Blossom Music Center’s presentation of the Doobie Brothers Tour opened with the legendary Rock and Roll Hall Inductee and Grammy award-winning Steve Winwood. Returning to the stage after over five years away, Winwood delivered hits from his rich music catalog!
He performed a set that was a journey through various phases of his remarkable career. He is known for his roles as a lead artist in many legendary bands, such as Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, and Blind Faith, as well as his successful solo career.
Winwood performed music from all of these eras, including “Gimme Some Lovin,” “I’m a Man,” “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” and “Roll With It.” Adding a personal touch to the show, Winwood was joined by his daughter, Lilly Winwood (a talented singer and songwriter in her own right). She provided background vocals. This father-daughter collaboration added a layer of warmth and connection to the performance, making the concert a truly special experience for the audience.
Winwood’s performances are characterized by a blend of rock, jazz, and blues, featuring extended jams and intricate polyrhythmic arrangements that highlight his musicianship. The audience’s response to his performance was highly positive, with fans particularly enjoying his guitar solos and the soulful quality of his voice. Many of the patrons were standing for much of the show with prolonged applause after each song ended.
Throughout the evening, Winwood demonstrated his versatility by playing both keyboards and guitar. A standout moment came during the 1967 Traffic classic “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” when his breathtaking guitar solo brought the crowd to its feet for a standing ovation, leaving Winwood visibly moved.To close the set, Winwood took to the piano and played an energetic rendition of the classic Spenser Davis Group’s “Gimme Some Lovin’,” and the audience was on their feet again, singing along. This was undoubtedly one of the most engaging and fun sets that we’ve had the pleasure of attending.
THE NIGHT IS JUST GETTING STARTED…
The Doobie Brothers are on the road for their 2024 tour, which continues the momentum from their 50th Anniversary Tour. This tour features the iconic lineup of two of the founding members, Pat Simmons and Tom Johnson (both founding the Doobie Brothers in 1970), along with early additional collaborations and musicians, Michael McDonald (1975) and John McFee (1979).
Together, they delivered a performance packed with many of their classic tracks like “China Grove,” “Long Train Runnin’,” “Black Water,” “Jesus is Just Alright,” and “Listen to the Music.” The tour also included a bit of their newer material from the 2021 album ‘Liberté.’
The Doobie Brothers kicked off their show with the Eddie Holland cover that Johnson lobbied to add to their 1975 record, ‘Stampede,’ “Take Me in your Arms.” They followed up with the hit “Here to Love You” from the 1978 ‘Minute by Minute’ album, and of course, later in the show, was the Michael McDonald title-track from the same record.
But perhaps the biggest highlight of the show (not including the encore) was the performance “Without You,” where all four guitarists (including bass player John Cowen) stood and danced together to deliver amazing guitar solo improvisations from each of the artists. “Without You” was followed by the super hit “Jesus is Just Alright,” an extended version with significant guitar improvisation. It started slower and quiet (I almost did not recognize the song at first) before building to a fantastic crescendo. All the band’s experienced musicians sounded clear, clean, tight, and as good as ever. I especially enjoyed the solo work of Simmons, Johnson and Mcfee. It was fantastic to have McDonald’s infamous smooth voice and intricate keyboard work for this live show. Truly an anniversary show.
CHECK OUT CLEVEROCK’S PHOTOS OF THE DOOBIE BROTHERS @ BLOSSOM MUSIC CENTER ON AUGUST 22, 2024!
The Doobie Brother’s stage was large and impressive and packed with amazing musicians. The original 4-piece band is now an 8-piece touring band, so the sound is nothing short of awesome. The musicians include three guitarists, bass, set drums, percussion, keyboards, saxophone, and of course, Hammond and piano mastered by McDonald, who was positioned on the far right of the stage.
The rear stage included a gigantic video display that featured vintage footage of the band members’ early days (it is a 50-year celebration) plus pieces of thematic video to fit the mood of the 20-song setlist. The lighting was kept very natural for most of the show, and, as usual, the sound at Blossom is always super clean. Most of the show maintained a balanced and comfortable volume, unlike some bands that lean towards overpowering levels. The usual combination of huge screens on either side of the stage allowed everyone to enjoy great close-ups of the musicians.
Lilly Winwood came out to join the Dobies, performing lead vocals on “Taking It to the Streets” and the hit song “It Keeps You Running” (written and usually performed by Michael McDonald).
The Doobies finished their set with “China Grove,” and with one of the many standing ovations, the band came out for an encore of” Black Water,” “Taking it to the Streets,” and super hit “Listen to the Music.”
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