George Thorogood and the Destroyers bring 鈥渢he Baddest Show on Earth鈥� to Wheeling, W.Va.
Associated Press
Fans of George Thorogood’s gritty, bluesy, and raucous rock ‘n’ roll will be thrilled to know that he and his high-octane band, the Destroyers are roaring into Wheeling, W.Va., for a live performance at the Capitol Theatre on Saturday as part of their Baddest Show on Earth tour.
The Destroyers-featuring Thorogood himself, alongside bandmates Jeff Simon on drums, Bill Blough on bass, Jim Suhler on guitar and Buddy Leach on saxophone, are fresh off a successful tour in Australia and New Zealand. George and his bandmates have come a long way since performing their first show at University of Delaware’s Lane Hall, which was followed by their self-titled debut album in 1976.
If you called Thorogood “indefatigable,” he might crack wise, but his five-decade career is impressive. With more than 8,000 live shows and more than 15 million albums sold, the stats prove that he’s never rested on his laurels-and fans say he’s never missed a beat. As Barry Levine of the online site U.S. Rocker wrote after a recent show, “You wouldn’t know that Thorogood just recently celebrated his 75th birthday based on his frenetic and fabulous guitar work. He came across as a wunderkind who should have been carded at the door.”
A nod to the greats
When asked about his early influences in a recent phone interview, Thorogood credited legends like Bo Diddley and John Lee Hooker.
“I was heavy into both and could play the guitar like both those cats,” he said. “One thing that fascinated me is how far they could go with their careers and their legacy using only one chord in their songs.”
It’s clear that Thorogood truly loves what he does and that’s what fuels him. Malcolm Gladwell, in his book “Outliers,” argues that it takes one 10,000 hours to achieve mastery in any craft. If that is truly the case, then Thorogood is a master’s master. At one point, Thorogood played 50 states in 50 days-an impressive feat to some, but not to him.
“Lou Gehrig played 2,000 games in a row. If you can’t hold up for 50 days in a row, you’ve got problems,” he said. As for what he’s learned about his audiences over the years, George gets a bit cheeky. “I learned that they have great taste in music,” he said.
“Bad to the Bone” and beyond
When Thorogood was finished writing his hit “Bad to the Bone,” instinct told him that he had knocked it out of the park. “I just knew I had a hit, but it was a secret until I played before the Stones and after the Neville Brothers in New Orleans in front of 80,000 people,” Thorogood said. It didn’t hurt afterward to hear a compliment from a music industry icon.
“After the show, a man came up to me and said, ‘I hear you’re writing songs and if they’re all like “(Bad to the) Bone,” you’re going to have a great career.’ I thanked him-and later found out it was David Geffen,” said Thorogood, referring to the manager and mogul behind a couple of record labels and the Dreamworks film studio.
Of course, Thorogood’s catalog includes plenty of other fan favorites, especially his drinking songs: “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer,” written by Rudy Toombs; “I Drink Alone,” written by Thorogood himself and dedicated to American film and television actor, Lee Marvin; and “If You Don’t Start Drinkin’ (I’m Gonna Leave).” While Thorogood acknowledges the drinking songs have indeed been popular, he said that he wishes some deeper cuts like “American Made,” from the 2003 album “Ride ‘Til I Die,” would have gotten more love.
“It’s a Charlie Midnight song and I thought it would catch on. It did catch on with the Native Americans, however, because Crazy Horse is mentioned in it,” he said.
Thorogood rivals his younger peers when performing onstage. “I gotta keep moving,” the 75 year-old said. “It’s tough dodging those hotel keys and women’s lingerie.”
He added, “If the circus makes everyone feel like a kid again, this tour will make you feel like a teenager.”
When asked what’s in store for the future, Thorogood is noncommittal, relying on his sense of humor to answer the question.
“What do you have in mind?” he asked.
The concert at the Capitol Theatre starts at 7 p.m. Saturday. For information go online to capitoltheatrewheeling.com.