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 – Georgia 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:

• Est. March 24 or 25, 1981 – WTBS Studios. Atlanta, GA.
• March 24, 1981 – Agora Ballroom. Atlanta, GA.
• November 29, 1981 – Agora Ballroom. Atlanta, GA.

WTBS Studios.

Date:  March 24 or 25, 1981.

Venue: WTBS Studios. 1050 Techwood Drive.  Atlanta, GA.  30318.  USA.

The Destroyers performed for the WTBS television program Tush on this date.

Find it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/Y4YnYAHfa5Wxufrw7

Venue Exterior: 

Circa 1980:

Source: Haaretz.com

2022:

Venue Interior: See the Concert Photos section below.

Opening Act: None.

Press & Promotion: 

Source: UNC Carolina Times. July 18, 1981. Pg. 17.

Above: TV promo ad for the Tush program on WTBS.

Above: TV listing for the broadcast of the Tush episode with George Thorogood and the Destroyers. Source: Atlanta Journal. Aug. 23, 1981.

Set List:

• I’m Wanted.
• House of Blue Lights.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Yes.

Concert Photos:

Concert Reaction: I have not yet found a contemporary printed review of the Destroyers’ performance on the Tush program, circa 1981.

Other Notes:

All of the Destroyers (except George) underwent a wardrobe change between recording their first and second songs.

The “amazing five man trio” sign was also added for the second song.

Fate of the Venue: The Techwood Drive campus continues to be the home of several television networks broadcasting from Atlanta.

Agora Ballroom.

Date:  March 24, 1981

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

Find it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/dCN4CBJxUqMNG2fp8

Venue Exterior: 

1978:

Source: Georgia State Signal. Nov. 20, 1978. Pg. 25.

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:  Unknown.

Poster / Flyer / Handbill: I have not yet seen a poster for this concert.  Please get in touch if you have a photo you can share.

Press & Promotion:  

Source:  Atlanta Journal. March 21, 1981. Pg. 3.

Source:  Atlanta Journal. March 21, 1981. Pg. 3.

Source:  Atlanta Journal. March 22, 1981. Pg. 5E.

Source:  Atlanta Journal. March 22, 1981. Pg. 5E.

Ticket Price:  $5.96.

Ticket Stub:  

Attendance:  Unknown.  Atlanta’s Agora Ballroom had an official capacity of 1,200 in 1981. 

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

Set List: Unknown.  

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’ March 1981 concert at the Agora Ballroom.  Please get in touch if you have any to share.

Concert Reaction: I have not yet found a contemporary printed review of the Destroyers’ concert at the Agora Ballroom, circa March 1981.  

Other Notes:  None.

Fate of the Venue:  

Atlanta’s Agora Ballroom closed as a concert venue in 1983.  After laying derelict for a few 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.

Wanted All Over the World – George Thorogood and The Destroyers – Wisconsin 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 5, 1981 – Summerfest Main Stage. Milwaukee, WI.
• November 10, 1981 – Headliners. Madison, WI.

Summerfest Main Stage.

Date:  July 5, 1981.

Source: Destroyers / Facebook.

Venue: Summerfest Main Stage. 200 N Harbor Dr. Milwaukee, WI. 53202. USA.

Find it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/p6zCZqxH7AWCr5W19

Venue Exterior: 

1983:

Source: Milwaukee Public Library.

1980s:

2021:

Opening Act:  Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.

Source: Paul Natkin/Getty Images.

Poster / Flyer / Handbill: I am still looking for a poster, flyer or handbill for this concert. Please send me a note if you have a photo to share. 

Press & Promotion: 

Source: Milwaukee Sentinel. July 4, 1981. Pg. 12.

Source: Milwaukee Sentinel. July 4, 1981. Pg. 13.

Ticket Price:  $3.50.

Source: Billboard Magazine. August 8, 1981. Pg. 57.

Ticket Stub:

Above: Admission to the Summerfest grounds in the early 1980s included first come, first serve admission to the festival’s concerts and entertainment for that day.

Attendance:  15,500.

Source: Billboard Magazine. August 8, 1981. Pg. 57.

Set List:

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes:

• Stop in the Name of Love (Supremes).
• All I Want is Everything/Jumpin’ Jack Flash/Satisfaction (Rolling Stones) Medley.
• Fever (Peggy Lee)/The Fever.

