Last night (Nov. 18), The Doobie Brothers played the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. During the show, the group performed their early ’70s albums Toulouse Street and The Captain and Me in full, then brought out surprise guest Michael McDonald to play "Takin’ It to the Streets."
McDonald will be playing a lot more Doobies music in 2020. In conjunction with the Nashville show, it was announced that the group would embark on a 50th-anniversary tour next year. It will mark the first time McDonald, guitarists Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons (the only lifelong member of the Doobs) and multi-instrumentalist John McFee have toured together in nearly 25 years.
The extensive reunion trek begins in June and comes to Cincinnati's Riverbend Music Center on Aug. 4.
Tickets go on sale Friday, Dec. 6 at 10 a.m. via ticketmaster.com.
Last month it was announced that the Doobies were up for possible Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction next year. It's the band's first appearance on the Rock Hall ballot, which some — including the band members themselves — find perplexing.
"I'm sure we've all paused to reflect, and I think I speak for all the other guys when I say that it seems rather odd we haven't been selected before," Tom Johnston told Billboard. "But at the same time we don't take it for granted and we are honored to be nominated, and if we can just carry it all the way to getting in it would be awesome."
The potential induction seems to have sparked the 2020 road trip. In the Billboard article, Johnston said he was looking forward to just seeing all of his bros.
"I haven't seen most of these guys in a while," he said. "It's a great reason to get together, too, finally getting recognized after all this time. I think most everybody would be pretty jacked up about the whole thing."
Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, Pat Simmons & John McFee will be back on tour together for the first time in nearly 25 years. General onsale starts Dec 6 at 10am. A limited number of LaneOne Premium Packages will also be available. Visit https://t.co/UiwrEVYE6q for full details pic.twitter.com/dcXmIVRqwY
— The Doobie Brothers (@TheDoobieBros) November 19, 2019