Chicago 6-19-2010

[Koala]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-eagles-dixie-chicks-keith-urban-concert-soldier-field-review,0,5738182.story

[GlennLover]

As Glenn indicated when I saw the Eagles in Moncton, N.B. in the "festival" format, they keep the chatter at a minimun in the shorter shows so they can sing as many songs as possible.

Grr, oh those reviewers. I'll wait for Soda's review to get the real story.

[Koala]

I'll wait for Soda's review to get the real story.
Me too!

[sodascouts]

Well, it's obvious who that guy is into, huh? Keith gets a dismissive line about his looks and the implication his fans are all women hot for him; the headlining Eagles serve as a little more than an opportunity for him to praise the Dixie Chicks doubly - once on their own merits, once on how much better they are than the Eagles.

It's an opinion and if this guy likes the Dixie Chicks best, fine, but don't cut everybody else down in order to make your favorites look taller.

I'm working on the review now - it's gonna be a long one!

[GlennLover]

Looking forward to it. I know that it will be worth the wait.

[bernie's bender]

Man,

Henley looks like my grampa!

Honey, where'd I leave my theeth?

[EagleLady]

Man,

Henley looks like my grampa!

Honey, where'd I leave my theeth?


Henley still looks good thank you very much :huh:

[sodascouts]

As I was writing and writing and writing this review, I thought, "Wow, this is crazy long! I need to break it up." So, what I've decided to do is put all the pre-Eagles stuff in this post, then another post with my Eagles review. That will also make it easier for folks who don't care about this stuff to skip it and go straight to our guys! So, here's Part 1 - everything but the Eagles! And the Eagles are coming up as soon as I finish that segment.

Nancy's Adventures Pre-Show
As some of you may know from reading the "Pre-Concert Anticipation" thread for the Chicago show, I got a last-minute front row D section off of Craig's List. While everything looked legit, I was still scared it was too good to be true, which made for a stressful morning!

I was to meet the lady selling the ticket in Merrillville, which is about an hour and a half away, at 10:30 am to do the exchange. I ran out the door so early I forgot to get jdubfan's number and was unable to meet up with her at the show, to my disappointment.

I had FeedTheFire's number, however, and I'm so glad I did! She and I had met previously at Tim's Chicago show a few months ago. We hung out for the majority of the day, since I got there so early due to the ticket deal. The exchange went off smoothly - the lady seemed nice, her story as to how she got the ticket made sense, and I was almost positive the ticket I had was legit (although a very small part of me was still paranoid). I wound up heading off from Merrillville at 10:45, looking to be in Chicago at 12:30 or so.

FeedTheFire wanted to come early to beat the traffic, so we made plans to hook up for lunch and hang out. I had never been to Soldier Field before so I was clueless as to the way the area was set up around there. I was to receive a very UNPLEASANT surprise when I pulled into the only parking area I could find - the price said $46! I thought there certainly must be cheaper lots further away, so I kept driving. NOTHING. To make matters worse, I got turned around and wound up back on a parking lot of a highway misleadingly called the "Expressway," and folks weren't being too nice about letting an out-of-towner over as she tried to navigate the confusing fork-offs of various lanes to, what, five different highways?

FeedTheFire had found that the Planetarium parking was only $20, although it was about a mile away. Heck, I could walk a mile for that kind of savings! She was already there, and via cell phone talked me to the area. I pulled up to where the parking lot was around 1:00, only to be instructed to "return in 10 minutes" by the attendant. Confused, I did as I was told, driving a bit further and parking by a parking meter, then pulling back around 10 minutes later.

I was told that the price for THIS parking lot was now $46 as well! When I complained that my friend has said it was only $20 here, the guy said, "Yeah - we changed it ten minutes ago." TEN MINUTES AGO! But I had arrived ten minutes ago and was told to come back! "Yeah, well, you arrived at just the wrong time. We had just started changing the registers over, which took about 10 minutes. You must have arrived just as we'd started changing them." :enraged::enraged::enraged:

Well, I comforted myself that the mile hike in heels would be worth it still, because I was able to meet up with FTF and bask in the absolutely lovely summer day as we waited for the doors to open.

The sun was shining, the sky was a clear blue, and the lake sparkled as it reflected the light. The whole area between the planetarium and Soldier Field is a park overlooking the lake, and people were everywhere - swimming, boating, picnicking, enjoying the day. The occasional breeze made the heat bearable and I didn't regret driving to the Planetarium parking at all.

