George Thorogood Is Still Bad Ass, & That Is Good

Blues Guitarist & his Destroyers Rock The Charleston Music Down

By: Jeff Walker, Entertainment Writer

With a handful of classic rock radio hits, many just as well received on blues music channels, veteran rocker George Thorogood and his Destroyers blew the roof off the historic Charleston Music Hall Friday (Oct 4th) night as they brought their Good To Be Bad tour to the holy city. 45 years into a storied career, the 69 year old noted guitar slinger proved he still has the chops and the fan base to fill a venue.

Extended versions of a dozen of his classics were enough to fill 90 minutes, and leave the near sell out crowd fully satisfied. Thorogood established the mood right away with one of his anthems as ‘Rock Party’ set the tone for a TGIF celebration at the music hall. He followed with the first of three incredible covers from the 1950’s with Bo Diddley’s ‘Who Do You Love’ getting the crowd on their feet.

Just settling in Thorogood welcomed the crowd to what he called a Friday night blues and hootenanny party. He promised the crowd he was going to get dirty, he wasn’t going to get loud, and hell yeah he was going to get bad. George delivered on all three accounts, as he segued into ‘Shot Down’, made popular by early punk rockers The Sonics. He followed that with ‘Night Time’ off his 1980 release ‘More George Thorogood and the Destroyers’ aka ‘I’m Wanted’.

Funny and engaging, Thorogood and his four piece band including a killer sax player, worked the stage like the rock n’ roll journeymen they’ve come to be known as. With a wicked light show and a giant medallion as a back drop, George tapped into his comedic side, prepping the audience with each impending song.

Any in crowd who parked their asses down, quickly jumped up when the band delivered ‘I Drink Alone’, ironically one of rocks great drinking songs. There was no time to sit down as ‘One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer’ first introduced by early R&B singer Amos Milburn, completed the twin pack of alcohol infused tunes. George provided a public service announcement afterwards, asserting fans should never drink and drive. A rock god with noble virtue.

Reaching the half way point including freakin’ awesome guitar solos, George and the boys turned up the grunge on ‘Gear Jammer’, and invoked a sing-a-long with ‘Get A Haircut’. After the two great album cuts George whet fans appetite, asking if they were ready to get bad. Upon taunting them with guitar licks, he and the guys ripped into ‘Bad to the Bone’, which exploded from the music hall stage.

Thorogood’s show was in the fourth quarter when he sent up 2009’s ‘Tail Dragger’ made popular by one of his blues heroes Howlin’ Wolf. It was an ideal lead in to an epic finish, with the Hank Williams classic ‘Move It On Over’ getting the crowd pumped up. The boys closed out the show going full throttle on ‘Born To Be Bad’.

Again George was appreciative of fans support over four decades and promised to keep on rockin’ because that’s all he knows how to do. 45 years since they first began to excite audiences across America, George Thorogood and The Destroyers are still one of the most kick ass bands touring today.

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