The Doobie Brothers at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza

The Doobie Brothers, Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, April 8, 2018

The legendary Doobie Brothers arrived within the wilds of Thousand Oaks, CA, ready to absolutely thrill their fans with a set of classic tunes from an illustrious long train running career. Performing at the Fred Kavli Theater to a capacity crowd, The Doobie Brothers unveiled a stunning set that had the audience standing and rapturous singing along. Kicking off the night with a rip roaring rendering of Natural Thing, the first track from The Captain And Me (1973), the magic and good times songs of The Doobie Brothers proceeding to dazzle the crowd for two glorious hours. Rockin’ Down The Highway from Toulouse Street (1972) would immediately follow, and the hits just kept on arriving throughout what would be a wondrously unforgettable event of a lifetime.

The eight seasoned musicians within The Doobie Brothers collective sent the cavernous Kavli auditorium into the stratosphere, setting the imagination in flight with their vibrant performances. Within the Doobie Brothers membership are Patrick Simmons on guitar and vocals, Tom Johnston on guitar and vocals, and John McFee on guitars, pedal steel, dobro, fiddle, and vocals! These three core members remain as passionate as ever, clearly at the height of their esteemed careers. Also featured with The Doobie Brothers touring lineup are Bill Payne on keyboards, Marc Russo on saxophone, Ed Toth on drums, and John Cowan on bass and vocals – all contribution admirably to the vast and epic Doobie Brothers legacy.

A perusal through a rich and wonderful back catalog brought out deep cut memories such as Road Angel, Clear As The River Snow and Eyes Of Silver. Jesus Is Just Alright and Takin’ It To The Streets showed off the remarkable diversity of The Doobie Brothers experience, remaining as vibrant today as when they were first delivered upon the world at large. Black Water is an everlasting celebration of The Doobie Brothers at the pinnacle of their musical prowess, and is a spellbinding crowd pleaser when unleashed live. And make it very clear that The Doobie Brother will rock your world like no other, as demonstrated in high voltage deliveries of Long Train Running and China Grove! And for a very much deserved honor, The Doobie Brothers returned to the stage, bestowing Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me) and Listen To The Music upon the audience, leaving an indelible impression upon the many generation of fans gathered within the hallowed walls of the Kavli Theater.

If you missed The Doobie Brothers’ amazing show in Thousand Oaks, do not despair as the rock and roll party will return, co-headlining with none other than Steely Dan on what is sure to be a cross country trek extravaganza! The local Los Angeles stop will include The Forum in Inglewood on May 30th! Check out their Facebook events page or Official Website for more information on what is sure to be one of the most anticipated tours on 2018!

(Review by Ken Morton – Photos by Jack Lue)

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