FTF and I had a nice lunch at the Planetarium with a great view of the lake, then walked alongside the lake to get to the venue. Except for the nagging doubt about the ticket, I was already feeling great and the show hadn't even started! The only issue was the heat, but FTF kindly lent me her Keith Urban baseball cap to keep my brains from frying. ;) I am now sporting a bit of a sunburn though, as we were out in that sun for three hours!

As we got to the venue before the doors opened at 4:30, we passed the time talking to some fellow Urban lovers FTF found near the ticket booth, where she hoped to unload an extra ticket she had bought. The ticket was in section B, row 12... and she had upgraded to Section D, row 1, seat 20! That's right, she would turn out to be just a few seats down from me (seat 12)! This was getting better and better!

Three of the "Monkeys" as Urban fans call themselves had a pass to meet him, and the excitement of the Monkeys made me even more excited to see Keith Urban. We were talking to some serious hardcores whose escapades following Keith around from city to city made me look like an amateur! lol! FTF is also very hardcore and when she told me how many shows she'd been to and the way seeing Keith gave her a lot of joy that made it all worth it, I told her I could totally relate.

Finally, it was time for the big moment... would my ticket scan? I held my breath as the man took the ticket and whipped his little reader over it. It checked out! FINALLY, I could breathe! After that, I could barely contain myself with excitement. After dropping by the merchandise table to pick up tourbooks and a shirt with the new photos on it, We headed to our seats.

My seat was a bit far down the row - I was about in the middle of Section D, in front of the speakers on the side of the stage, and the Eagles would be standing in the center. The high stage was also separated from us by a barricade about a yard in front of the stage, and our seats were about a yard from the barricade. Luckily, the barricade was not going to impede our view at all. I think it might have been set up so that it would be clear to Urban fans that for this show at least, they would not be up at the stage at the feet of their idol.

FTF was about eight seats down further, but I told her until whoever had the seat next to me arrived, she should sit next to me. To our astonishment, that seat was never filled. We got to sit together the whole show! (Except for when FTF snuck even closer during Urban's set - and I wouldn't call what we did for the Eagles "sitting together" - more like "dancing together"!)

So we were set to go!

JD and the Straight Shot

We arrived in the middle of the set, as Dolan was telling jokes and asking the crowd "Who's been married once? Twice? Three times? Four times?" From far away, at the back of the field, all I could see was his face on the big screen. Not recognizing him, I thought he was a warm-up comedian! Then the camera pulled back and I could see his band as they started playing a song about a second chance at love. I realized who he was - and it occurred to me that the man knew at least one person who'd been married over four times. ;)

They're not bad and I actually enjoyed some of the lead guitarist's solos, but there's nothing that really makes them stand out from the pack. Still, I grabbed one of the CDs they were giving out and decided to give it a few listens later to see if I changed my mind.


Keith Urban

Keith walked out onto the stage in the bright sunlight as the place was filling up, and a wave of excitement hit as there were a lot of folks there especially to see him. He was wearing a dark red and black top with the first few buttons undone to reveal some chest, and I have to say, that is one good-looking man (http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2010-06/54437504.jpg).

I was really impressed by his guitarwork; his sound reminded me of Lindsey Buckingham, whom I adore. He also had a lot of catchy tunes and thanks to some pre-show "research" listening to Keith, I was familiar with some of them. Several songs had extended guitar solos - it was great. I also enjoyed his voice, but it's the guitar that really made me go "wow!"

Keith's very dynamic and not only worked the stage - he at one point came into the crowd (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJED1oAkrWA) to perform "You Look Good in My Shirt." By then, everyone was on their feet and into it, dancing around, including myself. As a result, it was also at this point when I realized that sitting in the front row, no matter how far down, has the EXCELLENT benefit of allowing you a great deal of room to dance around.

At one point, Keith donned a Blackhawks jersey for a song, to the huge cheers of the crowd. At the end he took it off and threw it into the crowd. I didn't see who caught it but I heard high-pitched shrieks of delight - safe to say it was a female Urban fan!

Towards the end he asked us to sing Happy Birthday to his wife - "Her name is Nicole," he told us with a grin. He said she wasn't there, but he was going to film it and give a video of what was at that point about 20,000 people singing Happy Birthday to her as a birthday present. He then quickly added that he would give her other stuff too - "I'm not that cheap." And so we did (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkTyl1wqq04)!

His backing band was excellent, and he gave two of them the opportunity to sing a bit on their own. Guitarist Brian Nutter (?) sang a few lines of Journey's "Open Arms" flawlessly, and bassist Jerry Flowers did a great few lines of "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone."

