The Doobie Brothers have finally embarked on their 50th anniversary tour, joined by Michael McDonald for the first time in 25 years.

Originally announced in 2019 and scheduled for 2020, the trek was delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the 50th anniversary tour is technically taking place on the Doobie’s 51st year -- not that they had much control over it.

“We had everything going and it got dumped on by the pandemic, which kind of sucked,” singer Tom Johnston admitted to the Associated Press prior to the delayed tour’s launch. “We did the virtual induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, that was pretty much it. Then it was a year of every day’s Thursday and nothing ever changes. It was pretty much a lost year.”

Finally able to get back on the road, the band’s first stop was the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines on Aug. 22, followed by a performance at the BMO Harris Pavilion in Milwaukee on Aug. 24.

In addition to performing classic tracks -- such as "Long Train Runnin,'" "Jesus is Just Alright," "Takin' It to the Streets," "Black Water" and "What a Fool Believes" -- the Doobie Brothers also mixed in two new tunes, "Better Days" and "Don't Ya Mess With Me." Both songs are from the group's upcoming album, Liberte, due out Oct. 1.

A full set list from the Milwaukee concert (as reported by the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal) can be found below, along with fan-shot video.

The Doobie Brothers have dates scheduled through June 2022, but with COVID-19 still raging, the band knows nothing is guaranteed.

“It’s a crapshoot, really, whether we’ll make it to the end of this or not, but I hope we do,” McDonald admitted. “The main thing I think is if we start to see that anything that we’re doing has a potential of being a super-spreader. I don’t think any of us are worried so much about getting sick ourselves. We’re all vaccinated. But if we test positive, that means all the people in our workplace are being exposed.”

 

Watch the Doobie Brothers Perform 'Taking It to the Streets' in Milwaukee

Watch the Doobie Brothers Perform 'Long Train Runnin'' in Milwaukee

Watch the Doobie Brothers Perform 'What a Fool Believes' in Milwaukee

The Doobie Brothers, BMO Harris Pavilion, Milwaukee, Aug. 24, 2021
1. “Nobody”
2. “Here to Love You”
3. “Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)”
4. “Dependin’ On You”
5. “Spirit”
6. “You Belong to Me”
7. “South City Midnight Lady”
8. “Ukiah”
9. “Clear as the Driven Snow”
10. “It Keeps You Runnin’”
11. “Dark Eyed Cajun Woman”
12. “Better Days”
13. “Real Love”
14. “Wheels of Fortune”
15. “World Gone Crazy”
16. “Don’t Ya Mess With Me”
17. “Minute By Minute”
18. “Without You”
19. “Sweet Maxine”
20. “Jesus is Just Alright”
21. “Rockin’ Down The Highway”
22. “What a Fool Believes”
23. “Long Train Runnin’”
24. “China Grove”
25. “Black Water”
26. “Takin’ It to the Streets”
27. “Listen to the Music”

Doobie Brothers Albums Ranked

They remain an intriguing dichotomy of a band.

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