Wanted All Over the World – George Thorogood and The Destroyers – Delaware 1981

This is one of a series of posts expanding on my 50 States in 50 Dates blog by documenting the global touring adventures of George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers and the earlier years of their career.

Quick Links:

• July 4, 1981 – State Theater. Newark, DE.
• July 10, 1981 – The Cellar. Wilmington, DE.
• November 24, 1981 – Carpenter Sports Building, University of Delaware. Newark, DE.

State Theater.

Date:  July 4, 1981.

Venue: State Theater. 39 E. Main St. Newark, DE. 19711. USA.

Find it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/j7mQF5C982zch3C4A

Venue Exterior: 

1980:

Source: National Register of Historic Places. Nomination Form. March 23, 1982. Pg. 11.

July 1981:

Source: Facebook.

2022:

Venue Interior:

1979:

Source: University of Delaware “The Review” student newspaper. Feb. 20, 1979. Pg. 1.

Opening Act: The Commotions.

Source: University of Delaware “The Review” student newspaper. Nov. 3, 1981. Pg. 11.

Poster / Flyer / Handbill: I am still looking for any posters, flyers or handbills used to publicize this concert.

Press & Promotion: 

Source: Sunday News Journal. June 28, 1981. Pg. F5.

Ticket Price:  $10.00.

Ticket Stub:

Source: Facebook.

Attendance:  Est. 600.

Source: National Register of Historic Places. Nomination Form. March 23, 1982.

Set List: Unknown.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.

Concert Photos:

Above: The Commotions perform at the State Theater in Newark, DE on July 4, 1981. Source: Facebook.

Concert Reaction: I am still looking for a contemporary, printed review of this concert, circa July 1981. Please send me a note if you know of one.

Other Notes: None.

Fate of the Venue:

Above: The State Theater in Newark, DE was demolished in August 1989. Source: News Journal. Aug. 15, 1989. Pg. B1.

The Cellar.

Date:  July 10, 1981.

Venue: The Cellar Salads and Spirits… Etcetera (aka The Cellar). 711 N. Market St. Wilmington, DE. 19801. USA.

Find it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/DyfzVZQWSppcJvUJ9

Venue Exterior: 

Circa 1981:

Source: YouTube.

August 1981:

Above: The view from The Cellar building looking out to N. Market Steet, which was a pedestrian mall closed to car traffic at that time. News Journal. Aug. 2, 1981. Pg. F1.

2020:

Venue Interior:

Circa 1981:

Source: YouTube.

Opening Act: The Commotions performed as the advertised headliners at The Cellar on July 10, 1981. The Destroyers made a surprise appearance afterwards.

Source: University of Delaware “The Review” student newspaper. Nov. 3, 1981. Pg. 11.

Poster / Flyer / Handbill: I am still looking for any posters, flyers or handbills used to publicize this concert.

Press & Promotion: 

Source: The News Journal. July 10, 1981. Pg. D5.

Ticket Price:  Unknown.

Ticket Stub: I am still looking for a ticket stub from this performance. Please send me a note if you have a photo or scan to share.

Attendance:  Unknown.

Set List: Unknown.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.

Concert Photos: I have not (yet) found any photos from this concert at The Cellar. Please send me a note if you have any to share.

Concert Reaction:

Gary Mullinax of The News Journal described the scene at The Cellar on July 10, 1981:

“Things were cooking at the Cellar on the Market Street Mall last Friday night.  In more ways than one.  The Commotions were playing. As usual, they drew a large crowd, which did lots of dancing and lots of sweating on the hot and humid night. But the Commotions didn’t play their scheduled final set.  Instead, some friends of theirs took the stage.  It was Newark’s George Thorogood and the Destroyers, who are keeping in shape before resuming their national touring.

Suddenly, the crowd was even larger. The people on the dance floor up front were packed so close together that they couldn’t do much dancing, although I suspect they were more inclined to look at the rock star than dance to his music, which was churning and searing as usual. “Evidently people went out and told their friends that George was Playing,” said the Cellar’s Diane Fine. “I heard all the other places in town just emptied out. We had no idea he’d be playing. It just happened.” Thorogood, who also has played a set with the 1-400s at West Chester’s Cabaret while at home this summer, began by thanking the Commotions for getting him the gig…

The Commotions drew even more people than usual the next night, when patrons thought they might see Thorogood again. They didn’t. 

The heat Friday night had people fanning themselves and pulling sticky shirts away from their skin, despite several air conditioners. “When you have the door open and that many people there and it’s that hot, it’s impossible to keep it cool,” said Fine. “It’s good to keep the door open because it attracts people.”

[…]

The Commotions […] were a little depressed Friday because a faulty public address system was distorting much of what they sang and played. Still, most of the patrons probably didn’t notice, especially the dancers.”

Source: The News Journal. July 17, 1981. Pg. D5.

Other Notes: None.

Fate of the Venue:

This version of The Cellar opened in March 1981. As of March 1984, The Cellar had filed for bankruptcy, the venue had been remodeled, and a restaurant called C.J. Chips was operating at 711 N. Market Street.

Source: The Morning News. March 15, 1981. Pg. E2; March 30, 1984. Pg. D4; Nov. 27, 1984. Pg. B1.

Wanted All Over the World – George Thorogood and The Destroyers – Texas 1981

This is one of a series of posts expanding on my 50 States in 50 Dates blog by documenting the global touring adventures of George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers and the earlier years of their career.

Quick Links:

• March 23, 1981 – Austin Opera House. Austin, TX.
• September 12, 1981 – Austin City Limits Studio 6A. Austin, TX.
• December 7, 1981 – Texas Moon Palace. Amarillo, TX.

Austin Opera House.

Date:  March 23, 1981.

Venue: Austin Opera House (aka Austin Opry House). 200 Academy Dr. Austin, TX. 78704. USA.

Find it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/mLbSFo828CC9Bqke9

Venue Exterior: 

1970s:

2022:

Venue Interior:

1970s:

Opening Act: Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble.

Poster / Flyer / Handbill: I am still looking for any posters, flyers or handbills used to publicize this concert.

Press & Promotion: 

Source: Austin American Statesman. March 14, 1981. Pg. 29.

Source: Austin American Statesman. March 18, 1981. Pg. D7.

Source: Austin American Statesman. March 22, 1981. Pg. 47.

Source: Austin American Statesman. March 23, 1981. Pg. C6.

Ticket Price:  $8.50.

Ticket Stub: I am still looking for a ticket stub from this performance. Please send me a note if you have a photo or scan to share.

Attendance:  After a major renovation in 1979, the Euphoria Tavern had capacity for an audience of 500 per show. The Destroyers’ two shows on March 1, 1981 were sold out.

Source: Oregonian. Jan. 12, 1979. Pg. G1.

Set List:

• Dirty Old Egg Sucking Dog (Johnny Cash).
• Cocaine Blues.
• Move It On Over.
• That Same Thing.
• One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer.
• Who Do You Love? (First Encore).
• Reelin’ and Rockin’ (First Encore).
• Johnny B. Goode (Second Encore).

Source: Daily Texan. March 25, 1981. Pg. 15.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.

Concert Photos: I am still looking for any photos of the Destroyers’ concert at the Austin Opera House in 1981. Please send me a note if you have any.

Concert Reaction:

Austin American Statesman staff writer Ed Ward did not enjoy the Destroyers’ or their opening act at the Austin Opera House in March 1981:

“Let’s get something straight right off: The music George Thorogood and the Destroyers and Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble played Monday night at the Opera House isn’t blues. It’s rock ‘n’ roll. Blues has elements of subtlety and is highly melodic music, as well as being a vehicle for improvisation. Rock ‘n’ roll, on the other hand, can simply be an excuse to churn out a rhythm while the fans go nuts.

