Johnston Finally Taking Doobies Seriously

The Doobie Brothers are slowly filling in their 2013 itinerary and are now prepping to kick off their first string of dates for the year. The band hits the road on February 15th in Concho, Oklahoma and, as of now, has dates up through August 29th in Milwaukee. Fronting the band are co-founding guitarists Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons.

Tom Johnston says the way he preps before hitting the road is light years away than how got himself in shape before the Doobies' classic road runs back in the '70s. We asked him what's been the primary change for him over the decades: "Probably a sense of proficiency on both instrument and voice, for one thing. Back in those days, I never practiced -- we just played. I mean, we got together and rehearsed once in a while, but, I mean, I didn't practice unless I was with a band. Nowadays I practice before going on any tours. I like to get, like, two hours a day, at least; y'know an hour on guitar, an hour on voice. I used to write back then, but it was kind of hit and miss; nowadays I write almost as a hobby."

The Doobie Brothers tour dates (subject to change):
February 15 - Concho, OK - Lucky Star Casino
February 16 - Newkirk, OK - First Council Casino
February 24 - Tampa, FL - Giwazi Stage/Busch Gardens - Tampa
February 26 - Hollywood, FL - Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
March 22 - Biloxi, MS - IP Casino, Resort & Spa
March 23 - Bossier City, LA - Horseshoe Bossier Cty-Riverdom
March 24 - Robinsonville, MS - Horseshoe Tunica Casino Hotel - "Bluesville"
March 28 - Rama, Ontario - Casino Rama Entertainment Center
March 29 - Windsor, Ontario - Colosseum at Caesar's Windsor
March 30 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
April 1, 2 - Milwaukee, WI - Potawatomi Bingo Casino
April 3 - Effingham, IL - Effingham Performance Center
April 5 - Mahnomen, MN - Shooting Star Casino
April 6 - Red Wing, MN - Treasure Island Resort & Casino
April 9 - Salina, KS - Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts
April 10 - Colorado Springs, CO - Pikes Peak Center
April 12 - Scottsdale, AZ - Arizona Bike Week
April 13 - Riverside, CA - Fox Performing Arts Center
May 10 - Thackerville, OK - Global Event Center At Winstar World Casino
June 23 - Airway Heights, WA - Northern Quest Casino
August 10 - Williams Bay, WI - The Ferro Pavilion
August 29 - Milwaukee, WI - Harley Davidson Roadhouse