My two favorites were his two closers, "You'll Think of Me" and "Somebody Like You." I was on my feet for him - he was terrific!

I'd happily go see a full Keith Urban show now. He's a great performer and I thoroughly enjoyed his set. Having him open for the Eagles was a great idea - his style is really reminiscent of theirs and he got the crowd really worked up... just what an opener should do!

I want to add that it was especially fun seeing Keith with a die-hard fan like FTF next to me. She was rockin' out!!

Side note: because seeing my favorite bands/singers costs so much, I save all my money for the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, etc. and almost never go to other concerts unless they are really cheap. It felt odd not to know every word of every song that was being played for once, to be that "casual fan" who only knows a few songs but gets really excited to hear those few songs. It makes me appreciate why the Eagles dropped so many new songs for their shortened setlist; the songs you know and love are the songs you look forward to hearing, and I can see how a lot of fans would feel gypped if they'd been looking forward all night to hearing "Take It Easy" and it was never played because the Eagles exchanged it for a new song.


The Dixie Chicks

After a break to set up equipment, the Dixie Chicks came out. As they come onto the stage, the first thing everyone notices is Natalie Maine's hairdo (http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2010-06/54437507.jpg), and I was no exception. It's off-putting in the sense that it makes her features look very harsh, so even when she's singing a ballad or telling a joke, she always looks slightly pissed off. On the angrier songs, she looks downright scary.

Unfortunately, Natalie seemed angry most of the night, even during "Landslide," but I wasn't sure if she was in a bad mood or just doing the trademark "I'm so defiant" routine. There were some moments of levity, but too few!

None of her abrasive stage presence affects her voice, though, which was as strong as ever. The tight harmonies I looked forward to weren't lacking. I was especially impressed by Marie Maguire, who in addition to hear gorgeous voice plays a mean fiddle. Emily Robison also sounded great and with her banjo in the mix, the Dixie Chicks sounded the most country of all the acts. Ironic, eh?

The first number, "Wide Open Spaces," is a song I really liked and they nailed it vocally, as they nailed all their songs. These girls can sing! When they pulled out "Landslide," which Natalie called "one of the best songs ever written" (to my delight), I gave them a standing ovation. I don't love many Fleetwood Mac covers but this one was amazing.

While the Dixie Chicks' fans enjoyed every number and gave them a standing ovation for "Not Ready to Make Nice," the biggest responses of the night from the crowd overall were to "Landslide" and "Soul Sister," another cover they did a great job with. Since the original is by Train, a group I really like, I was doubly pleased.

Those were two of the highlights for me, in addition to "Long Time Gone," which is very catchy. I just ignore the fact that the song is sung from a male perspective and rock along to it. I sat for most of their set but I got up for that one. (Of course, Dixie Chicks fans are accustomed to Natalie singing songs written by men and from a male perspective - I'm not a huge fan but I know at least three songs where she does that. It's a bit jarring when she sings about having a wife, but again, I just concentrate on how great the vocals are or, in the case of "Long Time Gone," how great the tune is.)

BTW, their drummer looks so much like Dave Grohl I did a double take!

The Dixie Chicks are in a tough position being between Keith Urban and the Eagles. Keith Urban is current, energetic, and very crowd-interactive; he gets everybody excited. When the Dixie Chicks play, there's not as much energy; the Keith fans settle down and the Eagles fans have started getting itchy for their favorite band to come out. The Dixie Chicks have their fans but they are not as numerous or as passionate (at least not the ones I saw). The Chicks were also somewhat hampered by a poor sound mix for their portion of the set where the bass occasionally drowned out their great vocals. Still, the Dixie Chicks did a good job and I enjoyed them.


Next up...

EAGLES!!!

[FeedTheFire]

Soda, it was a GREAT day yesterday.............your review is very accurate..........looking forward to the Eagles review!!.


Looking back there were many great moments but I think seeing Timothy that close was really a "Once in a Lifetime"................:heart:

[Brooke]

Soda, glad to hear you enjoyed Keith! I knew you would! Can't wait to hear the rest!

[carol7lynn]

Nancy-you're killing me. Can't wait for part two.

I know what you mean about KU. He takes my breath away. I've never heard one song he's ever done but when you're that good-looking who cares. He reminds me of Jon Bon Jovi or Joe Elliot back in the day. Interesting to hear though that he plays like Lindsey.:guitar: That means he's gorgeous and talented.

