Member Review: The Eagles/Dixie Chicks

BPD member SallyMander wrote us:

The Eagles singer-guitarist-keyboardist Glenn Frey, singer-guitarist-drummer Don Henley, guitarist Joe Walsh and singer-bassist Timothy B. Schmit, now all in their early '60s, began their two-hour set of greatest hits without much fanfare.

The foursome stood side-by-side on a stripped-down, compact stage performing the harmony-heavy Seven Bridges Road and How Long before moving into fan favourite Take It To The Limit.

A trumpet solo - the backing band grew to include five more musicians plus a four-man horn section - dramatically heralded the next song, Hotel California, as the silhouette of a hotel at sunset was projected onto a semi-circular video backdrop, and Henley moved behind the drum kit for his lead vocal turn.

But it was Walsh's guitar playing during that song - and Peaceful Easy Feeling - that stole the show early on (along with that of Stuart Smith) and he also animatedly took over on lead vocals for The James Gang's Walk Away and Funk 49, his own In The City, Life's Been Good, the latter featuring some great stock footage of The Eagles, and Rocky Mountain Way.

In fact, it was Walsh who provided some much needed comic relief about an hour into the leisurely paced show.

Backstage, Frey whispered to me about Walsh "He is familiar to law enforcement and hotel staff around the world. Never met a man he didn't like, or a room he couldn't wreck."

Timothy Schmit was in exceptional voice during I Can't Tell You Why as was Frey during Peaceful Easy Feeling, Lyin' Eyes, and Take It Easy, Henley on One Of These Nights, The Long Run, Desperado and his own solo hits, Boys Of Summer and Dirty Laundry.

If The Eagles offered up solid hits from the last four decades, The Dixie Chicks provided shock value courtesy of lead singer Natalie Maines' shaved head given her usual longer blond locks.

Maines joked with me: "You like my hair? You're the only one."

Maines was joined by her fellow Dixie Chicks and sisters Martie Maguire on fiddle-mandolin and Emily Robison on banjo, who have been busy on their side project Court Yard Hounds which was released earlier this year.

And despite not being on the road together for the last four years, Maines' voice and the Chicks' harmonies were strong and clear.

The trio, backed by a six man band, delved into their 12-year catalogue with highlights like Taking The Long Way Around, the rollicking Sin Wagon, Mississippi, and Lubbock Or Leave It, covers of Fleetwood Mac's Landslide and Train's Hey Soul Sister, the poignant Easy Silence and their anthemic Not Ready To Make Nice, which provoked the strongest response of the night.

It was a great show and spending time with everyone in the back KICKED SERIOUS ASS!

DIXIE CHICKS SET LIST:

Wide Open Spaces

Truth No. 2

The Long Way Around

Landslide

Sin Wagon

Mississippi

Cowboy Take Me Away

Hey Soul Sister

Long Time Gone

Lubbock or Leave It

Easy Silence

Not Ready To Make Nice

Ready To Run

Goodbye Earl

EAGLES SET LIST:

Seven Bridges Road

How Long

Take It To The Limit

Trumpet intro/Hotel California

Peaceful Easy Feeling

I Can't Tell You Why

Witchy Woman

Lyin' Eyes

One Of These Nights

Walk Away

Boys Of Summer

In The City

The Long Run

Life's Been Good

Dirty Laundry

Funk 49

Heartache Tonight

Life In The Fast Lane

ENCORE

Take It Easy

Rocky Mountain Way

Desperado

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