50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 34 – Coast to Coast, Catonsville, Maryland

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 34 (Concert # 34)

Date:  November 25, 1981

Venue:  Coast to Coast.  6512 Baltimore National Pike.  Catonsville, MD.  21228.

Find it on Google Maps:  https://goo.gl/maps/gWiiinXC8x52 

Venue Exterior: 

1981:

Source:  Baltimore Evening Sun.  Dec. 10, 1981.  Pg. 18.

2017:

Venue Interior:

Above:  The band D.C. Star performs at Coast to Coast.  Source:  Baltimore Evening Sun.  Dec. 10, 1981.  Pg. 18.

Opening Act:  The Skip Castro Band.

Note:  George Thorogood joined the Skip Castro Band for part of their opening set.  Please see the “Set List” section below for details.

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:  Baltimore Sun.  November 22, 1981.

Source:  Baltimore Sun.  November 22, 1981.

Source:  Baltimore Sun.  November 22, 1981.

Ticket Price:  $8.50.

Ticket Stub:  

My sincere thanks to Jim Powell for sharing this image of a ticket stub from the Destroyers’ 50-50 concert at Coast to Coast!    

Attendance:  “About 1,000”.

Source:  Baltimore Evening Sun.  Nov. 27, 1981.  Pg. B1.

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

• Oh What a Thrill¹ 
• Intro music:  Theme from Jaws (John Williams & the Boston Pops Orchestra)
• One Way Ticket*
• One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer*
• I’m Wanted*
• Who Do You Love?*
• Night Time*

¹ As reported in the Baltimore Evening Sun:

The group [The Skip Castro Band] closed its set with Chuck Berry’s “Oh What a Thrill”, as lead guitarist Bo Randall leaped off the stage and duckwalked through the room.  When he returned onstage five minutes later, he was met by [George] Thorogood who strapped on his guitar and jammed for a short while with the band…  Thorogood’s appearance was totally unplanned.    

* I am not able to confirm the order in which these songs were played, only that they were part of the Destroyers’ set list for this show.

Source:  Baltimore Evening Sun.  Nov. 27, 1981.  Pg. B10.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Yes.  See “Concert Reaction” below.  The Destroyers’ 50-50 concert at Coast to Coast was filmed for NBC’s “The Today Show” and for the syndicated program “PM Magazine”.  I have yet to come across any footage from either episode.    

Source:  Baltimore Evening Sun.  Nov. 27, 1981.  Pg. B1 & On Music & Media Magazine.  September-October 1982.  Pg. 39.

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

Concert Reaction:

Patrick Ercolano of the Baltimore Evening Sun filed a positive review of the Destroyers’ 50/50 concert at Coast to Coast:

Wasting little time in getting things rolling, Thorogood and company […] led off with several numbers at a break-neck tempo that had customers dancing on the tables and chairs…  For an artist who doesn’t exactly possess a huge national reputation and whose records are on the small […] Rounder label, Thorogood has intensely devoted fans.  At Coast to Coast, they seemed to sing along with every lyric.

George Thorogood discusses the 50-50 concert in Maryland in an interview from 1982:

“The Washington D.C. gig was the best…  That was the day we played two gigs:  D.C. and Baltimore.  But what a day it was.  Insane.  INSANE!  You see we usually went to sleep about six in the morning when we were doing the Eastern states.  And we slept until five in the afternoon.  But that day we did an afternoon show which started around six and then drove to D.C. for a show at 11.  The only day I really needed my sleep so I could energize, I got about four hours sleep, tops, because of some radio interview before the gig in D.C.  I got nothing to eat, I was totally exhausted from the previous night, and at the interview this jock wants to talk about nothing except the Rolling Stones.  Now I’m really bummed because I’m wiped out and have to do two shows, and to complicate things, the Baltimore gig is being filmed by the TV show P.M. Magazine.  Of all the times I need my energy, I got none.

Anyway, we did a two and a half hour show at Baltimore, drove to D.C. and did the show there.  And it was totally animalistic.  I mean TOTALLY.  It was unbelievable.  There was a riot in the crowd.  We had to stop playing after the third song to calm things down.  We were sizzlin’ up there on stage – we were great despite fatigue.  We got everyone fired up and then took them down with a ballad and took them right back up again.

For me it was the peak of the tour because it showed me how much I could really push myself.”

Source:  On Music & Media Magazine.  September-October 1982.  Pg. 39.

Other Notes:  None.

Fate of the Venue:  Coast to Coast closed as a music venue in 1985. 

Thanks again to Jim Powell for the information.

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 12 – Zodiac Lounge, Moorhead, Minnesota

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 12 (Concert # 12)

Date:  November 3, 1981

Venue:  Zodiac Lounge (aka The Zoo).  Brookdale Rd, Moorhead, MN.  56560.