And that’s certainly what happened at this show. Stevie Ray hit the stage and exploded with a set that was at least based in blues tradition, but he was sabotaged throughout by his equipment. (I later heard that he blew up no fewer than four amps!) At his best, he’s a legitimate heir to the Hendrix tradition of flash guitar improvisation overlaid with electronic weirdness. At his worst, he’s yet another boogie monster. His vocals are weak and the trio setup he uses can produce a feeling of monotony, especially when things aren’t going too well and the bass and drums have to fill in while he fixes things…

“If I could play like Stevie,” George Thorogood said early in his set, “I wouldn’t have to look so good.” Amen, says I. For Thorogood, hailed by some blues fans as the carrier of the torch, is not half the musician Vaughan is, although his stage antics certainly out flash Stevie Ray’s. If Thorogood is heir to anyone, it’s the boogie-blooze tradition of Canned Heat and the innumerable other ‘blues bands’ that sprung up in Cream’s wake in the late ’60s.

Thorogood’s singing is rudimentary, his guitar playing flashy but empty, and his repertoire hackneyed. His main virtue is his solid rapport with his audience, built through an almost preacher-like rap and careful pacing. The audience loved him. I left around midnight, feeling like I’d been beaten with a boogie stick…”

Source: Austin American Statesman. March 25, 1981. Pg. D11.

In stark comparison to the Austin American Statesman review, staff writer Wayne Terry of the Daily Texan filed a very positive review of the Destroyers’ 1981 concert at the Austin Opera House:

“One band still gets on stage and performs for the sheer joy and fun of a crashing rock ‘n’ roll song: George Thorogood and the Destroyers… He and the Destroyers performed a scorching set for a standing room crowd that simply went berserk. Hundreds of people crowded the front of the stage, twisting and rocking and reeling with the Michigan (sic) legend for two sweaty, crunching hours of fun.

Thorogood makes no artsy, phony intellectual poses, lyrically or musically. The man simply blows the house away with a joy and enthusiasm for rock that is unsurpassed…

Thorogood got right down to the rock, too, and stayed there. Zipping back and forth across the stage, holding the mike out for the audience to yell into, he took command from the first tune. He ripped out some blazing guitar and leaped into the crowd before the song was three minutes old. He left the stage for the welcome arms of the crowd three or four times during the night. The intensity never let up. Thorogood not only plays a bitching rock song, he entertains while he plays. With golden snakeskin shoes and coat, he duckwalked, kicked, leaped and danced his way through his repertoire…

[After the first encore], with the house lights up and the tape playing, a third of the crowd filed out. The remainder of the crowd refused to leave the Opera House, chanting “WE WANT GEORGE!”‘ and crashing folding chairs on the concrete. It was inevitable. The lights went down, and “The World’s Original Five-Man Trio” came back out for Thorogood’s traditional show closer. He dedicated “Johnny B. Goode” to the defunct Armadillo World Headquarters and closed his third Austin appearance with the very heart of rock ‘n’ roll music – an artist, a guitar and a stomping, yowling crowd. Thank God someone still rocks.”

Source: Daily Texan. March 25, 1981. Pg. 15.

Other Notes: The Destroyers made an in-store appearance at the Sound Warehouse South record store during their stopover in Austin. Sound Warehouse South was located at 4301 Manchaca Rd. (Manchaca Road was renamed Menchaca Road in 2019).

Source: Austin American Statesman. March 21, 1981. Pg. 28.

Source: Austin American Statesman. May 4, 1984. Pg. G5.

Above: The interior of Sound Warehouse South in April 1981. Source: Facebook.

Fate of the Venue:

The Austin Opera House closed in December 1991 and was immediately replaced at 200 Academy Drive by a multi-purpose venue called The Terrace.

Source: Austin American Statesman. Dec. 19, 1991. Pg. 6.

Austin City Limits Studio 6A.

Date:  September 12, 1981.

Venue: Austin City Limits. Studio 6A. Communications Building B. 2504 Whitis Ave. Austin, TX. 78712. USA.

Find it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/RRjtvc7CbK5htNvs5

Venue Exterior: 

1981: I am still looking for a photo of Communications Building B from the early 1980s. Please send me a note if you can point me in the right direction.

2015:

Venue Interior:

Nov. 2010:

Source: Austin American Statesman / Jay Janner.

Opening Act: Austin City Limits segments for David Olney and the X-Rays and George Thorogood and the Destroyers were both taped on September 12, 1981.

Poster / Flyer / Handbill: I am still looking for any posters, flyers or handbills used to publicize this concert.

Press & Promotion: 

Source: Daily Texan. September 11, 1981. Pg. 23.

Ticket Price:  Free.

Ticket Stub: I am still looking for a ticket stub from this performance. Please send me a note if you have a photo or scan to share.

Attendance:  Studio 6A had capacity for “around 600 people” for Austin City Limits tapings.

Source: Billboard. September 22, 1984. Pg. 56.

Set List:

David Olney and the X-Rays:

• Frankie and Johnny.
• She Bound to Go.
• Steal My Thunder.
• If Love Was Illegal.
• Love and Money.
• Wait Here for the Cops.
• Contender.

George Thorogood and the Destroyers:

• House of Blue Lights.
• I’m Wanted.
• Who Do You Love?
• I’ll Change My Style.
• No Particular Place to Go.

Source: YouTube.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Yes. This performance was filmed for the Austin City Limits TV program. The episode (# 713) was broadcast as the finale of Season 7, on or near April 2, 1982 in most U.S. cities.

Above: Broadcast sponsor Lone Star Beer produced a full color poster to promote Season 7 of Austin City Limits, including the episode with the Delaware Destroyers. Source: WorthPoint.

Concert Photos:

David Olney and the X-Rays:

George Thorogood and the Destroyers:

Concert Reaction:

Kevin Brass of the Review Times Advocate had very positive things to say about the Destroyers’ performance on Austin City Limits:

“I have two distinct memories of George Thorogood. The first is of a television show that aired recently. It was an edition of Austin City Limits, a rather stoic little show that usually features sedate performances by rock and mainstream country stars. The live studio audience usually responds with a polite round of applause before going back to sleep. On this particular evening, however, the entertainment was supplied by Thorogood and his not-so-sedate Destroyers. During the first romping rock number, the audience responded with shocked expressions and stares. By the second number, people in the front rows were on their feet. By the third number, Hank Carter had cranked up his saxophone and everybody was dancing. Thorogood had his act in high gear by then and soon people were dancing everywhere – on the chairs, on the stage, on the speakers… I doubt if Austin City Limits will ever be the same…”

Source: Review Times Advocate. Oct. 7, 1982. Pg. NC22.

Other Notes: George Thorogood remained in Austin in the days following the Austin City Limits taping. He was spotted in the crowd at Austin’s Frank C. Erwin Jr. Special Events Center on September 16, 1981 for the closed-circuit broadcast of the championship boxing match between Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Source: Austin American Statesman. Sept. 17, 1981. Pg. E1.

Closed in 2022, the Erwin Center was located at 1701 Red River St.

Above: Promotional poster for the boxing match between Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on September 16, 1981.

Fate of the Venue:

Austin City Limits was recorded at Studio 6A until 2010. Program tapings were moved to the Moody Theater beginning with the 2011/12 season. At the time of this writing, Communications Building B is the home of the University of Texas at Austin’s Moody College of Communication.

Source: Austin American Statesman. June 21, 2009. Pg. A1.

Wanted All Over the World – George Thorogood and The Destroyers – Oregon 1981

This is one of a series of posts expanding on my 50 States in 50 Dates blog by documenting the global touring adventures of George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers and the earlier years of their career.

Quick Links:

• February 28 & March 1, 1981 – Euphoria Tavern. Portland, OR.
• October 25, 1981 – Paramount Theatre. Portland, OR.

Euphoria Tavern.

Date:  February 28 & March 1, 1981.

The Destroyers played two shows at the Euphoria Tavern on each of these days.

Venue: Euphoria Tavern. 315 SE 3rd Ave. Portland, OR. 97214. USA.

Note: The address on the matchbook cover above is from before the 1979 renovation that switched the Euphoria Tavern’s entrance from the 2nd Ave side of the building to the 3rd Ave side of the building.

Find it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/bedvS3XH8NRkEDrd8

Venue Exterior: 

1979:

Source: The First Portland Catalogue. 1979. Pg. 82.

