The Doobie Brothers: Live at the Greek Theatre—1982 Farewell Tour

“We wanna welcome you to the very last Doobie Brothers concert,” guitarist Pat Simmons told a booing audience at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA, in 1982. Although the Doobies would perform a reunion concert in 1987 and their latest album was released in 2010, Simmons is figuratively if not literally correct. The decade-long heyday of the band—from its country-blues-rock roots (1970-1975) to its blue-eyed-soul-pop years (1976-1980), with the divide corresponding exactly to the exit of founding member Tom Johnston and arrival of Michael McDonald in 1975—is nicely captured here in a 15-song set (“Listen to the Music” is both the opening and closing number) balanced between early Doobie staples (“Rockin' Down the Highway,” “Jesus Is Just Alright,” “Long Train Runnin',” “Black Water,” “China Grove”) and later hits when the Doobies were sometimes referred to as McDonald's “backup band” (“You Belong to Me,” “Minute by Minute,” “What a Fool Believes,” “Takin' It to the Streets”). Midway through the concert, “old” and “new” Doobie members Simmons and McDonald perform solo songs—many viewers will be unfamiliar with Simmons' “Out on the Streets” (which all but lifts the chorus from “Jesus Is Just Alright”), but quite a few will recognize the soon-to-be-solo-megastar McDonald's “I Keep Forgettin'.” A bittersweet concert featuring the best of the Doobies (with Johnston returning for a stirring performance on “China Grove”), this will appeal to fans of both of the band's eras. While the standard format ‘80s shot-on-video image (with light flare trails occasionally appearing onscreen) won't wow anybody, the sound—with DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo options—is solid. DVD extras include a McDonald-heavy bonus five-song set (featuring “Real Love”), band member interviews, and a booklet. Recommended. (R. Pitman)