Find it on Google Maps:  https://goo.gl/maps/RGxY5Q3kGyp

Venue Exterior: 

Late 1970s:

The Zodiac Lounge was located in Moorhead’s Brookdale Shopping Center.

2015:

Venue Interior: See concert photo below.

Opening Act:  Nitro Brothers.

Above: The Nitro Brothers were a post-punk band from North Dakota that was active from 1977 to 1985. 

Poster / Flyer / Handbill:  

Above: Poster for the George Thorogood and the “Destoyers” (sic) 50-50 concert in Moorhead, Minnesota on November 3, 1981.

Press & Promotion: I have not seen any newspaper advertisements for this concert.  If you know of any, please get in touch!    

Ticket Price:  $10.00

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

Attendance:  300.

Source:  Fargo-Moorhead Forum newspaper.  November 4, 1981.

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

• House of Blue Lights¹
• One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer*
• Nobody But Me*
• Ride on Josephine*
• No Particular Place to Go²

¹ House of Blue Lights was the first song played at this concert.

² No Particular Place to go was the second to last song played at this concert.

* I am not able to confirm the order in which these songs were played, only that they were part of the Destroyers’ set list for this show.

Source:  Fargo-Moorhead Forum newspaper.  November 4, 1981.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.    

Concert Photos: 

Above: My sincere thanks to blog visitor Thomas G. for sharing the above photo of the Destroyers on stage during the the Zodiac Lounge 50-50 concert! 

Above:  George Thorogood performs at the Zodiac Lounge on November 3, 1981.  Source:  Facebook.

Concert Reaction:

Entertainment editor Sylvia Paine of the Fargo-Moorhead Forum filed a detailed, positive review of the Destroyers’ 50-50 show:

“People shrieked as he did what they knew he would – duck walked a la Chuck Berry, shook his head and shoulders, zigzagged through the crowd, played insistently with one chord or one note until the room vibrated with it…  Thorogood gives a performance so athletic and emotional you’d think he’d need two days of rest afterwards…”

Source:  Fargo-Moorhead Forum newspaper.  November 4, 1981.

Other Notes:  None.

Fate of the Venue:  The Zodiac Lounge closed in June 1982.  Moorhead’s Brookdale Shopping Center has been completely redeveloped since that time.

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 40 – Saenger Theatre, Mobile, Alabama

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 40 (Concert # 41)

Date:  December 1, 1981

Venue:  Saenger Theatre. 6 South Joachim Street.  Mobile, Alabama.  36602.

Find it on Google Maps:  https://goo.gl/maps/HMjKqnYVkNB2

Venue Exterior: 

December 1988:

Source:  Mobile Register.  May 5, 1988.  Pg. 20-A.

2016:

Venue Interior:

Date unknown (Pre-1999):

Photo credit:  http://www.angelfire.com/al/saenger/

Opening Act:  Cruis-o-matic

Poster / Flyer / Handbill:  

Source:  http://www.shaggytexas.com/board/showthread.php/86806-Fox-Bros.-BBQ-Atlanta-GA

Press & Promotion:

Source:  Pensacola News Journal.  November 27, 1981.

Source:  Mobile Register.  November 27, 1981.

Source:  Mobile Register.  November 27, 1981.

Ticket Price:  $7 in advance.  $8 on the day of the show.

Source:  Pensacola News Journal.  November 20, 1981.

Ticket Stub: 

Source:  Facebook.

Please contact me if you have a ticket stub from this concert for sale.

Attendance:  Unknown.  The promoter noted a venue capacity of 1,900.  

Source:  Bill Blough.

Set List:  Unknown.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.  If you have any information, please contact me using the form at the bottom of this post.

Concert Photos:  I have not come across any photos from the Destroyers’ 50 50 concert in Mobile thus far.  Please send me a note using the comment box if you can point me in the right direction.

Concert Reaction:  I am still looking for a printed review from this concert.  Please get in touch if you know of one.

Other Notes: There was much speculation leading up to the Destroyers’ 50-50 concert in Mobile that the Rolling Stones would put in an appearance at the Saenger Theatre.  In the end, the Stones did not attend the show.

Source:  Pensacola News Journal.  November 20, 1981.

Fate of the Venue:  Saenger Theatre underwent an extensive renovation in 2004.  The theatre continues to host concerts and other public events.

Read more about the Saenger Theatre here:  http://www.mobilesaenger.com/history/ 

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 1 – The Wave Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 1 (Concert # 1)

Date:  October 23, 1981

Venue:  The Wave Waikiki.  1877 Kalakaua Avenue.  Honolulu, Hawaii.  96815.

Find it on Google Maps:  https://goo.gl/maps/caFTP2qFPJM2 

Venue Exterior: 

1983:

2011:

Venue Interior:

I don’t have a good photo of the Wave Waikiki stage as it looked in 1981.  Please get in touch if you can point me to one.

Opening Act:  The Squids.

Source: Honolulu Star Bulletin. August 24, 2001.

