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Just Another Hired Hand
11-27-2008, 06:05 PM
The Eagles Long Road Out of Eden Tour
Through a chance alignment of my lucky stars I was able to score 6th row center stage floor tickets to last night's Eagles concert. Because I had already been to the two shows in July I didn't think I'd be going. But sometimes you just get lucky.

The Eagles, as they had been in the past, were "fashionably late". The show was scheduled to start at 8:00 PM. The Eagles took the stage at 8:16. They were wearing the dark suits that have become the signature of this tour. Don Henly wore work boots this time and Joe Walsh sported red and silver shoes. Unlike the July show, there were no apologies for the "new" music.

They started off with a flawless performance of "How Long". The next three selections were tracks from The Long Road Out of Eden. Considering the accoustics of the Wachovia Center, they sounded great. As is typical with an Eagles concert they played almost three hours not including the 15 minute break they took after performing their first 12 songs. The last two songs prior to the intermission were "In The City" and "Long Run". I think it is safe to say that Joe Walsh stole the show with "In The City"

The Eagles are not only a group of talented musicians and singers they are also master showmen. As they performed "In The City", like last time (July) a media show was running on the screen behind the stage. But this time a few twists were added. Joe Walsh donned a Phillies "World Series" baseball hat which immediately struck a chord with the audience. When the media show got to scenes of Rocky and a PATCO train crossing the Ben Franklin Bridge, they inserted scenes from game 5's end of the World Series. I thought that history was going to repeat itself by a roof coming off a Philadelphia Sports arena like it did at the Spectrum in 1967. The roar from the audience was deafening.

The band did an excellent job of connecting with the audience on a variety of levels...Tim Schmit remarked that his wife was from the Philadelphia area. Glen Frey, in one of the classiest moments I have ever scene by an entertainer, dedicated the song "No More Coudy Days" to the members of the Philadelphia Police Department, especially the families of the five officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the past year, naming Charles Cassidy, Stephen Liczbinski, Isabel Nazario, Patrick McDonald and Timothy Simpson. He also let it be known that the band gave a lot of tickets to the Philadelphia Police Officers Association and the officers in the audience made their presence known with a loud cheer and round of applause.

He (Frey) even poked a few barbs at the football team of the same name observing that the Eagles, unlike the team, were the "band that wouldn't die". Then he jokingly referred to the ages of the band members by renaming "The Long Road Out of Eden" tour the "Eagles Assisted Living" tour. He made one more self effacing reference to the age of the band members while performing "The Long Run" with bandmate Don Henley. They leaned toward each other and started a slow shuffle as they sang the lyrics, "bent, but we ain't breaking".

As has become their recent practice the Eagles strive to showcase the talents of the individual members. In addition to the show stealer, "In The City", Joe Walsh stoked the crowd with a mischievious performance of "Life's Been Good" featuring the "Phillies Cap-Cam" which got the audience to their feet waving and shouting for the camera as they appeared on the screen behind the stage.

The Eagles 5 part harmony could not have been better when they performed "Waiting in The Weeds", my favorite on the new album.

Timothy B. Schmit rendered flawless performances of "I Don't Want to Hear Anymore", "I Can't Tell You Why", and "Love Will Keep Us Alive".

Don Henly offered impassioned, hair raising performances of "Long Road Out of Eden", "Boys of Summer", and "Dirty Laundry", a work that depicts his tremendous scorn for today's news media. And as one would expect, the Eagles 5 part harmony was near perfection.


Here is the set list. I apologize if there are any errors as I reconstructed it from memory and a few hand written notes to the back of a dinner receipt after the show. The Set List:

How Long/ Too Busy Being Fabulous/ I Don't Want TO Hear Anymore/ Guilty of the Crime/ Hotel California/ Peaceful Easy Feeling/ I Can't Tell You Why/ Witchy Woman/ Lyin' Eyes/ Boys of Summer/ In The City/
Long Run/ (Intermission)/ I Dreamed There Was No War (Instrumnetal)/ Waiting in the Weeds/ No More Cloudy Days/ I Can't Tell You Why/ Take It To The Limit/ Long Road Out of Eden/ Somebody/ Love Will Keep Us Alive/ Walk Away/ One of These Nights/ Introduction of the band members/ Life's Been Good/ Dirty Laundry/ Funk 49/ Heartache Tonight/ Life In The Fast Lane/ (encore) Take It Easy/ Desperado.

The Eagles are Glen Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit. In addition they are accompanied by Steuart Smith (guitar),
Scott Crago (drums and percussion) Michael Thompson, Richard Davis and Will Hollis (keyboards). Al Garth, Christain Mostert, Bill Armstrong and Greg Smith comprise the "Mighty Horns" which also features Al Garth on the Violin for "Peaceful Easy Feeling".

At one point in the show, while Don Henley fronted on song (Boys of Summer) with his guitar, a mystery man appeared at the percussion stand. I think it was Lenny Castro but I could be mistaken. If I am, feel free to drop me an e-mail and I will make necessary corrections.

I think Rose Marie, the pretty, charming lady that was sitting next to me, didn't know much about the Eagles before the concert began. Judging by her actions during the show, I am now convinced at the concert's conclusion she walked out a die hard fan.

In one final act of classiness, while the band was taking their bows at the show's conclusion, Don Henley walked over to the percussion stand, grabbed two sets of drum sticks and handed a pair to each of the two little girls that were sitting in the front row.

My wife, who had never seen an Eagles concert before, could not believe she was going for the third time in four months. In all the Eagles didn't disappoint. They know how to connect with an audience and give them what they want. Tuesday night's concert was no exception.

Freypower
11-27-2008, 06:19 PM
Thank you for the review, JAHH, and welcome to The Border.

Ive always been a dreamer
11-27-2008, 11:23 PM
Welcome JAHH and thanks for your review. Hope you enjoy it here on The Border. I know how excited you were with those 6th row seats.

sodascouts
11-28-2008, 03:47 AM
Thank you for this terrific review. What a great show! And welcome from me, as well!

DonFan
11-29-2008, 11:35 PM
Welcome to The Border, JAHH! Great review!