2018:

Venue Interior:

1979:

Source: The First Portland Catalogue. 1979. Pg. 82.

Opening Act:

Skyboys (February 28, 1981 concert):

Liquid Blues Band (March 1, 1981 concert):

Photo Source: Facebook.

Poster / Flyer / Handbill: I am still looking for any posters, flyers or handbills used to publicize these concerts.

Press & Promotion: 

Source: Statesman Journal. Feb. 20, 1981. Pg. 11D.

Source: Oregon Journal. Feb. 26, 1981. Pg. 32.

Source: Oregonian. Feb. 27, 1981. Pg. E9.

Source: Oregonian. Feb. 27, 1981. Pg. E9.

Ticket Price:  Unknown.

Ticket Stub:

Above: Ticket stub for the Destroyers’ early (7pm) performance at the Euphoria Tavern on Saturday, February 28, 1981.

Above: Ticket stub for the Destroyers’ late (11pm) performance at the Euphoria Tavern on Saturday, February 28, 1981. From the collection of Doug Turner.

Attendance:  After a major renovation in 1979, the Euphoria Tavern had capacity for an audience of 500 per show. The Destroyers’ two shows on March 1, 1981 were sold out.

Source: Oregonian. Jan. 12, 1979. Pg. G1.

Set List:

• House of Blue Lights.
• One Way Ticket.
• Reelin’ and Rockin’.
• Move It On Over.
• Cocaine Blues.
• One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer.
• Who Do You Love?

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.

Concert Photos: I am still looking for any photos of the Destroyers’ concerts at the Euphoria Tavern in 1981. Please send me a note if you have any.

Concert Reaction:

Oregon Journal Special Writer Dan DePrez penned these words about the Destroyers’ concerts at the Euphoria Tavern in 1981:

“Music, energy, lights, incredible sounds, sassiness, and personality conspired Saturday and Sunday nights at Euphoria by George Thorogood and the Destroyers.  Thorogood is a firm believer in basics, be it in his music or business affairs…  While the entourage of most rock bands usually resembles an army, Thorogood’s total road crew is closer to a basketball team in size. In music, also, Thorogood sticks to the basics. His reputation has been built on authentic reproductions of almost forgotten blues and rock classics, delivered with uncommon energy.

The guitarist and his three-piece backup band hit the stage at Euphoria greeted by more anticipation than this writer has ever seen from an audience.  From the opening Chuck Berry-style guitar riff that kicked off “House of Blue Lights,” Thorogood’s opener, the crowd was on its feet, clapping and dancing as if it was the encore.

Primitive societies had their shamans, holy men who would exhaust themselves calling forth good or evil spirits for the benefit of the tribe… Thorogood expended more energy in one song than most fat-cat rock stars put out in an evening. After just a couple of songs, the guitarist told the crowd, “Don’t sit down now,” and it was clear that he was not going to let that happen.“

Source: Oregon Journal. March 2, 1981. Pg. 11.

Other Notes: None.

Fate of the Venue: The Euphoria Tavern switched from a music focus to a sports focus in 1983:

Source: Oregonian. April 27, 1983. Pg. C5.

50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 50 – Perkins Palace, Pasadena, California

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 50 (Concert # 51)

Date:  December 11, 1981

Venue:  Perkins Palace.  129 N. Raymond Avenue.  Pasadena, CA.  91103.

Find it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/Go1emwV548rdE32x6

Venue Exterior: 

December 11, 1981:

Source: Bill Blough.

1982:

Source:  Facebook  

2019:

Venue Interior:

Source:  Los Angeles Times.  May 13, 1990.  Pg. J4.

Source:  Los Angeles Times.  Nov. 19, 1987.  Pg. 6.  

Opening Act:  Albert Collins.

Above:  “The Ice Man” Albert Collins and George Thorogood perform at Live Aid.  JFK Stadium.  Philadelphia, PA.  July 13, 1985.  Credit:  Ebet Roberts/Getty Images.

Poster / Flyer / Handbill:  I have not (yet) come across a poster, flyer or handbill for the Destroyers’ Pasadena 50-50 show.  Please get in touch if you have a scan or a photo that you can share.

Press & Promotion:  There was a large amount of hype and promotion for the Destroyers’ final 50-50 concert.  There was a notably active secondary (i.e., scalper) market for tickets to this show.

Source:  BAM.  October 23, 1981.  Pg. 27.

Source:  Los Angeles Times.  November 29, 1981.  Pg. 70.

Source:  Los Angeles Times.  November 29, 1981.  Pg. 70.

Source:  Los Angeles Times.  December 6, 1981.

Source:  Los Angeles Times.  December 6, 1981.

Source:  Delaware Morning News.  December 10, 1981.

Ticket Price:  $9.50/$10.50

Ticket Stub:    

Above:  The back of my ticket stub to the Destroyers’ 50-50 concert at Perkins Palace is autographed “To Jon” by singer Kim Carnes, best known for her Grammy-winning recording of the song “Bette Davis Eyes”.  Ms. Carnes grew up in Pasadena and had recently performed her own concert at Perkins Palace on October 11, 1981.

Source:  Pasadena Independent.  January 31, 1963.  Pg. 9 & Los Angeles Times.  October 11, 1981.  Pg. 68.

Attendance:  1,800.

Source:  Billboard Magazine.  December 26, 1981.

Set List:

I can only confirm a partial set list for the Destroyers’ 50-50 concert in Pasadena.  Billboard Magazine reported that the Destroyers played a “19-song set” at this show.

• House of Blue Lights
• I’m Wanted
• One Way Ticket
• It Wasn’t Me
• Bottom of the Sea
• Night Time
• I’ll Change My Style
• Can’t Stop Lovin’
• Move It On Over
• Nobody but Me
• No Particular Place to Go

Source:  Concert recording & Billboard Magazine.  December 26, 1981.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Yes.  The Destroyers’ 50/50 concert at Perkins Palace was broadcast live on the syndicated King Biscuit Flower Hour radio program. 

Source:  Los Angeles Times.  December 11, 1981.

Above:  A vinyl bootleg of the Destroyers’ 50-50 concert at Perkins Palace.

Concert Photos:

Source:  George Thorogood & the Destroyers on Facebook  

Source:  George Thorogood & the Destroyers on Facebook

Source:  Desert Sun (Newspaper).  December 16, 1981.  Pg. C12.

Concert Reaction:  Most reviews of the Destroyer’s 50-50 concert in Pasadena focus on the band’s considerable accomplishment of completing the full tour in 50 days, as opposed to delving into the details of the show itself.

An Associated Press report that ran nationally after the Destroyers’ Perkins Palace show had this to say about the evening:

“George Thorogood and the Destroyers might have been tired, but it didn’t show as they blew out the house…  Thorogood, maestro of 1950s rock ‘n’ roll, dashed onto the stage, ripping through red, white and blue tape to mark the finale of the precedent-setting tour”.

Source:  San Bernardino County Sun.  December 13, 1981.

An expanded version of the Associated Press’ wire story about the Destroyers’ show in Pasadena included additional details about the performance:

“Rock star George Thorogood and his band, the Destroyers, wound up a tour through all 50 states early Saturday in Pasadena, Calif., with a show that ended with dancing teen-agers (sic) flooding the stage and a tape-recorded version of the national anthem…  Although the band seemed a bit thinner and perhaps a shade more hoarse than when the tour began, Thorogood and his troupe received a great reception.” 

Source:  Delaware Morning News.  December 13, 1981.

Reviewer Cary Darling of Billboard Magazine was less enthusiastic about the Destroyers’ Perkins Palace concert in December 1981:

“Playing to an audience that bordered on the maniacal, Thorogood’s set, which ran more than two hours, was a trying experience for those who don’t see Thorogood as the greatest thing since the invention of the wheel…  Thorogood’s chunky slide guitar style and his grating, jagged voice don’t wear well after the first hour.  When coupled with extremely loud volume, plus the slight echo which this elegant former movie palace is blessed with, the result is not exactly a great concertgoing [sic] event…”   

Source:  Billboard Magazine.  December 26, 1981.

