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:
- January 22, 1979 – Agora Ballroom. Cleveland, OH.
- January 23, 1979 – Fifth Floor Recording Studios. Cincinnati, OH.
- January 24, 1979 – Bogart’s. Cincinnati, OH.
Agora Ballroom.
Date: January 22, 1979.
Venue: Agora Ballroom (aka the Cleveland Agora). 1730 E. 24th St. Cleveland, OH. 44114. USA.
Find it on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/b4x62BhXhxzaPiYG7
Venue Exterior:
May 1977:
2019:
Venue Interior:
1976:
Above: The Michael Stanley Band performs at the Cleveland Agora in 1976. Source: Facebook.
Opening Act: Robert Jr. Lockwood with Jimmy Ley.
Above: Jimmy Ley (left) and Robert Jr. Lockwood (right).
Poster / Flyer / Handbill: I have not yet seen a poster, flyer or handbill for the Destroyers’ 1979 concert at the Cleveland Agora.
Press & Promotion:
Source: Scene. Dec. 21 – 27, 1978. Pg. 20.
Source: Scene. Jan. 11 – 24, 1979. Pg. 6.
Source: Scene. Jan. 11 – 24, 1979. Pg. 4.
Source: Akron Beacon Journal. Jan. 18, 1979. Pg. F5.
Ticket Price: $4.50 advance; $5.50 at the door.
Ticket Stub: I am still looking for a photo or scan of the ticket stub for this concert. Please send me a note if you have one to share.
Attendance: Est. 800.
Set List:
- Baby Please Set a Date.
- New Hawaiian Boogie.
- One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer.
- Cocaine Blues.
- It Wasn’t Me.
- Who Do You Love?
- Madison Blues.
- No Particular Place to Go.
- Reelin’ and Rockin’.
- Johnny B. Goode.
Source: Concert recording; Cleveland Plain Dealer. Jan. 26, 1979. Pg. 36; Scene. Jan. 25 – Feb. 7, 1979. Pg. 25.
Was the Concert Recorded? Yes. This concert was recorded and re-broadcast on numerous radio stations across the United States in 1979 and 1980.
Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer. Jan. 19, 1979. Pg. 29.
Concert Photos:
Source: Scene. Jan. 25 – Feb. 7, 1979. Pg. 25.
Concert Reaction:
Jane Scott of the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote a positive review of the Destroyers’ concert at the Cleveland Agora on January 22, 1979:
“He doesn’t bring any roadies. He doesn’t even do a sound check. He just brings his bass player and drummer he calls the Destroyers. But George Thorogood’s rocking rhythm and blues had the Cleveland Agora audience enthralled for more than two hours Monday night in one of the most intense and exciting shows the Agora has ever booked.
You’ve heard the songs before – Hank Williams’ “Move It On Over,” Elmore James’ “Baby, Please Set a Date,” Bo Diddley’s ‘Who Do You Love,” Chuck Berry’s “Reelin’ and Rockin’.” But you may never have heard them played with such fervor and downright affection.
Thorogood plugged his guitar into a box on a chair, much like your kid brother might do, and he played like a madman. He did an excellent imitation of a Chuck Berry duck walk, but that wasn’t enough. Later, he did a Berry walk backwards and sidewards, “skated” up and down the stage, played with his guitar over the back of his neck and jumped down into the audience, never missing a beat. With Jeff Simon on drums and Billy Blough on bass there was enough sound to fill a Coliseum. Then when you think he could never keep up the pace, Thorogood played double time.
“It ain’t over, is it?” he asked. “I’m just getting warmed up. “Hope everyone is having as much fun listening as we have playing for you. Now I feel like playing rock ‘n’ roll.”
Later Thorogood asked the crowd – hardly anyone was sitting down by then – if they knew what the rock alma mater was. Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode,” of course, and Thorogood and the Destroyers gave it an outing that Chuck Berry would have cheered.
“I love Chuck Berry,” Thorogood said in his dressing room after the show. He looked as happy, energetic and enthusiastic as he had during the concert. “And I love to leave people happy. That’s what they pay their money for.”
Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer. Jan. 26, 1979. Pg. 36.
Gary Lupico of the ‘Scene’ music and entertainment newspaper was similarly impressed by what he witnessed at the Cleveland Agora in January 1979:
“The man in black doesn’t look a day over 25. But when he steps out on stage and grinds out “Baby, Please Set A Date,” his presence and authority reminds one of any number of great bluesmen more than twice that age. The man in black plays a beat up old Gibson through a little Princeton amp but dissipates more energy than anyone who blasts through four stacks of Marshalls. Any of you wimps that think “boogie” is what Foreigner and Bad Company do better check out the man in black, because the man in black is George Thorogood and he’s forgotten more about rock and roll than most people that call themselves “rock and rollers” will learn in a lifetime.
George Thorogood’s set at the Agora set a standard for the rest of the year that will be plenty hard to beat. He kicked, jumped and duck walked his way through an unbelievable repertoire of rockin’ rhythm and blues that included most of what he’s recorded.
