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After nearly two years of performing, writing and jamming together, Old Town's versatile musical group The Dawgwoods has carved an enduring niche in Yellowknife's ever-changing live music scene.

The Dawgwoods are, clockwise from left, K-Dawg Dawgwood (Keith Shergold), Lily Mae Dawgwood (Becky Davis), Joe Snow Dawgwood (Ryan McCord), Otis Dawgwood (Chris Pyke), Frank Snowbank Dawgwood (Regan Fielding), Poisson Jaques Dawgwood (Mike Harrison) and Pappy Dawgwood (Gary Vaillancourt). - photo courtesy of Chris Pyke

The seven musicians who compose the band have dedicated much time and creativity to their energetic ensemble, which features an expansive setlist of original tunes and unpredictable covers.

The Dawgwoods proved themselves a capable concert dance band with high-profile gigs at Folk on the Rocks, the Old Town Ramble and Ride festival and club shows here and in Hay River. Now they're reaching out to new audiences and new venues with a new format that won't rely as heavily on the pulsing Johnny Cash back beat and rowdy rockabilly riffs that fuel their large-scale performances.

The Dawgwoods are scheduled to entertain the dining room at Le Frolic tomorrow, Friday and Saturday.

"It will be a high-energy show without being a really loud show," said rhythm guitarist and vocalist Otis Dawgwood.

The music will still highlight dynamic combinations of fiddle, guitars, banjo, mandolin, acoustic guitar, electric guitar and percussion, but these shows experiment with alternative musical genres, Otis said, adding that novel Christmas music will be prominent, as well.

"The Dawgwoods are developing as multi-instrumentalists because we have to adjust to the different stages, volumes and circumstances as these different jobs come up," Pappy Dawgwood said. "Everyone is becoming very adaptable."

The Dawgwoods take the stage at Le Frolic at 9:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. They play Fuego on New Year's Eve.