Eric Minton| Oklahoman
Instead of crumbling before their fans and critics, The Doobie Brothers, one of pop music's steadiest rocks for the past decade, has decided to simply roll away.
Its members have reached a point in their careers most working women and men can relate to: It's time to move on.
In fact, time or the lack thereof is the basic reason for the group's decision to break up, according to guitarist John McFee.
Being a Doobie Brother is pretty much a full-time job, and there isn't much opportunity to moonlight as producers, session players or solo artists.
The Doobie Brothers, which for years has been one of the biggest bands in America in terms of popularity, corporate holdings and number of members, is no longer big enough to hold itself.
"Things have reached a point where everybody in the band has been putting aside their own projects and solo things for so long that I think everybody needs to get to those things," said McFee in a phone interview from Atlanta.
The group's "Farewell Tour" comes to Lloyd Noble Center at 8 tonight.
McFee referred specifically to vocalist and keyboardist Michael McDonald and vocalist and guitarist Patrick Simmons, both of whom have been working on solo albums for the past three years. McDonald's is due out this fall.
For one of rock's heavyweight bands, there is also the matter of resigning with dignity.
"There's really no better time to do it than when we can sit back and say, "Well, let's do this because we want to do these other things,' instead of it being "Let's call it because nobody is listening to us anymore,' " McFee said.
Although he says things like "who knows what will happen" after the tour and "for now," McFee insists their "Farewell Tour" isn't simply a public relations gimmick.
Actually, McFee isn't much different from the person who turns in his notice at a job, then notices things start getting better in the office and all the co-workers turn into best friends.
For The Doobie Brothers, counting down days to the group's termination, the job has never been better, and McFee starts stumbling over his words as he talks of the band's final days.
"It's very strange, I think, for everybody in the band because everybody gets along well, and the band has never been playing better," he said. "So, in a way, it seems crazy to break up now."
If the band is having a rough time, their fans are not faring better. When Simmons tells the crowd they are witnessing one of The Doobie Brothers' last concerts he is answered with boos.
"Even though they are really, totally enthusiastic about the shows _ the shows couldn't be going over better It's obvious the audiences would rather just see us go on," McFee said.
The group is recording its last shows for a live album, the first in the band's 12-year history. And their last concert in Berkeley, Calif., will be filmed for television.
After that the group will scatter.
The point of The Doobie Brothers' breakup is not that the members have been together so long but that the entity has endured since 1970.
Simmons is the only original Doobie from a group that at various times included such revered musicians as Tom Johnston, Tiran Porter and Jeff Baxter.
Drummer Keith Knudsen was the first of the present-day newcomers to be added to the lineup when he joined in 1974. McDonald burst into the band during the group's summer tour in 1975.
In 1979 the group took in Cornelius Bumpus on sax, flute and keyboards, Chet McCracken on drums and McFee playing anything with strings. The following year Willie Weeks became the group's new bass player and percussionist Bobby LaKind officially joined, though he had been playing some with The Doobies since 1976.
Even though the characteristic driving rhythm guitar of early rockers such as "China Grove," "Listen To The Music" and "Take Me In Your Arms" has been replaced by McDonald's high-pitched lead vocals and jazz-influenced rhythms in hits such as "Takin' It To The Streets," "Minute By Minute" and "What A Fool Believes," their whole repertoire gets a steady response from concert audiences.
Most of the band members have been Doobies for only a couple of years, but they had been fans long before. In them is compounded two feelings: that of the musician leaving behind a group and that of the fan losing his band.
When McFee was asked what he would miss most about The Doobie Brothers he unhesitatingly responded: "Everything."BIOG:NAME:
Archive ID: 81957
