The pink and lavender hues folded into the night sky as The Doobie Brothers took to the stage at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in St. Louis County at 8:30 p.m. on this warm Saturday night. The older crowd rose to their feet cheering and clapping. The band got down to business kicking off their 105-minute set with the classic cover of Eddie Holland’s “Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)” and then slid into “Here to Love You.”
The four-time GRAMMY Award winners and The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers delved deep into their hits that have been a mainstay across the world of rock since the ’70s and their mostly grey-haired fans filled the venue ready to groove along.
From the jangly “Rockin’ Down the Highway” to the smoother “You Belong to Me” (followed by band intros and a hearty “It’s good to be back in St. Louis”) to the dulcet “Minute by Minute,” The Doobies performed a stellar concert proving they’ve still got “it” 50-plus years after their beginnings in 1970. They tossed in a few other covers during the night including The Art Reynolds Singers “Jesus Is Just Alright,” followed by Kenny Loggins “What a Fool Believes,” and “Paul Simon’s “Still Crazy After All These Years” during the encore.
While the men on stage may move less than they did in their 20s and 30s (although saxophonist Marc Russo did amble all across the stage throughout the night), they can certainly still jam and make their instruments sing, rivaling any younger performer out there and the vocals, including St. Louis’ own Michael McDonald, were as strong as ever.
The encore consisted of some of their most recognizable hits, “Black Water,” “Takin’ It to the Streets,” and “Listen to the Music.”
Legendary GRAMMY-winning multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Steve Winwood opened the night with 55-minutes of hits that included songs during his time with Traffic, Blind Faith, and The Spencer Davis Group as well as some of his own popular singles during his solo career. Back by talented musicians as well as his daughter, vocalist Lilly Winwood, Winwood covered a wide array of his career from Blind Faith’s “Can’t Find My Way Home” to “Back in the High Life Again,” to Traffic’s “Dear Mr. Fantasy.” The crowd rose to their feet for “Higher Love” and kept swaying through The Spencer Davis Group’s “Gimme Some Lovin.”
Thanks to K-SHE 95 FM for sponsoring a night full of nostalgia for 99 percent of those attendance while the few younger souls will one day boast that they were able to see The Doobie Brothers and Steve Winwood perform in person.
See all the photos from the concert here https://bit.ly/Doobie24cz.
The Doobie Brothers setlist https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-doobie-brothers/2024/hollywood-casino-amphitheatre-maryland-heights-mo-5b528764.html
Steve Winwood setlist https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/steve-winwood/2024/hollywood-casino-amphitheatre-maryland-heights-mo-5b528758.html
In my work life, I help nonprofits and small businesses with media and public relations. In my what I love to do life, you can typically find me photographing either wild horses or concerts.
