Dogtown – A young band with a lot of “bark”

Tess Clark, Co-Director of Advertising

January 5, 2012

Freshmen Joe Downing (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Sean Stein (lead guitarist), Ellis Rose (bassist) and Ian Strobino (drummer)

The band Dog Town made their debut at one of the notorious open mic nights in Gates. The band consists of four freshmen that have joined their instrumental talents together to entertain and have some fun. Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Joe Downing said that the band all started when he and Sean Stein (lead guitarist) “started jamming in fifth grade and met other people to join” over time. Bassist Ellis Rose and drummer Ian Strobino joined to the band to make up for what Dog Town was lacking.

Dog Town is known for their smooth combination of blues rock and jazz rock. The band found their inspiration from bands like the Foo Fighters, Led Zepplin and Weezer. Their favorite song to play is “definitely Voodoo Child” said Rose and Strobino. Not only playing covers, the band has four original songs. All four were written by Downing and Stein who brought them to band practice, where Strobino and Rose quickly caught on.

For Dog Town’s future plans, Downing said he “would like to be gigging every weekend and other places out of state.” Rose hopes the band will be “a weekend job” where the group can just “play music together.” While Strobino said he does not want the band to be a “full time commitment.”

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Rose said that you can usually find the band in “places like The Tinker’s Son, at school gigs and other random gigs that will take us.” The Tinker’s Son is an Irish pub in Norwell that has hosted many of the band’s popular performances. If you are looking for the next opportunity to see Dog Town, be sure to check them out at The Tinker’s Son on the day after Christmas.

About the Contributor

Tess Clark, Co. Director of Advertising

Tess Clark is a senior at Scituate High School and a Director of Advertising for The Scituation, as well as a staff writer. She is a member of the National Honor Society and hopes to set a good example both academically and socially for her peers. A captain of the Scituate varsity cheerleading squad, Tess has participated in cheerleading both for football and competitively for most of her school career. Her lifelong love for cheerleading and English is paired with her interest in animals; once naively wishing to become a veterinarian. Now with more thought in her future, Tess is looking forward to some more realistic college aspirations including English and journalism. Tess is excited to finish her high school life in May of 2012 and move on to a new setting with new experiences while still planning to remain in the Boston area. Her first year on The Scituation, Tess is looking forward to the year ahead and hopes to solidify her interest in journalism for the future.