The Doobie Brothers (Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, Pat Simmons, John McFee) Announce 50th Anniversary Tour

For the first time in 25 years, the Doobie Brothers — specifically, the lineup including Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, Patt Simmons and John McFee — will join forces for a special tour commemorating the band‘s 50th anniversary.

Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, Pat Simmons & John McFee will be back on tour together for the first time in nearly 25 years. General onsale starts Dec 6 at 10am. A limited number of LaneOne Premium Packages will also be available. Visit https://t.co/UiwrEVYE6q for full details pic.twitter.com/dcXmIVRqwY

— The Doobie Brothers (@TheDoobieBros) November 19, 2019

Announced on Tuesday, the tour also works as a celebration of the Doobies’ inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020 nominees list.

So, it’s basically a huge victory lap for the classic band, which is well deserved. And the news came in rather dramatic fashion, too:

The announcement came at the conclusion of the band’s performance at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, in which they played two of their iconic albums, Toulouse Street and The Captain and Me. MICHAEL MCDONALD took to the stage during the band’s encore and gave a surprise performance of The Doobie Brothers’ smash hit single, “Takin’ It To The Streets,” before Pat Simmons announced that the entire band would be teaming up for a North American tour.

Said Johnston in a statement:

“We’re truly excited about our 50th Anniversary Tour, as it’s a celebration of the band’s entire history. We’ll be performing songs from our full catalog, as well as new music.”

That “new music” Johnston mentions in the quote above is presumably the same as the EP Pat Simmons recently told us the band is working on — so stay tuned in that regard!

And McDonald, on reconvening with his pals for this tour:

“With the Doobies, everybody in the band was proud to be a Doobie Brother. And to this day, I think of myself as a Doobie Brother — all these years later.”

And here’s the list of dates for the 50th anniversary tour: