Print
E-Mail
tool name
closeTuesday, Nov. 03, 2009
Doobie Brothers surprise audience with stunning blues, virtuoso musicianship
By PUNCH SHAW
Special to dfw.com
Special to the S-T/Richard W. Rodriguez
Patrick Simmons of the Doobie Brothers at Bass Hall. Special to the S-T/Richard W. Rodriguez
FORT WORTH — The hits were great, but a lesser-known tune told the real story.
The Doobie Brothers, the smooth hit-makers from the 1970s, played Bass Hall on Monday night and delivered most of the favorites that the sold-out crowd of better than 2,000 expected — along with a level of quality that few could have anticipated from a band that has seen so many summers.
That was especially apparent on one of the few offerings that strayed from the predictable, Don’t Start Me Talking, by blues great Sonny Boy Williamson.
The song was extended to showcase stunning solos from most of the players, revealing that beneath the glossy California sheen, the Doobies have always been a delightfully dirty blues band. The guitarists — original members Patrick Simmons and Tom Johnston, and longtime member John McFee — were astonishing throughout the performance, but never more so than on this rootsy number.
An equally pleasant surprise was a new tune, Back to the Chateau. Introducing unheard material in a live setting can derail an established band’s set. But the instantly appealing, driving rocker meshed seamlessly with the classics played before and after.
Also unexpected was the extent to which saxophonist Marc Russo could influence the octet’s sound. His sharply punctuated sax work was almost magical in how it could alter a song’s texture. As a soloist, he had the impact of a full brass section. His ability to extend the notes from the blazing guitar heroes onstage was a triumph of musical perception and execution.
The sound was generally good. The two drummers were unnecessary but never overwhelming. And when the members harmonized — as they did most impressively on Jesus Is Just Alright — it came through beautifully. But the lead vocals (and especially those by Simmons) were frequently buried too deep in the sound mix. This is often done to protect the overworked vocal cords of a dinosaur band, but it was not needed Monday night.
On the whole, it was a short (90 minutes) but relentlessly energetic and highly satisfying evening of vintage rock.
DFW.com is pleased to be able to offer its users the opportunity to make comments and hold conversations online. However, the interactive nature of the internet makes it impractical for our staff to monitor each and every posting.
Since DFW.com does not control user submitted statements, we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted on our website. In addition, we remind anyone interested in making an online comment that responsibility for statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not DFW.com.
If you find a comment offensive, clicking the exclamation icon will flag the comment for review by the administrators; we are counting on the good judgment of all our readers to help us.