It took about two songs to loosen up and burst into “Madison Blues,” “It Wasn’t Me” and “Cocaine Blues,” Johnny Cash’s (the original man in black) story of a man who “done wrong and done paid his price.”
“One Bourbon One Scotch, One Beer” was the longest cooker all night and finally got people up on their feet as George had requested. “Is that how you people dance here?” he questioned the stationary crowd. “That’s a new one on me.” Say no more; they were up and jumpin’ along with George, and he was down on the dance floor jumpin’ along with them, kicking his left leg in and out…
Visually, Thorogood is the whole show and commands absolute attention. The Destroyers lay back and put down the steady beat that he does his stuff to. Billy Blough, the bassist, just sat down and stared like he didn’t know / didn’t care (choose one) where he was. An award here goes to the coolest stage presence around.
George brought the total ambiance of the place to a finger-stuck-in-the-light-socket pitch and told the congregation to “come out of the pews and up to the altar.” Communion was served to the tune of Chuck Berry’s Reelin’ and Rockin’,” greatly improvised upon by George in an exquisitely down-and-dirty manner.
An encore yielded “Move It On Over” while George moved on into the crowd, something he frequently does. The finale was “the Anthem”: a singalong “Johnny B. Goode” in a manner that was not stagnant, as it is in the hands of most people.
[…]
So, here it is six hours later and I still can’t get this stupid grin off my face. If you missed this one, all I can say is buster, you’re outta luck. George Thorogood, the man in black, is just too much.
Robert Jr. Lockwood opened the evening, but as is the case with many large blues ensembles (seven pieces – I think it was pretty impromptu) much of the sound was lost. Norman Tischler was outstanding on sax, but Lockwood himself had little chance to stretch out…”
Other Notes: None.
Fate of the Venue:
This version of the Cleveland Agora was destroyed by fire on October 25, 1984. The venue re-opened at a new, larger location at 5012 Euclid Avenue, in the former Metropolitan Theatre building.
Source: Bryan Times. Oct. 27, 1984. Pg. 3 & Akron Beacon Journal. Aug. 15, 1985. Pg. D3.
Fifth Floor Recording Studios.
Date: January 23, 1979.
Venue: Fifth Floor Recording Studios. Big Four Building. 517 W. Third Street. Cincinnati, OH. 45202. USA.
Find it on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/WxtNB9YzbvixrPJ96
Venue Exterior:
January 1978:
Source: Cincinnati Enquirer. Jan. 22, 1978. Pg. F12.
2023:
Venue Interior:
1986:
Source: Cincinnati Magazine. March 1986. Pg. 16.
Opening Act: None.
Poster / Flyer / Handbill: I have not yet seen a poster, flyer or handbill for the Destroyers’ 1979 concert at the Fifth Floor Recording Studio in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Press & Promotion:
Source: Billboard Magazine. March 3, 1979. Pg. 102.
Ticket Price: Unknown, but likely free.
Ticket Stub: I am still looking for a photo of the ticket stub for this concert, if such a thing exists. Please send me a note if you have one to share.
Attendance: Unknown. Other concerts from the Fifth Floor Recording Studios reportedly had audiences of up to 300 people.
Source: Cincinnati Post. Feb. 8, 1975. Pg. 15.
Set List:
- Who Do You Love?
- One Way Ticket.
- New Boogie Chillun.
- Manhattan Slide.
- Goodbye Baby.
- New Hawaiian Boogie.
- Talk To Me Baby.
- Cocaine Blues.
- I’m Wanted.
- It Wasn’t Me.
- King Of The Road (Roger Miller).
- Move It On Over.
- Hey Bo Diddley.
Source: Concert recording.
Was the Concert Recorded? Yes. This concert was broadcast live on WEBN radio in Cincinnati. The recording was issued in 1991 as a bootleg called, “I Am Wanted”. In addition to mis-identifying the concert as “New York 1989”, the bootleg is missing the last two songs of the show and sections of banter with the audience and radio DJs.
Concert Photos: I am still looking for any photos from this concert.
Concert Reaction: I have not yet found a contemporary, printed review of this concert, circa January 1979. Please send me a note if you can point me in the right direction.
Other Notes: None.
Fate of the Venue:
The Big Four Building, including many art studios and the Fifth Floor Recording Studios, was destroyed in a fire on February 11, 1987.
Source: Cincinnati Post. Feb. 12, 1987. Pg. A1.
Bogart’s.
Date: January 24, 1979.
The Destroyers performed two concerts at Bogart’s on this date.
Venue: Bogart’s. 2621 Vine St. Cincinnati, OH. 45219. USA.
Note: Vine Street was officially re-named “Short Vine” Street in 2017.
Find it on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/PT4Aio6ZwGRbXPT78
Venue Exterior:
Circa 1985:
2019:
Venue Interior:
1987:
Above: Lonnie Mack performs at Bogart’s in 1987. Source: Facebook.
Opening Act: Deno Koumoutsos.
