Television personality and AZfoothills.com columnist Nadine Toren is scouring the area, finding savvy Valley features, bringing readers “on the scene.” Every day she’ll introduce you to celebrities, athletes, and give you an inside look into local events and hot spots. She'll touch on topical issues, and keep AZ fans posted on all the big talkers around town.

Dust off those records; The Doobie Brothers are coming to Arizona, headlining at the 2011 Waste Management Phoenix Open.

“It’s going to be a kick-ass show,” said Tom Johnston, of The Doobie Brothers.

Tom Johnston calls himself a “youthful” 62 year-old. When asked what keeps him young at heart, Johnston’s answer was simple: his 40+ year old band.

“Performing live is what I love to do. It’s what’s kept the band alive all these years,” he said.

Johnston is an original Doobie Brother, having launched the band back in the day. He’s the main singer and guitarist, performing nearly ninety times a year.

This year, his tour-bus is heading to the Valley of the Sun, where The Doobie Brothers will rock the crowd at the 2011 Waste Management Phoenix Open Bird’s Nest.

“We are better now than we were back in the ‘70s, and I‘m not just saying that to pat ourselves on the back; it‘s a fact.”

The Doobies are no strangers to Scottsdale; Johnson says they’ve been touring the area since he was nineteen.

That’s when he formed the band in San Jose, California.

That’s also when a buddy dubbed the band its name.

“He said ‘why don’t you call yourself ‘The Doobie Brothers,’’ because at that time a lot of that stuff was going on.”

Despite “that stuff,” the Doobies became one of the finest groups to emerge from the Northern California music scene in the late 1960’s. Their success was a pleasant surprise for the young musician, who was majoring in Graphic Design.

“The first time I heard my song on the radio was a trip. I pulled over in my Volkswagen and just sat and listened. I was thrilled.”

At the age of 12, Johnston took up guitar, stroking chords as he listened to his idols like Little Richard and Elvis.Luck and talent were obviously on his side, because the Doobies formed a splendid musical mixture consisting of blues, bluegrass, rock, and country.

“Without sounding corny, we’re like the quintessential all-American band because we draw from so many different types of music.”

The all-American guys say they get better with age…and so does their music. The Doobies are still releasing albums, most recently, “World Gone Crazy.”

“You can tell it’s us but at the same time we do things we’ve never tried before. It’s really interesting.”

Expect quite a diverse crowd when the Doobie’s perform at the Phoenix Open. Die-hard groupies to new-found fans will fill the Bird’s Nest tent.

“They get into their parents’ record supply and find out about us or they download us off iTunes. We’ve had a lot of kids come to shows that are just into the music.”

This father of two is pretty much forced to keep up with the times. He has a son and daughter both in their twenties, who have toured with him over the years.

“They came on stage, stayed in hotels, and basically lived the dream, quote unquote.”

Johnston says he is still living the dream. When off-stage, he’s at home in Marin County, California with his wife.

Otherwise, this 62-year-young entertainer is doing what he loves: playing and creating music.

You can catch The Doobie Brothers at the Waste Management Phoenix Open Bird’s Nest on Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011.

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