Courtesy of Rogers & Cowan
Courtesy of Rogers & Cowan
George Thorogood & The Destroyers kick off the latest leg of their Good to Be Bad: 45 Years of Rock tour this Saturday, June 22, in Hinckley, Minnesota. The North American trek features over 30 dates and is scheduled through an October 19 show in Battle Creek, Michigan.
Thorogood, 69, tells ABC Radio that he and his band constantly strive to put on a better show than they’ve ever done before.
“I don’t want people to come see The Destroyers and say, ‘Wow, you should’ve seen ’em 10 years ago,'” George declares. “Somebody says that to me, and then I’m done. I want someone to say, ‘You gotta see ’em right now,’ and that’s what we work at no matter where we go.”
Thorogood says he loves playing for both old and new fans, but when it comes to the people who have already seen the band, he wants them to say, “Oh my goodness, who was that guy who played here last year? This guy’s much better than the Thorogood we heard five years ago.”
George adds, “[T]hat’s the essence of what our band is about… That’s how you stay on top of your game.”
Meanwhile, George says he’s excited about the new limited-edition signature guitar Gibson created for him — the Epiphone “White Fang” ES-125TDC Outfit, inspired by a 1959 Epiphone hollowbody he long favored.
“It’s more than special on a personal level,” Thorogood says. “It means someone out there really cares about what [I’m] doing… And they’re saying, ‘We’re gonna [design a guitar] that’s gonna make George even be more of what George has already been.’ So if I was obnoxious before, forget it, I’ll be illegal the next time I play.”
Here are all of George Thorogood & The Destroyers’ confirmed North American tour dates:
6/22 — Hinckley, MN, Grand Casino
6/23 — Highland Park, IL, Ravinia
7/6 — Sioux City, IA, Saturday in the Park – Grandview Park
7/19 — Rama, ON, Canada, Casino Rama
7/20 — Kemptville, ON, Canada, Kemptville Live Music Festival
7/21 — Webster, MA, Indian Ranch
7/23 — Beverly, MA, The Cabot
7/24 — Rochester, NY, Live at MLK!
7/26 — Nichols, NY, Tioga Downs Casino Resort
7/27 — Bensalem, PA, Parx Casino XCite Center
7/28 — Crownsville, MD, Outlaw Jam – Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds
7/30 — St. Louis, MO, River City Casino & Hotel
7/31 — Clear Lake, IA, Surf Ballroom
8/2 — Billings, MT, Magic City Blues Festival
8/3 — Sturgis, SD, Sturgis Buffalo Chip
8/4 — Arvada, CO, Arvada Center
8/7 — Jackson, CA, Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort
8/8 — Ventura, CA, Ventura County Fair
8/9 — Costa Mesa, CA, Pacific Amphitheatre
8/10 — Primm, NV, Star of the Desert Arena – Buffalo Bill’s
8/31 — Calgary, AB, Canada, Party in the Park – WinSport Arena
9/17 — Odessa, TX, Ector County Coliseum
9/25 — New York, NY, The Town Hall
9/27 — Red Bank, NJ, Count Basie Theatre
9/29 — Jim Thorpe, PA, Penn’s Peak
10/1 — Wilmington, DE, The Grand Opera House
10/3 — Newport News, VA, CNU’s Ferguson Center for the Arts
10/4 — Charleston, SC, Charleston Music Hall
10/5 — Peachtree City, GA, The Frederick J. Brown Amphitheater
10/10 — Greensburg, PA, Palace Theatre
10/11 — Northfield, OH, MGM Northfield Park – Center Stage
10/12 — Cincinnati, OH, JACK Cincinnati Casino Event Center
10/13 — Nashville, IN, Brown County Music Center
10/18 — Wisconsin Dells, WI, Crystal Grand Music Theatre
10/19 — Battle Creek, MI, FireKeepers Casino Hotel
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