WORDS BY DAVID TAYLOR AND PHOTOS BY PETER AMISANO
It was hot in Lincoln, NE on Sunday, August 20 when the Doobie Brothers were in town to play the Pinewood Bowl Theater. I haven’t been there in almost two years, so it was nice to finally return to the best outdoor concert venue in the state to see one of the greatest rock bands of all time. So much timeless music was played, with everyone having a good time.
I always enjoy “Evening with” shows where it’s just one artist playing a two-hour and some change set, and that is what the Doobie Brothers delivered. Led by guitarist and vocalist, Patrick Simmons, the band tore through their catalog of 50 years. What was most important was that Michael McDonald returned to the band as their keyboardist and vocalist, one of the greatest singers in pop music of all time. It was amazing to hear the songs he took over as lead vocalist, like “What A Fool Believes” and “Minute by Minute”. They are such talented musicians, every one of them. One of the stand-out performances of the night came from saxophonist Marc Russo, who was an incredible soloist when the time was right. The crowd gave him so much respect after every solo he played, you loved to see it. It was interesting that in the first half of the set, the audience was pretty much sitting down, but the shift to everyone standing up happened when they kicked into their version of “Jesus Is Just Alright” and then it became a party. The main set with “China Grove”, one of their most famous songs. Their encore kicked off with “Black Water”, which was quite a sing-along. They also played “Takin’ It to the Streets” and “Listen to the Music”, just stone-cold classics. They ended their set very interestingly, as they played a song they have started playing, originally not recorded by them, but by Steely Dan, “Pretzel Logic”, as a way to go out on a jam, which was just a showcase for these talented musicians. It was a solid night to celebrate the music of these Rock and Roll Hall of Famers and their 50 years that they have given us timeless music. Here’s to another 50 years!
All images © Peter Amisano
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