Originally Posted by DonFan
From a Dallas newspaper:
POP REVIEW: Don Henley, Pretenders mix rock, social commentary at Nokia--Monday, August 6, 2007
By THOR CHRISTENSEN / Music Critic
GRAND PRAIRIE – The defining moment of Saturday night's Don Henley/Pretenders/Stray Cats triple-bill came when Chrissie Hynde tore into "Popstar," a song about how vapid today's chart-toppers are. "They don't make 'em like they used to," she sang. At its best, the four-hour concert made her words ring true.
Hometown boy Mr. Henley headlined the show with a lesson in the fading art of mixing rock and social commentary. He dedicated the show-opening "Dirty Laundry" to Rupert Murdoch, saying "Y'all gonna be getting naked pictures with your Wall Street Journal now."
The near-capacity Nokia Theatre crowd laughed. But not everyone was pleased when he snuck a jab at Vice President Dick Cheney into "The End of the Innocence." For the most part, Mr. Henley let his hits do the talking – from solo gems such as "Boys of Summer" to Eagles classics like "Desperado" and "Hotel California." At age 60, his voice is in better shape than a lot of his peers': He nailed the falsetto on "Witchy Woman" with offhand ease.
And just when the show was getting too slick and the songs too note-for-note perfect, he switched gears. After reinventing "The End of the Innocence" with a sultry gospel-blues intro, he caught fans off guard with a bold reading of Tears For Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." "I didn't write this song," he said, "but it seems to be appropriate these days."
Like Mr. Henley, Ms. Hynde wasn't about to keep her opinions to herself. "It's time in the set to make some enemies," she said, launching into a mini-diatribe against the meat industry and the "slaughter" of innocent animals. "Oh, what the [expletive] – we'll do one for the meat-eaters now," she said Saturday night, introducing "Back on the Chain Gang."
Artistically, the Stray Cats have never been on the same level as Mr. Henley or the Pretenders. But since they rarely tour, it's easy to forget how much fun they are onstage. Drummer Slim Jim Phantom began "Rock This Town" by leaping from atop his drum kit, Lee Rocker climbed all over his stand-up bass (while playing it, no less), and Brian Setzer darted around, his blond pompadour shining in the spotlight. "We're still here," he said, grinning, "and not looking too bad either, I might add."