By Taylor Long
With prices in the music industry sky-rocketing the way that they have been, getting what you pay for when you buy a CD or go to a concert is an endangered concept. It used to be that you could go to a decent show for $30-35, but anymore it seems like minimum asking price is $50, and even then you’re stuck at the back-prime seats are usually upwards of $130. All this for an hour and a half of music? Are we nuts? It seems like few bands-or combinations of bands-are actually worth the ticket price that they boast.
In rare situations, however, a concert can feel like a religious experience; as though music gods have descended from the heavens to stir within you feelings of joy and beauty so supreme it’s hard to believe they are even possible. With the Eagles, this is exactly the case.
The Eagles descended upon Nassau Coliseum this past Sunday, the first of two nights at the coliseum, and one of the first among several New York and New Jersey dates on the last leg of their extensive “Farewell 1” tour, which started back in 2003. It had been almost 10 years since the band was last in the area, on the “Hell Freezes Over” tour, a point that was made clear by the rapidity of ticket sales. Since the band accepts no corporate sponsors, ticket prices were above average, but the minute the twangy, country-rock foursome took the stage, it was the clear the audience would get more than the worth of the price.
For the first solid hour, they broke out fan-favorites like “Lyin’ Eyes,” “I Can’t Tell You Why,” “New Kid In Town” and “One Of These Nights.” Though it’s no secret that old age has graced Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit, if there had been no large video screens, it’s something that would have been easy to forget. The harmony and strength of their voices, though not entirely flawless, was impressive, especially when compared to music veterans of the same age. For the most part, the vocals sounded much like the recordings from 30 some years ago. Their ability to play their instruments was just as strong, particularly in Joe Walsh, who tore through impressive guitar solo after impressive guitar solo with ease and reckless abandon.
They then took a 30-45 minute break, during which the massive crowd fought extensive lines for food and restrooms in the poorly designed halls of the coliseum-and also checked the score for baseball’s opening day.
For the second block, much of the focus was on the solo careers in the group. Glenn Frey’s “You Belong To The City,” Joe Walsh’s “Life’s Been Good To Me” and Don Henley’s “Sunset Grill” were among the highlights. The set was rounded out with more favorites, like “Take It To The Limit” and the raucous “Life In The Fast Lane.”
However, the Eagles like to tease the crowd a bit; make them work for what they want. They left the stage after “Life In The Fast Line”-No “Hotel California”? No “Take It Easy”? No Desperado? As if!
The first encore yielded the infamous “Hotel California” with a stunning, jazzy intro, after which they left the stage once more. Oh, those silly Eagles.
A second encore yielded a few more songs, including Don Henley’s fun solo number, “All She Wants To Do Is Dance,” but it was the third encore that contained career-starting “Take It Easy” and bring down the house number “Desperado,” to which everyone sang out loud just as though the particular wild-spirited lover they had in mind was there listening.
All in all, the show ran for nearly three and a half hours, meaning they played for just short of three. Talk about getting your money worth.
Though this may not be the last of the Eagles’ touring days (as the number one in “Farewell 1” hopefully indicates), it is still an important look at one of rock’s greatest groups-a collaborative of talented musicians that shines brightly on their own, and even more so collectively. They will close out the tour at Madison Square Garden on Monday.