George Thorogood & The Destroyers Treat Montreal to an Unforgettable Night [Photos]

There is this magical sweet spot that seems to be created when two genres mix and create something magnificent. Take a pinch of Chuck Berry’s Rock and Roll, add in a dash of John Lee Hooker’s Blues, and what you get is the hard-driving and toe-tapping musical mélange that is mastered by George Thorogood and The Destroyers. They were at a sold-out MTelus in Montreal the other night as part of this year’s annual Jazz Festival. There wasn’t very much jazz being played on this night, but that’s not really what the packed house was looking for anyway.

They wanted some down-and-dirty rock and roll so that they could shake, rattle and roll the night away. Played to the stage by Barry McGuire’s classic “Eve of Destruction,” the band is then introduced wrestling style as “World Champions of Rock and Roll!” It didn’t take much more than that to get everyone up in the gallery to join their fellow rock fans on the floor by jumping to their feet.

Opening the evening was Texas blues rocker Alastair Greene. He hit the stage in his best Texas outlaw gear, though the only gun he was slinging was a mean electric guitar. His set was terribly short, considering that he came out and immediately caught everyone’s attention with some slick guitar work. He may have been a rookie to the city, but Alastair Greene has been rocking crowds for almost 20 years. The majority of his set came from his tenth album, Standing Out Loud, which was released last year. Hopefully, he will be back soon and be able to play even more of his awesome songs.

Getting back to our headliner, George Thorogood hasn’t lost any of his energy, or good nature, despite being 75. I hope to have that much energy when I get to that point. He opened his set with ”Rock Party,” a rather appropriate choice as that was exactly what we were all there for. A rock party for the ages. Even the venue got in on the fun, offering up a special one bourbon, one scotch and one beer trio for 23 dollars. That song, of course, got a huge reaction, but the loudest cheer of the night had to be the opening riff of “Bad To The Bone.” The between-song banter was great as well as George was obviously having a great time.

The love-in between artist and crowd lasted all the way to the final notes. The Montreal fans had been waiting seven years since George Thorogood & The Destroyers last visited. Both ‘The Plague’ and other medical issues had kept George away, but he was back, and the crowd lined the street waiting to get in. There were more than a few disappointed fans who tried to buy some last-minute tickets while I was picking up my pass.

Once inside the building, George Thorogood & The Destroyers made everyone forget the long wait. They absolutely lived up to their ‘Baddest Band In The World’ billing. George Thorogood & The Destroyers will be out there on tour until mid-August. Don’t miss your chance to get rocked by The World Champions of Rock and Roll when they come to a town near you.

George Thorogood & The Destroyers (w/ Alastair Green) @ MTelus (Montreal, QC) on July 3rd, 2025

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