Chicago 6-19-2010

[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. That means he's gorgeous and talented.

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

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 The heat of the day had been replaced by cool breezes blowing in from the lake.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.

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, 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. 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.

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.

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.

[Koala]

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

[tequila girl]

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

[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 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]

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!

Thanks again Soda--it was like being there!

[Prettymaid]

It was like being there! 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!

Carol-Lynn
SoCalGal

[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.