Doobie Brothers celebrate new album with intimate, feel-good concert

Doobie Brothers celebrate new album with intimate, feel-good concert
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Doobie Brothers' founding drummer dies more than 50 years after band started
John Hartman, the founding drummer of 70's rock band the Dobbie Brothers, has died at 72.
Associated Press
NEW YORK — The Doobie Brothers haven't lost their stride.
The genre-melting rock 'n' rollers released new album 'Walk This Road' June 6, which they toasted with an intimate, sold-out concert at Irving Plaza that evening. Playing to a raucous crowd of just over 1,000 people, the jazz- and soul-infused band debuted a smattering of fresh tunes, from the breezy, good-natured 'Call Me,' to the bluesy 'Learn to Let Go,' a silky showcase for singer/keyboardist Michael McDonald's inimitable vocals.
'This is kind of our record release party, so we're celebrating and we're so glad you're here with us,' cofounder Patrick Simmons said, noting the challenge of swapping in a multitude of instruments between songs in such a tiny venue. 'We're moving slow up here, because everything's coming from that corner up there. But you know, we're just having fun.'
Highlights of the roughly hour-and-a-half-long set included 'Without You,' featuring a scorching guitar break as Simmons, Tom Johnston and John McFee all jammed and swayed in sync at the lip of the stage. Marc Russo's swirling saxophone enraptured the audience on 'Here to Love You' and 'Long Train Runnin',' while Ed Toth's dexterous drums helped propel country-fried fan favorites 'Black Water' and 'Jesus is Just Alright With Me.'
'We thank you all for coming down here,' Johnston said, before launching into familiar hit 'Listen to the Music' to close out the night. 'You sound so good and we appreciate it. We're going to sing one last song, and if you'd like to sing along, we've love to have you, alright?'
Interview: Doobie Brothers on new album, tour, hall of fame: 'You have to think beyond your age'
The Doobie Brothers' Manhattan stop was an appetizer before their upcoming North American tour, which kicks off Aug. 4 in Detroit. The Coral Reefer Band, who toured and recorded with the late Jimmy Buffett, will join the grizzled foursome on their six-week trek.
'We're all in our 70's now,' Simmons told USA TODAY in a recent interview. 'I used to think that was old. I do feel it, but it's hard to believe we're out here doing it at this age, and in my head I'm still 16. You have to think beyond your age. It's a life adventure.
The Doobie Brothers 2025 setlist
'Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)' 'Here to Love You' 'Dependin' on You' 'Walk This Road' 'Rockin' Down the Highway' 'It Keeps You Runnin'' 'Call Me' 'Minute by Minute' 'Learn to Let Go' 'Angels & Mercy' 'Without You' 'Jesus is Just Alright' 'What a Fool Believes' 'Long Train Runnin'' 'China Grove' 'Black Water' 'Amazing Grace' 'Takin' It to the Streets' 'Listen to the Music'
Contributing: Melissa Ruggieri

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New York Post

3 days ago

• New York Post

Katie Nolan reiterates her staunch defense of Pablo Torre in Bill Simmons spat: ‘Bro, come on'

