The Squire Lounge on East Colfax Avenue isn’t often thought of as a premier musical venue, but the Sunday open mikes and free concerts on Thursdays have started bringing out some serious talent. Local funk band Dogs Got Flavor played every Thursday this October and will finish up its residency with one more free show on October 29.
A mutual friend introduced lead singer Joseph Riedel to the Squire a year ago, and the band started performing sets at the open mikes on Sundays. The members made a name for themselves — and attracted fans — with a funk-heavy sound laced with guitar solos, bongo, and a high-energy frontman in Riedel.
Brothers Nick and Tony Milano share guitar duties, Peter Warekois is the bassist, and Dillon Dubois mans the drum set. They started playing together in Boulder, beginning with house parties and working their way up to larger gigs. Last year they moved to Denver to test their musical chops and spread their sound.
Before deciding on Dogs Got Flavor, the musicians went through a bucket of band names, including Goose Karate, Dark Room Full of Panda and the Kardashians. “We were going with the Rolling Stones for a while, but apparently that’s a band,” jokes bassist Warekois.
Dogs Got Flavor will be performing at the Marquis Theater on November 25 with local bands Rowdy Shadehouse and The Other Black; tickets are $10. But you can catch the band one more Thursday at the Squire this week. Find out more on the Dogs Got Flavor Facebook page.