Summerfest on Monday added a couple legendary rock outfits to the BMO Pavilion lineup by announcing that George Thorogood & The Destroyers will headline Friday, June 20, with support from Foghat.
Thorogood and his band will be in town as part of their previously announced “The Baddest Show on Earth Tour” that features a collection of musicians with five decades of collaboration under their belts. Jeff Simon (drums) and Thorogood have been friends since high school, and started the group in 1973, bringing Bill Blough (bass) on board a couple years later. They eventually added Jim Suhler (guitar) and Buddy Leach (saxophone) to create the sound you’ll hear at the BMO Pavilion on June 20.
As a band, George Thorogood & The Destroyers have put out 16 studio albums that include tracks people still shout-sing in cars, bars and live venues. Their self-titled debut included a memorable cover of John Lee Hooker’s “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer,” and they went on to release hit songs like “I Drink Alone,” “Get a Haircut” and “Bad to the Bone.”
With the headliner’s preference for bluesy rock, Foghat is an ideal pick to have opening the evening’s festivities. Although not nearly as prevalent these days, it was a live album that put the London band on the map in 1977. Foghat Live went on to achieve double-platinum status, and the group built a collection of classic tracks like “I Just Want to Make Love to You,” “Fool for the City” and “Slow Ride.” More recently, they put out Sonic Mojo in 2023, and the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Blues Chart.
Like all BMO Pavilion shows during Summerfest, seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis the day of the show. You can also pick up a reserved seat when tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, Jan. 17, online via Ticketmaster and at the Summerfest box office.
Summerfest 2025: BMO Pavilion schedule
- June 20 — George Thorogood & The Destroyers w/Foghat
- June 21 — Japanese Breakfast
- June 26 — The Avett Brothers
- June 27 — Cake
- June 28 — Riley Green
- July 4 — Chicago