Heels at a rock concert. What were you thinkin'? You young kids today.:razz:

Carol-Lynn
SoCalGal

[sodascouts]

Sorry I'm making you wait so long but I figured I needed to do this up right.

EAGLES!

By now, the sun was setting and the place was filling up. I had to take a quick run to the bathroom during the break, and the line to the ladies' room was so long I was terrified I would miss the Eagles' opening number! After hurrying back to my seat and seeing that I had made it with time to spare, I took a moment to survey the crowd behind us.

There are a lot of drawbacks to stadium shows, it's true, but seeing so many people - tens of thousands - waiting for the Eagles to come out was amazing. The place was almost full. Considering the venue's capacity, there must have been at least 50,000 people there. 50,000. Staggering.... and awesome.

Night fell across the open-air arena. It was a clear night without a cloud in the sky but a dark night as well, with few stars visible. The heat of the day had been replaced by cool breezes blowing in from the lake. The vibe was different from any other Eagles show I'd been to before. The indoor venues just can't replicate nature's pure deep darkness, and just like bright colors against a black background, everything seemed more vivid and intense.

The guys came out and with their hair and clothes ruffled by the breeze, there seemed an extra aura of sensuality as well. When the spotlight hit and they started singing with those pure voices, I was more than primed.

Seven Bridges Road - Opening the show with this song was genius. It showcases their voices and wows the crowd from the outset. The crowd was on its feet immediately and very few on the field for as far as I could see sat down again. Thankfully, the sound was vastly improved from the Dixie Chicks set so I could appreciate the vocals. I was prepared for the song's shortening by seeing the video from an earlier show on YouTube, but I still missed the longer version. Still, better truncated than trashed, as I've said before.

How Long - While folks had been standing in awe for SBR, they started bopping to How Long. This was a crowd that wasn't afraid to get down and get funky! More people than I expected knew the words and were singing along as well. Chicago loves the Eagles! The guys moved from standing close together for SBR to their usual positions. FTF and I had a mighty fine view of Tim, who looked our way a few times. The only problem was that when Don moved to the drums, he was no longer visible from our angle. Ah well, I can't complain. I was first row at a stadium show!

After How Long, Glenn came out and said it was great to be in Chicago, "home of the Stanley Cup Champions the CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS!" The crowd roared, of course - but sadly Glenn did not pull out his Blackhawks jersey (http://www.glennfreyonline.com/images/GFreyJersey.jpg). ;)

Take It to the Limit - SOOO glad they kept this, my favorite song, even though they dropped the rest of the acoustic set. Seeing them do it standing, without stools, intensified the song's energy. It was contagious as the better part of the huge audience put their fist in the air and sang "TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT ONE MORE TIME!" along with the band. The higher energy also made the pauses more dramatic because when that many people are singing along and they all hit that full stop after "TAKE IT" - wow, it's something else. Man, I adore this song.

As is their custom with this shorter set, banter was sparse. While I had expected them to talk less, it still felt strange to see them moving wordlessly from song to song, and I think it made then seem a bit removed from the audience and each other. Some might misinterpret that as them not having fun or a result of internal drama, but such an interpretation was belied by the energy of their performances. The lack of banter was the only part of the show I didn't like. I understand they need to move quickly but a quick line or two between songs surely wouldn't eat up an inordinate amount of time. I mean, even something as simple as "Now here's a tune off of The Long Run" would relieve that strange silence. In fact, unless I missed it, Don said nary a word all night!

Hotel California - That being said, the silence before this song built the anticipation as the trumpet solo slowly brought us all in for the band's biggest hit. Of course, as those famous chords start and the members of the crowd who don't own Farewell 1 figure out what's coming, they erupt! Indeed, the guys in the row behind us must play the Rock Band video game a lot, because they were not only doing air-guitar but air-drumming and air-trumpeting!

Peaceful Easy Feeling - Glenn's voice was smooth and rich as he sang about making love under the night sky, and the mood was perfect for the setting - even if the billion stars all around weren't easy to see. It was rendered even more sensual by the breeze picking up a bit. Joe and Tim's hair looks especially lovely blowing in the breeze, but it tousled Glenn's and Don's as well and what can I say, I was eating it up. It felt like a movie.

I Can't Tell You Why - Tim continued the sexy vibe with his only lead of the night, and as I said before, it felt more intense in the setting. Tim was smokin'. I only wish there was time for him to do more.

