Concert Date: July 23, 2006
Performers:
· George Thorogood
· Jim Suhler
· Buddy Leach
· Billy Blough
· Jeff Simon
Related Sites:
· Official Site
Grade: B
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Concert Review: George Thorogood & The Destroyers 2006 Tour
by Paul Schultz
Published: July 28, 2006
The next stop on this summer's continuing quest to catch venerable acts I have not yet seen in concert (which has so far included Loverboy and REO Speedwagon, but will not include Foreigner's cancelled show this Friday at Janesville's Rock County 4-H
Fair) brought me to the Waukesha County Fair and a performance by George Thorogood & the Destroyers. For a guy in his mid-fifties who has been taking his brand of blues-rock on the road for over three decades, I wasn't sure how much rock was still left in the tank. I was soon to find out that the tank is plenty full, as "the old guy" put on a lively show, with excellent musicianship featuring Jim Suhler slinging a Gibson Les Paul guitar, Buddy Leach on saxophone, Billy Blough on bass, and Jeff Simon on drums.
Thorogood's live act is all about attitude, as evidenced by his assertion to
"do my best to get arrested tonight. If someone's going to be jailed for rock 'n'
roll, it might as well be me!" Though we were to hear plenty of his most-popular material recently gathered on Greatest Hits: 30 Years of Rock,
Thorogood opened the show with "Rock Party," a track off his
recently-released The Hard Stuff. We'd also get to hear "I Got My Eyes On You," "Hello Josephine," and "Love Doctor" from his excellent new album, with the latter song being the most well-received of the fresh material. I was hoping he'd present the title track, but you can't play 'em all, I guess.
Thorogood's slide guitar work was front-and-center.
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Set List:
Rock Party
Who Do You Love
The Fixer
Night Time
I Drink Alone
One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer
I Got My Eyes On You
Get A Haircut
Gear Jammer
Move It On Over
Hello Josephine
You Talk Too Much
Love Doctor
Bad To The Bone
Madison Blues
Other than these spankin' new tunes, the boys reached back into the past to rock out all their well-known material, with the only exception being "The
Fixer" from 2003's Ride 'Til I Die. It's a testament to his musical consistency that the newer stuff blended in seamlessly with the vintage tunes. Thorogood made use of the entire length of the stage as he trotted from one edge to the other during extended guitar jams. His work on the slide guitar is as captivating as ever, with my only pet peeve being that, at times, his guitar was low in the mix, and he looked to be working at lot harder than what I was able to hear. The songs all seem to have the same beat, but Thorogood has the timing to break in with witty banter just when things are about to get monotonous. During the lengthy "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" he presented his own version of a public service announcement, exhorting the crowd not to drive home drunk: "Have your buddy drive you home... or have your girlfriend drive you home... or your
buddy's girlfriend."
Thorogood was there to have a good time, and his party demeanor was
infectious, even if his sly comments weren't entirely believable since many of
the ladies he directed them to were probably not even born when he started his career. The live setting does expose his weak vocals, but often the crowd would cover for him, and his fiery guitar-play makes you overlook that deficiency, anyway. Alas, no arrests were made, but if he's ever accused and brought before a rock 'n' roll court of law, he'd most definitely be found guilty.
UPCOMING 2006 TOUR DATES
| Date |
Location |
Venue |
| 07/28 |
Kettering, OH |
Fraze Pavilion |
| 07/29 |
Van Wert, OH |
Wetzeland |
| 07/30 |
Chicago, IL |
House of Blues |
| 08/01 |
Wausau, WI |
Wisconsin Valley Fair |
| 08/02 |
Des Moines, IA |
Val Air Ballroom |
| 08/03 |
Kansas City, MO |
Voodoo Lounge |
| 08/04 |
Council Bluffs, IA |
Harrah’s |
| 08/05 |
Arnolds Park, IA |
Arnold's Park |
| 08/07 |
Sturgis, SD |
Legendary Buffalo Chip |
| 08/10-11 |
Niagara Falls, ONT |
Avalon Ballroom |
| 08/12 |
Mount Rolland, QUE |
Bourbon Street North |
| 08/14-16 |
New York, NY |
BB King’s
(w/ Tom Hambridge) |
| 08/17 |
Hyannis, MA |
Cape Cod Melody Tent |
| 08/18 |
Hampton Beach, NH |
Casino
Ballroom |
| 08/19 |
Sayerville, NJ |
Starland |
| 08/20 |
Westbury, NY |
North
Fork Theatre |
| 09/20 |
Albuquerque, NM |
Sandia Casino
(w/ Buddy Guy/Little Feat) |
| 09/21 |
Tucson, AZ |
Anselmo (w/ Buddy Guy/Little Feat) |
| 09/22 |
Los Angeles, CA |
The Greek |
| 09/23 |
San Diego, CA |
Delmar Fair |
| 09/24 |
Hemet, CA |
Soboba Casino |
| 09/26 |
Anaheim, CA |
House of Blues |
| 09/28 |
Saratoga, CA |
Mountain Winery (w/ Elvin Bishop) |
| 09/29 |
Colusa, CA |
Colusa Resort & Casino |
| 09/30 |
Nice, CA |
Robinson Rancheria |
| 10/03 |
Richmond, BC |
River Rock Casino |
| 10/04 |
Coquitlam, BC |
Red Robinson Casino |
| 10/06 |
Tacoma, WA |
Emerald Queen |
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