The Doobie Brothers are takin’ it to the streets once again, but the band’s new tour will feature some changes in attitudes, changes in latitudes. That’s because the band will be joined by The Coral Reefer Band that always backed the late Jimmy Buffett.
Jimmy Buffett Asked His Band to Go On Without Him
Buffett died in 2023 of Merkel cell skin cancer. One of Buffett’s last messages to his family and friends before his death was “keep the party going.” Less than two months after his death, his longtime backing musicians in the Coral Reefer Band told Billboard magazine they plan to do just that. “The Coral Reefer Band is second family to all of us. We are a family. And Jimmy wants us to continue and we want to continue,” said singer and guitarist Mac McAnally. “There’s ongoing discussions about the best way to do that, the most practical way to do that and how to do it in a way that is worthy of the legacy that we’re part of.”
The band has played sporadic dates in a “Keep the Party Going” tour since then. Some of the musicians in the band played with Buffett for more than 50 years.
Doobie Brothers Tour Will Support New Album
The Doobie Brothers will release “Walk This Road” on June 6. It’s the band’s first new studio album in more than 40 years. It contains ten tracks recorded in the winter of 2024, according to the band’s website.
Recurring themes on the album include recovery, enlightenment and, “waking up to see the important things you’ve been missing,” says founding band member Patrick Simmons. “The title track on the album, ‘Walk This Road,’ featuring Mavis Staples, embodies a sense of hope and togetherness, in terms of searching for the right path forward.”
“We all sang on ‘Walk This Road,’ that’s a different kind of track for us to do,” says guitarist and vocalist Tom Johnston. “I think it’s good to try to do things you haven’t done before, that’s the way it should be.”
The Doobies lineup of Patrick Simmons, Tom Johnston, John McFee and Michael McDonald will be joined on all dates by The Coral Reefer Band.
“Can’t wait to see you all and bring some new music to our fans. Having The Coral Reefer Band on board with us at these shows really makes this a special experience for the audience and all of us,” said Simmons in announcing the joint tour. “Doobies and Reefers, hmm… sounds like a perfect match!”
Doobie Brothers & Coral Reefer Band Tour Dates
The Doobie Brothers will start rockin’ down the highway on their “Walk This Road Tour” alongside the Coral Reefer Band this August. If you want to listen to the music, tour dates are as follows:
Aug. 4 – Detroit, Michigan @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
Aug. 6 – Burgettstown, Pennsylvania @ The Pavilion at Star Lake
Aug. 7 – Holmdel, New Jersey @ PNC Bank Arts Center
Aug. 9 – Bristow, Virginia @ Jiffy Lube Live
Aug. 10 – Wantagh, New York @ Northwell at Jones Beach
Aug. 12 – Virginia Beach, Virginia @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheatre
Aug. 13 – Camden, New Jersey @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
Aug. 15 – Boston, Massachusetts @ Xfinity Center
Aug. 17 – Gilford, New Hampshire @ BankNH Pavilion
Aug. 18 – Saratoga Springs, New York @ Broadview Stage at SPAC
Sept. 4 – St. Louis, Missouri @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
Sept. 5 – Ridgedale, Missouri @ Thunder Ridge Nature Arena
Sept. 9 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin @ American Family Insurance Amphitheatre
Sept. 10 – Tinley Park, Illinois @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheater
Sept. 12 – Cincinnati, Ohio @ Riverbend Music Center
Sept. 13 – Noblesville, Indiana @ Ruoff Music Center
Sept. 15 – Franklin, Tennessee @ FirstBank Amphitheatre
Sept. 17 – Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio @ Blossom Music Center
Sept. 18 – Toronto, Canada @ Budweiser Stage
How to Get Tickets to Doobie Brothers Tour
Tickets for the “Walk This Road Tour” go on sale at 10:00 a.m. local time Feb. 14, via both livenation.com and thedoobiebrothers.com.
The band is expected to add to the 19 dates currently listed.
Comments
Doobie Brothers Reveal Iconic Collaboration in Honor of Jimmy Buffett