Other Notes: 

Above: Backstage pass for the final concert of the Delaware Destroyers’ 50 50 Tour on December 11, 1981 in Pasadena, California. Source: Bill Blough.

Fate of the Venue:  Perkins Palace was renovated and briefly reopened as The Raymond Theatre in 1990.  The site closed as a concert venue in 1991.  After an extended fight to preserve the building as a concert hall, the site was redeveloped as an apartment complex with accompanying retail and restaurant space.

Source:  http://hometown-pasadena.com/history/remembering-pasadena%E2%80%99s-palace-of-rock/11578

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 7 – The Hitching Post Inn, Cheyenne, Wyoming

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 7 (Concert # 7)

Date:  October 29, 1981

Venue:  The Hitching Post Inn (aka The Hitch).  1700 West Lincolnway.  Cheyenne, WY.  82001.  

Find it on Google Maps:  https://goo.gl/maps/S88JNemo4CCX6ixT6

Venue Exterior: 

1960s:

I have not yet found a photo of the exterior of the Hitching Post as it looked circa the 50-50 tour.  Please get in touch if you know of one.

2018:

Venue Interior: 

1980s:

Above:  Ricky and the Red Streaks perform at the Hitching Post Inn sometime in the 1980s.  

Source:  https://www.facebook.com/SueRosoffsRodeoPhotography/

Opening Act:  There was no opening act for this concert.

Source:  Bill Blough / Facebook.

Poster / Flyer / Handbill:  I have not yet seen a poster, flyer or handbill for this show.  If you have a copy or any information, please get in touch!

Press & Promotion:  I am still looking for any advertising used to promote the Destroyers’ 50-50 concert in Wyoming.  Please send me a note if you know of any or have any images you can share.

Ticket Price:  $7.50.

Source:  Bill Blough / Facebook.

Ticket Stub:  I am still looking for an image of the tickets for this show.  If you have a scan or a stub for sale, please get in touch!    

Attendance:  Unknown.  As far as fire regulations were concerned, the Hitching Post’s Coach Room had an official capacity of 150.  The promotor indicated a capacity of 600.  Anecdotally, the Hitching Post’s Coach Room would hold over 1,200 “from time to time”.

Source:  Sue Castaneda.  “Hitching Post Inn:  Wyoming’s Second Capital”.  Wyoming State Archives.  2012.  Pg. 100 & Bill Blough / Facebook.

Set List:  Unknown.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.    

Concert Photos:  I am still looking for any photos of the Destroyers performing at the Hitching Post during the 50-50 tour.  Please get in touch if you have any!  

Concert Reaction:  I am still looking for a printed review for the Destroyers’ 50-50 concert in Cheyenne.  Please contact me below if you know of one.

Other Notes:  The Destroyers’ 50-50 concert in Wyoming was originally going to take place at the Wyoming State Prison in Rawlins, WY.

Source:  Ottawa Citizen.  Nov. 13, 1981.  Pg. 34 & The Ledger.  Nov. 15, 1981.  Pg. 11D.

Fate of the Venue:  The Hitching Post Inn closed in September 2009 because of financial issues.  A large portion of the hotel was destroyed in a fire on September 15, 2010.  

Source:  Casper Star Tribune.  Jan. 7, 2012.  Pg. A1.

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 46 – Texas Moon Palace, Amarillo, Texas

** Special Note:  I would like to express my sincere thanks to site visitor and Amarillo 50-50 concert attendee Micah Jones for sharing memories and an article from his personal collection for this blog post. **  

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 46 (Concert # 47)

Date:  December 7, 1981

Venue:  Texas Moon Palace.  829 S. Georgia Street.  Amarillo, Texas. 79106.  

Source:  Facebook.

Find it on Google Maps:  https://goo.gl/maps/3j7LMXtekHGUTodx9

Venue Exterior: 

1970s:

829 S. Georgia was the site of the Playmore Roller Palace from the early 1950s up to the mid-1970s.  Circa 1976, the Playmore Dance Palace (aka the Playmoor Dance Palace) operated at that location.

Source:  Facebook.

1981:

I have not yet found a photo of the exterior of the Texas Moon Palace as it looked circa the 50-50 tour.  Please get in touch if you know of one.

2018:

Venue Interior:  I have not yet found a good photo of the interior of the Texas Moon Palace as it looked circa the 50-50 tour.  Please get in touch if you know of one. 

Opening Act:  Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble.

Above:  Stevie Ray Vaughan with the Rolling Stones at the Danceteria in New York City.  The “unidentified bystander” on the left in the dark hat is Tommy Shannon, bass guitarist from Double Trouble.  Source:  NY Daily News.  May 16, 1982.

There are some reports online suggesting Stevie Ray Vaughan performed as a solo act for this concert.  That version of events is NOT supported by the Amarillo Daily News’ concert review, published two days after the show. 

Source:  Amarillo Daily News.  Dec. 9, 1981.  Pg. 7B. 

Poster / Flyer / Handbill: 

Source:  Facebook

Press & Promotion:  I am still looking for any advertising used to promote the Destroyers’ 50-50 concert in Texas.  Please send me a note if you know of any or have any images you can share.

Ticket Price:  $6.

Ticket Stub:  I am still looking for an image or photo of the ticket stub for this show.  If you have a scan or a stub for sale, please get in touch!    

Attendance:  Unknown.

Set List:  I can only confirm a partial the set list for this show:

Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble:

• Love Struck Baby

George Thorogood & the Destroyers:

• I’m Wanted*

Source:  Amarillo Daily News.  Dec. 9, 1981.  Pg. 7B.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.    

Concert Photos:  I am still looking for any photos of the Destroyers performing at the Texas Moon Palace during the 50-50 tour.  Please get in touch if you have any!  

Concert Reaction: 

Donna Weeks wrote a very positive review of the Destroyers’ 50-50 show in Amarillo:

“Monday night in the Texas Moon Palace, Thorogood’s band and Stevie Ray Vaughan practically brought the roof down with a rocking and rolling spirit that shook the country and western cobwebs from the club’s roller derby rafters.”

Source:  Amarillo Daily News.  Dec. 9, 1981.  Pg. 7B.

Other Notes:  This concert did NOT take place at the Jersey Lilly in Amarillo.  

Fate of the Venue:  Concerts and public events were held at the Texas Moon Palace up to at least 1983.  The trail goes cold for me after that.  Please get in touch if you have more information about the fate of the Moon Palace.  

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 29 – Longbranch Saloon, Saco, Maine

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 29 (Concert # 29)

Date:  November 20, 1981

Venue:  The Longbranch Saloon.  644 Main Street.  Route One.  Saco, Maine.  04072.  USA.

Source:  Biddeford Journal Tribune.  Dec. 11, 1981.  Pg. 14.

Find it on Google Maps:  https://goo.gl/maps/8VCoSnZozjce5pHp8

Venue Exterior: 

March 1981:

Source:  Journal Tribune.  March 14, 1981.  Pg. 1.

2018:

Venue Interior: 

March 1981:

Source:  Journal Tribune.  March 13, 1981.  Pg. 1.

Opening Act:  One 400s.

Source: Bill Blough.

Poster / Flyer / Handbill:  I have not yet seen a poster, flyer or handbill for this show.  If you have a copy or any information, please get in touch!

Press & Promotion: 

Source:  Portland Evening Express.  Nov. 19, 1981.  Pg. 30.

Source:  Portland Evening Express.  Nov. 19, 1981.  Pg. 30.

Ticket Price:  Unknown.  Please get in touch if you have any information.

Ticket Stub:  I am still looking for a photo of the tickets for this show.  If you have a scan or a stub for sale, please get in touch!    

Attendance:  The Journal Tribune newspaper reported that “more than 1,000 people jammed into the Longbranch Saloon” for this concert. The promoter noted a capacity of 1,100 for this show. Officially, the Longbranch Saloon had capacity for 850 people at this time.

Source:  Journal Tribune.  Feb. 2, 1981.  Pg. 10 & Nov. 23, 1981.  Pg. 12.

Set List:  Unknown.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.    

Concert Photos:  I am still looking for any photos of the Destroyers performing at the Longbranch Saloon during the 50-50 tour.  Please get in touch if you have any!  