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:  Honolulu Advertiser.  October 17, 1981.

Source:  Honolulu Advertiser.  October 23, 1981.  Pg. 49.

Ticket Price:  $10.00 in advance.  $12.50 at the door.

Ticket Stub:  I have not seen a ticket stub for the Destroyers’ 50-50 concert in Hawaii.  Please get in touch if you have a photo to share.

Attendance:  400.

Source:  Honolulu Advertiser.  October 17, 1981.

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

• Who Do You Love?
• The Sky is Crying
• One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer
• Reelin’ and Rockin’ (Misidentified as “Chuck Berry’s Rock Around the Clock” in the Advertiser’s concert review).

Source:  Honolulu Advertiser.  October 26, 1981.  Pg. B-5.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Yes, this concert was broadcast live on KDUK 98 Rock FM in Hawaii.   

Source:  Unknown.

Concert Photos: 

Source:  Honolulu Advertiser.  October 26, 1981.  Pg. B-5.

Source:  Honolulu Advertiser.  October 23, 1981.  Pg. 49.

Source:  Honolulu Advertiser.  October 23, 1981.  Pg. 49.

Source:  Honolulu Advertiser.  October 23, 1981.  Pg. 49.

Concert Reaction: 

Of the Destroyers’ 50-50 concert at the Wave Waikiki, Honolulu Star-Bulletin writer John Christensen reported:

If his performance Friday was any indication, he will […] have to keep his wheels in shape.  For 2 hours and 10 minutes, Thorogood worked the sellout crowd of 400 into a sweaty, throbbing, dancing throng.  [He] recreated Chuck Berry’s duckwalk, vamped with saxophonist Hank Carter, fell to his knees, flopped over on his back [and] was lost among the crowd. 

Source:  Honolulu Advertiser.  October 23, 1981.  Pg. 49.

Staff Writer Jay Hartwell of the Honolulu Advertiser wrote a favorable review of the Destroyer’s 50-50 concert at the Wave Waikiki:

“‘We’re going to rock like we’ve never rocked before,’ Thorogood told the audience, and the man spoke the truth.  

You could tell Thorogood loves this music.  Throughout the show he was high-stepping and duck walking across the stage or wading into the crowd, anointing people with the peghead of this guitar.”

Source:  Honolulu Advertiser.  October 26, 1981.  Pg. B-5.

Other Notes: The CD tray inlay for the album George Thorogood & the Destroyers Anthology (Capitol Records, 2000) shows a sepia tone montage of backstage passes from the 50-50 tour, including one from the Waikiki show (Top-left of photo).

Fate of the Venue:  The Wave Waikiki was demolished in 2006.

Source: Honolulu Star Bulletin. July 20, 2006.

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 36 – Much More Club, Richmond, Virginia

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 36 (Concert # 37)

Date:  November 26, 1981

Venue:  Much More Club (aka Much More).  2729 West Broad Street. Richmond, VA.  23220.

Find it on Google Maps:   https://goo.gl/maps/mULJAh5BXhH2

Venue Exterior: 

1981:

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

2016:

Venue Interior:

1979:

Above:  The group “Sandcastle” perform at the Much More Club in 1979.  Source:  YouTube.

Opening Act:  The One-400s.

Source:  Wilmington Morning News.  September 18, 1981.  Pg. D6.

The One-400s were a Pennsylvania-based band with rockabilly and blues-rock influences.

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:  

Ticket Price:  $9.50

Source:  Bill Blough.

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:  800 to 900. The concert promoter listed a maximum capacity of 800. The Richmond Times-Dispatch newspaper reported at the time that “Lonesome George and the boys played to a sold-out house” of 900 people.

Above: Concert attendance for the 50-50 tour stop in Richmond, VA. The concert date is incorrectly noted as November 27th.

Sources:  Bill Blough & Richmond Times-Dispatch.  November 27, 1981 July 18, 1982. Pg. J1.

Set List:  Unknown.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.    

Concert Photos:  I am still looking for any photos of the Destroyers in concert at the Much More Club during the 50-50 tour.  Please get in touch if you have any!  

Concert Reaction:

Music columnist C.A. Bustard of the Richmond Times-Dispatch wrote a very positive review of George Thorogood and the Destroyers’ 50-50 concert in Richmond, VA:

“[The] group seems more energized than on past forays, the energy more concentrated, the stage set more cohesive and pointed.  Whatever the exhaustion factor of this adventure on the road … the quartet seems to be taking to it like athletes on a winning streak.“

Source:  Richmond Times-Dispatch.  November 27, 1981.

Other Notes:  None.  

Fate of the Venue:  The Much More club was no longer operating under that name by 1986 (and may have stopped operating earlier than that). 

Source:  Daily Press.  July 13, 1986.  Pg. H1.

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 34 – Warner Theatre, Washington, DC

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 34 (Concert 35)

Date:  November 25, 1981

Venue:  Warner Theatre.  513 13th Street.  Washington, DC.  20004.

Find it on Google Maps:  https://goo.gl/maps/W18tUsrGaDGuMh5r6

Venue Exterior: 

1983:

2011:

Venue Interior:

1990:

Opening Act:  Evan Johns and the H-Bombs.

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: University of Maryland “Diamondback” newspaper. November 9, 1981.

Ticket Price:  $11.00

Ticket Stub: 

Attendance:  Unknown.  The Washington Post reported that the Destroyers played to “a full house”.  Warner Theatre currently has capacity for 1,847 people.

Source:  Washington Post.  November 26, 1981.

Set List:  Unknown.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.    

Concert Photos: 

Above:  George Thorogood performs at the Warner Theatre in Washington, DC on the 50-50 tour.  

Concert Reaction:

In George Thorogood’s own words, the Warner Theatre concert was the pinnacle of the 50-50 tour:

“The Washington D.C. gig was the best…  That was the day we played two gigs:  D.C. and Baltimore.  But what a day it was.  Insane.  INSANE!  You see we usually went to sleep about six in the morning when we were doing the Eastern states.  And we slept until five in the afternoon.  But that day we did an afternoon show which started around six and then drove to D.C. for a show at 11.  The only day I really needed my sleep so I could energize, I got about four hours sleep, tops, because of some radio interview before the gig in D.C.  I got nothing to eat, I was totally exhausted from the previous night, and at the interview this jock wants to talk about nothing except the Rolling Stones.  Now I’m really bummed because I’m wiped out and have to do two shows, and to complicate things, the Baltimore gig is being filmed by the TV show P.M. Magazine.  Of all the times I need my energy, I got none.

Anyway, we did a two and a half hour show at Baltimore, drove to D.C. and did the show there.  And it was totally animalistic.  I mean TOTALLY.  It was unbelievable.  There was a riot in the crowd.  We had to stop playing after the third song to calm things down.  We were sizzlin’ up there on stage – we were great despite fatigue.  We got everyone fired up and then took them down with a ballad and took them right back up again.

For me it was the peak of the tour because it showed me how much I could really push myself.”

Source:  On Music & Media Magazine.  September-October 1982.  Pg. 39.

In his review of the Destroyers’ 50-50 show in DC for the Washington Post, music reporter Mike Joyce said:

“[Thorogood] wasn’t halfway through his first song before he jumped off the stage. Duckwalking through the crowd, he let loose with a fusillade of Chuck Berry riffs on his hollow-body Gibson guitar. Then it was back to the stage for feverish tributes to Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker, Johnny Cash and even Budweiser beer.

Thorogood has always been content to sing old rock and R&B classics, but his versions pack a wallop few others do…  If anything, the band sounds sharper and more enthusiastic than ever. When Thorogood said he was going to “party till 5 a.m.,” he looked ready for it.”

Source:  Washington Post.  November 26, 1981.

Other Notes:  An official concert program was created for the Destroyers’ 50-50 show in Washington, DC.  Below are scans of the cover and selected interior pages.

Fate of the Venue:

The Warner Theatre was extensively renovated between 1989 and 1991.  The theatre re-opened in 1992 and lives on as a venue for live entertainment.

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 25 – The Savoy, New York, NY

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 25

Date:  November 16, 1981

Venue:  The Savoy (a.k.a. The Savoy Rock Club).  141 West 44th Street.  New York, NY.  10036.

Please note:  The Savoy Rock Club is not to be confused with the famed Savoy Ballroom jazz venue at 596 Lenox Avenue that closed in the 1950s.

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

Venue Exterior: 

1982:

Above:  The Savoy makes an appearance in this scene from the 1982 movie Smithereens.

2015:

Venue Interior:

Above:  The Stray Cats perform at the Savoy Theatre on December 31, 1983 for MTV’s “New Year’s Eve Rock ‘n’ Roll Ball”.  Source:  YouTube.

Opening Act:  Screaming Jay Hawkins.

Source:  Billboard Magazine.  December 5, 1981.  Pg. 12.

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: NY Daily News.  November 16, 1981. pg M5.

Ticket Price:  $11.00

Ticket Stub:  

Attendance:  Unknown.  The Savoy had capacity for 1,039 people in 1981.

Source:  New York Daily News.  February 6, 1981.  Pg. 

Set List:  Unknown.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.

Concert Photos:  I have not come across any photos from the Destroyer’s 50-50 concert in New York.  Please get in touch if you know of any.

Concert Reaction:  I have not found a review of the Savoy 50-50 concert thus far.   Please get in touch if you can point me in the right direction.

Other Notes: The CD tray inlay for the album George Thorogood & the Destroyers Anthology (Capitol Records, 2000) shows a sepia tone montage of backstage passes from the 50-50 tour, including one from the Savoy show (Bottom-middle of photo).

Fate of the Venue:

This version of the Savoy closed in the Spring of 1982.  The venue returned to its original name (the Hudson Theatre) and was granted landmark status as of 1987.  The Hudson Theatre was renovated and incorporated into an adjoining hotel development in the early 1990s.

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 32 – Capitol Theatre, Passaic, New Jersey

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 32

Date:  November 23, 1981

Venue:  Capitol Theatre.  326 Monroe Street.  Passaic, New Jersey.   07055.   USA.

Find it on Google Maps:  https://goo.gl/maps/j6fSEzik7Bm

Venue Exterior: 

1970s:

2015:

Venue Interior:

Date Unknown:

1984:

Above:  George Thorogood and the Destroyers perform at the Capitol Theatre in 1984 for the MTV series ‘Rock Influences’.  Source:  YouTube.

Opening Act:  The Nighthawks.

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:  Asbury Park Press.  Oct. 19, 1981.

Source:  Asbury Park Press.  Oct. 19, 1981.

Source:  Asbury Park Press.  Nov. 19, 1981.

Ticket Price:  $9.50; $10.50.

Ticket Stub: 

Attendance:  Unknown.  Capitol Theatre had capacity for 3,200 people in 1981.

Set List:  Unknown.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown, but probably.  A remarkable number of high quality live audio and video recordings from the Capitol Theatre – many sourced from the venue’s in-house video cameras – have emerged over the years.  Please send me an email if you have any information about the recording of this show.    

Concert Photos:  I have not come across any photos from the Destroyer’s 50-50 concert in Passaic.  Please get in touch if you know of any.

Concert Reaction:  I have not found a review of the Capitol Theatre 50-50 concert thus far.   Please get in touch if you can point me in the right direction.

Other Notes:  

An official concert program was created for the Destroyers’ 50-50 show in Passaic:

Above: Images from the souvenir program printed for the Destroyers’ 50 50 concert at the Capitol Theatre on November 23, 1981.

Fate of the Venue:  The Capitol Theatre closed in the mid-1980s (late 1985 or 1986, according to different sources).  The building was torn down in 1991.  A shopping mall and parking lot currently occupy the site.

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 45 – Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa, Oklahoma

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 45 (Concert # 46)

Date:  December 6, 1981

Venue:  Cain’s Ballroom.  423 North Main Street.  Tulsa, OK.  74103.

Find it on Google Maps:  https://goo.gl/maps/YhB2nL2fnCF2

Venue Exterior: 

1978:

Source:  Twin Falls Idaho Times News.  Aug. 15, 1978.  Pg. A12

2016:

Venue Interior:

2011:

I would love to update this interior photo with something from closer to the 50-50 era.  If you can point me to such a photo, please get in touch.

Opening Act: Earl Clark and Spectrum.

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: Tulsa World. December 5, 1981. Pg. C9.

Ticket Price:  $9.00

Ticket Stub: 

Attendance:  Unknown.  Cain’s Ballroom currently has a capacity of 1,200.

Set List:  Unknown.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.

Concert Photos:  I have not come across any photos from the Destroyer’s 50-50 concert in Tulsa.  Please get in touch if you know of any.

Concert Reaction:  I have not found a review of the Cain’s Ballroom 50-50 concert thus far.   Please get in touch if you can point me in the right direction.

Other Notes:  None.

Fate of the Venue:  Cain’s Ballroom continues to host concerts and public events.  The building was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 2013.

Source:  http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/ok/tulsa/state.html

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 18 – Vogue Theater, Indianapolis, Indiana

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 18

Date:  November 9, 1981

Venue:  Vogue Theater.  6259 N. College Avenue.  Indianapolis, IN.  46220. USA.

Find it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/gAi1J1J75tcENSYo8

Venue Exterior: 

1978:

Source:  Indianapolis Star.  May 8, 1978.  Pg. 42.

2013:

Venue Interior:

1993:

Source: Nuvo Newsweekly. Oct. 6, 1993.

Opening Act:  Unknown.

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:  Indianapolis Star.  Oct. 23, 1981.

Source:  Indianapolis Star.  Oct. 25, 1981.

Source:  Sagamore Newsmagazine.  Nov. 4, 1981.  Pg. 5.

Source:  Columbus (Indiana) Republic newspaper.  Nov. 5, 1981.

Source:  Indianapolis Star.  Nov. 6, 1981.

Source:  Indianapolis News.  Nov. 6, 1981.  Pg. 12.

Source:  Indianapolis Star.  Nov. 8, 1981.

Ticket Price:  $7.50

Ticket Stub:  I have not seen a ticket stub for this concert.  If you have one to share or sell, please drop me a note below. 

Attendance:  Unknown.  The Vogue Theater had capacity for 375 people in 1977.

Source:  Indianapolis Star.  December 30, 1977.