Witchy Woman - now it was time for Don to work the sexy, and the throaty way he sang "she can rock you in the nighttime 'til your skin turns red" was HOT. Loved Glenn's guitar on this as well, and the way they all threw themselves into those cries at the end.

Lyin' Eyes - Before I could go on sensory overload, the guys eased up with the mellow Lyin' Eyes. I hadn't realized just how country it was until I saw it in this context. There are moments when Glenn sounds like he has a Texas accent when he sings this! Flawless harmonies, of course.

One of These Nights - Then it was back to full-throttle sexy with the always smoldering One of These Nights. Maybe because I couldn't see Don and wasn't distracted by looking at him I had a better appreciation of his voice, but to me he sounded red-hot. It seemed like Witchy Woman Part 2 with those ending cries and falsetto, a similarity rendered more noticeable by the shorter set.

Walk Away - You know, I might think the second half is too dominated by Walsh/James Gang tunes, but they sure do rock. With Walk Away, the band lightened up a bit, Joe kicked it with that guitar, and the audience members already standing rocked out even more. Joe also changed up some vocal and guitar parts - just little changes, but to a show veteran, they stood out. He did that for later songs, too. Out of all the Eagles, he was definitely the most spontaneous - not news to us, but remarked upon by a lot of audience members.

Boys of Summer - "Ah, Don, there you are!" I thought as Don moved out in front for this number. His vocal on this song was very sexy too, and felt right on a hot summer night. During the instrumental interlude with the noises that kind of sound like birds cawing, Glenn and Stu crouched down to the floor with their guitars and came back up. All I could think was "That man must have powerful thighs." No jumping at the end, but at the song's instrumental outro, Glenn and Joe played facing each other and seemed to be sharing a private joke. You can see a video of it here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55ERLCxjL1s), until they take it down.

In the City - Joe's vocal was flawless. It was one of the best performances of In the City I have ever seen. NICE. Also, I can't remember if it was this song or another one, but Joe gave a shout-out to radio personality Steve Dahl who we were just talking about the other day.

The Long Run - The guys really seem to have fun with this one, and I love it as well. I expected Don to say something to the audience when he walked up to the front but no such luck. While obviously he wasn't going to say his usual "We'll be back" bit, I figured something else would replace it, but instead they got right down to business - and what a fun business it was. Big smiles all around. I did roll my eyes a little at the re-enactment of the Farewell 1 antics of Don going over to Joe during "couldn't hold a candle to you" and the "bent but we ain't breaking" bit where Glenn and Don lean into each other... but hey, if you don't own the DVD and haven't seen one of their shows in the past seven years, you probably thought those were cute spontaneous interactions! But I have to be honest here... scripted as they were, even as I rolled my eyes I was laughing at the faces the guys were making. I'm such a sucker!

Life's Been Good - Joe began this by hollering "HOW YA DOIN'!" and then giving a variation of the intro talking about how it started out as a love song but turned into something a lot more messed up. He also made the joke about hoping he remembers how to sing it. As for the lyric changes, he sang the "They send me e-mails; tell me Glenn's great" version. I have to admit that I spent a lot of this song watching the backgrounds - love that YouTube-esque montage of videos and photos! So funny!

Dirty Laundry - A funny, spontaneous moment happened at the beginning of this that had me laughing - you know how when Don comes out to start that song the guys are usually clapping above their heads to encourage the audience to clap along to the beat? Well, Joe came up to Don during that part and they started doing this robot-esque high-fiving to the beat instead. It was hilarious and all the guys were cracking up. Loved the guitar solos.

Funk #49 - This song is so insanely catchy that it's impossible to keep still. Luckily that wasn't a problem in a stadium full of people who felt the same way. I only had to be careful not to step on anyone while I was dancing around. No "countdown" this time but the guys still have a lot of fun with the freeze-frame part of the song. That never gets old!

I forget where they did the band intros so I'll just stick this here - when Tim introduced Glenn, he said "On keyboards, vocals and..." then paused as if he'd forgotten what he was saying. I hollered "guitar" but thankfully Tim remembered the rest without prompting. While basking in the audience's cheers, Glenn said, "Ah, my brothers and sisters of the Great Lakes!" Then, he added "We all drink the same water."

Heartache Tonight - When this started with its slow instrumental intro, some folks who had been getting tired started to sit down, thinking it was time for a slow song. Little did they know! When the horns came in and recognition hit, people were jumping right back up! This song plays so well live every single time I've ever seen it. Everybody loves it!

