
The Doobie Brothers have extended their in-progress run into late fall while simultaneously working on a new studio effort due out next year.
The North American outing, which began in May, continues tonight (6/23) in Raleigh, NC, and crisscrosses the nation through mid-November. A handful of Canadian stops, including a two-night stand July 22-23 in Niagara Falls, Ontario, are also on the books. The veteran rockers will finish the trek with a Nov. 14 performance in San Francisco. The full schedule is shown below.
The extensive get-together reunites the group's longest-running lineup, comprised of founding members and primary songwriters Tom Johnson and Pat Simmons, guitarist John McFee and drummer Michael Hossack, along with bassist Skylark, keyboardist Guy Allison, saxophonist Mark Russo and drummer Ed Toth.
"This formation of the band has been together for 20 years, which is as long as we've had any lineup," Johnston said in a press release. "There's no drama, and the joy in the music is evident; it's a pleasure to be able to share those good vibes with the audience. It's magic."
The band is working on an as-yet untitled new studio set, according to longtime manager Bruce Cohn, while working the road behind a number of classic hits, including "Black Water," "China Grove" and "Takin' It to the Streets."
The forthcoming record, which will be the group's first new material in a decade, has the band working alongside legendary producer Ted Templeman, who produced all 12 of the rockers' Warner Brothers albums.
"It's been years since Tom and I have been together in the studio with Ted, but it's as though we've never been apart," Simmons said in a press release. "The chemistry and camaraderie are as strong as ever."
The new effort is expected to surface in the first half of 2010.