Poster / Flyer / Handbill: I have not yet seen a poster, flyer or handbill for the Destroyers’ 1979 concerts at Bogart’s in Cincinnati.
Press & Promotion:
Source: Cincinnati Enquirer. Dec. 30, 1978.
Source: Cincinnati Enquirer. Jan. 11, 1979. Pg. C9.
Source: Lexington Leader. Jan. 18, 1979. Pg. C2.
Ticket Price: $5.
Ticket Stub:
Source: Facebook
Attendance: Est. 800 (400 per show).
Set List:
Deno Koumoutsos:
- Yankee Town.
- Guilty (Randy Newman).
- Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? (Carole King)
George Thorogood and the Destroyers:
- One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer.
- Cocaine Blues.
- It Wasn’t Me.
- Madison Blues.
- The Sky is Crying.
- Johnny B. Goode.
- Move It On Over.
Source: Cincinnati Enquirer. Jan. 26, 1979. Pg. E6 & University of Cincinnati News Record. Jan. 30, 1979. Pg. 2.
Were these Concerts Recorded? Unknown.
Concert Photos: I am still looking for any photos of the Destroyers’ concerts at Bogart’s in January 1979. Please send me a note if you have any to share.
Concert Reaction:
Cincinnati Enquirer pop music critic Cliff Radel filed a positive review of the Destroyers’ early evening concert at Bogart’s on January 24, 1979:
“What a night for the blues. The wind howled. Dogs began to bark. Snow fell. The temperature crashed. Bones ached. For their first show Wednesday night, George Thorogood and the Destroyers bolted onto Bogart’s stage. For the next 83 minutes the trio played the blues with the fury of a blizzard.
Some say Thorogood is the new king of rock guitarists. He has assumed the throne left vacant by the deaths of Jimi Hendrix and Duane Allman and abdicated by the artistic languor of Eric Clapton. That is not so. The crown is Thorogood’s for the asking. He must, however, grow into it. For now he is a highly talented prince. Someday he will make a fine king. That day will arrive sooner if Thorogood preserves the passion in his performances and elaborates upon the ideas suggested in his solos.
Without making a sound Thorogood gives an exciting performance. He darts from move to move. Wednesday evening he topped a patented, Chuck Berry, one-legged, across-the-stage duck walk with a quick left-legged kick. The kick coincided with drummer Jeff Simon’s cymbal crash. Thorogood followed with a quick flop to his knees, a shimmy to the edge of the stage, a stroll along a footpath of ringside chairs and a duck walk down the aisle before heading for the stage.
During his journey Thorogood never stopped playing. What he played showed him to be a riff-o-phil. He can reproduce, better than its originator, every motif Chuck Berry ever created. Thus, it came as no surprise when Thorogood called his set-closer, Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode,” his alma mater. Nor was it surprising that the guitarist and the Destroyers, the aforementioned drummer Simon, a persuasive musician in his own right, and bass guitarist Billy Blough, an alumnus of the Bill Wyman Plant-Your-Feet-On-The-Stage-And-Play school of bass guitar, were called back by a roaring standing ovation...
Deno Koumoutsos began the evening with 20-minutes of pleasurable music. With every hearing, his “Yankee Town” grows smoother and sounds better. His renditions of other composers’ material, specifically Randy Newman’s “Guilty” and Carole King’s “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?”, also shone. The singer-guitarist’s unadulterated voice and original phrasing stamped these songs with the Koumoutsos touch.”
Source: Cincinnati Enquirer. Jan. 26, 1979. Pg. E6.
Chuck Horn from the University of Cincinnati’s News Record wrote a short, but similarly positive review of the Destroyers’ concerts at Bogart’s in January 1979:
“Neither the snow nor the cold stopped the two-weeks-sold-out George Thorogood shows at Bogart’s last Wednesday. George Thorogood and the Destroyers were warmly welcomed as they heated up their first set […] and continued through nine tunes from their repertoire of country-blues-rock’n’roll in a style vaguely reminiscent of ZZ Top or Lynyrd Skynyrd.
The house was on its feet for the more heavily-aired “One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Beer” and “Move It On Over” which they saved for their encore. Other high points in the show were spirited renditions of Johnny Cash’s “Cocaine Blues,” Chuck Berry’s “It Wasn’t Me” and “Johnny B. Goode.”
George’s slide guitar riffs and raspy vocals characterize the Destroyers’ remarkable full sound. Destroyers Jeff Simon on drums and Billy Blough on bass go back with George Thorogood to their roots in Wilmington, Delaware. On their first national tour, the Destroyers’ are promoting their second album with Rounder Records of Boston, Mass., with a third album under contract.”
University of Cincinnati News Record. Jan. 30, 1979. Pg. 2.
Other Notes: None.
Fate of the Venue:
This version of Bogart’s in Cincinnati was extensively renovated and expanded in 1982. At the time of this writing, Bogart’s still operates as a venue for live concerts.
Source: Cincinnati Post. January 7, 1982. Pg. 5B.
50 States in 50 Dates 