Saw THE EAGLES! Review (long)

Saw The Eagles at Mohegan Sun Casino in Eastern Connecticut last night. Yeah, the tickets were $251 each, but my wife really wanted to go. I dragged her to Neil Young, so this was pay-back! To my surprise, it turned out to be well worth it! When you go to a concert by an established act that is over 30 years on the scene, and they do not have a new album to plug, you are pretty much assured to have a concert where every song is familiar to a majority of the crowd. Aside from the new single "Hole in the World", every tune was a classic.

FIRST SET
The Long Run
New Kid in Town
Wasted Time
Peaceful Easy Feeling
Hole in the World
Love Will Keep Us Alive
Boys of summer
Take it to the limit
Already Gone
In the City
One of These Nights

The crowd got fired up with "The Long Run" and "New Kind in Town", but the performance of "Wasted Time" was purely stunning. To me, that one song made the concert. Henley stood center stage and delivered a chilling performance of the song that touched every member of the audience. There were actually people around me in tears! The other highlight of this set was Timothy B. Schmit singing "Love Will Keep Us Alive". They also did "Take it To the Limit", a song song on record by former Eagle Randy Meisner, this time the vocal was handled by Glen Frey - who acknowledged Meisner. The first set ended with "One of These Nights", and then it was time for beer sales!

SECOND SET
James Dean
Lyin' Eyes
I Can't Tell You why
Walk Away
Tequila Sunrise
Sunset Grille
Turn to Stone
You Belong to the City
Life's Been Good
Dirty Laundry
Funk #49
Heartache Tonight
Life in the Fastlane

The first set was so good, that the crowd was fired up for more and away they went. "James Dean" got everyone back into their seats, while "Lyin' Eyes" turned into a massive sing along. Again, Timothy B. Schmit steals the spotlight with his classic "I Can't Tell You Why". This guy is really good, I wonder why his solo career never took off. After Joe Walsh did "Walk Away" and Frey did "Tequila Sunrise", the momentum of the concert came to a screeching halt!! For some reason, Don Henley chose to do "Sunset Grille" (instead of maybe "End of Innocence"), and the crowd was brought completely down to Earth. I was seated directly in front of the stage, but back just above and behind the video/audio equipment, so I had a great view of the stage and the crowd. There was complete stillness during this song. A few people around me were asking "What song is this?" After this tune, Joe Walsh did "Turn to Stone", which is what the audience did. Something was definitely missing here. Then, the familiar sax drone of the opening of "You Belong to the City" sounded through the room, and the crowd started to come back to life, only to be SHOCKED by the terrible job Glen Frey did on the vocal. It was embarrassing! When the song gets to the higher parts, his voice had completely lost it. This tune should be dropped from the set in favor of "Smugglers Blues" or "The One You Love". Anyway, thankfully the next tune was "Life's Been Good (to me so far)", and Joe Walsh got the crowd back. He even donned a "Helmet-Cam" and the audience was treated to his view from the stage. From here on, all was well and the set ended with "Life in the Fast Lane"

ENCORE-1
Hotel California

ENCORE-2
Rocky Mountain Way
All She Wants To Do is Dance

ENCORE-3
Take It Easy
Desperado

Three encores, 29 songs, and 3+ hours later, I have to admit this was a great concert. Was it worth $500? Who can say, I guess it is all relative. Looking at the audience, most were 40-60, looking totally out of place dancing and swaying to the music. It was kind of sad thinking that these people were the party guys of 30 years ago, and now they are all in their 50s and for some reason it just does not look right. It's strange how time takes its toll on people and things change. The fat guy in the corner playing air guitar to "Rocky Mountain Way" is probably the same guy who goes home and blasts his kid for playing Eminem". Oh well, sometimes I think to much.

So, if you got the bucks, I can recommend this concert. I am sure there will be a DVD, everything was recorded. I had to stop myself from watching the screens during the show - I mean heck, if I was only going to watch the screens, I could have stayed home and waited for the DVD. Screens are nice, but hey - you are at a concert, watch the stage!!

:-jon

 

Great message

Good writing, Jon. Thanks for posting your excellent summary.

Regards,
Geoff

 

Jon,

Very well executed review - thanks!

Bob

 

Saw them Last July... Great show... Simply great. Thoe horn section ruled!

 

Great... thanks for your review.