Concert Reaction: 

Press coverage of the Destroyers’ 50-50 tour stop in Maine focused on the unruly crowd, not the band’s performance. Police Chief Richard Nason described the scene at the Longbranch Saloon as “a highly volatile situation [with] fights breaking out all over the place”. Seventeen police officers were brought in to bring order.

Source:  Journal Tribune.  Nov. 23, 1981.  Pg. 12.

Other Notes: 

Above: Backstage pass from the Destroyers’ November 20, 1981 concert at the Longbranch Saloon in Saco, Maine. Source: Bill Blough.

Fate of the Venue:  The Longbranch Saloon in Saco, Maine was replaced by J.D. Mac’s Stagehouse at 644 Main Street as of late January 1982.

Source:  Portland Evening Express.  Jan. 28, 1982.  Pg. 4.   

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 41 – Abbey’s Irish Rose, Oxford, Mississippi

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 41 (Concert # 42)

Date:  December 2, 1981

Venue:  Abbey’s Irish Rose (aka The Rose).  103 1/2 South 10th St.  Oxford, Mississippi.  38655.  

Note:  There was also an entrance to Abbey’s Irish Rose at 120 South 11th Street.  Oxford, MS.  38655.

Find it on Google Maps: 

10th Street Entrance – https://goo.gl/maps/mB6WCiJcX9p16VhcA

11th Street Entrance – https://goo.gl/maps/mB6WCiJcX9p16VhcA

Venue Exterior: 

1981:

I have not yet found a photo of the exterior of the Abbey’s Irish Rose as it looked circa the 50-50 tour.  Please get in touch if you know of one.

2011:

Venue Interior:

1987

I have not yet found a good photo of the interior of Abbey’s Irish Rose as it looked circa the 50-50 tour.  Please get in touch if you know of one.  As a placeholder, above are photos inside the “Illusion Rock Cafe”, an alcohol-free, all-ages music venue operating in at the site of the former Abbey’s Irish Rose as of 1987.  

Source:  Ole Miss Yearbook.  Vol. 93.  1987.  Pg. 62.

Opening Act:  The Cobras.

Source:  Corpus Christi Caller.  Dec. 10, 1982.  Pg. 3 & Bill Blough.

Poster / Flyer / Handbill:  I have not yet seen a poster, flyer or handbill for this show.  If you have a copy or any information, please get in touch!

Press & Promotion:  I am still looking for any advertising used to promote the Destroyers’ 50-50 concert in Oxford.  Please send me a note if you know of any or have any images you can share.

Ticket Price:  $5.

Ticket Stub: 

Attendance:  Unknown.   The promotor noted a venue capacity of 700 to 900 people.

Source:  Bill Blough.

Set List:  Unknown.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.    

Concert Photos:  I am still looking for any photos of the Destroyers performing at Abbey’s Irish Rose during the 50-50 tour.  Please get in touch if you have any!  

Concert Reaction:  I am still looking for a printed review for the Destroyers’ 50-50 concert in Mississippi.  Please contact me below if you know of one.

Other Notes:  None.

Fate of the Venue:  By 1987, Abbey’s Irish Rose in Oxford, MS, had been replaced by a venue called “Churches” and then another venue called the “Illusion Rock Cafe”.  A series of bars and restaurants have operated at that location over the years. 

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 2 – International Banquet House, Anchorage, Alaska

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 2 (Concert # 2)

Date:  October 24, 1981

Venue:  International Banquet House.  549 West International Airport Road.  Anchorage, Alaska.  99581. USA. 

Find it on Google Maps:  https://goo.gl/maps/oDGDv7ECatDjEsij6 

Venue Exterior: 

1981:

I have not yet found a photo of the exterior of the International Banquet House as it looked circa the 50-50 tour.  Please get in touch if you know of one.

2011:

Venue Interior:

1979:

Source: Chugiak Gruening Jr. / Sr. High School. Babiche Yearbook. 1979. Pg. 109.

Opening Act:  Gary Sloan and the Southside Blues Band.

Source:  Living Blues Magazine.  1981.  Pg. 42.

Photo Source:  http://sadisynn.com/Musicians/SouthSideBluesBand.html

Poster / Flyer / Handbill:  I have not yet seen a poster, flyer or handbill for this show.  If you have a copy or any information, please get in touch!

Press & Promotion:  I am still looking for any advertising used to promote the Destroyers’ 50-50 concert in Anchorage.  Please send me a note if you know of any or have any images you can share.

Ticket Price:  Blog visitor and Anchorage 50-50 concert attendee Doug T. reports that tickets for this show were $13.50.  Please contact me if you can confirm this information.

Ticket Stub:  

Attendance:  Unknown.  The promoter noted a venue capacity of 900 for this concert.

Source:  Bill Blough / Facebook.

Set List:  Unknown.  The Destroyers’ 50-50 concert in Alaska was three and a half hours long.

Source:  Anchorage Daily News.  September 4, 1986.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.    

Concert Photos:  I am still looking for any photos of the Destroyers performing at the International Banquet House during the 50-50 tour.  Please get in touch if you have any!  

Concert Reaction:

Donna Freedman of the Anchorage Daily News reported that the Destroyers’ 50-50 concert in Alaska “left audiences dancing on the tables and screaming in the aisles”.

Source:  Anchorage Daily News.  September 4, 1986.

Blog visitor and Anchorage 50-50 concert attendee Doug T. shared his recollection of the evening: 

“The venue is about as you [might imagine].  There were big round tables set up in this one big banquet room.  I want to say ten seats per table, as the tables were fairly big.  If you think ‘wedding reception layout’, you are about right.  Tables had white table clothes and waitress service…  I remember the place being packed.  Most likely it was sold out, as George had a pretty good following in Anchorage due to the FM radio scene at the time.  

About two or three songs into the show, the tables and chairs were of no consequence.  The place went CRAZY, so it didn’t matter which table or which chair you had at the beginning of the show.   Everything was pushed aside and it just became a frenzied […] mosh pit-type scene up front by the stage. 

George went running off into the crowd a few times and at a couple of points [he] hopped up on a table and jammed for a bit – with his feet kicking and shuffling every step of the way.    

He [had already done] at least two encores when he came back out and said, “Alright, what do you want to hear?”   He [then] kicked into ‘It Wasn’t Me’.  He did every song from the first three albums, which would be about 30 songs.  

The bars in Anchorage had to close at 2am back then.  I remember him saying that because of the “clock on the wall”, he could no longer play.  That is when the show finally ended.  Honestly, [we] were totally spent by that time.  After the lights came up, I remember looking around the room at all the strewn chairs and tables.  The place looked like a tornado had come through.  We all were looking at each other like, “What the hell just happened?”  It was crazy, crazy, crazy good.”  

Other Notes:  None.

Fate of the Venue:  The International Banquet House turned into a music venue called “Grand Central Station” by the middle of 1985.  At the time of this writing, a mixed-use business/retail/restaurant complex operates at 549 West International Airport Road.  

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What Might Have Been – The Alternative “50 States in 50 Dates” Tour Stops That Never Were

Given the complex travel and scheduling requirements of George Thorogood and the Destroyers’ Fifty States in Fifty Dates tour, it should come as no surprise that concert venues, locations and logistics changed in the course of planning the tour.  The trail of information about these altered 50/50 shows is scattered throughout interviews, newspaper articles, itineraries, posters and advertisements from that time.

Above:  An in-progress itinerary for the 50-50 tour that includes cities and/or venues that were ultimately changed (yellow highlights).  The order of the states is also different on this list compared to the actual tour (green highlights).  All the states are in the expected order up to December 1, 1981.  After that, the Destroyers are listed as performing in New Orleans on December 2nd, then moving on through Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas and Oklahoma.  On the actual 50-50 tour, the band was in Mississippi on December 2nd, then Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana (opening for the Rolling Stones) and Oklahoma:

Date	50-50 Tour Stops – Planned	50-50 Tour Stops – Actual
Dec. 1, 1981	Mobile, AL.	Mobile, AL.
Dec. 2, 1981	New Orleans, LA.	Oxford, MS.
Dec. 3, 1981	Jackson, MS.	Memphis, TN.
Dec. 4, 1981	Memphis, TN.	Fayetteville, AR.
Dec. 5, 1981	Fayetteville, AR.	New Orleans, LA.
Dec. 6, 1981	Oklahoma City, OK.	Tulsa, OK.

