When it was announced that Boz Scaggs and Michael McDonald would bring their co-headlining tour to Maui, some of us who grew up in the late-1970s thought: “this might be fun.”
Although Boz Scaggs’ 1976 release “Silk Degrees” never made it to my CD collection–let alone my iPod–the fact remains that the eight-track was a staple in my first car. Plus, the Michael McDonald-era of The Doobie Brothers holds a very bright spot in pop music history–similar to the Stevie Nicks-era of Fleetwood Mac.
So Friday night, March 12, armed with a notebook and my handy note-taking Flip video stick, I headed to the Maui Arts & Cultural Center to see what these staples of my youth could bring to the table.
Scaggs opened the show, playing a set that included his most well-known songs. When he launched into “Lido Shuffle,” “Georgia” and “Harbor Lights,” the youthful ex-New Yorker with indie-rock tastes sitting next to me could be heard saying, “I know this song.” Yes, Boz Scaggs’ music definitely is a mainstay of its time.
The big treat of the evening came from Michael McDonald, however. Sitting center-stage behind his keyboard, the blue-eyed-soul-man wowed the crowd with original songs and familiar cover tunes. Not long into his set, several Doobie Brothers’ songs started popping up.
Sometimes when an artist leaves a high-profile band like the Doobies, they tend to stay away from playing that music in concert. For years, Paul McCartney did not include any Beatles songs in his live repertoire. When he added them, it was magic.
McDonald’s inclusion of Doobie songs would have been magic enough to please long-time nostalgic fans, but it did not end there.
During the encore, he brought out his former band-mate Pat Simmons, who happens to live on the island. Together, the Bros rocked the audience to its feet, playing some of the band’s biggest hits.
Hearing Pat Simmons’ distinctive voice and guitar on “Black Water,” and McDonald singing “What a Fool Believes,” it was easy to remember what made the McDonald-era of the band so special.
Leaving the venue, a random vacationing stranger, who objected to me joking about the old coots leaving a lot of trash behind (I can, because I am), shared a story about being on the island several years ago. She wanted to see a popular local performer at a club, but her now-ex-husband objected. The next day, the woman read that Simmons had appeared at the club as a special guest. She was very disappointed. But in a truly Maui moment, the woman happened to be on the island this week. She snagged some last-minute tickets and not only got to see Simmons perform, but perform Doobie favorites on-stage with Michael McDonald.
A perfect example of what makes going to shows on the island no ka ‘oi (the best).
Story by Suzanne Kayian
Photos by Aubrey Hord
Rhythm and Views 