Philadelphians Dr. Dog brought more than a few smiles to a sold-out Belly Up crowd on Tuesday.

Fellow brotherly lovers Purling Hiss kicked off the evening with a ten-song set, blending 90’s alt-rock with solo-heavy classic stuff. Low-fi songs like “The Hoodoo” and “Rat Race” — with the refrain “Everybody wants to have a good time” — pretty much epitomized their style. A guy nearby took their message to heart, frantically texting everyone he knew: “I heard something about an emergency budget meeting tomorrow. Is it mandatory?”

Dr. Dog came out to a set that looked like a rundown living room, with a keyboard-slash-fireplace (everyone has those, right?) and plywood walls complete with fake posters and opaque windows. Critics often bust Dr. Dog’s chops for not being serious enough, but the lighthearted set seemed to answer any questions about the band’s priorities. Members of Dr. Dog focused on the performance, playing with glee to a crowd that was eager to sing along to circular stompers like “Lonesome,” from the newly released album Be the Void, and soulful numbers like “The Ark,” from the band’s 2008 breakthrough, Fate.

A few members of the audience seemed to have followed Dr. Dog from all the way from Philly, shouting inanities between songs and making requests that went unacknowledged. (In what might’ve only been a coincidence, the aforementioned texter smelled like partially digested cheesesteak, and his stink was only occasionally overpowered by a meandering cloud of pot smoke.)

Dr. Dog floated above it all, though, riding a wave of goodwill and sheer joy, and reaffirming that they’re great exactly because they’re not so serious. It didn’t hurt that guitarist/singer Scott McMicken had donned his best Michael Cera costume, and who couldn’t love a scamp like that?

Photos – Dr. Dog at the Belly Up – February 7, 2012