Dog Eat Dog to Perform Special All Boro Kings Concert

Bergen County's own Dog Eat Dog is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its stellar full-length debut album, "All Boro Kings," on Friday, April 5, at Debonair Music Hall in Teaneck. The lineup includes original members Dave Neabore on bass, singer John Connor, guitarist Dan Nastasi and longtime drummer Brandon Finley, who joined the band in 1995 on the "All Boro Kings" tour. Joining the group will be guest saxophone player Nick Stefanacci.

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In 1994 Dog Eat Dog released its debut album, "All Boro Kings" and immediately catapulted into the stratosphere in Europe, and for good reason. "All Boro Kings" was, and remains, engaging, inventive and exciting. Fans across the pond couldn't get enough of the band's unique amalgam of rock, punk and hip-hop complemented by perfectly placed saxophone riffs.

The European phenomenon that "All Boro Kings” became
culminated in 1995 with Dog Eat Dog beating out the likes of Weezer and Alanis Morissette to win an MTV Europe award for Breakthrough Artists of the Year. Nope, we weren't exaggerating about how huge Dog Eat Dog was in Europe.

The band has endured to the present as a favorite on the European festival circuit while garnering a smaller yet no less rabid fan base in the States, who will no doubt pack Debonair Music Hall to the gills for the band's special "All Boro Kings" 25th Anniversary show on Friday, April 5.

Following "All Boro Kings" Dog Eat Dog went on to release three full-length albums. Their new EP, “Brand New Breed,” released in 2018, is Dog Eat Dog's first new disc in 12 years. The band is currently working on a new full-length album due out in 2020.

But "All Boro Kings" will always be the band's foundation and milestone. We recently talked with bassist Dave Neabore about all things "All Boro Kings" and present-day Dog Eat Dog endeavors.

Tell us a little about the history of Dog Eat Dog. How did the band form?
After leaving Mucky Pup, Sean Kilkenny and I decided to start our own band. John Connor had toured with us in Mucky Pup as a roadie and we liked the way he sang. After playing a couple of small shows in people's basements (guitarist) Dan Nastasi joined. We had the beginnings of our band and started playing local gigs and drawing pretty well.

How did the band go from the local scene to getting a record deal?
We made a couple of demos and we were friendly with Biohazard from touring with them when we were in Mucky Pup. Billy Graziedi (Biohazard's guitarist) brought the tape to Roadrunner Records and they signed us pretty soon afterward. We rushed into the studio to record the "Warrant" EP and went to tour Europe.

When you came back to make "All Boro Kings" what was the writing and recording process like?
We were very prepared and well-rehearsed. We were already playing half the songs on "All Boro Kings" live. We recorded and mixed the album in three weeks with a very small budget. It went pretty fast overall but it was a positive experience. I remember listening at the end of the night to what we did during the day and being very happy with the results.

"All Boro Kings" really had a unique, melting pot sound. To what do you attribute the diversity of styles?
I think all of that comes from the unique personalities in the band. We all like different kinds of music and everybody was free to put their influences into the pot. That freedom of writing is really something you can only have at the beginning. You're not worried about expectations. It's all about what sounds good to you.

The inclusion of saxophone really set us apart. It mixed in really well with the rapped vocals and skate rock and punk. We used it as a distorted instrument, like a sample, but it was played live. I also think a key to the album's success was its simplicity. No one was showing off and we weren't trying to be perfect to a fault.

Tell us about the whirlwind of European touring that followed the release of "All Boro Kings."
We were already in Europe doing a big tour with Biohazard and Downset when the album was released. Then we came home and played a little and went right back to Europe for another big tour. 1994 into 1995 was one continuous tour. We also got lots of MTV play for our videos. Then we did the "No Fronts" remix with Jam Master Jay (of Run-DMC) and it was a top 10 single in the UK.

Then you won the MTV Europe Breakthrough Artists of the Year award, beating out Weezer and Alannis Morissette. What was your reaction?
It was an extremely surreal moment. We all felt like this isn't where we're supposed to be. We were getting ready to go the awards and were like, 'what are we supposed to wear.' We were absolutely shocked we won. When we accepted the award it was like we were in a dream.

Why do you think the band has been so popular in Europe but less so in the U.S.?
I think that part of it has to do with the push from the record label. We had a much bigger push in Europe. We had heavy video and radio airplay. Roadrunner was a much bigger presence in Europe at the time then America and had a much bigger budget there.

Now, 25 years later, you still play big shows in Europe. Why do you think the band has such staying power?
I think that so many people heard the album when they were young and skateboarding and snowboarding festivalgoers. Now they're 25 years older with kids and every night we play fans say, 'you made me feel 15 again.' That's the power of Dog Eat Dog. I love seeing fans bring their teenage kids and the kids are going home and loving it and the parents are happy about it. That we're seeing a second generation of fans is amazing.

And now you're still making new music 25 years later. What's the band's current lineup?
It's me, John, Brandon and our guitar player Roger Haemmerli. We're very happy making new music. We love our history but we're still able to write catchy, good songs. We're continuing what we've always done but we're also always looking to mix in something new.

Tell us about your solo work on soundtracks for horror comics and your original soundtrack material.
I was hired by a horror comic book publisher, Eibon Press, which wanted me to make soundtracks for their “Zombie” and “Bottom Feeder” stories. Now I'm working on a full original album of soundtrack music but it's not for any specific comic or movie. It's in the style of horror, sci-fi and b-movies. That's the concept. It's very early 80s.

Finally, sum up "All Boro Kings" 25 years later
"All Boro Kings" turned out to be the album that made Dog Eat Dog. The songs have gotten millions of plays on YouTube and Spotify, the crown that's on the album cover is the symbol of the band. I'm really proud of all we accomplished with that album.