Source:  Destroyers’ 50-50 Tour Itinerary from Facebook.

Above:  Congratulatory ad from the Rosebud Agency that ran in Billboard Magazine on December 19, 1981, shortly after the 50 States in 50 Dates tour was completed.

The 50-50 cities listed at the bottom are correct, but the tour map at the top of the ad has the Destroyers traveling across the southern states in a different order – starting with Arkansas to Oklahoma, then detouring (flying?) from Oklahoma to New Orleans (and back, presumably), before moving west to Texas.  In reality, the band went from Arkansas to New Orleans, then Oklahoma and Texas.

Going directly from Fayetteville, AK to Tulsa, OK would have been a short two hour (113 mile) jaunt for the band.  The extra excursion to New Orleans turned that into a 613 mile run from Arkansas down to Louisiana, followed by another 655 miles of driving from New Orleans back up to Tulsa.

The city ‘stars’ on this tour map also show the Destroyers stopping in Oklahoma City (middle of the state) instead of Tulsa (northeast corner of the state).

Actual vs. Planned 50 / 50 Tour Concert Venues

Tour Stop 2 (Concert 2).  October 24, 1981: 

• Actual Location:  International Banquet House.  Anchorage, AK.
• Original Planned Location:  Anchorage Westward Hilton Ballroom.  500 W. 3rd Ave.  Anchorage, AK.  99501.

Source:  Destroyers’ 50-50 Tour Itinerary from Facebook.

Above:  The Anchorage Westward Hilton Hotel.

Tour Stop 4 (Concert 4).  October 26, 1981: 

• Actual Location:  WSU Performing Arts Coliseum.  Pullman, WA. 
• Original Planned Location:  Unknown Venue.  Spokane, WA.  

Source:  Spokesman Review.  Oct. 9, 1981.  Pg. 5.

Tour Stop 7 (Concert 7).  October 29, 1981: 

• Actual Location:  The Hitching Post.  Cheyenne, WY. 
• Original Planned Location:  Wyoming State Prison (aka Wyoming State Penitentiary).  2900 S. Higley Blvd.  Rawlins, WY.  82301.        

Source:  Ottawa Citizen.  Nov. 13, 1981.  Pg. 34 & The Ledger.  Nov. 15, 1981.  Pg. 11D.

Above:  Wyoming State Prison (aka Wyoming State Penitentiary).  Rawlins, WY.

Tour Stop 13 (Concert 13).  November 4, 1981:

• Actual Location:  Omaha City Auditorium Music Hall.  Omaha, NE.
• Original Planned Location # 1:  Nebraska Union Centennial Room.  University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  Lincoln, NE.
• Original Planned Location # 2:  Omaha Civic Auditorium Arena.  1804 Capitol Ave.  Omaha, NE.  68102.

Source # 1:  Lincoln Journal Star.  Sept. 23, 1981.  Pg. 13 & Nov. 5, 1981.  Pg. 10.

Source # 2:  Sunday World Herald.  Nov. 1, 1981.  Pg. 2.

Above:  Omaha Civic Auditorium Arena.  Omaha, NE.

Tour Stop 15 (Concert 15).  November 6, 1981: 

• Actual Location:  Hoch Auditorium.  Lawrence, KS. 
• Original Planned Location:  Lawrence Opera House.  642 Massachusetts St.  Lawrence, KS.  66044.

Source:  Kansas City Star.  Oct. 25, 1981.  Pg. 2F.

Above:  Lawrence Opera House.  Lawrence, Kansas.  1982.

Tour Stop 30 (Concert 30).  November 21, 1981:

• Actual Location:  Edwards Auditorium.  University of Rhode Island.  Kingston, RI.
• Original Planned Location:  Center Stage.  2224 Pawtucket Ave.  Providence, RI.

Source:  Roger Williams University.  “Quill”.  October 29, 1981.  Pg. 11 & Circus Magazine.  1981.

Above:  Center Stage.  Providence, RI.  Source:  https://www.ripopmusic.org/musical-artists/producers/paco-zimmer/

Tour Stop 34 (Concert 35).  November 25, 1981:

• Actual Location:  Warner Theater.  Washington, DC.
• Original Planned Location:  Lisner Auditorium.  George Washington University.   730 21st Street NW.  Washington, DC.  20052.

Source:  Circus Magazine.  Nov 30, 1981.  Pg. 15.

Above:  Lisner Auditorium.  Washington, DC.  Source:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisner_Auditorium

Tour Stop 41 (Concert 42).  December 2, 1981:

• Actual Location:  Abbey’s Irish Rose.  Oxford, MS.
• Original Planned Location:  Lagar?  Jackson, MS.

Source:  Destroyers’ 50-50 Tour Itinerary from Facebook

Tour Stop 44 (Concert 45).  December 5, 1981:

• Actual Location:   Superdome.  New Orleans, LA. 
• Original Planned Location:  McAlister Auditorium.  Tulane University.  6823 St. Charles Ave.  New Orleans, LA.  70118.

Source:  Destroyers’ 50-50 Tour Itinerary from Facebook & Circus Magazine.  Nov 30, 1981.  Pg. 15.  

Above:  McAlister Auditorium.  Tulane University.  New Orleans, LA.

Tour Stop 45 (Concert 46).  December 6, 1981:

• Actual Location:  Cain’s Ballroom.  Tulsa, OK.
• Original Planned Location:  Rainbows.  3034 N. Portland.  Oklahoma City, OK.  73107.

Source:  Circus Magazine.  Nov 30, 1981.  Pg. 15.  

Above:  A partial 50 States in 50 Days tour itinerary published in Circus Magazine.  This list is notable for the highlighted concert locations that were subsequently changed for the actual tour.

Source:  Circus Magazine.  Nov 30, 1981.  Pg. 15.

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 42 – The Music Hall, Memphis, Tennessee

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 42 (Concert # 43)

Date:  December 3, 1981

Venue:  The Music Hall.  4069 Lamar Ave.  Memphis, TN.  38118.

Please note:  This concert did not take place at the P.O.E.T.S. Music Hall, the Memphis performance venue once located at 1819 Madison Ave.  The P.O.E.T.S. business was moved to the larger Lamar Ave location (the site of the former Country and Western Ballroom in the late 1960s) and renamed in August 1981.

Source:  Memphis Star (newspaper).  September 1981.  Pg. 4.

Find it on Google Maps:  https://goo.gl/maps/B3keG2dUn2T4wZjh7

Venue Exterior: 

1981:

I have not yet found a photo of the exterior of The Music Hall as it looked circa the 50-50 tour.  Please get in touch if you know of one.

2018:

Venue Interior:

I have not yet found a good photo of the interior of The Music Hall as it looked circa the 50-50 tour.  Please get in touch if you know of one.

Opening Act:  David Olney and the X-Rays.

Source:  Bill Blough.

Poster / Flyer / Handbill:  I have not yet seen a poster, flyer or handbill for this show.  If you have a copy or any information, please get in touch!

Press & Promotion:  I am still looking for any advertising that was done to promote the Destroyers’ 50-50 concert in Memphis.  Please send me a note if you know of any or have any images you can share.

Ticket Price:  $8.

Ticket Stub:  I have not seen a stub to this concert.  If you have a scan or a stub for sale, please get in touch!    

Attendance:  Unknown.  The Music Hall’s official seating capacity was “over 1,000” in 1981.  The promoter noted a maximum venue capacity of 850.

Source:  Memphis Star (newspaper).  September 1981.  Pg. 4 & Bill Blough.

Set List:  Unknown.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.    

Concert Photos:  I am actively seeking any photos from the Destroyers’ 50 50 show at the Music Hall.  Please get in touch if you know of any.

Concert Reaction:  I have yet to find a printed review for the Music Hall 50-50 concert.  Please get in touch if you know of one.

