Jennifer Nettles, from left, Tom Johnston, of The Doobie Brothers, and Hillary Scott, of Lady Antebellum, perform onstage at the 48th annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 5, 2014, in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Wade Payne/Invision/AP)
A whiff of nostalgia will be in the air when The Doobie Brothers take the stage at the second edition of Winterfest. The event returns to Lakewood Ranch on Saturday after a debut pestered by heavy thunderstorms and strong winds. Classic funk-rock band War, contemporary country duo Thompson Square, our very own “American Idol” Sam Woolf and smooth jazz guitarist/singer Les Sabler are the rest of the talent for the music festival that also includes vendors, an artisan village and kids zone. Here is info on all the acts including an interview with an original Doobie Brother responsible for many of the band’s biggest hits - hits that got some of Nashville’s top stars all nostalgic recently. By the way, unless spending the day standing sounds appealing, bring your favorite lawn chair or blanket.
The Doobie Brothers (7:30 p.m.)
Country music stars are pretty much all big classic rock fans so it made sense to see The Doobie Brothers perform at the latest CMA Awards. They were joined by Hunter Hayes, Jennifer Nettles, and Hillary Scott on “Listen to the Music.” Guitarist Tom Johnston wrote and originally sang the catchy rocker that first made The Doobies rock stars.
“Yeah, it was fun, a real kick to be there with all those people, so was making the album,” he says by phone from California.
The Doobie Brothers’ new release “Southbound” is all about giving listeners the greatest hits with a little from their friends in Nashville. Johnston sings “Listen to the Music” with Hayes and Blake Shelton; “Long Train Coming” with Toby Keith; “China Grove” with Chris Young; “Rockin’ Down the Highway” with Brad Paisley; and “Nobody” with Charlie Worsham.
Shawna Thompson and Keifer Thompson of Thompson Square arrives at the CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 4, 2014, in Nashville,Tenn. (Photo by Wade Payne/Invision/AP)
“I thought it was pretty hip, frankly, or I would have never gotten involved,” Johnston says. “There would be no point in rerecording these songs without them - that brought validity to the album.”
While Michael McDonald is on “Southbound” and appeared with The Doobies at the CMAs he will not be with the band on their tour coming to Lakewood Ranch.
“We had a lot of fun working with Michael but he has been a solo artist for a long time and he wants to keep it that way, which I understand, he has done very well for himself and I respect his decision,” Johnston says.
And if you were interviewing a Doobie Brother you would have to ask about that name, right? Right? Of course.
“The band didn’t have a name when we started playing around San Jose and we started to catch on and still didn’t have a name and this guy who lived by us said, ‘Just call yourself The Doobie Brothers,’” Johnston recalls. “I thought The Doobie Brothers was a dumb name that we would just use until we thought of something better, but we never got rid of it.”
War (5:45 p.m.)
L.A. band had a bunch of funky hits in the 1970s like “Spill the Wine,” “Low Rider” and “Why Can’t we be Friends” that have been covered and sampled over the years by everyone from Bruce Springsteen to The Beastie Boys. Saturday, though, the only original War member on stage will be keyboardist and singer Leroy “Lonnie” Jordan.
Thompson Square (3:45 p.m.)
Following in the footsteps of Jonny and June, George and Tammy, Tim and Faith; Thompson Square is married country music duo Keifer and Shawna Thompson. Their hits, which have come out in the past five years or so, include “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not,” “If I Didn’t Have You” and “I Got You.”
Sam Woolf (2:15 p.m.)
We love Sam Woolf as much as the next #Woolfpack member and like the thousands in attendance were really wowed by his a cappella performance of the national anthem earlier this month at the Riverwalk Regatta. But by this point, around here he has become the rare teenager to qualify as a nostalgia act. Now that Woolf lives in Nashville, though, he soon shouldn’t feel so familiar.
Les Sabler (1 p.m.)
Not sure how this obscure smooth jazz artist is performing for the second year in a row at Winterfest. But check out his skills for yourself while securing a prime piece of blanket or chair real estate for the nostalgia acts playing during the evening.
Winterfest
Noon (gates open), 1 p.m. (music starts). Saturday, Premier Sports Campus, 5895 Post Blvd., Lakewood Ranch; $45 (advance), $50 (gates), $125 (VIP, advance sales only); 877-766-8164; lwrwinterfest.com