Life in the Fast Lane - The audience was amped up hardcore for this one. When those famous intro riffs started, the guys behind me practically went orgasmic air-guitaring. One of them even attempted to stand on his seat and air guitar. Fortunately it only took a couple seconds for him to realize that his balance was a bit off and if he didn't get down, he would fall down. His friends high-fived him for the attempt anyway. :wink: The guitar solos were smokin'.

After they said their pretend-goodbyes and left following Life in the Fast Lane, they were gone for a bit longer than usual. For a moment I was concerned that something had gone wrong... but nope, out they came to the swaying of lit-up cellphones everywhere and thunderous applause. I was really impressed by how few people I saw taking the opportunity to leave and beat traffic, especially considering how hellacious getting back out would be.

Take It Easy - Even as I know this song signifies that the show is winding down, I can't help but smile when I hear those opening chords - and I wasn't alone. This song just makes you feel good, and that's one of the reasons it's so beloved... that and the fact that it's terrifically catchy with great harmonies and a stellar lead vocal. :smile:

Rocky Mountain Way - I thought they would perhaps drop this song but nope! Even though I think this is the most expendable of Joe's songs and would rather it be replaced by an Eagles song, I still enjoy it. While I'll always be mystified that solo songs are included in the freaking encore, it's been that way since the 70s so they obviously think it works well. The guys behind me oohed and aaahed at Joe wearing two guitars at once for this song. I have to admit, I do think it's cool when a guy is playing one guitar and has another slung over his back. The sign of a master! During the part where he works the stage, he did a cute duck walk with the guitar.

Desperado - And then it came down to Desperado. Audience members swaying, men taking their ladies into their arms, everyone singing "LET SOMEBODY LOVE YOU" at the end.. what a way to wrap it up.

When they said goodbye for real, they went up and down the whole stage as usual. The guys took their time, seeming to want to let everyone know, no matter how far back they were, that the Eagles appreciated they were there. I was also lucky enough to get a smile and a point from Glenn, which of course made me feel like a million bucks. I'm easily pleased. :wink:

An unforgettable night and I'm very glad I went. Seeing the Eagles in historic Soldier Field with 50,000 other fans seemed a great way to wrap up my time in the Midwest (I move to Memphis in two weeks). I even got a little misty-eyed about it, truth be told. I've had a lot of good times seeing concerts in Chi-town. But hey, Memphis is only, what, 8 hrs away? That's nothing for a girl like me. I have a feeling I'll be back.

Here's to the Eagles, and here's to Chicago. :cheers:

[Koala]

Soda, Thank's for your detailed reviews, as always I have very enjoyed to read them!:thumbsup:

[tequila girl]

Fabulous review Nancy.......Thank You, I really enjoyed reading it :thumbsup:

[EasyFeeling]

I'm on work and have only read your review about Keith so far. Will read the rest later when I get home.

Like Brooke I knew you would enjoy Keith :partytime: Almost no one can resist him once people have seen him live so it's not a surprise for me :) I've already heard that he sang Happy Birthday with the crowd for Nicole. He did the same once before, I think it was last year, and then Nicole came on stage. That was very cute.

Did you notice how good Brad looks? :) I really like him. And Jerry is such a nice person, we met him in Hamburg before the show and he talked to us for a while.

Looking forward to read the rest.

[TimothyBFan]

:applause: Wonderful review as usual!! Sounds like this is a fantastic setting for a concert. Glad the weather was so perfect. $46 for parking--WOW! I bet you were wishing I had gotten that ticket because when you drive, I always pay for the parking! :hilarious:

Thanks again Soda--it was like being there!

[Prettymaid]

It was like being there! :applause: And the beauty of it was that, although you are a veteran concertgoer and can tell us about the little nuances, you also make it seem like you're talking about seeing some of these songs for the first time. I got choked up a little at the end when you were describing what it felt like to see the Eagles at Soldier Field in Chicago two weeks before you move to Memphis.

BTW, I loved this paragraph:


Night fell across the open-air arena. It was a clear night without a cloud in the sky but a dark night as well, with few stars visible. The heat of the day had been replaced by cool breezes blowing in from the lake. The vibe was different from any other Eagles show I'd been to before. The indoor venues just can't replicate nature's pure deep darkness, and just like bright colors against a black background, everything seemed more vivid and intense.

I was able to visualize the whole thing.

[luvthelighthouse]

Nobody can write a review like Soda. How in the world you remember guitar solo's from each individual song, or even song order amazes me. I'm lucky to remember the highlights of the show!

