A 15-year-old girl’s review of The Doobie Brothers reunion concert in Dallas
Now I know how dad felt at the Olivia Rodrigo concert.
The Doobie Brothers were not made for 15-year-old-girls. Being the sole teen in a venue filled with 70-year-old boomers was an experience. Not exactly like seeing Taylor Swift or Harry Styles.
On Saturday night at Fair Park, a band that was on the front end of America’s rock ‘n’ roll scene returned as part of their 50th year reunion tour. Michael McDonald, Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons, John McPhee and Marc Russo took the stage at 8:30 p.m. and blew through their 19-song set in about one hour and 45 minutes.
Entering Fair Park, my expectation was that The Doobie Brothers was a washed up, small country band consisting of a few semi-high grandpas. “China Grove” and “Black Water” sound like book titles my dad falls asleep reading.
The Doobie Brothers are good, I just didn’t know it before Saturday night.
Unlike the standard pop concert, The Doobie Brothers walked on the stage without a countdown. There was no confetti at the end. They didn’t sing “Happy Birthday” on a giant floating moon. There were no outfit changes.
It was just a concert. Just music. A nostalgia-fest for people old enough to remember when everybody on the stage, and in the audience, were in their 20s. That was forever ago.
The only “lavish production” were video clips from their younger days performing the same songs. They all had better hair than me back then.
Johnston and Simmons only briefly interacted with the audience in the show. They were there to play, and to leave.
The crowd didn’t mind. Unlike the audience for a Taylor Swift show, where a person can take days to get dressed up, the Doobie Brothers fan took a few minutes to get ready. No one here was dressed to impress. A few were hardly dressed at all.
The audience consisted of a man who pulled out a cigarette while singing along. There was a woman who didn’t bother showing up with shoes. Every person was sitting down by the second song.
The Doobie Brothers opened with “Take me in Your Arms” but the concert took off about on their fourth song of the night, “Rockin Down the Highway.”
I came into this concert with the expectation that a bunch of oldies would get up there and barely sing, yet Michael McDonald could belt it out like he was still in his 20s. He has great vocal range, going high and low. When he sang “Minute by Minute” he stood above his band members.
Saxophonist Mark Russo was put to work, playing intense solos almost every song. It was easy to see why this band brought in the crowd they did, and why everyone here enjoyed themselves. They’re good musicians.
One problem of the show; the sounds from the guitars, percussion and drums nearly over powered the vocals. With the exception of McDonald.
Starting with the 13th song of the show, “Jesus is Alive,” the audience got what they wanted; all of the songs they could sing like they’re in the shower. The Doobie Brothers closed out with seven straight of their biggest songs.
The audience loved “Black Water,” but the highlight of the entire show was “Taking it to the Streets.” Listening to McDonald and Russo combine for a slow, two-minute lead in to the song was impressive.
A Doobie Brothers concert is not for a 15-year-old-girl, but I’m old enough to know that these guys are good.
