swayed, backing up to make room for more enthusiastic dancers, it was certainly a sight to see. The music, the lighting, and of course the fans all put together brought this relaxed and carefree atmosphere that was just fun to be in.

The band’s history of constant touring was especially noticeable in a venue like Turner Hall. Rather than presenting the same tightly fixed performance from start to finish, Dogs In A Pile left enough space for the songs to develop onstage, which is a major part of what has allowed the group to build such a dedicated live following. By the end of the night, the show felt like a strong representation of what has driven Dogs In A Pile’s growth over the past several years: consistent touring, a willingness to experiment onstage and a strong connection to the fans. With Modern Joey setting the tone earlier in the evening and Dogs In A Pile closing it out, the Milwaukee stop gave both bands a chance to showcase their live approach in a venue well suited to it. For Dogs In A Pile, it was another date on an increasingly busy touring schedule, but for the crowd at Turner Hall, it was a chance to take music in and just live.