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Buzz Feed

5 days ago

• Buzz Feed

41 Wild Vegas Stories That Did NOT Stay In Vegas

Recently, we wrote about wild things that happened to people in Vegas that did NOT stay in Vegas, and the BuzzFeed Community chimed in with their own experiences. Here are 43 more wild Vegas stories. "I went out for a few beers in LA with some friends, woke up the next day in bed with an attractive lady, but couldn't recall much. I opened the curtains to see Vegas out the window. I was very confused, turns out we had rented a car and driven to Vegas (while so hammered we couldn't remember), met a hen do, and joined them for the weekend (no, it wasn't the bride I shared a room with). I took the car back to LA on Monday, and the rental chap was happy; there were no marks, scuffs, or signs of anything. Apparently, my English accent convinced him we were fine to drive (I have no doubt we were not). I have never been near a car after having even a sip of alcohol since, and in fact have been sober for the last 13 years." "I was outside talking to my friend's felon boyfriend. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground at gunpoint, surrounded by government agents and a film crew. I was in the middle of a sting operation of a motorcycle theft ring. A few years later, I got a Facebook message with a picture of me on their TV from the bust. Not only did Vegas not stay in Vegas, it was on national TV." "I was living in Vegas, and two of my pals came to town, joining me for a conference in our industry. It was an electric and balmy Saturday night in September 1996, with people everywhere and a Tyson fight in town. After leaving a Doobie Brothers concert at the Riviera, we were stopped as the first car at the intersection of Koval and Flamingo. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! We didn't know what happened until we drove back past a short time later. Turns out Tupac Shakur got shot right then and there." "It was my 21st birthday, and my best friend and I decided to go just the two of us to Vegas for three nights. The first night we got drunk and separated, I made my way back to our hotel with the help of an unhoused man who said he could get me cocaine but ended up robbing me. The next night, we got separated again, and my friend lost her purse and wallet, which we never found. I ended up getting drunk at the hotel bar with a credit card that I stole from a guy I hooked up with. I was drunk in the bathroom and a 'nice' woman helped me up to my room, but ended up robbing me and taking my cash once I fell asleep. So I got robbed twice!!" "I went out with a group of friends for a bachelor party. One night, we were partying at a club when one of my friends got separated from our group; we figured he probably met some girl and was doing just fine, and we didn't worry too much, as he was an adult and was capable of taking care of himself. We didn't hear from him until the next day, and when we finally saw him, he was visibly shaken up, looking like he hadn't slept all night. We asked him what happened." "A buddy of mine was in Vegas for business, and I was in town for a press junket. We were both in our mid-20s at the time. I drove into Vegas with my stepdad as he likes to gamble. We got into town, and I met up with my buddy. From around 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., it was nonstop drinking on my part because at the press junkets, there was free booze. My buddy and I eventually met up with my stepdad and hit some tables. I won about $1200 on roulette. My buddy and I then split to hit some industry parties. But before, I took some of the $1200 I won for spending and stashed the rest in my buddy's hotel room." "I went to celebrate a bachelorette party in Vegas. We stayed there for five days and were having a blast. That first night, we went clubbing and danced the night away. It was 4–5 a.m., and the bachelorette party was heading back to sleep. I noticed the bride-to-be was not with us. I asked her maid of honor where she was, and she told me the bride-to-be went with some guy to his hotel room." "Fifteen years or so ago, back when I was a bartender, I had one of my regulars come in (pretty typical middle class dad type, khaki shorts and polo shirts, basic white guy haircut) and tell me all about going to Vegas the week before with some friends, and his experience smoking crack out of a lightbulb in the backseat of a Honda Civic with a couple of sex workers, just prior to taking advantage of their services. I told him that was exactly the kind of story they meant needed to stay in Vegas. It was always weird seeing him at the restaurant with his wife and kids after that." "I was at the Palms for a bachelor party, and three friends and I sat down at the same blackjack table. One friend, let's call him Tom, who is not much of a gambler, pulls out a hundred and buys chips. For the next two hours, he literally could not lose. It was the wildest run I've ever seen. It didn't matter what two cards he was dealt or how he played them. He turned that $100 into 12-15k. People were gathered around cheering, the pit boss was watching and cracking jokes, everyone was drinking, and it was an absolute blast. Tom then decides, while still playing, to call his mom and girlfriend and tell them how much he's won. He even tells his girlfriend that he can buy her a ring." "I showed up at 9 a.m. for my restaurant manager job in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. On the bench outside the restaurant was a man, about 30-35, in a button-down white shirt and dress slacks. He looked disheveled and distraught. I asked him if he was okay. He said that he had been gambling and drinking since he arrived two days prior. He was on a business trip with his boss and had missed all the meetings and the trade show. He had lost all his money, including his savings. His boss fired him. He was working up the courage to call his wife, who was pregnant with their first child." "My best friend and I ran into Scary Spice (Mel B.) in a bathroom at the Venetian and ended up partying with her and her posse til early morning. She was filming her reality show back then, we were asked to be in some club scenes but ended up eating gelato instead." "I live in Las Vegas. It didn't happen to me. We saw it happen in a parking garage when we were heading to breakfast on Fremont Street. We had just parked, and the four of us were getting out of the car. Two women were looking for the car. (They even asked us if we happened to see it parked anywhere.) They clearly had been all over the garage looking for it. They finally called some guy and asked if he knew where Kevin was. He said, 'Yeah, in the hotel room asleep. He's hungover and broke. He was up til 4:30 a.m. drinking & losing all of his money.' So then she asked if he knew where Kevin had moved the car. She needed her purse and a bag out of the trunk. I kid you not, the