Eagles Headline Classic West
LOS ANGELES, July 16, 2017 – Deacon Frey, the oldest son of the late Glenn Frey, experienced a unique rite of passage last night.
On stage with the Eagles at Dodger Stadium, he led the legendary band on “Take It Easy,” the second song of the set. And the audience of 51,000 embraced him with thunderous applause.
The Eagles anchored the first night of the Classic West Concert, a two-night rock carnival that featured six high profile bands.
The event could have been dubbed the “Irving Azoff Festival,” because Azoff manages all of the featured artists. The shows will be replicated July 29-30 at Citi Field in the Classic East in New York City.
The Eagles opened the show by harmonizing tightly on the all-acoustic “Seven Bridges Road.”
Joining the Eagles on stage was veteran country singer Vince Gill. He split lead vocal duties with Deacon Frey on the songs that used to be fronted by Glenn Frey, who died 18 months ago.
“These past couple of years have been pretty rough,” Deacon told the audience before singing “Peaceful Easy Feeling.” “The way you deal with that is love. You guys are my medicine tonight.”
Deacon Frey
Let’s be clear – Deacon Frey is not the top tier musician that his father was. But I give the 24-year-old credit for stepping into a bright spotlight to play and sing alongside legends whose history goes back more than 40 years.
The Eagles’ songs need to be treated with care and respect. They form a treasure trove of music – a veritable vault of hallowed songs that are sacred to legions of fans. With Deacon Frey and Gill, that legacy is safe. They performed well on their appointed songs.
While singing “Already Gone,” Frey seemed to forget that he had to sing into his microphone. But that was his only misstep.
Adding the younger Frey to the Eagles’ lineup was Don Henley’s idea. He had seen Deacon perform some of his father’s songs at a private memorial service last year.
“They came to me with the idea, and it’s been really great,” Deacon told the Los Angeles Times last month. (The Eagles) are like my uncles.”
In the same Times article, Azoff was quoted as saying, “I think with Glenn’s passing, there also was a natural legion of fans out there who weren’t ready to let go. To me, the fans and the legacy was saying, ‘It doesn’t have to be over.’”
Gill said, “In my mind, I always thought I’d have made a good Eagle. But, in a million years, I would never have seen this coming. It’s pretty surreal. I recently turned 60, and to get to be a part of this amazing legacy of songs, that’s the greatest part of all this for me.”
Gill contributed a rendition of “I Can’t Tell You Why” to the 1993 compilation CD “Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles.” That album was the catalyst for getting the Eagles to get back together after a 14-year break-up.
The Eagles played 23 songs over the span of 2 hours 22 minutes. In the second half of the show, the audience was surprised by a visit to the stage by Bob Seger. Co-writer of “Heartache Tonight,” he provided a passionate lead vocal on that song before bowing out.
An appreciative Henley said to the audience, “In case this is our last dance, I want to thank the fans of Los Angeles, California. Your loyalty and support have been great over the years. Glenn is with us in spirit, and we have his son Deacon here to play with us.”
Joe Walsh said, “We’re back because there’s a demand for our music by our family, and all Eagles fans are part of our family.”
Henley, the only remaining member of the band that formed in L.A. in 1971, hinted recently that there might be more concerts if things went well in the Classic West and East shows.
Marx Saldana, who came to the concert from Mexico City, thoroughly enjoyed it. It was his fourth time seeing the Eagles, and he said he believes this was the best.
“I think from the emotional aspect of having Glenn Frey’s son play – that made it special,” Saldana said. “And Joe, he is just a genius. The other guy (Gill) was absolutely great.
“If I had the money, I would go to New York for the next show.”
The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan preceded the Eagles on stage. Each was allotted 75 minutes for their set.
The Doobies squeezed 15 songs into their set, with 68-year-old lead singer Tom Johnston still singing and playing guitar superbly.
Patrick Simmons, the other original member of the band, quipped, “We used to have wonderful festivals like this back in the ‘60s, and now we are in our 60s.”
Guitarist Walter Becker, one of Steely Dan’s two remaining original members, missed the show because of illness. Noted sideman Larry Carlton played guitar on all 12 songs. His work was slick, as always, but his favorite guitar (the Gibson Larry Carlton ES 335) didn’t sound right for some of the Steely Dan songs.
The set list formed a safe, predictable show. But the band, which was concert-shy in the 1970s, owes its fans something new and fresh after playing the same old numbers on their tours the past 25 years.
Lead singer Donald Fagen apparently doesn’t place much value in producing quality vocals anymore. On his 1970s recordings he sang with much feeling and style. On this night he was sedate. But he always is laid back, and no one can tell whether he is even enjoying his own show.
The Stage at Dodger Stadium
The second night of the event saw Earth, Wind & Fire open, followed by Journey and Fleetwood Mac.
Fleetwood Mac’s members are the innocent victim of aging. The 74-year-old Christine McVie struggled mightily with her vocals, and Stevie Nicks’ voice sounded strained. Lindsey Buckingham no longer can hit high notes either. Collectively, they demonstrate the dangers of rockers from the 1970s trying to ply their craft as they enter their 70s. They now use two female backup singers.
Nicks had her best efforts singing lead on “Sara,” “Gold Dust Woman” and “Landslide,” a song she dedicated to Glenn Frey.
Instrumentally, the group was as sharp as ever, and the audience gave appreciative responses to most of their songs.
As Fleetwood Mac played their encore, “Don’t Stop,” the crowd was treated to a fireworks display.
Journey played a hit-filled, 16-song set that saw guitarist Neal Schon display his enormous talent. Schon dedicated the song “Lights” to beloved former lead singer Steve Perry.