Other Notes:  

Above:  A thank you message from the Music Hall’s management to recent headline performers at the venue – including the Delaware Destroyers.  Source:  Memphis Star.  January 1982.  Pg. 11.  

Fate of the Venue:  The Music Hall was a short lived venue that opened in July 1981 and was gone by April 1983.  The No Name Club replaced the Music Hall at 4069 Lamar Ave.

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 28 – Flat Street, Brattleboro, Vermont

50/50 Tour Stop: # 28 (Concert # 28)

Date:  November 19, 1981

Venue:  Flat Street.  17 Flat Street.  Brattleboro, Vermont.  89102.

Find it on Google Maps:  https://goo.gl/maps/HcwhSYAE56jbaXeD6

Venue Exterior: 

Nov. 19, 1981: 

Source:  Brattleboro Reformer.  Nov. 21, 1981.  Pg. 16.

2018:

Venue Interior: 

1978:

Source:  Brattleboro Reformer.  May 12, 1978.  Pg. 9.

Source:  Brattleboro Reformer.  May 12, 1978.  Pg. 9.

Opening Act:  “A folkrock trio featuring Kris Kleemer on acoustic guitar and vocals, Reed Butler on bass and Tim Griffin on drums”.    

The Stompers were originally booked to open the show but “had an equipment problem and did not show up”. 

Source:  Collegian.  Nov. 23, 1981.  Pg. 14. 

Poster / Flyer / Handbill:  I have not yet seen a poster, flyer or handbill for this show.  If you have a copy or any information, please get in touch!

Press & Promotion: 

Source:  Brattleboro Reformer.  Nov. 11, 1981.  Pg. 6.

Source:  Brattleboro Reformer.  Nov. 11, 1981.  Pg. 6.

Source:  Brattleboro Reformer.  Nov. 13, 1981.  Pg. 16.

Source:  Brattleboro Reformer.  Nov. 18, 1981.  Pg. 6.

Source:  Greenfield Recorder.  Nov. 19, 1981.  Pg. B3.

Ticket Price:  $7.  Tickets were only available at the door.

Ticket Stub:  I have not seen a stub to this concert thus far.  If you have a scan or a stub for sale, please contact me!   

Attendance:  “About 800”.  Flat Street had an official capacity of 400 in 1981.  The Destroyers’ concert was sold out and an additional 200 people were turned away at the door.

Source:  Collegian.  Nov. 23, 1981.  Pg. 14 & Brattleboro Reformer.  Dec. 18, 1981.  Pg. 4.

Set List: 

• House of Blue Lights.
• Cocaine Blues.
• Outro music:  The Star-Spangled Banner

The Destroyers played 20 songs in a 90 minute set at this concert.

Source:  Collegian.  Nov. 23, 1981.  Pg. 14.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.  

Concert Photos:  

Source:  Brattleboro Reformer.  Nov. 21, 1981.  Pg. 16.

Concert Reaction: 

Bill Stepchew of the Collegian newspaper recounted the Destroyer’s 50-50 concert at Flat Street:

“By seven o’clock, the crowd was lined up outside the club waiting for the doors to open.  By nine-thirty, the place was jam packed, with people standing or sitting on the floor, tables, chairs, railways and stairways, to get a view of the stage…  Although the show only lasted ninety minutes, it was packed with enough intensity to leave everyone thoroughly satisfied, a little exhausted and probably a little deaf.”

Source:  Collegian.  Nov. 23, 1981.  Pg. 14.

Other Notes: 

In a letter to the Editor published on December 18, 1981, Dennis Fagan, Flat Street’s Bar Manager, responded to complaints from those who had lined up, but never got into Flat Street for the Destroyers’ 50/50 concert.  Mr. Fagan explained that the show was the first time Flat Street had ever sold out.  The bar’s management chose not to offer tickets for sale in advance because of the “prohibitive” expense they would add to the concert’s production costs.  “In hindsight, we recognize that not offering advance sale tickets for the Thorogood concert was a mistake,” Fagan concluded.

Source:  Brattleboro Reformer.  Dec. 18, 1981.  Pg. 4.

Fate of the Venue:  

Flat Street changed ownership several times in the mid- to late 1980s.  The club stopped showcasing live music for several years, then brought it back in again in 1988.  In November 1990, the building was sold to the Greater Brattleboro Area Teen Community Center, Inc.  

Source: Rutland Daily Herald. Nov. 15, 1990. Pg. 10.

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 49 – Troubadour Lounge, Las Vegas, Nevada

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 49 (Concert # 50)

Date:  December 10, 1981

Venue:  Las Vegas Troubadour Lounge (aka The Troubadour).  2112 Western Ave.  Las Vegas, Nevada.  89102.

Find it on Google Maps:  https://goo.gl/maps/QdRnj2tqaHU2

Venue Exterior: 

1981: 

I have yet to find a good photo of the Troubadour Lounge’s exterior as it looked in 1981.  Please send me a message if you know of one. 

2019:

Venue Interior: 

1981:

Source:  Las Vegas Review Journal.  June 7, 1981.  Pg. 10J.

1982:

Above:  The band “Notorious” on stage at the Las Vegas Troubadour Lounge.  

1985:

Source:  Las Vegas Review Journal.  March 15, 1985.  Pg. 13e.

Opening Act:  Bandit.

Source:  Las Vegas Review Journal.  December 20, 1981.  Pg. 11J.

Poster / Flyer / Handbill:  I have not yet seen a poster, flyer or handbill for this show.  If you have a copy or any information, please get in touch!

Press & Promotion:  

Source:  Las Vegas Review Journal.  Nov. 15, 1981.  Pg. 11J.

Ticket Price:  $8.00

Source:  Bill Blough.

Ticket Stub:  I have not seen a stub to this concert thus far.  If you have a scan or a stub for sale, please contact me!   

Attendance:  Est. 350.  The Las Vegas Troubadour Lounge had space for approximately 450 people in 1981.  The promoter noted a venue capacity of 350.  This concert was sold out.

Source:  Bill Blough.  

Set List: 

• One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer.

Source:  Las Vegas Review Journal.  December 20, 1981.  Pg. 11J.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.  

Concert Photos:  

Source:  Facebook

Source:  Facebook

Source:  http://www.lvclassicrock.com/LVCR/concerts/concertindex.html

Concert Reaction: 

Cathy Senecal of the Las Vegas Review Journal recapped the night of December 10, 1981 at the Troubadour Lounge:

“[It] was easy for me to accept the pandemonium at the Troubadour of Las Vegas on the 49th night of a tour that would make the band the “touringest” band in America…  The expected line wound around the Las Vegas nightclub when doors opened about 8:30 p.m.  The pushing and shoving was only an indication of what was to come.  Inside, anxious concert-goers asked each other what to aspect. “Have you seen George before,” a young woman asked two young men dressed in brown leather jacket with earrings dangling from their left lobe. “Yah, in Wyoming and Los Angeles.  He’s best in a small club.  He’ll be great.”

The packed house at the Troubadour began edging forward as soon as the opening group, Bandit, exited the stage.  When Thorogood burst onto the stage, guitar in hand, spectators clung to the brass railing separating the dance floor from the rest of the nightclub, edged by bouncers end speakers, and elbowed their way past the rows of seats nearest the stage to get closer to the man they had come to see. 

As strains of “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer”, emerged from the stage, the crowd became the chorus and the popularity of Thorogood as more than just a bar band shone forth.  “I take it you’ve heard the story before,” Thorogood yelled.

On stage he […] gives his best.  There’s conviction to the music and at limes you believe it can conquer all, if only for a moment.  That’s when you know you’ve seen a good rock ‘n roll show.  That Thursday night at the Troubadour he won the plaudits of his audience.  Full grown boys and girls clapped, screamed, danced, sang, sweated, and shouted the night away in his honor.”

Source:  Las Vegas Review Journal.  December 20, 1981.  Pg. 11J.

Other Notes:  This ad from the UNLV Rebel Yell student newspaper gives a good flavor of what the scene at the Troubadour was like in the late 1970s/early 1980s:  

Source:  UNLV Rebel Yell.  Nov. 15, 1979.  Pg. 5.