guy answered, 'Oh, Kevin sold the car last night to some guy, he wanted more gambling money!' Both women FREAKED OUT." "This was at the Bellagio, I think, in the massive reception area. Around 10 at night, about a thousand people were walking and rushing through. This one tall guy in a suit was walking through the crowd. Two guys with sunglasses on (security-looking guys but not bouncer types, almost looking more like law enforcement but for the matching black suits) marched up behind the tall guy and literally cracked a bottle over him from behind. It knocked the guy to the ground, perhaps knocking him out. They picked him up, threw him over one of their shoulders, and took him out of the hotel." "I met a hostess one night. I spent the weekend with her and we fucking hit. It. Off. I proposed two weeks later, and we were engaged. She was fucking hotttttt. The sex was great, we were a perfect match. I flew back and forth every weekend and moved out there shortly thereafter. We lasted three months because she was absolutely out of her mind. We broke up at my mom's wedding, lmao! I went to pick up my shit and my cat (which I feared she would have gotten rid of just to spite me but she didn't, thank god). When I got out there, she already had her new bf, who was 40+ (she was 25) and the widow of her 'former best friend' who died of cancer like two months prior. I moved back home with my cat. 10/10 would Vegas again." "Back when the Hilton was Star Trek: The Experience, my girlfriends and I got drunk with a Klingon and a Ferengi in the bar and ended up taking them up to our hotel room for a five-some. I'm still friends with one of the girls and the Klingon." "Not me, but a friend blacked out at Encore Beach. He gave his sandals to a girl, so he was walking back to the Venetian barefoot. He was so drunk he didn't realize his feet were burning and bleeding from the summer sidewalk until people on the strip said something to him. Ended up spending a few days in the hospital before he could go home with second and third burns all over his feet." "My dad went to Vegas for a week, and my parents had fought a few weeks earlier. I found out two weeks later that my dad cheated with someone in the same car my mom helped pick out and pay for. Fuck Vegas." "I went to college in Vegas and got hired at a very exclusive underground sex club to be in sex shows fucking regular girls (not strippers or anything) in front of rich people who were members. It helped pay my way through college. Needless to say, it was hard to keep that all private, and I got questioned by investigators since it was attended by some famous Hollywood, sports, and business people, since it was highly illegal." "I had sex with my then-girlfriend, later wife, on the roof of the MGM Grand. It was going great until eight security guards came out of the two-door that led onto the roof. Seems people 30 floors below on the sidewalk could see us..." "On a work trip, we were in Vegas for a weekend. One of the work managers got caught feeling up one of my coworkers. It was kinda an open secret he was creeping on the women in the office, but then he got caught by several employees with the owner in the room, so he got canned." "My friend and I were approached in a casino by two guys. We were all visiting from out of town. My friend was really into one of the guys. I had no interest in the other and told him so. Despite that, we decided to be good wingmen and talked until the sun came up while our friends made out all night. Anyway, we've been together for twelve years now. We're happily married with two kids. And yes, of course, we came back to Vegas to elope." "My wife got married to a guy as a joke. Twenty years later, after we had been married and had adopted kids, we found out that marriage had been legit. She had to get an annulment, and thank god the judge thought her story was hilarious, or it would have undone our marriage and adoptions. Getting married in Vegas is real, y'all. Even if Elvis married you. Even if you're a piss drunk lesbian marrying some random dude because 'fuck the system.' 🙄" "This happened 10+ years ago. It's a story from a family member who worked at a large corporation holding an annual conference in Vegas. For lodging the employees, they'd randomly pair them up in rooms. The first night, I believe, a sales guy was getting shit-housed at a casino bar (with customers also present). He decided it would be a good idea not only to take a sex worker up on an offer to continue the party in his room, but also bring her friend along to share with his roomie…who he'd only met that day." "I worked with a manager who went to Vegas for a conference, took his affair partner, who was also our coworker, and posted photos of them during the daytime, not at the conference, to Facebook. His wife, also our coworker, and upper management saw the photos and fired him." "I paid for my wife to go to Vegas with her 'best friend' because she had tickets to Blue Man and hadn't had a single night away from our kid since they were born (six years). I thought this would be the beginning of us being able to take adult vacations. When she got back, she was weird, and I started asking questions and got weirder answers. Then her 'best friend' texted her the following morning asking how Vegas was. (I only saw it because she didn't have her notifications for messages private; it always showed the first sentence.) By texting, her best friend exposed the affair she was having and the fact that I helped set up the whole trip for her and her boyfriend." "My sister went to Vegas for a week and came back married to a dude she had never met before the trip. The week after, he moved in with my sister (he was from a different state) and they've been together ever since. Over 10+ years together, and they have beautiful twin boys." "I used to work with a married lady (we'll call her Tracy). Every year, she and her married girlfriends all went to Vegas at the same time as their husbands. It was supposed to be a four-day shopping trip. What actually happened is that they would all pick up guys and get laid. I found out because Tracy got drunk one night and blabbed to another female co-worker, whom I happened to be dating at the time. I guess it started about 10 years ago with all four ladies in on it. They had gone for a stagette to Vegas, and I guess that's the first time it happened. The husbands have no idea." "My co-workers got drunk and hooked up in Vegas while we were there for business. She got pregnant, they decided to give it a shot, and they've been together happily for ten years." "Vegas was one of the many stops on a road trip across the country. We went to a strip club that was quite far away from the strip. One by one, my friends and I started separating to get lap dances. One of our friends never returned. We waited for what seemed like hours until we saw him getting escorted to a private room. He signaled for us to