Eagles Rock the Rink at NHL facility
GLENDALE, Ariz. (Oct. 17, 2005) – They had seven women on their mind, and they gave a musical nod to guys who are “brutally handsome” and girls who are “terminally pretty.”
And when the Eagles played a concert tonight before a capacity crowd of 19,000 at Glendale Arena, they appeared to be a flock of old birds who had obtained new wings. The veteran band was energetic and sharp and threatened to melt the ice at the NHL hockey facility.
Apparently weary of touring under the banner of “Farewell I,” the Eagles are calling their autumn concert dates “California Tour 2005.” Using a bit of creative license, the tour has blurred state lines by including shows in Nevada and Arizona.
Three songs from the Eagles’ first album, “Take It Easy,” Witchy Woman” and “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” led off the first set. As his mates took a breather, front man Glenn Frey stood at his microphone and said, “Welcome, and thanks for coming out on a Monday night. It’s a work night and a school night, but it’s always Saturday night when the Eagles are playing.”
The next three hours saw the band go through 27 songs, 17 of which came after a 20-minute intermission.
While they are raking in big money from their shows, the Eagles appear to be intent on earning all of it. They may be the only band that has improved their concerts after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1998).
They put on a clinic for aspiring rock stars when they performed “I Can’t Tell You Why.” The interplay between Timothy B. Schmit on lead vocals and bass and Steuart Smith on lead guitar was fabulous, as they delivered every note with sweet perfection.
In the second set the Eagles served up a faithful rendition of “Sunset Grill,” a song written and recorded by drummer Don Henley in 1984 during his solo career. The blend of guitars, piano, percussion and synthesizer brought forth the full effect of the soul-stirring song.
As usual, the songs that featured guitarist Joe Walsh on lead vocals got the biggest audience reaction. Walsh’s popularity has been surviving mainly on reputation the past few years, as drug and alcohol abuse have resulted in spotty playing and singing.
When they brought Walsh into the proverbial nest in 1976, the Eagles knew they were getting a first-rate rock guitarist who had more personality than the rest of them combined – a guitarist who had a reputation as a major party animal. Even though Walsh’s skills may be diminished, fans still come out to enjoy his stage presence. And they never seem to be disappointed.
Walsh cranked out a stiff rendering of “Walk Away,” a song that was augmented by the “Mighty Horns” of Greg Smith, Al Garth, Chris Mostert and Bill Armstrong. The quartet, clad in their signature black tunics and fezzes, gave brass support to parts that used to be carried by Walsh’s guitar work. It made the song sound as if a cover band were playing Walsh’s own composition. The Eagles should consider leaving it out of future shows.
“Life’s Been Good” was a crowd pleaser, with Walsh donning a yellow hardhat “helmet cam” to let some of the audience members see themselves on the large video boards.
Inexplicably, Walsh’s sensational new song, “One Day At A Time,” was left off the program.
At the start of the second set, Frey, Henley, Schmit and Walsh sat side-by-side on stools at center stage for five acoustic numbers. They presented “Tequila Sunrise” with a new trumpet accent.
Introducing “No More Cloudy Days,” Frey quipped, “This is a brand new song. For us, that means it was written in the last 12 years.”
To his credit, Frey apparently has worked hard to bring his vocals back to a respectable quality. He was hitting notes that escaped him in the early days of “Farewell I,” which made songs like “New Kid In Town” a treat to hear.
For whatever reason, Frey has fought to keep “Take It To The Limit” on the band’s set list. The 1975 ballad originally featured founding member Randy Meisner on lead vocal and was written by Meisner, Frey and Henley. Frey sings lead on it now, and he sang it with great feeling.
No songs from Frey’s productive solo career were included, but the Eagles performed fine versions of Henley’s “The Boys Of Summer,” “Dirty Laundry” and “All She Wants To Do Is Dance.”
Smith, officially a member of the back-up crew along with percussionist Scott Crago and keyboardist Michael Thompson, has earned his place on the front of the stage. He was recruited to replace departed lead guitarist Don Felder a few years ago. Smith played as though he has listened to all of the Eagles’ old albums many times over, as he meticulously hit the notes the way they originally were recorded.
Frey continued to get laughs when he introduced “Lyin’ Eyes.” He said, “This goes out to my first wife – ‘Plaintiff.’”
Late in the show, the Eagles played “Heartache Tonight.” But the only heartache on this night was the end of the concert, which came after three encores.