George Thorogood and the Destroyers:

• I’m Wanted.
• Move It On Over.
• One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer.

Source: Milwaukee Sentinel. July 6, 1981. Pg. 5.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.

Concert Photos:

Source: Milwaukee Sentinel. July 6, 1981. Pg. 5.

Source: University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Post. July 8, 1981. Pg. 5.

Source: Summerfest / Facebook.

Concert Reaction:

Duane Dudek of the Milwaukee Sentinel wrote this positive review of the Destroyers’ concert on July 5, 1981 in Milwaukee:

“Lakefront visitors and Summerfest customers about 9:45pm Sunday saw the fireworks display they had been promised for the past two days…  Yet the display seemed like a denouement following a non-stop, high energy show from two of rock ‘n’ roll’s exuberant performers, Southside Johnny Lyon and George Thorogood.

‘We really apologize that Cher couldn’t make it tonight,’ Thorogood quipped about the performer who cancelled before the festival began.  ‘This is what you’ll have to put up with,’ he warned…

Kicking his heels like an unruly horse, Thorogood brought his surly growl to the grassy area in front of the stage and, laying on his back, aimed his guitar notes at the sky.  Thorogood’s guitar griddle was hot enough to fry eggs on...”

Source: Milwaukee Sentinel. July 6, 1981. Pg. 5.

Other Notes:

Above: Backstage pass to the Summerfest Main Stage on July 5, 1981.

The Destroyers and the Asbury Jukes were late replacements for Cher who cancelled shortly before the festival due to the high costs of staging her show on the road.

Source: Billboard Magazine. August 8, 1981. Pg. 57.

Fate of the Venue: To meet high public demand and accommodate even larger crowds, this version of the Summerfest Main Stage was replaced by the Marcus Amphitheater in 1987.

Source: Onmilwaukee.com

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.   

Name(required)

Email(required)

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ

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.

Name(required)

Email(required)

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ

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.

Name(required)

Email(required)

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ

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.

Name(required)

Email(required)

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ

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.

Name(required)

Email(required)

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ

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.

Name(required)

Email(required)

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ

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.

Name(required)

Email(required)

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ

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.

Name(required)

Email(required)

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ

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.

Name(required)

Email(required)

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ

50 Dates in 50 Posts – Tour Stop # 10 – Fox Theater, Billings, Montana

50/50 Tour Stop: # 10

Date:  November 1, 1981

Venue:  Fox Theater.  302 North Broadway.  Billings, Montana.   59101.

Find it on Google Maps:  https://goo.gl/maps/wrQ2ujzANb42

Venue Exterior: 

1980s:

2015:

 

Venue Interior:

1930s:

Source:  Billings Gazette.  December 27, 1981.

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:  Billings Gazette.  October 23, 1981.

Source:  Billings Gazette.  October 30, 1981.  Pg. 3D.

Source:  Eastern Montana College.  “Retort” Student Newspaper.  Vol. 36, No. 5.  Oct. 27, 1981.  Pg. 1.

Source:  Eastern Montana College.  “Retort” Student Newspaper.  Vol. 36, No. 5.  Oct. 27, 1981.  Pg. 7.

Ticket Price:  $8.00.

Source:  Eastern Montana College.  “Retort” Student Newspaper.  Vol. 36, No. 5.  Oct. 27, 1981.  Pg. 7.

Ticket Stub:  I have yet to see a ticket stub to this concert.  Please get in touch if you have a scan you can share.  

Attendance:  Unknown.  This venue had capacity for 1,300 people in 1980.

Source:  The Missoulian (newspaper).  October 28, 1980.  Pg. 5A.  

Set List:  Unknown.

Was the Concert Recorded?  Unknown.  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 Billings.  Please get in touch if you know of any.

Concert Reaction:  I have not found a review of the Fox Theater 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 Billings, MT show (Top-center of photo).

Fate of the Venue:  The Fox Theater was renovated and re-opened as the Alberta Bair Theater in 1987.  The venue continues to host concerts and other performances.

Source:  http://www.albertabairtheater.org/about-abt/history/

Name(required)

Email(required)

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ

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.

Name(required)

Email(required)

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