The Dogmatics

When punk started exploding in Boston in the late 1970s, all the major labels had their main offices in New York City but kept their ears closely tuned to what was happening in the city. And by the time 1981 arrived, The Dogmatics were one of the most label-worthy acts because they were playing “garage punk” before that genre had a name, their sound was specific to the area and their material showcased their intense power, passion and pride.

Formation, Early appearances, “Gimme the Shakes”

Guitar-playing twins Pete and Paul O’Halloran and bassist Jerry Lehane spent eight years at school, starting with the first grade at St. Matthews Catholic School in Dorchester. Lehane formed a band called The Savage Beasties in his mid-teens but one of the members moved to Thayer Street in Boston’s South End. Soon afterwards, the twins moved to a loft on the same street and joined Lehane and drummer Dan Shannon to form what became The Dogmatics (originally called The Guttersnipes).

The band played their first show at Cantones in 1981, doing an opening slot on a Tuesday night for which they weren’t paid. In 1982, Shannon left the band to go to college, replaced by 18-year-old Squantum resident Tommy Long. “The Dogs,” as they were known recorded their first (and only) single, “Gimme the Shakes” (b/w their cover of the Eddie Cochran classic “20 Flight Rock”) in 1984, self-releasing it on Cat Records. The tune was put into heavy rotation on local college stations including Harvard’s WHRB, MIT’s WMBR and Emerson’s WERS.

 Thayer Street,  Everybody Does It

In 1985, they band signed with Homestead Records and the label released their debut disc, Thayer Street, which remains one of Homestead’s best-selling LPs to this day. It had an immediate impact, making the cover of The College Music Journal, and that success allowed them to land opening spots with The Replacements, Los Lobos, The Bangles, The Del Fuegos, Scruffy the Cat, Dinosaur Jr., Hoodoo Gurus, Long Ryders, Forgotten Rebels, Young Fresh Fellows, Dash Riprock, Lyres and The Neats.

Their second LP, Everybody Does It, was recorded in the summer of 1985 but didn’t see the light of day – after administrative delay after delay – until  June 1986. The album’s two singles, “Teenager On Drugs” and “Teenage Girls,” also appeared on Steve “Mr. Beautiful” Barry’s Rock Turns To Stone compilation in 1988. Also in 1986, keyboardist John Goetchius joined the band for a year but left to join The Cherry Popping Daddies (and eventually The Mighty Mighty Bosstones).

Paul O’Halloran’s death, Later shows, Live At the Rat, Vol. 2

On October 23, 1986, Paul O’Halloran died in a motorcycle accident and the band has played many times since with Paul and Pete’s brother Jimmy or Johnny on bass and vocals. “Of course, we were all heartbroken when Paul died and it took some time to start playing out again,” Lehane says.

The Dogs have done a number of shows since O’Halloran’s death, but has not returned to the studio. In June 2011, they appeared at the Paradise Rock Club with The Neats, Last Stand, Band 19 and Classic Ruins and in July 2012 they played at Johnny D’s in Somerville with The Flies, The Bristols, Hired Men, Piranha Brothers, Sourpuss, White Dynamite, Lenny Lashley, New Frustrations and The Lucky 88’s. In March 2015, the performed at T.T. the Bear’s Place with Jennie Dee & The Deelinquents, The Other Girls, The Hired Men and The Gypsy Moths.

On November 16, 2017, the band played a set that included “Another Saturday Night,” “Pussy Whipped,” “Thayer Street,” “Drinking By The Pool,” “Good Looking Girls” and “Sister Serena” at the re-release party for Live At The Rat Volume II, held 41 years after the original album came out. They contributed their song “Saturday Night Again” to the LP after recording it live in the Rat suite at the Hotel Commonwealth in Kenmore Square (located on the former venue’s exact spot). The band’s Chuck-Berry-meets-New York Dolls, Nick Lowe-meets-Eddie Cochran and Stiff Little Fingers-meet-The Clash sound is still intact and as vibrant and vital as ever. “Our sound hasn’t really changed,” drummer Long says, “but the musicianship has gotten better and the songs are effortless to play.”

Fun Dogmatics facts

• The Paul O’Halloran-penned song “It Sure Don’t Feel Like XMas Time” was included on the Midnite XMas Mess1984 compilation.
• In 1998, Shredder/Vagrant released The Dogmatics’ two LPs along with some previously unreleased material.
• The Mighty Mighty Bosstones recorded “It Sure Don’t Feel Like XMas Time” in 2005 for the Mercury Records compilation Home For The Holidays.
• Dogmatics tunes have been covered by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, New Orleans pranksters Dash Riprock, The Pussy Willows, Heap and Swedish garage-punk kings The Locomotions. Pete O’ Halloran has said that he likes the Swedish band’s version of “Saturday Night Again” since “they do a boisterousversion of it.” Jerry said he likes The Bosstones’ version of ‘It Sure Don’t Feel Like XMas Time” since they do “a very heartfelt versio”
• The Dogs recorded the Richie Parsons (Unnatural Axe) song “Summertime” for the Unnatural Axe tribute albumRuling The World From The Backseat (2008, Lawless Records). They later backed Parsons for the tune at the Live At The Rat Volume II record release party in Noveber 2017; that version appears on the album.
• The Dogs contributed their song “Black Plastic Shoes” to The Reducers tribute album Rave On in 2012.
• Jerry is famous crime-fiction writer Dennis Lehane’s cousin. “Dennis has seen us play,” he says. “He also wrote a little-known film called Neighborhoods and our song ‘Sister Serena’ is on the soundtrack.”

 (by A.J. Wachtel)