Set List:  I can only confirm one song from the set list for this show:

• Move It On Over

The Indianapolis Star also reported that the band played a “number of really well played [Chuck] Berry tunes”.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.

Concert Photos: 

Above:  The Destroyers in concert at the Vogue Theater in Indianapolis on November 9, 1981.  Source:  Facebook.

Concert Reaction:

The Destroyers’ 50-50 concert at the Vogue Theater was positively reviewed in the local newspaper:

“The band was incredibly lively and kept the dance floor so packed the folks could barely move…  Thorogood, touted by his management agency as ‘the new Springsteen’ is an excellent performer.  Though the tag doesn’t fit his style, his onstage dynamism and style may indeed bring him the Springsteen like fame he seems to be aiming for.  If he and his band can make it through the entire 50 day/50 state tour while maintaining this level of excitement, he’ll deserve every bit of praise offered him”.

Source:  Indianapolis Star.   November 13, 1981.

Other Notes:  None.

Fate of the Venue:  At the time of this writing, the Vogue Theater continues to operate as a concert venue and nightspot.

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 16 – Night Moves, St. Louis, Missouri

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 16 (Concert # 16)

Date:  November 7, 1981

Venue:  Night Moves.  9765 St. Charles Rock Road.  St Louis, MO.  63114.

Find it on Google Maps:  https://goo.gl/maps/6gPLmQmREf12

Venue Exterior: 

1980s:

I have not found any photos of the outside of Night Moves.  Please get in touch if you know of one.

2013:

Venue Interior:

1981:

Above:  The Night Moves stage prior to a U2 concert in 1981.  Source:  Facebook.

Opening Act:  Unknown.

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:  St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  Nov. 1, 1981.

Source:  St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  Nov. 5, 1981.

Ticket Price:  $9.00

Ticket Stub: 

Attendance:  Unknown.  Night Moves had capacity for approximately 1,000 people in 1981.

Source:  St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  April 17, 1981.  Pg. 4D.  

Set List:  Unknown.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.

Concert Photos:  I have not come across any photos from the Destroyer’s 50-50 concert in St. Louis.  Please get in touch if you know of any.

Concert Reaction:  I have not found a review of the Night Moves 50-50 concert thus far.   Please get in touch if you can point me in the right direction.

Other Notes: The CD tray inlay for the album George Thorogood & the Destroyers Anthology (Capitol Records, 2000) shows a sepia tone montage of backstage passes from the 50-50 tour, including one from the Night Moves show (Top-right of photo/”Contemporary Productions”).

Fate of the Venue:  Night Moves no longer exists as a concert venue.  The property at that location has been fully redeveloped as retail business space.

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 8 – Macky Auditorium, Boulder, Colorado

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 8

Date:  October 30, 1981

Venue:  Macky Auditorium.  University of Colorado Boulder.  1595 Pleasant Street.  Boulder, Colorado.  80309.

Find it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/ihhhBfgys9C2

Venue Exterior: 

Circa 1930s:

2011:

Venue Interior:

1986:

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:

Source:  Brown and Gold.  Oct. 15, 1981.  Pg. 5.

Source:  Gazette Telegraph.  October 23, 1981.  Pg. 10E.

Source:  Steamboat Pilot.  October 29, 1981.  Pg. 6B.

Ticket Price:  $10.

Ticket Stub:  

Attendance:  Unknown.  The promoter indicated that Macky Auditorium’s capacity was 2,350.

Source:  Bill Blough / Facebook.

Set List:  Unknown.  Please get in touch if you have any information.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.

Concert Photos:  I have not yet come across any photos from this concert.

Concert Reaction:  I have not found a review of the Macky Auditorium 50-50 concert thus far.  

Other Notes: The CD tray inlay for the album George Thorogood & the Destroyers Anthology (Capitol Records, 2000) shows a sepia tone montage of backstage passes from the 50-50 tour, including one from the Boulder show (Middle-left of photo).

Fate of the Venue:

Macky Auditorium Concert Hall continues to host concerts and other live events.

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 21 – Second Chance, Ann Arbor, Michigan

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 21

Date:  November 12, 1981

Venue:  Second Chance (aka The Chance).  516 E. Liberty Street.  Ann Arbor, MI.  48104.

Find it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/aj1rZSdtc5LibsCq7

Venue Exterior: 

1980s:

Source:  Michigan Daily.  Feb. 22, 1980.  Pg. 14.

Source:  YouTube.

2012:

Venue Interior:

See Jeff Booth’s great photos from inside the Second Chance during the Destroyers’ Ann Arbor 50-50 show in November 1981:  http://www.secondchanceannarbor.com/backstage-pass/george-thorogood—photogra/.

Opening Act:  Unknown.

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:  Detroit Free Press.  October 25, 1981.

Source:  Detroit Free Press.  November 11, 1981.

Source:  Detroit Free Press.  November 6, 1981.

