Chicago music critics weren't too fond of the Eagles:
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Joe Walsh injects fun, energy into staid Eagles concert

The Chicago Tribune, by Greg Kot

More Joe Walsh, please. Even “The Dude” would’ve loved him Wednesday, the opener of a two-night Eagles stand at the United Center.The Dude is the bathrobed, bearded hippie in the Coen brothers movie “The Big Lebowski” who hated the Eagles, in part because their mellowness was so inescapable in the ‘70s.

The quintessential California band ruled that decade as one of rock’s greatest commercial forces, and in the years since not much has changed. The reunited juggernaut is still selling lots of albums (their 2007 comeback release “Long Road out of Eden” has sold 7 million units) and their ticket prices (topping out at $185, plus service fees) are still hefty (who can forget – or forgive – the Eagles for breaking the $100 ticket barrier on their 1994 reunion tour?).

But Walsh doesn’t fit the Eagles peaceful-easy-feelin’ mold. For a good part of the three-hour show, he was on his best behavior. All due respect to Don Henley and Glenn Frey, the band’s cofounders: They’re craftsmanlike songwriters, but they’re not much for showmanship. Even the between-songs patter was canned, and the concert felt about as stiff as the matching black suits the band wore, as if outfitted for a wake.
Steuart Smith expertly re-created the ousted Don Felder’s essential guitar parts, and the core quartet, abetted by nine musicians, precisely re-enacted their studio recordings. When Frey added an extra word to a line from “Lyin’ Eyes,” it was a big deal.

Then late in the evening, Walsh took over with frisky versions of his old James Gang hits “Walk Away” and “Funk 49” and his solo goof “Life’s Been Good,” complete with a mini-cam attached to his helmet. “Life in the Fast Lane” lived up to its title; even Henley hit the drums with extra oomph. For the first time, everyone looked like they were having fun.

The fans paid to hear the hits, and the band delivered with a set list heavy on ‘70s favorites, plus a sprinkling of “Eden” songs and solo tracks. The best of their songs deserve their status not just as hits, but as cultural touchstones, especially the Spanish-flavored decadence of “Hotel California.” But it was the goofy, unpredictable guitar player who transformed this night from a nostalgic recital into a concert. Like The Dude, Joe Walsh abides.

Set list
1. “How Long”: The four core members --- Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Timothy B. Schmit and Joe Walsh --- line up across the stage in a show of black-suited solidarity.
2. “Busy Being Fabulous”: Four guitars at work, but not much traction for this “Long Road out of Eden” track.
3. “I Don’t Want to Hear Anymore”: Schmit sings what sounds like an Air Supply outtake.
4. “Guilty of the Crime”: Walsh’s slide-guitar work raises the energy in the room considerably.
5. “Hotel California”: Ushered in with a trumpet solo, and finishing with Walsh and Steuart Smith (standing in for the song’s author, Don Felder) trading guitar lines.
6. “Peaceful Easy Feeling”: Everything “The Dude” Lebowski ever hated about the Eagles in one supremely catchy, supremely mellow song.
7. “I Can’t Tell You Why”: Schmit’s fragile falsetto and Smith’s replication of Felder’s distinctive solo still resonate on this ballad.

8. “Witchy Woman”: Sing-along time, with Henley doubling on lead vocals and drums.
9. “Lyin’ Eyes”: Frey’s epic soap-opera script embroidered with fiddle and piano.
10. “Boys of Summer”: Henley’s solo hit remains a bittersweet keeper.
11. “In the City”: Walsh’s slide-guitar showcase, with gratuitous horns.
12. “The Long Run”: Still wonder how the Eagles got away with ripping off the great Memphis R&B song “Tryin’ to Live My Life Without You” (as originally popularized by Chicagoan Otis Clay).

2nd set
13. “No More Walks in the Woods”: Nice sit-down opening with a cappella harmonies by Henley, Frey, Schmit and Walsh.
14. “Waiting in the Weeds”: Henley sings, Frey on guitar, Smith later joins on mandolin.
15. “No More Cloudy Days”: The sound of stasis.
16. “Love Will Keep Us Alive”: A thoroughly unmemorable track from the “Hell Freezes Over” reunion disc, sung by Schmit.
17. “Take it to the Limit”: Just as the show starts to lose steam, a crucially timed visit to the Eagles first “Hits” album, which has sold 25 million copies.
18. “Long Road out of Eden”: Epic but ponderous title song from Eagles latest album.
19. “Somebody”: The band strips off their black suit jackets to reveal matching white shirts. Otherwise, the song’s a snooze.
20. “Walk Away”: Walsh cracks a smile in midsolo. That’s a first for what has been, so far, a professionally dour concert.
21. “One of These Nights”: Henley proves he can still hit the falsetto notes.
22. “Life’s Been Good”: Walsh dons a helmet and trains a mini-cam on the crowd. It took a while, but suddenly the audience feels part of the show.
23. “Dirty Laundry”: Henley continues his love affair with the media, and sets it to a dance beat.
24. “Funk 49”: More James Gang-era rock from Walsh.
25. “Heartache Tonight”: The horns add to the R&B flavor.
26. “Life in the Fast Lane”: Another Walsh guitar showcase.

Deadline beckons, and I have to split as the band walks off before the encore.