I've been envisioning the busy lakefront that you and FTF took in. I remember how friendly and easy to talk to FTF was, so I can just imagine you ladies had a blast! It's always fun to have someone as excited as you are to expierence these shows.

You paint quite the different view from the "professional" reviewer. (The one who preferred the DC's over the Eagles) I'm happy to hear from a true fan to know how the guys really played, reacted and sounded.

I know I'd be missing something special... but as I expected, Soda made it feel as if I was right there among the 50,000 dancing and singing my heart out.

[carol7lynn]

Your review was well worth waiting for. Thanks! Always so positive and always so informative. Great journalism!:thumbsup:

Carol-Lynn
SoCalGal:partytime:

[Troubadour]

Awesome review, Nancy. Thank you. It sounds so atmospheric - the night air ruffling their hair... I can tell how much it affected you, and I can completely understand it. I've had those kind of moments myself. Seeing Don at an outdoors venue (Downstream) was an extra special experience. Being under the vast sky and feeling the breeze makes everything come to life.

I'm thrilled you were able to go to this show. Thanks again for sharing it in such detail with all of us.

[FeedTheFire]

Brad Rice wasn't with Keith on Saturday night..............you may mean Brian Nutter...........the guitar player to Keith[s left!

His hair is longer now..................:wink:

[luvthelighthouse]

So, hows the new tour book? Pics please :pray:

[GlennLover]

Again, Nancy, you have outdone yourself! It is always exciting to read about an Eagles concert but the way you write it is like reading a fasinating novel. Thanks so much for taking the time to write such an indepth review! :thumbsup:

[EasyFeeling]

Brad Rice wasn't with Keith on Saturday night..............you may mean Brian Nutter...........the guitar player to Keith[s left!

His hair is longer now..................:wink:

I didn't notice that LOL True, Brad is not in Keith's band anymore. Didn't you miss Chris R.? It's sad that he has left the band.

I like Brian's hair. :) Now I go read. http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/6770/wegrennoriginal.gif

Awwwww, that was a real treat :partytime: And for the parking thing... this is really mean!

Thanks so much for your fantastic review, I totally enjoyed reading it!

[Brooke]

Soda, fabulous review once again! I felt like I was right there with you! I'm sorry about the ridiculous $46 parking fee. Yikes! I'm planning to drive in part way to St. Louis and take the metrolink to the stadium. Everyone I've talked to says I'll get out much faster that way. And it will be much cheaper.

I don't know how you remember so many little details of the concerts. I'll certainly try, but I'm usually so in awe of it all that I can't remember anything!

That idiot professional reviewer must not have been able to see the, what 50,000?, fans that were there. So is he saying that most of them left when the Eagles came out? Sorry. I don't buy it! And it says something to me about the economy: it looks to me like 50,000 fans managed to buy tickets! At those inflated prices! You know, yes, they are expensive. But evidently people are willing to pay them! 50,000 is no small number! :shrug:

[sodascouts]

Thanks for all the nice comments guys - so glad you liked the review! I wanted to put in as much detail as possible for everyone who wasn't able to come, but I also did it for myself - I got to relive the concert while writing it. :)

FTF - thanks for the correction about Brian; I went back and fixed it. I'm embarrassed that I forgot his name so quickly, but at least I remembered Jerry!

EF - You were the first person who brought Keith to my attention and I thought of you several times watching him play. You and Brooke are definitely right about him!

[GlennLover]

I was also lucky enough to get a smile and a point from Glenn, which of course made me feel like a million bucks.

I still blows me away that Glenn actually knows you (and a few others)! You are very lucky ladies indeed!!

[FeedTheFire]

Soda, I am printing your review for my memory box.........thanks again!!

EasyFeeling.......I miss both Brad and Chris R in Keith's band......:-(



I think Keith just wanted a smaller band so he could be more versatile...........he has recently used female back up singers and horns for some of his special appearances...............:wink:

[Koala]

Hotel California http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY6e7_jpevc&feature=related

Peacefull Easy Feeling http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8FyOdhzNH4

[cheryl]

Nancy! I love all of your reviews. I have talked my sister into going to see them in Louisville,Ky in October. It will be her 1st Eagles show. I saw them at Conseco in Indianapolis last year;row 6 by Joe. Someday I will get around to writing my review of that show. Also,Nancy, I understand your parking situation in Chicago since I had similar problems the day after my sister and I saw DON at the Rosemont last November( He was fantastic as usual).Good Luck in Memphis.