Ticket Price:  $9.00

Ticket Stub: 

My sincere thanks to Jeff Booth for sharing this photo of his ticket stub from the Destroyers’ 50-50 concert in Ann Arbor.

Attendance:  Unknown.  The Second Chance had a legal capacity of 649 in 1981.  This concert was reported as being sold out.

Source:  Billboard Magazine.  December 12, 1981.  Pg. 47.  

Set List:  I can confirm most of the set list for this show:

• Who Do You Love?*
• Cocaine Blues*
• One Way Ticket*
• One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer*
• As the Years Go Passing By*
• It Wasn’t Me*
• Night Time*
• I’ll Change My Style*
• Miss Luann*
• Can’t Stop Loving*
• Madison Blues*
• The Sky is Crying*
• Same Thing*
• Bad to the Bone*
• Move It On Over*
• Nobody but Me*
• No Particular Place to Go*
• Ride on Josephine*
• House of Blue Lights*

* I am not able to confirm the order in which these songs were played, only that they were part of the Destroyers’ set list for this show.

Source:  http://www.secondchanceannarbor.com/live-concerts/george-thorogood-and-the.html

Was the Concert Recorded?  Yes.  An audience recording of the entire concert exists.  Many songs from the Destroyers’ 50/50 concert in Ann Arbor are posted at the excellent SecondChanceAnnArbor.com website.

Concert Photos:  As noted above, a gallery of almost two dozen photos by Jeff Booth from the Destroyers’ Ann Arbor 50-50 concert can be found at this link: http://secondchanceannarbor.com/backstage-pass/george-thorogood—photogra/

Concert Reaction:  I have not found a full review of the Second Chance 50-50 concert thus far.   The Detroit Free Press did, however, include this short recap two days after the show: 

“George Thorogood and his Destroyers rock band made it on schedule to the Second Chance saloon in Ann Arbor Thursday night, the 21st stop on their breakneck 50-states-in-50-days rock ‘n’ roll tour.  Thorogood and band cranked out a 2 1/2 hour set at the Chance.  The show ended about 1 am.; at 5:30 am, Thorogood was off for stop 22, the Agora Ballroom in Columbus, Ohio.”

Source:  Detroit Free Press.  November 14, 1981.

Above: The Destroyers’ 50-50 appearance at the Second Chance is mentioned briefly in a Billboard Magazine feature about the venue from December 1981. Source:  Billboard Magazine.  December 12, 1981.  Pg. 47.

Other Notes:  None.

Fate of the Venue:

The Second Chance closed in April 1984, then re-opened as the Nectarine Ballroom discotheque with an upscale dress code and “flashing strobe lights, […] a Lawrence Welk-style bubble machine and a stream of MTV-style videos blaring at the crowd”. The site ceased being a live music venue in April 1991.  At the time of this writing, a nightclub operates at 516 E. Liberty Street in Ann Arbor.

Source:  Detroit Free Press.  April 11, 1985.

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 44 – Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 44 (Concert # 45)

Date:  December 5, 1981

Venue:  Louisiana Superdome.  1500 Sugar Bowl Drive.  New Orleans, LA.  70112.

Find it on Google Maps:  https://goo.gl/maps/uDcxqi42ec62

Venue Exterior: 

1982:

July 2014:

Venue Interior:

1981

Above:  The Rolling Stones perform at the Louisiana Superdome on December 5, 1981. 

Opening Act:  The Neville Brothers and George Thorogood and the Destroyers opened for the Rolling Stones this night.

Above:  The Neville Brothers, March 1981. Source: Getty Images / David Gahr.

Poster / Flyer / Handbill:  There are many different posters for the Rolling Stones’ “American Tour ’81” (aka “Tour of America”) – some authorized, some not; some printed before the tour, some produced afterwards; some with generic, national information, some with concert details for individual cities.  For the purposes of this blog, I’ve chosen to include only those posters that specifically reference the New Orleans concert.

Above:  Concert poster for the December 1981 Rolling Stones show by New Orleans artist Rain Webb.  My thanks to blog visitor Colleen M. for sharing her photo. 

Press & Promotion:  As you would expect for a high profile Rolling Stones concert at a large venue, this show was heavily promoted.  As with the poster section above, I’m focusing on materials specifically discussing George Thorogood and the Destroyers.

Source:  Wavelength Magazine.  December 1981.  Pg. 9.

Source:  Wavelength Magazine.  December 1981.  Pg. 9

Source:  Times Picayune.  December 4, 1981.  Pg. 10.

Above:  Newspaper listing for the December 5, 1981 with the Canadian band Loverboy incorrectly included as an opening act.  In the author’s defense, there was discussion/rumour in the month prior to this show that Loverboy would be part of the bill.

Source:  Baton Rouge Billboard.  December 4, 1981.  Pg. 5.

Ticket Price:  $18.50.