Fate of the Venue:  

Opened in October 1972, the Las Vegas Troubadour Lounge continued as a venue for dancing and live music until 1986, when it changed names briefly to the Wild Hare, then to the Hopscotch Lounge.

Source:  Las Vegas Review-Journal.  Oct. 5, 1972.  Pg. 9 & Nov. 6, 1986.  Pg. 4C.

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 11 – Gaiety II, Mandan, North Dakota

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 11

Date:  November 2, 1981

Venue:  Gaiety II.  4518 Memorial Highway.  Mandan, ND.  58554.

Find it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/ogbpz9PAzCdsyZ666

Venue Exterior: 

1982:

Source:  Bismarck Tribune.  May 17, 1982.  Pg. 1.

2023:

Venue Interior:

1982:

Above: Gambling was a significant part of the Gaiety II’s business.  I would love to add a better photo of the Gaiety II’s stage and concert area to this entry.  Please send me a note if you have one or can point me in the right direction.

Source:  Star Tribune.  February 21, 1982.  Pg. 1B.

Opening Act:  Unknown.  Concert attendee Allen H. recalls that there was no opening act for the Destroyers’ 50-50 concert at the Gaiety II.  If you have different information, please get in touch.

Poster / Flyer / Handbill:  I have never seen a poster for this concert.  It was reported at the time that this show sold out so fast that there was “no need for much advertising”.  Please get in touch if you have any posters of flyers from this show that you can share.

Press & Promotion:  

Above: Excerpt from a newspaper article about the Destroyers’ 50-50 concert in Moorhead, Minnesota that also included a brief mention of the “Garity” (sic) concert in Mandan, North Dakota. Source: North Dakota State University. “Spectrum”. Oct. 30, 1981. Pg. 12.

   Source:  Bismarck Tribune.  October 31, 1981.  Pg. 8.

Source:  Bismarck Tribune.  October 31, 1981.  Pg. 8.

Ticket Price:  $7.00

Ticket Stub:  

My thanks to blog reader and concert attendee Allen H. for sharing this photo of his Mandan 50-50 ticket stub!

Attendance:  400.

Source:  Bismarck Tribune.  October 31, 1981.  Pg. 8.

Set List:  Unknown.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.  Please get in touch if you have any information.

Concert Photos: 

Source: Bill Blough / Instagram.

Concert Reaction:  I have never seen a published review for this concert.  Please get in touch if you can point me in the right direction.

Concert attendee Allen H. shares this memory of the venue and the performance:

“The Gaiety was a unique setup.  Rather small, but having two levels, with a large opening for the stage.  [You] could view the band from both levels.  [The] upper level formed … a semicircular balcony above and around the stage.  Stairways at the left and right sides of the stage connected the upper and lower levels.  G.T. used [the stairways] to play from during the show.”

Other Notes:  The 400+ mile drive between Billings, Montana and Mandan, North Dakota was one of the longest sections of car travel during the 50/50 tour.

This concert did not take place at the “Playmore Club” (aka “PlaMor”), as is indicated in some 50/50 tour date lists found online.

Fate of the Venue: The Gaiety II was permanently closed on May 13, 1984.  The site was put up for sale a short time later. A bar called “My Dad’s Place” was operating at 4518 Memorial Highway in Mandan, ND as of July 1985.

Source:  Bismarck Tribune.  May 20, 1984.  Pg. 4.

Source:  Bismarck Tribune.  August 17, 1984. Pg. 4B.

50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 38 – Agora Ballroom, Atlanta, Georgia

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 38 (Concert # 39)

Date:  November 29, 1981

Venue:  The Agora (aka the Agora Ballroom).  665 Peachtree Street NE.  Atlanta GA.  30308.

Find it on Google Maps:  https://goo.gl/maps/uXh8ABZtaW6hzcbz7

Venue Exterior: 

September 1981:

1982:

1982:

2017:

Venue Interior:

Above:  The Producers perform at Atlanta’s Agora Ballroom in April 1981.  Source:  https://sallanscorner.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/atlantas-great-band-the-producers/

Opening Act:  Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown.

Photo credit:  Lincoln Nebraska Journal Star.  July 28, 1981.  Pg. 8.

Poster / Flyer / Handbill: I have never seen a poster for this concert.  Please get in touch if you have a photo you can share.

Press & Promotion:  

    Source:  Augusta Chronicle.  November 11, 1981.

Source:  Anniston Star.  November 21, 1981.

Source:  Atlanta Constitution.  Nov. 22, 1981.  Pg. 6F.

Source:  Atlanta Constitution.  Nov. 28, 1981.  Pg. 2.

Source:  Atlanta Constitution.  Nov. 28, 1981.  Pg. 6.

Source:  Atlanta Journal.  Nov. 28, 1981.  Pg. 35.

Source:  Atlanta Journal.  Nov. 29, 1981.

Source:  Atlanta Constitution.  Nov. 29, 1981.  Pg. 6.

Source:  Montgomery Advertiser.  December 4, 1981.

Ticket Price:  $7.50.

Ticket Stub:  

Source:  Facebook.

Attendance:  Unknown.  Atlanta’s Agora Ballroom had an official capacity of 1,200 in 1981.  The promoter noted a capacity of 1,300 for this show.

Source:  Billboard Magazine.  September 26, 1981.  Pg. G-10 & Bill Blough.

Set List:  

• Who Do You Love?
• Reelin’ and Rockin’.

Source:  Atlanta Journal.  Nov. 30, 1981.  Pg. 3B.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.  Please get in touch if you have any information.

Concert Photos:  I have yet to uncover any photos from the Destroyers’ 50-50 concert in Atlanta.  Please get in touch if you have any to share.

Concert Reaction:  

Atlanta Journal Staff Writer Russ DeVault’s review indicates the Destroyers were still going strong 38 days (39 concerts) into the 50/50 tour:

“At first, it all seems a little droll and more than a little improbable: a rock ‘n’ roll band playing 50 states in 50 days and traveling to all but two of them – Hawaii and Alaska – in a converted Checker cab.  Then you see, and hear, George Thorogood and the Destroyers for more than two hours Sunday night and Monday morning at the Agora and realize there’s nothing to it, nothing at all.

Thorogood and the Destroyers burned up enough energy while here to prove their stamina.  The question is whether the people who hear them will ever regain theirs.

Thorogood, saxophonist Hank Carter, bassist Bill Blough and drummer Jeff Simon started with a standing, full house.  When they finished, the only ones still standing were a few true die-hards.  The majority of the crowd had fled.  It wasn’t because the music was bad… 

Thorogood and the Destroyers come out, launch into a couple of songs along the line of “‘Who Do You Love” and then he warns the crowd. “‘We’re gonna play some rhythm and blues, some country and western, and some rock ‘n’ roll, and then we’re gonna party.”

Two hours later, the frantic, often frenetic, Thorogood scolds the fans still not blown away “You call THAT dancing?” he says.  “That’s the worst dancing I ever saw.”  Three explosions of songs later, he says, “This is my idea of having fun,” proceeds to wear out three more songs, some more of his audience, and finally relents a bit by saying, “I think everybody showed some class by coming out even though the bar wasn’t open.”

No problem, there.  By the time he closed his encore with a raucous version of Berry’s Reelin’ and Rockin’, no song could have been more descriptive of the survivors, and nothing could have been more unnecessary than alcohol.  Thorogood and the Destroyers are strong enough.”

Source:  Atlanta Journal.  Nov. 30, 1981.  Pg. 3B.

Other Notes:  The Destroyer’s 50/50 concert at the Agora was an all-ages show because Atlanta’s laws at that time did not allow liquor sales on Sundays.   

Fate of the Venue:  

Atlanta’s Agora Ballroom closed as a concert venue in 1983.  After laying derelict for several years, the site burned in a major fire on August 30, 1987.  

Source:  Marietta Daily Journal.  September 2, 1987.  Pg. 1B. & Atlanta Fire Department.  History of Service Commemorative Yearbook.  1982.

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