Prescott Now: How long have you guys been playing together?
Groove Dawgs: Groove Dawgs have been playing in Prescott for about five years. Nick Malouff on guitar, keys and vocals; Cliff Laidlaw on drums and vocals; and Rob Israel on bass.
Prescott Now: What’s the story behind your band’s name?
Groove Dawgs: Led Zeppelin was taken so we looked at what we do best. We like to bring a unique style to the tunes we play. We especially work on the groove. Dawgs? It has a gritty connotation, which has a nice contrast to Groove.
Prescott Now: How do you connect with your audience during a show?
Groove Dawgs: We spend a lot of time deciding on what tunes to play live. What do people like? Can you dance to it? When we try a new tune and it connects with our audience, it’s a keeper.
Prescott Now: How would you describe your sound?
Groove Dawgs: We want to give our audience the best experience soundwise. We especially work on our arrangements, vocals and harmonies.
As we say at our shows, we like to play tunes nobody else plays. That doesn’t mean we play some obscure tunes no one has heard of but those gems that we grew up listening to and for some reason aren’t being played much. As Jerry Garcia said, “Play as if your life depends on it.”
Our audience tells us how much they appreciate our selection of music. I guess we’re doing something right.
Prescott Now: What is the most memorable moment of your career so far?
Groove Dawgs: Playing downtown one night a Whiskey River Tavern when we got rained out to a packed crowd. Then all the power in downtown Prescott went out. We had nothing to do with that, honest.
Prescott NOW: What advice would you give your younger self?
Groove Dawgs: Find a way to go into the future and check out this thing called YouTube. It will save you years of practicing.
Prescott NOW: What motivates your band?
Groove Dawgs: We are primarily a live band. We get our energy from the crowd, and hopefully we give that same energy back. There’s nothing better than playing live to a Prescott crowd.
Prescott NOW: What brought you to Prescott?
Groove Dawgs: Nick was brought to Prescott by his parents. Cliff escaped from LA about six years ago. Rob came here by car in 1992.