just head back to the hotel. Fast forward to six in the morning. He showed up at the hotel room covered in blood. He left the strip club with no way to get a cab/Uber. He walked eight miles to get back to the hotel. In the process, he fell down a highway embankment and cut up his arms and legs." "I had a nice suite at the MGM and brought my significant other while in town for a business conference. One of the bigwigs was down the hall from us and had a party in his suite on the first night we were in town. Fifteen to twenty people were there; various drugs were being used after not too long. I didn't partake; my girlfriend did. I got drunk and fell asleep on the balcony. I woke up to find my girlfriend getting absolutely reamed in the bedroom. I approached the door to find a second naked guy in the room. I left for the airport and have never been back to Vegas." "My girlfriend went to a bachelorette party in Vegas. The bride got married soon after. Six months later, I was at a party and I overheard my girlfriend (a bridesmaid) talking to her friend: 'Well, we were partying with some guys who offered to give us drugs, and she was really drunk, and they talked her into the shower. She thought it was her fiancé; she kept saying his name.' She realized I could hear her conversation and said, 'But we went in and got her out before anything happened.'" "I married my college boyfriend three weeks after I graduated. I had only dated/been intimate with two other guys ever. I also never got a bachelorette party. Fast forward two years, my company sent me to Vegas for a conference. While there, the guys I was attending with got some strippers to come up to our suite. I came up to the room to find four strippers, coke, and pills all over the suite. I just snuck off to my bedroom and closed the door, but forgot to lock it. About an hour later, one of the strippers slipped into my room to hide and take a break. She locked the door, and we started chatting. We ended up talking for hours. After a bit, the conversation turned to sex. Neither of us had been with another woman, but we ended up hooking up that night. Almost 20 years later, we are still together and have raised two awesome kids. Thanks, Vegas." "A coworker and I had to take a load out to Nevada (truck drivers) and, since we had a day off between arriving and leaving (so they could unload our truck), we decided to go out and have a little fun. We got our hotel rooms, went out, grabbed a bite to eat, and then went to the casinos. After I lost about $100, I said 'Screw it.' left the casino, stopped at The Hard Rock to grab some souvenirs for my wife and daughter, went back to my room, and crashed. The next morning, we went to get our truck to start heading home (we're from Virginia), and I noticed that my partner looked like he hadn't slept and was pretty I asked him what happened." "Trade shows happen in Vegas all the time, so I'm there at least once a year for a week. Five or six years ago, I had a new guy working for us as a salesperson. He was issued an Amex card prior to the trip. Sometimes we take customers and vendors out to dinner and shows. Well, this guy proceeded to find every sexual massage place and sex worker that accepted Amex. He racked up over $6500 in charges in four days, neglected to do his job, and was terminated. That was an awkward flight back." "My husband was drugged at a pool party (most likely not meant for him but for the swarms of bikini-clad girls). The last thing he remembers is walking down the strip, then waking up in the hospital. Turns out he tripped/passed out outside the Venetian, hit the sidewalk like a sack of vodka-soaked potatoes, knocked out his front tooth, and split his lip and his forehead. It took a year before his smile was back to normal. Oh, and I was three months pregnant at the time, so that was a cool 7 a.m. call from the ER." "20+ years ago, I was the engineering director of planning for the local telecom that served a good part of the city at the time. I had the Western US, but Vegas was one of our biggest territories. I was headed down an alley with a couple of engineers at the north end of the strip right after lunch, and turned a corner just in time to see one person stab another person to death." "My then-fiancé and I did a joint bachelor/bachelorette thing in Vegas with all our groomsmen and bridesmaids. The plan was that the two parties would party separately for a few days, then we would all meet up on Saturday night. We planned to get everyone together for a nice dinner to thank them for making the trip out there, but ended up taking them to an Elvis chapel where our parents and siblings were waiting for us! The bridesmaids all started crying, and my best man was out of sorts because he had taken a strong edible with one of my other groomsmen in preparation for the dinner we had promised everyone. It was the wedding we wanted, and we were thrilled no one guessed what we had planned. Anyway, still happily married one year later! 10/10, would recommend a Vegas wedding with Elvis." "I was in Vegas with a group of coworkers for an industry event that also included several nurses. I was casual friends with two nurses who were good friends with each other. One afternoon, Nurse #1 stopped by my room and started giving me a back rub, which quickly led to afternoon delight. We decided not to make a big deal out of it — it's Vegas. Later, I was drinking with her and Nurse #2, who didn't know about the hookup, and started making moves on me. In a moment alone with Nurse #1, she said she was fine with it. The three of us ended up back in their hotel room. Nurse #1 fell asleep (or at least pretended to), and Nurse #2 and I slowly started touching each other right there in the next bed." "I went to a solar energy conference in Vegas a few years ago. The biggest conference of the year. One of my sales guys was very excited as it was his first time in Vegas. The first day of the show went great; everyone left for the day feeling good about day two. On day two, he didn't show up. On day three, he didn't show up. On day four, we were all calling, texting, and banging on the door, but we couldn't find him. He showed up on the last day with a black eye; he could barely explain what happened. He ended up going to a club, getting drunk/high on something, gambling away his $40k down payment he and his wife had been saving for years, and getting herpes. He lost his job, his wife, and his kids. What happens in Vegas rarely stays in Vegas." "I met a guy online. Two weeks later, on our second date, we (sober) drove to Vegas and eloped. We've been married for 12 years and have a 10-year-old daughter. It's the best and dumbest thing I've ever done." And finally..."Married my boyfriend of four months. Thirteen years later, we're happy as can be." What's your wild Vegas story? Let us know in the comments below or via this anonymous form. Submissions have been edited for length/clarity.