[Glennsallnighter]

Awwww Nancy! Wonderful review! You have a great way with words. I can list each song and be factual, but you can create an atmosphere which makes it look like we were all there. Great too that Glenn :heart: recognised you as well. I'm delighted you had such a wonderful time. Bummer about the parking though. Over here its about € or $10 for a gig.

You have had some wonderful times in the Mid West, and I hope your time in Tenessee is just as happy (And slightly warmer in the winter too hopefully)

[sodascouts]

Thanks for the kind words and good wishes!

[Glennhoney]

..always look forward to your reviews..and it was excellent, as usual...:thumbsup:

[Lisa]

I really liked reading all of the Chicago concert reviews. Almost like being there. Well, almost. Chicago must have had the day's line-up for this event.
By the way; sodascouts-Nancy; have a fun relocation to Memphis. I hope you like the new town, and I'm glad you saw the Eagles just before you left Chicago--what a farewell to the great Midwestern city.

Oh, and thank you very much for the birthday note--what a really nice idea from The Border!

[Peekaboo]

Brilliantly done, Soda. I love how detailed you get in these reviews. I know it's already been said many times but it really truly is like being right there at the concert. I can completely picture everything even Don and Joe doing the "robot-esque high-fiving" before Dirty Laundry. Great review :thumbsup:. One of the best of you've ever done. Hopefully it won't be the last.

[Koala]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-live-0623-steve-dahl--column-20100623,0,2573113.column

[Prettymaid]

Well this headline is certainly misleading, isn't it! :hilarious: And you have to click on the link to see that Steve Dahl wrote it!

[sodascouts]

I know - I at first took it to mean "Joe Walsh drops the bombshell that he's not playing any more concerts" and was like NO!!!!!

[FeedTheFire]

I thought so too........................I listened to Steve Dahl for many years on the radio.........he always had a way with words.................:confused:

[sodascouts]

Found another fan review:

Chicago Review: How's My Living Blog (http://www.howsmyliving.com/2010/06/22/concert-review-eagles-w-keith-urban-and-dixie-chicks-soldier-field-619/)

[sodascouts]

Found some great photos, too!

Chicago Now (http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/eye_tunes/2010/06/the-eales-dixie-chicks-and-keith-urban-live-in-chicago-on-june-19-2010.html)

Time Out Chicago (http://www3.timeoutny.com/chicago/blog/out-and-about/2010/06/the-eagles-and-the-dixie-chicks-at-soldier-field-photo-gallery/)

Jack FM (http://iknowjack.radio.com/2010/06/21/exclusive-eagles-live-at-soldier-field-06-19-2010/#photo-1)

[sodascouts]

One more review, this one by author/actor Donald G. Asher: The Eagles: Among the Best Ever (http://donaldasher.blogspot.com/2010/06/eagles-among-best-ever.html)

[Glennsallnighter]

Cool Review. :thumbsup:

[TimothyBFan]

Found another fan review:

Chicago Review: How's My Living Blog (http://www.howsmyliving.com/2010/06/22/concert-review-eagles-w-keith-urban-and-dixie-chicks-soldier-field-619/)
When you’ve been waiting for around twenty years to see a concert, there’s essentially no hope of being truly objective when talking about the show. But that’s just the way things are. I was never exactly a normal kid, and that includes my music sensibilities, given that I grew up with a steady listening stream of awesome music (hi, mom and dad). When other kids were left at home alone, they’d, I don’t know, throw parties and spend hours on the phone or something. I fired up the record player and listened to the Highwaymen or Elton John. I knew the words to Neil Young’s “The Needle and the Damage Done” before I had any idea what they actually meant.


I had to read this 2x!! I'm pretty sure my daughter could have written this paragraph herself. She just made some comment a week or so ago about how thankful she was we listened to "great" music so she was able to discover it also. Her and her friend are heading out to the local tattoo parlor this weekend to check on prices--she wants Neil Young'a "Hey hey, My my" tattooed on her. :eyebrow: As sorry as I am about a tattoo I'm proud of the fact the lyrics are from a classic. :hilarious: Here's keeping my fingers crossed she chickens out!:brickwall:

Loved the second review! Great pictures also!

[sodascouts]

Not the best quality and incomplete, but it pans the crowd about halfway through and gives you an idea of what the beginning of the night was like and the response of the audience:

Seven Bridges Road

[Prettymaid]

Thanks Soda! I am fairly certain that if I were able to hear the Eagles open with 7BR live I would cry like a baby!

[Koala]

Thanks!
I love to hear 7BR! I would experience it with pleasure sometimes live in a concert!