Ticket Stub:  This is far and away the easiest 50-50 ticket stub to find in collecting circles.  There are typically two or three examples up for sale on eBay at any one time.  Full tickets, with the stub still attached, also come up for sale on a semi-regular basis. 

Buyer beware that so-called “artist reproductions” of tickets from this show are for sale online.  If your stub has serial number 055574, chances are it is a copy.

Attendance:  87,500.

At the time, this was the largest indoor concert ever held in the United States.  This attendance record was broken in 2014 at a George Strait concert in Dallas, Texas.

Source:  Billboard Magazine.  December 25, 1982.  Pg. TIA-41.

Set List:  

I can only confirm a partial set list for the Destroyers’ 50-50 concert in New Orleans.

• Move It On Over
• Who Do You Love?

Source:  The Bell Ringer.  Vol. 38, No. 3.  December 18, 1981.  Pg. 6.

There is surprisingly little information available about the opening sets by the Destroyers and the Neville Brothers for this concert.  I have anecdotal information that the Destroyers played two encores.  If you have any information, please contact me using the form at the bottom of this post.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.  The Rolling Stones’ headlining portion of this concert is widely available as a soundboard-quality bootleg.  One would think that the same equipment could have very easily recorded George Thorogood and the Destroyers’ opening set as well.  If you have any information, please contact me using the form at the bottom of this post.

Concert Photos:

Please follow this link to see two photos of the Destroyers from their New Orleans 50-50 concert.

Concert Reaction: 

In his review of the Rolling Stones’ 1981 Louisiana Superdome concert, Eddy Allman of the Baton Rouge State Times included a nice mention of the Destroyers’ 50-50 performance:

“George Thorogood has just finished a blazing, compact set in which he had appropriated every time-worn blues guitar riff and Chuck Berry stage move ever cataloged in the Great Book of Rock.  And, what’s more, Thorogood had carried it off with grit, flash and firepower to bring the Superdome to the verge of meltdown.  George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers.  Indeed.”  

Source:  Baton Rouge State Times.  December 11, 1981.  Pg. 24.

Other Notes:  

Above:  Backstage pass for the 50-50 concert at the Superdome.  Note the misspelling of “Louisiana”. 

George Thorogood performed this concert with a very high temperature and a “monster head cold”.    

Future Destroyers’ guitarist Jim Suhler attended this concert as a member of the general public.

The Superdome concert was the first time Mick Jagger watched the Destroyers perform.  To that point, the Destroyers had opened for the Stones on ten nights of their 1981 American Tour.

Source:  http://www.lonestar925.com/media/play/george-thorogood-pt-1-26773718/

Fate of the Venue:  $336 million was spent renovating the Superdome in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina (August 2005).   The Superdome continues to host sporting events and concerts.

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50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 31 – Toad’s Place, New Haven, Connecticut

50/50 Tour Stop:  # 31

Date:  November 22, 1981

Venue:  Toad’s Place.  300 York Street.  New Haven, CT.  06511.

Find it on Google Maps:  https://goo.gl/maps/18k6gjLQQcQ2

Venue Exterior: 

Circa early 1990s:

2021:

Venue Interior:

1979:

Above:  Rory Gallagher performs at Toad’s Place in 1979. Source:  Facebook.

Opening Act:  Unknown.

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:  Connecticut Music Magazine.  November 1981.

Source:  Connecticut Music Magazine.  November 1981.  Pg. 3.

Source:  Connecticut Music Magazine.  November 1981.

Source:  Yale Daily News.  November 6, 1981.  Pg. 3.

Source:  Hartford Courant.  November 20, 1981.  Pg. D5.

Ticket Price:  Unknown.

Ticket Stub:  I have not seen a ticket stub from this show to date.  Please contact me if you have a ticket stub from this concert for sale.

Attendance:  600 (Sold Out). 

Source:  DJ introduction from concert radio broadcast recording.

Set List:  

• Intro music:  Theme from Jaws (John Williams & the Boston Pops Orchestra)
• Bye Bye Little Girl
• Kids from Philly
• Who Do You Love?
• I’m Wanted
• Cocaine Blues
• One Way Ticket
• One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer
• It Wasn’t Me
• Bottom of the Sea
• Night Time
• I’ll Change My Style
• Madison Blues
• I Can’t Stop Lovin’
• The Sky is Crying
• Delaware Slide
• Same Thing
• Bad to the Bone

Source:  Concert recording.  See below.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Yes.  This concert was broadcast on the radio. A soundboard-quality bootleg recording of the Destroyers’ November 1981 concert from Toad’s Place exists.

Audio of One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer from the Destroyers’ 50-50 concert in New Haven is currently posted on YouTube:

Concert Photos:  I have not come across any photos from this concert to date.

Concert Reaction:  I am still looking for a review of this 50-50 concert.  Please get in touch if you know of one. 

Other Notes:  None.

Fate of the Venue:  At the time of this writing, Toad’s Place continues to operate as a concert venue.

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