Not often in this world can you say you've done something for half a century! KISW 99.9FM is currently celebrating their 50th year on Seattle rock radio waves. I've been proud to have been listening for over 40 years of it and doing photography with them since 2007! Saturday night at the White River Amphitheater I got to witness and photo another 50th year celebration in The Doobie Brothers 50th anniversary tour.
With both guitarist/vocalist Patrick Simmons and Tom Johnston as the original mainstays since the beginning in 1970, add guitarist John McFee since 1979 and the return after 25 years of Michael McDonald on vocals/keyboards (1975), you have everything ya need to say this is The Doobie Brothers in 2021! If ya wondered, five other original members passed away before 2012. This 50th anniversary tour was suppose to happen last year in 2020, but with the pandemic it obviously had to be delayed till now. So really this is the 51st year.
If you think guys in their early 70s couldn't bring the rock all these years later you'd be so wrong. Unbelievable set of 29 songs, 2.5 hours that included so many classics and radio staples like "Takin' It To The Streets", "Listen To The Music", "Take Me In Your Arms", "Black Water" and lets not forget three of the most recognizable rock guitar riff intro's ever with "China Grove", "Long Train Runnin'" and "Rockin' Down The Highway". Let's not forgetAlso in the setlist was the more adult contemporary Michael McDonald sung big hits like "What a Fool Believes" and "It Keeps You Runnin'". One of the most soulful voices ever and still has the vocal goods after all these decades.
Crazy to think 50 years is a long time for a band, but there's a few rock bands still out there touring that have been doing it longer! Golden Earring, The Beach Boys, The Zombies 1961 - The Rolling Stones 1962 - The Who 1964 and The Monkees 1966 to name a few. So awesome to see The Doobie Brothers still out there rocking and sounding great. Not once did I think "they should hang it up" - all their voices are still great and still have the fire to keep on rockin! Head over the www.TheDoobieBrothers.com for U.S. tour dates all the way through summer of 2022. On The Doobie Brothers news, they just released their 15th studio album titled "Liberte" on 10.1.21.
