Geddes, N.Y. — George Thorogood may prefer to drink alone, but thousands of his fans came to the Fairgrounds Saturday night to drink in his company.
The 8 p.m. show at Suburban Park kicked off with “Rock Party” followed promptly by “Who Do You Love?” The second song was a great showcase of Thorogood’s classic clapback-delayed guitar sound, and the Destroyers sounded identical to their 1978 recording. Thorogood and his posse clearly still have a real reverence for the barebone blues and raucous rock that first established the band.
“I’ll do everything in my power to go to jail tonight,” Thorogood said before launching into a cover of “Shot Down” by the Sonics. “If someone’s got to go to jail for rock’n’roll, it might as well be me!”
30 minutes into the concert, the band played two of their most famous drinking songs, “I Drink Alone” and “House Rent Blues / One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer.” The two songs together spanned nearly 20 minutes, and the entire crowd was riveted for Thorogood’s simple yet satisfying boogies, singing along with the choruses to each track.
Next came an instrumental jam followed by “Gear Jammer,” in which Thorogood showed off his slide guitar prowess with a catchy lead riff and an impressive, silky smooth solo that lasted nearly four minutes. Thorogood then paid homage to the inspiration of all his guitar abilities.
“I had my hero, I just never knew how to say his name. It was either Mich Richards or Keith Jagger,” Thorogood joked. “Whoever he was, I owe a lot to that guy. I think we all do.”
As the band launched into “Get a Haircut,” the Rolling Stones influence shone clear – Thorogood looks like an American Stone, picking ripping rock riffs and singing with swagger like an amalgamation of the “Glimmer twins.” His finger-picked style and simple, sometimes scratchy voice define his sound, and his less-is-more guitar tone and approach to soloing all seem to have been learned at the…
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