 

I'm sure it was a great show. I was thinking of going myself, until I saw how crazy the ticket prices were. I won't go into that. I went to see these guys back in 1980, 1994 and a 1996 warm-up gig prior to them going overseas for a lengthy tour. The 1994 setlist:

Hotel California
Victim of Love
New Kid in Town
Wasted Time
Pretty Maids All in a Row
The Girl from Yesterday
I Can't Tell You Why
New York Minute
Ordinary Average Guy
Lyin' Eyes
One of These Nights
Tequila Sunrise
Help Me Make It Throught the Night
Love Will Keep Us Alive
The Heart of the Matter
You Belong to the City
The Boys of Summer
Funk #49
Dirty Laundry
Smuggler's Blues
Life's Been Good
All She Wants to Do Is Dance
Heartache Tonight
Life in the Fastlane
Get Over It
Rocky Mountain Way
Already Gone
Desperado
Take It Easy


I have to imagine that Don Felder is sorely missed on the guitar duel in Hotel California. How was it?

 

I dont know why they insist on doing so many solo songs, this is an Eagles show! They have plenty of songs to draw from. Probably Henleys' condition for doing the tour. I wanna hear Eagles songs for that kind of ticket price!
Rant over.

 

The guitarist playing the Don Felder parts was Steuart Smith. He had all of the licks down pat, and did not venture too far from the records. He was quite good, actually. I was surprised he was doing so much lead and Joe Walsh wasn't.

I was also surprised that DH only played drums on about half of the tunes. He did sing "One of These Nights" behind the drums, as well as "Hotel California". He even played guitar on a copuple of tunes, I don't recall which ones.

One thing about Glenn Frey's voice: it was fine during the rest of the show, it was just really bad on "You Belong to the City". I don't mean to knock the guy, I like him and his solo stuff a lot, he just had a lot of trouble with this tune.

 

Jon,

I saw them last June in Spokane, and had a very similar experience. I paid a high price for some 6th row tickets, and don't regret it. I too was surprised how often Walsh took back seat to Smith! The Spokane crowd seemed to like the Walsh solo tunes more than the Eagles stuff! They were great, but...

I'm hoping for a new DVD with a COMPLETE set list.

Great show, they know what to charge!

Dan in Spokane

 

Lets see: 29 songs for $500 is about $17.25 per song.

I think I'll wait for the DVD.

 

That was for TWO! That makes $9 a song.
I thought it was worth it.

 

Hell will freeze over before I spend that kind of money to see anyone. these bozos were the first band to charge 100 bucks a ticket and paved the way for higher ticket prices.

 

Thanks for the review Jon

Similar to the shows they did in DC two weeks ago if not identical.
For my money though "Turn to Stone" was a highlight but than again I have been jamming to that one for a long, long time.
Glad you mentioned DC guitarist Steuart Smith; he's a good one!
Best-
Norm

 

That's a great setlist, much better than the current setlist (IMHO). My cousin saw the Eagles on the 1994 tour, he said it was the best 100 dollars he ever spent.

 

Now that would make a great thread:

What's the best hundred bucks you ever spent?



Norm

 

God, I hate "All She Wants To Do Is Dance"! Can anyone suggest any redeeming qualities of this song?

"Dirty Laundry" too.

Sorry to thread crap...

 

That's all that matters! And while I haven't priced any recently, certainly there are Broadway, opera, and sports tickets just as expensive, if not more so.

 

It's usually for two. How many people who can afford to spend $250 on a ticket go alone? And since 3 songs were not great, it works out to about $19.25 for the GOOD songs.

 

Thanks for the write up.
Some tickets went for $200 on ebay today so I guess it was a pretty good price.

I will watch for some reasonably priced Bay Area tickets.

I like the idea of a "what the best $100 you spent" thread idea

 

I dunno.... I like the 1972, 1973 style Eagles, "Take It Easy", "Peaceful Easy Feeling", "Doolin Dalton", "Tequila Sunrise". By 1976 with that whole Hotel California 'arena-rock' type sound, they might as well play on the same bill with Kiss and all that other artificial mid 70's overblown rock sound. In other words, to me, there is a big difference in the quality of music such as the Eagles represent in the span of just a few years from approximately '72 to '76.

Somehow, when the Eagles made "Take It Easy" (or ok- their version of the JB tune)it rings true in a way that "Hotel California", a few years later cant touch, except for those who I know cant seem to relate to it & are into that later 70's mode- Boston, Foreigner, Queen, sigh.............., I'm getting nauseous already.

 

I have seen them some 1 or 2 years ago in Zurich, Switzerland. It was a peaceful, easy concert - just like an evening among good old friends... Everybody in the hall must have thought they were playing "Hotel California" and the other ones just for them alone. Unfortunately I had to leave during the second encore to catch my train home....
Peace
Thomas

 

The last I read, Don Felder's suit against the Eagles Inc. for wrongful termination & related issues is set to go on trial in September. Perhaps this tour should be called "Now That Hell Froze Over, We've Got To Pay The Lawyers Tour"

 

Time for some Eagles "Dirty Laundry"!