Michael McDonald and the Doobie Brothers ‘Walk This Road’—Right Into Pine Knob August 4th
When Michael McDonald gets on the phone, it’s not just an interview—it’s a conversation with a man who’s lived music, loved it, questioned it, and keeps doing it anyway. His…
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 06: Michael McDonald performs onstage during the ninth annual LOVE ROCKS NYC benefit concert For God’s Love We Deliver at Beacon Theatre on March 06, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for LOVE ROCKS NYC/God’s Love We Deliver)
When Michael McDonald gets on the phone, it’s not just an interview—it’s a conversation with a man who’s lived music, loved it, questioned it, and keeps doing it anyway. His voice, like the Doobie Brothers’ legacy, has aged into something deeper—not worn out, but worn in.
The Doobie Brothers’ new album Walk This Road is a testament to that. It's not a nostalgia trip. It's current. It's grounded. It's full of soul, musicianship, and a kind of emotional honesty you don’t often hear in records anymore. And the best part? The tour kicks off here in the Motor City on August 4th at Pine Knob.
I told Michael that my wife and I were listening on the patio and when the last track ended, we looked at each other and hit play again. That’s rare. The music hits you quietly at first—then it stays with you.
Michael McDonald:
“We really weren’t sure how it would be received, in fact Tom and I have mentioned that a couple of times—how surprised we are at how much people seem to like the record. We’re very flattered, of course, but we kind of did it with a little bit of trepidation. Like, here we are at our age—who really wants to hear from us at this point? But we do it because that’s what we do. I’m not even sure we get paid anymore for records, but we love doing it. We always kind of follow our muse.”
Songs like “Speed of Pain” and “Learn to Let Go” carry that familiar Doobies sound but with the clarity of people who’ve lived through some things. “Speed of Pain” hit me the hardest.
Michael McDonald:
“That’s actually a real friend who used to say that. My friend Manny would always say, ‘My ego is not my amigo.’ And another one was, ‘I don’t learn anything except by the speed of pain.’ And I was like—well, you know, that’s so true. For a lot of us, it has to hurt before we actually get it. We keep banging up against the same wall until it hurts enough to change direction. Sometimes the worst things that happen to us become the best things, because without them, we wouldn’t know what we know now.”
Michael doesn’t shy away from the emotional terrain of getting older. “Learn to Let Go” is another standout that grapples with grief, aging, and perspective.
Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesDoobie Brothers Are Back! Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Michael McDonald:
“As we get older, life takes things away from us. And that’s okay—it’s okay to be sad. Be thankful for the time you had. That’s always kind of been a message in our songs, you know? You learn to be grateful by virtue of the things you lose more than by the things you’re given. You get pretty complacent if you get what you want all the time.”
Beyond the songs themselves, it’s clear the brotherhood within the band still runs deep. When I asked how much of the writing was “to each other,” Michael lit up.
Michael McDonald:
“One of the things I looked forward to when Tom mentioned coming back was just playing those songs again. We’ve always been friends. We didn’t always agree on everything—we’re a band, you know—but we always came back to the fact that we cared about each other. Our kids grew up together. Even when we weren’t talking, they kept us in touch in their own way. So there’s a bond there that time only strengthens.”
Michael also talked about how rejoining the Doobies changed how he sees himself—not just as a singer, but as a musician again.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 06: Michael McDonald performs during the ninth annual LOVE ROCKS NYC benefit concert For God's Love We Deliver at Beacon Theatre on March 06, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for LOVE ROCKS NYC/God's Love We Deliver)
Michael McDonald:
“When I was doing my own thing, I was mostly the singer. I hired someone to play the B3, the synths. But coming back to the Doobies, I’m the keyboard player again. I missed that. I missed playing in keys I wasn’t comfortable in, missed pushing myself. I always thought, if you were gonna play B3 well, you had to start when you were five. But I forced myself into it this time. And it’s been one of the most rewarding parts of coming back.”
And in case you were wondering—yes, that Yacht Rock moment with Donald Fagen? It was 100% a setup.
Michael McDonald:
“They were afraid he didn’t like the idea. So Donald told the producer, ‘Call me back and pretend we didn’t have this conversation.’ And when they called back, he played it all deadpan—like, ‘What are we talking about exactly?’ He set it all up. He was just having fun with them.”
Before we wrapped, I asked the big one: If someone’s never heard the Doobie Brothers, what’s the one song he’d play for them?
Michael McDonald:
“Man, that’s tough. We’ve always had such a diverse songbook—New Orleans stuff, blues rock, slap-key instrumentals. But if I had to pick one? Maybe ‘Black Water’ or ‘Long Train Running.’ Those songs, they’re a good snapshot of who we are.”
The Doobie Brothers’ Walk This Road is out now—and it’s not just good. It’s alive. The tour kicks off August 4th at Pine Knob, right here in Michigan.
Michael, thanks again. We’ll see you soon. And that Motown Museum VIP tour? The invite still stands.
