The band Dorothy, led by lead singer Dorothy Martin, released their debut album ROCKISDEAD in 2016. However 2017 brought major changes, as the whole band was replaced other than their namesake. Now they are embarking on what they call The Freedom Tour and their new album 28 Days in the Valley will be released in March.
Walking into the Orpheum in Tampa to see Dorothy was surreal. It was such a small and intimate venue, unlike any show I have ever been to.
The pump-up music before the acts was seventies rock, which immediately made me feel at home. Even though it was a rock show, I had never felt so relaxed and free at a concert before.
What makes this tour different than most is the fact that the band has a new opener for every tour date, depending on the local music scene there. Tampa’s opener was Bearmace, which wasn’t so “local” after all since they were from Alabama. Nevertheless, they rocked the house and did a great cover of a rock classic: “Ballroom Blitz” by Sweet.
There is a staircase on the side of the stage that leads to the backstage area, and during Bearmace’s set, the audience got to see Dorothy (herself and the band) enter the venue.
Before Dorothy took to the stage roadies lit incense, which was the first time I have ever seen that done at a show. The crowd was from all walks of life. You had moms there with their daughters. You had young twenty-somethings looking for a good time. You had thirty-somethings out on a date night or night out with friends. It was very eclectic.
The best way to describe Dorothy is Janis Joplin mixed with Taylor Momsen (lead singer of The Pretty Reckless). Her voice and style is just like Joplin, looking like she just stepped directly out of the sixties, while her stage presence and interaction with her band and the audience is just like Momsen.
For a few of the numbers Dorothy played tambourine along with the band, which was something Taylor Momsen does often as well. The set contained a few songs from ROCKISDEAD, but mainly featured new songs from the forthcoming album. The highlight of the performance was towards the end of the show, where they played “Down To The Bottom,” the first song released off their upcoming album. The crowd sang at the top of its lungs to the chorus, which prompted Dorothy herself to point the microphone at the crowd.
At the end of the show, she offered this piece of advice to the audience before she left the stage, “Don’t do drugs, follow your dreams, and f**k the haters.”
What I love about the Orpheum is the unique experience of this feeling of intimacy, since the venue is so small. There isn’t a bad “seat” (or place to stand) in the venue, and it’s size makes it easy to feel more connected to the performer on stage. The size and placement of the venue also makes it convenient and predictable for where all of the artists go after the show- which is always one of my favourite parts of the experience: meeting the artist.
We parked behind the Orpheum and waited for about twenty minutes, chatting with the musicians from the first band before we were graced with meeting Dorothy herself. I am always appreciative of artists, and the time they take to pose for pictures with their fans. It adds such a personal touch to the entire concert experience.
28 Days In The Valley is available for pre-order now on Dorothytheband.com and will be available everywhere March 9.
All photos courtesy of Danielle Lysik