Vintage Songs Are Best for the Doobies

A listener could be mildly diverted taking up the Doobies’ behest to listen to the music, but it’s hard to imagine anyone being moved by it.

The reunited Doobies, led by original singers Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons (latecomer Michael McDonald isn’t part of the comeback), embodied modest virtues modestly on Friday at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa (preceding a two-night stand at the Universal Amphitheatre).

To enjoy the Doobies, one had to overlook their negligible stage presence and a booming, distorted bass sound that marred much of the show.

The Doobie Brothers came out of Northern California bars in the early ‘70s and hit it big by combining a Crosby, Stills & Nash harmony sound with a slicker, less authentic version of the country, blues and pop fusion achieved by the Allman Brothers and Little Feat.

With two albums under their belt since their 1989 comeback, the Doobies now have a greater supply of songs even less consequential than the hits their fans really want to hear.

When the first strains of a vintage song appeared, the people jumped to their feet and partied. For the most part, they napped through the new stuff. Maybe the Doobies’ theme should be “ooh-waah, listen to the old music.”