There was plenty of the wearing of the green at the Wildhorse on this St. Patrick’s Day evening. Usually that’s enough for a rousing good time at a crowded bar. Throw in George Thorogood for the evening’s entertainment and you get a party at a much higher plane. The rockin’ was non-stop, the music was loud, and the hits just kept on coming one after another. If that wasn’t enough, Thorogood was obviously delighted to be here, loved the place and the crowd, and the crowd was giving the love back. It was one of those special Nashville nights. He was, in fact, so happy with the Wildhorse/Nashville vibe (he’d never played the room before) he said in the encore he talked to the management and there are plans to make his appearances here a tradition! How’s that for good vibrations?

I wasn’t really expecting a great show. I’ve always thought of Thorogood as kind of boring, with the non-stop, repetitive Bo Diddley beat thing in one song after another. And that was the case tonight too, but apparently his records do not do him justice (and I’m sure some will disagree strongly with me on this). Having never seen the band live I was pleasantly surprised, and that’s an understatement. These songs took on a life of their own tonight, mainly due to the multiple shots of steroids Thorogood injects into every tune. He was on from the get go, and never let up for a minute. His voice hasn’t lost a thing over the years, his slide playing is right on, his band is tight, and the songs I’ve heard a million times on the radio were somehow new again. He also has a stage presence that is both strong and friendly, with a never-ending, smiling animation throughout the night. This was great entertainment on a great party night.

Of course, the Destroyers had a lot to do with all of this. What would a Thorogood concert be like without the ever-present sax of Buddy Leach, who blows his solos pretty true to the originals? Guitarist Jim Suhler compliments Thorogood’s slide and alternating leads with his own lead and rhythm work. The original rhythm section of bassist Billy Blough and drummer Jeff Simon are simply relentless laying down the backbone of the band’s bluesy sound. They had people up on their feet, mouthing the words, and thrusting their arms skyward to the beat. The audience was fully engaged to the nth degree.

Now you know what you’d expect to hear from Thorogood, and he did not disappoint. Killer tunes like “Bad to the Bone”, “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer”, and “I Drink Alone” had people bellying up to the bar and raising their glasses all night. Throw in “Get a Haircut”, and the first encore tunes “Tail Dragger” from his latest album “The Dirty Dozen”, and the old classic “You Talk Too Much” and I think you can figure out how good the set list really was. Another testament to just how good of a time he was having was the second encore of “Madison Blues”. Great performances equal great times, so this show will be one I remember well. I enjoyed myself so much I almost bought a “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer” t-shirt, and I never buy t-shirts (not at $30 a clip). So I guess you could say the level of fun tonight was driving me a little crazy, and that’s when you know you’ve seen something special. Rock & Roll and crazy – perfect together.

You can get more info on the band at www.georgethorogood.com. Check it out, get a recording or two, turn it up way loud, and have a party. After that, be sure to catch them the next time they play the Wildhorse. This is a tradition you will want to be part of.  

About the author: Pennman bought his first 45 at age nine and has been hooked on rock ever since. He has spent much of his disposable income on music, especially live performances. He writes reviews of the shows he sees and keeps a keen lookout for upcoming shows in or near Bowling Green. He has a BA in Communications, specializing in journalism, and has dabbled in music himself, both as a player and instructor. Find more of Pennman’s work at www.associatedcontent.com/user/165511/pennman.html or visit him at www.myspace.com/pennman_bg or www.facebook.com/pennman