The Eagles continue making history
Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Conn., July 18, 2013
Reviewed by Kelly Salonica
The tour is not only a retrospect of a vastly successful music career spanning over 40 years, it hints at the prospect of music yet to be made. The live shows continue to prove that The Eagles' incredible talent - individual and collective - propelled this beloved Rock-and-Roll-Hall-of-Fame band to a permanent place in not only history, but in the hearts of millions of fans worldwide.
This sold-out concert began in much of the same way that the band started in 1971, with co-founders Don Henley and Glenn Frey on stools playing acoustic guitars in a duet of Saturday Night.
Following suit to historical events, original member Bernie Leadon joined the two for the first time in 38 years, thrilling the audience with his guitar solo on Train Leaves Here This Morning. The entrance of Timothy B. Schmit had the audience on its feet once more as he added his instrumentation and harmonies to Peaceful, Easy Feeling. Completing the scene was Joe Walsh, joining in for Witchy Woman.
Not present, sadly, was Randy Meisner, who Frey explained, "has been under the weather lately, but is much better now." (Meisner is recovering from a choking incident he was hospitalized for earlier this year.) Frey performed Take It To The Limit, dedicating it to his former bandmate who made it a hit in 1975. Don Felder was also not present and no mention was made of him, leading one to believe that unresolved issues continue to exist between Felder and the band.
During this 2 �-hour show, each of The Eagles had his time in the spotlight. Schmit's harmonica intro to Wasted Time set the tone for Henley's redemptive solo, then Schmit soloed I Can't Tell You Why and Love Will Keep Us Alive. Frey rocked Heartache Tonight out of the arena, and Walsh's In The City playing earned him his own standing ovation.
The hits were seemingly endless - Tequila Sunrise, Best of My Love (their first number one single), Lyin' Eyes and One Of These Nights from the past, to the more recent Get Over It, No More Walks In The Wood and Long Road Out Of Eden - extending to 30 minutes overtime with three encores. Henley's precision guitar playing and audience interaction during The Long Run and Life In The Fast Lane wrapped up their performance.
Following a thunderous response lasting several minutes, the group returned for their first encore of Hotel California with the dueling guitars of Walsh and Steuart Smith (on double neck).
Encore number two delivered the highly anticipated Take It Easy from Frey. Though Walsh's guitar sound effects on Rocky Mountain Way had the crowd going wild, it was the stillness that ensued during Desperado in the third encore that made the greatest impact - two initial spotlights, one on Henley singing solo and another on Frey accompanying on keyboard - multiplied to include Schmit, Leadon and Walsh. As the song came to a close, the spotlights once again returned to Henley and Frey. It was a memorable, fitting finale for an epic band whose goose bump-invoking, flawless harmonies and lead vocals have survived the highs, lows, breaks, and returns of over four decades, while managing to leave their musical imprint on the industry.
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