And what about us, the asses in the seats? We too were sort of a patched-up postmodern proposition: haggard loyalists, jolly middle-of-the-roaders, multigenerational clumps.īy the time the Eagles released Hotel California, they were knee-deep in experience. The musicians wear white shirts and black waistcoats, Western tailoring: Senior desperado is the look. His place is taken by his son Deacon, with the lineup further augmented by the country star Vince Gill and the fabulously discreet guitarist/sideman Steuart Smith.
Eagles 2021 is sort of a patched-up postmodern proposition: Timothy Schmit, bassist since 1977, is still there, as is guitarist Joe Walsh, but Glenn Frey, Henley’s other half in the band, died in 2016. We had gathered, masked and flapping our vaccination cards, to watch the Eagles perform their 1976 album, Hotel California, beginning to end, with a greatest-hits set to follow. (Hoarse, intense.) Up in the clanging concrete tiers, we commiserated with whoops and waved cellphones. How does he feel about them now? Rather deeply, to judge from his delivery. Henley is 74 he wrote those lines (from “Wasted Time”) 45 years ago. I could have done so many things, sang Don Henley at Boston’s TD Garden Saturday night, if I could only stop my mind. And then they grow old, and it all comes true. Wide-eyed they sing them, these songs of experience. Whiskery wisdom ballads, epics of regret, failure binge blues, and howling prophetic voyages.
Men and women barely into their 20s, dewy young people without a mark on them, somehow contrive to write songs of shattering, been-there maturity. Frey expertly channeled the spirit of his late father in “Take it Easy” and “Already Gone,” while Gill brought his own flavor to a gorgeous “Take It to the Limit” backed by the orchestra.Rock and roll’s relationship with time-as in Father Time, not, you know, tempo-is fascinating. An orchestra, and later a choir, joined the band for about half the tracks, including the epic album closer “The Last Resort.”Īfter an intermission, the band returned to the stage for “Seven Bridges Road,” which opened with a stunning a cappella intro that allowed the group’s harmonies to shine. The Eagles made a conscious choice to start moving away from their country rock sound with “Hotel California,” and Friday night the album’s rockers brought the thunder, particularly “Life in the Fast Lane,” which has never felt quite so powerful. (A glamorous woman showed up after five songs and ceremoniously flipped the vinyl to side two.) Some surface noise played over the speakers and the Eagles launched into the title track. The show opened with a man solemnly walking across the stage, picking up a vinyl copy of “Hotel California” and ceremoniously placing it on a turntable. The Eagles will always have a certain stiffness, but Gill and Frey bring new warmth to the stage that’s even rubbed off on Henley. Schmit (who joined during the record’s initial tour) - step into the spotlight.įriday night’s performance was even better. The typically dour Henley wasn’t afraid to sit back at the drum kit and let the new kids - along with vets Joe Walsh (whose first album with the band was “Hotel California”) and Timothy B.
We first saw this new version of the band when they headlined Target Field in June 2018 and, amazingly enough, the lineup changes brought a much-needed fresh energy to a band known for chilly professionalism. But soon after, Henley reversed course, hired Frey’s son Deacon and country legend Vince Gill and hit the road running.
Of course, this isn’t the same Eagles that recorded the original “Hotel California.” Following the 2016 death of co-founder Glenn Frey, fellow co-founder Don Henley said the Eagles were now history. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center for an evening devoted to “Hotel California.” (The band will play a second show Saturday.) They played it in full, took a break and returned for a second set packed with pretty much every one of their other best-known songs. And yet, it stands as the band’s biggest-selling studio album.įriday night, the Eagles drew about 13,000 fans to St. The band wrapped the year with their fifth record “Hotel California,” a dark, cynical exploration of fame, power, corruption and a culture teetering on collapse. They opened the year with the compilation “Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975),” which has since become the best-selling album of all time. The Eagles tackle their 1976 classic ‘Hotel California’ backed by an orchestra at the X – Twin Cities Close Menuīack in 1976, the Eagles had reached what turned out to be the peak of their power.