George Thorogood Rocks Rivers Casino Event Center

by Dave Parsons

On February 22, 2025, blues-rock legend George Thorogood brought his Baddest Show on Earth Tour to Pittsburgh’s Rivers Casino Event Center. With a career spanning over five decades, Thorogood and his band, The Destroyers, delivered an electrifying night of hard-driving, no-frills rock ‘n’ roll that had the packed crowd involved from start to finish.

The Rivers Casino Event Center, at the end of the North Shore of Pittsburgh, provided an outstanding setting for the show. The mid-large size venue had a nice layout, between a fairly high stage and screens on either side. 26 rows of seats in 4 sections packed the floor while standing room only surrounding the outer edges of the room assured excellent sightlines from nearly every vantage point. When the lights dimmed, the crowd came to life as the band took the stage.

Thorogood’s long time band, The Destroyers took the stage, setting the stage for the arrival of the man of the hour.  At age 75, and on his 50^th Anniversary Tour, Thorogood’s arrival on stage made it clear this was no farewell tour—this was a living, breathing force of rock ‘n’ roll.

George Thorogood himself, still as charismatic and commanding as ever, strutted out with his signature black Gibson guitar slung over his shoulder. He greeted the crowd with a trademark  grin before launching into Rock Party, setting the tone for a night of unrelenting rock ‘n’ roll. Sliding next into Who Do You Love?, it was clear Thorogood and the Destroyers came to play.

The band made up of Jim Suhler on rhythm guitar, Billy Blough on bass guitar Jeff Simon on drums, and Buddy Leach on saxophone and keyboards, traded leads all night, sometimes several per song, making each song a full performance.

Working through his catalog of hits, I Drink Alone and One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer brought the energy out of the middle aged crowd.  Reaching back into his early catalog songs like Cocaine Blues (originally made famous by Johnny Cash),and Get a Haircut set the crowed up for the recognizable opening riff of Bad to the Bone. Phones shot up in the air to capture the moment, and fans swayed and sang along to every word.

Rounding out the set was a clever cover of Hank William’s Sr.’s Move It on Over  transformed into a blues-rock powerhouse, had the audience clapping and singing along.  Coming back for one more song, Thorogood gave a rousing rendition of Born to be Bad. The crowd was matching the band with energy. 

It is safe to say that George Thorogood & The Destroyers rocked Pittsburgh on this night, proving again that he has earned his place as a rock icon. The Baddest Show on Earth Tour serves as both a celebration of his career and the enduring power of rock ‘n’ roll.  As the crowd filed out, it was evident by the smiles that the audience got what it came for—an unapologetic, high-energy blues rock experience.  It’s nice to know in this world today that rock ‘n’ roll is very much alive, and George Thorogood is still Bad to the Bone.

George Thorogood Setlist:

  1.)      Rock Party

  2.)      Who Do You Love?

  3.)      Mama Talk to Your Daughter

  4.)      I Drink Alone

  5.)      House Rent Blues / One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer

  6.)      Cocaine Blues

  7.)      Beck’s Bolero

  8.)      Gear Jammer

  9.)      Get A Haircut

 10.)     Bad to the Bone

 11.)     Gloria

 12.)     Move It on Over

Encore:

 13.)     Born to Be Bad