Boston Globe

15-06-2025

• Boston Globe

Mike Love celebrates Brian Wilson and George Clinton shines at 2025 Songwriters Hall of Fame gala

Love's speech was filled with gratitude, with one of his greatest thanks reserved for 'my cousin, Brian Wilson,' he said. 'My first cousin by blood and my brother in music.' Stamos then joined Love for a few Advertisement It was a notable moment in an evening full of them: The funk rock group Living Colour opened the energetic gala with a cover of Funkadelic's 'Cosmic Slop' to honor new inductee George Clinton. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up George Clinton performs during the 54th annual Songwriters Hall of Fame induction and awards gala on Thursday, June 12, 2025, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York. Charles Sykes/Charles Sykes/Invision/AP The annual event, held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City Thursday night, also featured inductees spanning genres, an inspiring mix of funk, rock, R&B, country, and beyond: Clinton, the Doobie Brothers, Ashley Gorley, Rodney 'Darkchild' Jerkins, and Tony Macaulay. 'What an incredible honor this is,' Clinton said in his speech. He talked about his early days in the legendary He then jumped into a performance of his own: The Parliaments' '(I Wanna) Testify.' Advertisement Country legend Garth Brooks introduced the Doobie Brothers with a raucous rendition of 'Long Train Runnin'' into 'China Grove.' When it was time for the inducted members — Tom Johnston, Teddy Riley introduced the groundbreaking producer Jerkins, whose touch is heard across countless R&B and pop hits. His speech included an animated impression of 'I didn't grow up chasing fame,' he said. 'I grew up chasing feeling. … Creativity has no limitations.' His four children, R.J., Heavenly, Hannah Joy, and Royal Jerkins, performed one of his best-known hits, Brandy and Monica's 'The Boy Is Mine.' It was a night for families: Country songwriter superstar Gorley's daughter also performed one of her dad's originals, When Gorley took the stage for his speech, he said he felt like he was in a 'fever dream' or that he had 'crashed a royal wedding.' Legendary English songwriter Macaulay was also honored. He is best known for such classics as the Foundations' 'Baby Now That I've Found You' and 'Build Me Up Buttercup,' the latter of which was performed for Macaulay by a spirited Debbie Gibson. Advertisement Musical theater composer Stephen Schwartz was the recipient of the esteemed Johnny Mercer Award; Kristin Chenoweth performed 'For Good' from 'Wicked' in his honor. The Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1969 to honor those creating popular music. A songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of a song. Some already in the hall include Gloria Estefan, Carole King, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Brian Wilson, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Lionel Richie, Bill Withers, Neil Diamond, and Phil Collins.