A True Fan Reviews the Eagles Austin Concert

Like I told you Wednesday, my husband Keith saw the Eagles in concert Tuesday night in Austin.  I stayed home and let him go with his twin brother.  Keith loves the Eagles so I convinced him to write a review. Lo and behold he did!

My brother, Kerry, and I attended the Eagles concert Tuesday night in Austin. My wife (you know her as Julia) came home one day a couple of months ago and said she had a big secret. In short order she had blabbed all the details saying that the Eagles were coming to Austin. I immediately went online to their web site and told her it wasn't much of a secret since it was on a public web site. I got the tickets the day they went on sale and was all set to see my favorite group for the 7th time. The first time I saw them was on the Hotel California tour back in 1977 at Palmer Auditorium in Austin.

The guys opened the show shortly after 8 and played some songs that I had never heard in concert. The first song was "Saturday Night", played by Glenn Frey and Don Henley playing acoustic guitars at the front of the stage.

After that they introduced their special guest, Bernie Leadon, who left the group back in 1975. Bernie joined them in singing "Train Leaves Here This Morning" from their first album. Throughout the next couple of songs, the rest of the group was introduced. We then heard several narratives dealing with the origins of the group and the background behind certain songs.

This was the Eagles first show on this leg of their "History of the Eagles" tour following a break of a couple of months. I don't know how many people were in the Erwin Center, but it appeared to me to be almost at capacity.

I did notice that the majority of attendees were from the older set, which included my brother and myself. While waiting in line and several times after going inside the Erwin Center, we were told taking pictures or shooting video was not permitted. After spending a fortune on tickets, I'm like, "whatttt???", but anyways..

The guys were joined by five other backup musicians who are a part of their touring band. All of them were top-notch musicians, but the most notable was Steuart Smith, an incredibly talented guitarist. Mr. Smith played lead on many Eagles songs and seemed to be every bit as comfortable playing backup guitar when someone else was on lead. He seems to be a very precise guitarist whose specialty is guitar solos. I guess Joe is more comfortable with the rowdy guitar solos that have made him famous. Another standout, Scott Crago, turned in great work on drums, allowing Don Henley to do other things such as playing other percussion instruments, guitar or just standing up front and singing. Both Smith and Crago have been with the Eagles since the early 2000's.

The Eagles played hits such as "Lyin Eyes" and "One of These Nights" MUCH better than I have ever heard them live before. After seeming to wrap up the "History" part of the show, Glenn thanked Bernie for joining them and then said they would be taking a 20-minute break and when they returned would play for "a long time".

Upon their return, they kicked it in high gear with "Already Gone", "Life in the Fast Lane", "Hotel California", "In the City" and a lot of Joe Walsh's solo hits such as "Rocky Mountain Way", "Life's Been Good" and "Walk Away". I don't recall hearing any of Glenn, Don or Tim's solo hits at all Tuesday night. I would have liked to have heard Don's "New York Minute" or Glenn's "The Heat is On" but they never appeared.

Glenn seemed to have a couple of minor coughing fits during the first couple of songs, but he quickly got back in the swing of things.

In addition, Joe seemed almost bored during the first part of the concert, but when they switched into rowdy mode during the second half, he suddenly came to life with some extraordinary guitar performances.

Perhaps he was just letting Bernie have some of the spotlight by playing lead like he did in the early years.

The women in the audience, at least the ones sitting near me, all seemed to adore Timothy B. Schmit, when he took over lead vocals on "Love Will Keep Us Alive" and "I Can't Tell You Why".

The seating at the Erwin Center left a lot to be desired, with approximately one inch of clearance between my knees and the back of the guy's head sitting in front of me. There was also that one lady a couple of rows in front of me that wanted to stand up the whole time. She wasn't in my way, but I felt for the people trying to see who were sitting directly behind her.

The video projected on the giant screen behind the band was sometimes amusing with Joe, dressed as Godzilla, destroying a city during "Life's Been Good" or Glenn driving across America in a caddy during "Already Gone". I don't remember Don being featured in any of the videos, probably at his insistence.

Bernie did join them again for the last couple of songs, including "Hotel California" and "Desperado", their signature show ender. I realized that this would probably be the last time I would get a chance to hear the Eagles live since none of them are spring chickens anymore. They are probably getting a little road weary after touring for so many years, albeit with lots of breaks and those big paychecks. They are probably considering taking another "14 year vacation" like the one they took between their live album and "Hell Freezes Over".

I had a great time at this concert, enjoying all of the music and getting to see Bernie Leadon with the group for the first time. I've heard all these guys during their solo years and there is something about their blend of voices that is absolutely unique and can only be heard when they sing together. They were sounding great like always and with any luck, I'll be able to see them again before they decide to pack it in. Out of a possible 10, I give this concert a solid 10.