Thorogood (finally) rocks Kent County
When it was announced in March that George Thorogood and the Destroyers would perform at the Delaware State Fair this summer, the 66-year-old Wilmington native had a bit of a confession to make.
"I never even knew you had a state fair," he told The News Journal at the time.
But after Friday night's downstate homecoming of sorts, it's doubtful that Lonesome George will ever again forget about Harrington's annual fair, in its 97th year.
"Harrington, Delaware – the world's best-kept secret. It only took us 40 years to get here, so we're going to take in every second of it," Thorogood announced at the Grandstand, possibly to help take the sting out of the fact that it was his first-ever show in Kent or Sussex County. "We have never had the opportunity to play the Delaware State Fair before and we hope the is the start of a long, beautiful relationship."
The Brandywine High School graduate's younger years in Delaware weren't always smooth, he has said in the past, recalling times when he was bullied for having long hair. So when he dug deep into his catalog for his 1993 cover of "Get a Haircut," it was payback time if one of those bullies happened to be in the crowd.
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The ever-rebellious Thorogood was going to take a victory lap on one of the state's biggest stages.
He smiled as he sang the song's crowning verse, "I hit the big time with my rock 'n' roll band/The future's brighter now than I'd ever planned/I'm 10 times richer than my big brother Bob/But he's got a haircut he's got a real job."
Thorogood and his musically muscular four-piece tore through a feel-good, saxophone-laced 90-minute set filled with his blues-based rock hits, which was peppered with Delaware references and shout-outs.
While his band dropped the word Delaware from their name years ago, it usually comes out of retirement when Thorogood plays a show in his home state and he did not disappoint this time around.
"I have good news. I found out today that the Delaware Destroyers' probation officers have allowed them out for 24 hours for this one engagement," he said. "However, I'll do everything in my power to get arrested tonight. If someone has to go to jail for rock 'n' roll, it might as well be me!"
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The fans at the state fair's Grandstand seemed to forgive Thorogood for the four-decade wait, although empty chairs on the floor and in the rear track seating area might mean that not everyone was quite ready to come out for his downstate debut.
Still frisky after all these years, Thorogood strutted throughout his well-honed show, shaking his hips and flicking his tongue. Even though the week's oppressive heat had lifted, the humidity had not and Thorogood had to change his shirt offstage halfway through his show.
The night was filled with his best-known re-worked blues and country covers, including an 11-minute run through John Lee Hooker's "One Bourbon One Scotch One Beer," Hank Williams' "Move it on Over" and the night's encore, "Madison Blues" by Elmore James. During Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love?", Thorogood slipped in, "My times in Delaware can't be beat."
Thorogood also had some tricks up his sleeve, delivering a rare version of The Sonics' "Shot Down," along with "Tail Dragger" by Howlin' Wolf, which was transformed into a trademark Thorogood rocker.
But it was his biggest hit, the Thorogood-penned original "Bad to the Bone," that had the crowd on their feet. And he was not about to let the moment pass without giving it a First State injection.
"I make a rich woman beg and I'll make a good woman steal," he sang. "I'll make an old woman blush and a Delaware girl squeal."
The 10-day festival closes Saturday and the blues rock will keep coming. The fair's craft beer festival will be headlined by Blues Traveler with Rehoboth Beach's Lower Case Blues opening.
Setlist
1. Rock Party
2. Who Do You Love? (Bo Diddley)
3. Shot Down (The Sonics)
4. Night Time (The Strangeloves)
5. I Drink Alone
6. House Rent Blues / One Bourbon One Scotch One Beer (John Lee Hooker)
7. Get a Haircut
8. Gear Jammer
9. Move it on Over (Hank Williams)
10. Tail Dragger (Howlin' Wolf)
11. Bad to the Bone
12. Madison Blues (Elmore James )
Contact Ryan Cormier of The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier), Twitter (@ryancormier) and Instagram (@ryancormier).