DonFan
05-25-2008, 07:16 PM
From the NJ Record:
BY MIKE KERWICK, Staff writer
They waited five songs, teasing the crowd with pleasant but unfamiliar songs from the band’s latest album. And then came their fifth song – the song that brought the house down.
Around 8:40 p.m. Saturday night, a trumpet player stood at the corner of the Prudential Center stage, his once-darkened figure now illuminated by a red spotlight. He played for about 30 seconds. The next voice the crowd heard belonged to Don Henley.
"On a dark desert highway...."
With one song, Henley swept away doubts and regrets – doubts about whether this aging band could still hold a candle to their former selves; regrets held by fans who wondered whether it was a mistake to leave their Memorial Day weekend barbecues early. It wasn’t.
The Eagles can do more than carry a tune. They can carry an audience. On Saturday night in Newark, that’s what they did. Most of the credit goes to Henley. Almost a senior citizen –he turns 61 in July – Henley’s voice is still sharp. His vocal cords sounded neither scratchy nor fatigued on Saturday. If only all 60-year-old vocalists aged so gracefully.
The group kicked off the show with four straight songs from "Long Road Out of Eden," their current album, and possibly the last album of new material the Eagles will ever put out. Glenn Frey led the band during the first verse of "How Long." Henley took center stage for "Busy Being Fabulous."
They turned control over to Timothy B. Schmit ("I Don’t Want to Hear Anymore") and Joe Walsh ("Guilty of the Crime") for the next two songs, before Henley sent the crowd into a tizzy. Most every music fan knows "Hotel California." To hear it live is still special. It triggered a response as strong as any of the Eagles’ pre-intermission offerings, including an Eagles rendition of Henley’s most memorable solo hit – "The Boys of Summer."
To Henley’s credit, he lauded the arena. "This is a nice new building you’ve got here," Henley told the crowd. "The acoustics are good. The sound is good."
The Eagles did not stray far from the set lists that they have been playing during the early shows on this tour. They started out heavy on the new material before shifting to the oldies-but-goodies. The group saved two of their best performances of the night for after intermission. Surprisingly, both songs came off the new album. "No More Walks in the Woods" is as haunting in person as it is on the album. And Waiting in the Weeds" offered another showcase for Henley’s voice.
The Eagles continue their five-show run tonight in Newark, before heading to Madison Square Garden for performances on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
If you go, we urge patience. Wait about five songs. Then prepare for the explosion.
BY MIKE KERWICK, Staff writer
They waited five songs, teasing the crowd with pleasant but unfamiliar songs from the band’s latest album. And then came their fifth song – the song that brought the house down.
Around 8:40 p.m. Saturday night, a trumpet player stood at the corner of the Prudential Center stage, his once-darkened figure now illuminated by a red spotlight. He played for about 30 seconds. The next voice the crowd heard belonged to Don Henley.
"On a dark desert highway...."
With one song, Henley swept away doubts and regrets – doubts about whether this aging band could still hold a candle to their former selves; regrets held by fans who wondered whether it was a mistake to leave their Memorial Day weekend barbecues early. It wasn’t.
The Eagles can do more than carry a tune. They can carry an audience. On Saturday night in Newark, that’s what they did. Most of the credit goes to Henley. Almost a senior citizen –he turns 61 in July – Henley’s voice is still sharp. His vocal cords sounded neither scratchy nor fatigued on Saturday. If only all 60-year-old vocalists aged so gracefully.
The group kicked off the show with four straight songs from "Long Road Out of Eden," their current album, and possibly the last album of new material the Eagles will ever put out. Glenn Frey led the band during the first verse of "How Long." Henley took center stage for "Busy Being Fabulous."
They turned control over to Timothy B. Schmit ("I Don’t Want to Hear Anymore") and Joe Walsh ("Guilty of the Crime") for the next two songs, before Henley sent the crowd into a tizzy. Most every music fan knows "Hotel California." To hear it live is still special. It triggered a response as strong as any of the Eagles’ pre-intermission offerings, including an Eagles rendition of Henley’s most memorable solo hit – "The Boys of Summer."
To Henley’s credit, he lauded the arena. "This is a nice new building you’ve got here," Henley told the crowd. "The acoustics are good. The sound is good."
The Eagles did not stray far from the set lists that they have been playing during the early shows on this tour. They started out heavy on the new material before shifting to the oldies-but-goodies. The group saved two of their best performances of the night for after intermission. Surprisingly, both songs came off the new album. "No More Walks in the Woods" is as haunting in person as it is on the album. And Waiting in the Weeds" offered another showcase for Henley’s voice.
The Eagles continue their five-show run tonight in Newark, before heading to Madison Square Garden for performances on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
If you go, we urge patience. Wait about five songs. Then prepare for the explosion.