After four decades of success, raspy-voiced rocker Bob Seger is still topping charts and touring the country. With a long list of iconic songs including “Turn the Page,”“Night Moves,” “Hollywood Nights” and “Against the Wind,” he is adding more classics to his list with his newest album, Ride Out.
Bob Seger first came into public eye with his 1976 hit “Night Moves,” but had been working in the music industry since the 1960s. Seger was born in Ann Arbor, MI, and was musically influenced from an early age. His father was a musician, as well as a worker at the Ford plant, and Seger began writing and playing with a band at age 15. Not long after, he was finding success with his songs in Detroit. The city embraced his style, and he in turn has not forgotten the city and its part in his career. The first track in his newest album, Ride Out, is titled “Detroit Made”—a song about the Flint-built Buick Electra. The song’s music video shows various Detroit-built cars cruising through the city.
Ride Out was released October 23, 2014 and entered the Billboard 200 charts at #3, and is Seger’s highest-charting debut. The album is Seger’s first in eight years, and will be the focus of his 2014/2015 Ride Out tour. The North American tour kicked off November 19, 2014 in Saginaw Michigan and will conclude March 7 in Vancouver, making it Seger’s most extensive tour since 2007.
Toledo is also one of the stops on the tour where Seger invites the J. Geils Band to the stage. Anyone who watched MTV in its early days will recall the upbeat danceable tunes of the J. Geils Band.
Originally called the J. Geils Blues Band, the group that started in 1967 focused on blues rock. They later adapted the new wave sound of the '80s, and that is where they found their most success. Songs such as “Centerfold,” “Freeze Frame” and “Love Stinks” brought them to a new form of popularity, and have people singing along 35 years later.
The group disbanded in 1985, but has been participating in reunion concerts and tours since 1999. Their tour with Seger will be one of their longest tours as a group since the 80s. Featuring original members Peter Wolf, Seth Justman, Danny Klein, and Magic Dick, this concert is sure to leave everyone dancing in their seats.
The J. Geils Band will open for Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band at 7:30pm on Tuesday, January 20 at the Huntington Center, 500 Jefferson Ave. Tickets at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com.