SLCene Suggests: George Thorogood and the Destroyers at The Depot

GEORGE THOROGOOD AND THE DESTROYERS, THE DEPOT, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 8 p.m., $40.50

Last summer I joined a couple thousand hearty souls in withstanding a serious downpour that delayed the start of George Thorogood’s show at Red Butte Garden. For me, the decision was driven by the fact I had never seen the man and his long-time band The Destroyers, and they were a major player in the soundtrack of my youth. I never considered Thorogood as seriously as other childhood musical loves like Michael Jackson or R.E.M., but when I needed some loud, energetic tunes to plug in my ears while mowing the lawn, songs like “Bad to the Bone,” “I Drink Alone” and “One Bourbon, One Shot, and One Beer.” Little did I know that those same songs were making generations of pub-rock lovers go crazy. Thorogood’s fans remain pretty hardcore, and the man’s guitar-playing is legitimately worth the price of admission. If straightforward rock ‘n’ roll is something you haven’t seen or heard in a while, this show might be right up your alley. Trampled Under Foot opens.