Project Description
EAGLES
@ Qudos Bank Arena, NSW
13/03/19
(Live Review)
Reviewer: Amelia Torresan
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When a band has the capacity to resonate with its audience for nearly 5 decades, get their audience standing up and dancing, and make their long time fans feel young again, that’s when you know that the show is going to be a good one. I didn’t know the influence that the Eagles held over their Australian fans up until last night when I attended their first Sydney show since 2015 and watching them have this influence over this sold out arena was definitely a sight to see. The Eagles‘ love for performing and love for their fans was evident in their 2.5 hour non-stop set.
The show began with a beautiful acapella 6 part harmony intro for ‘Seven Bridges Road‘ that gave me shivers. The harmonies were tight, clean and on pitch, obviously due to how many years they’ve had to practice and perform them before this moment. When the 5 acoustic guitars came into the song, it was almost like a dream because they all worked harmoniously and without a single mis-plucked string.
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‘Take it Easy‘ was the next song in the setlist with lead vocals being done by Deacon Frey, the son of founding Eagles member Glenn Frey. It was a beautiful and heartwarming visual to watch: a son taking over his late father’s place in an iconic band to pay homage to his memory. On the stage he looked at home and at peace and his vocals sounded very much like his father’s and it made me, and I’m sure some of the audience, tear up a little bit.
‘One of These Nights‘ and ‘Take it to the Limit‘ followed in the setlist along with ‘Tequila Sunrise‘. I knew instantly that ‘Tequila Sunrise‘ was going to be played when the backdrop on the screens transformed into a picturesque image of a sunrise over the ocean, bathed in the warm tones from the sky. This matched the vibe of the song which was smooth and warm, employing acoustic guitars and mellow harmonies.
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“Whoah, witchy woman see how high she flies!”
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As you can guess, the next song was ‘Witchy Woman!‘ I honestly only knew this song because of my parents and their love of the show Seinfeld and I totally get why it was popular with them. The funky melody and guitar accompaniment sounded haunting yet fun with harmonies that echoed through the arena and the brass band towards the back of the stage and I caught myself bopping along to the whole song. Don Henley‘s vocals and especially his falsetto worked perfectly with the song and it was definitely a performance that Elaine Benes would have terribly danced to if she could!
I thoroughly enjoyed how each member had a chance to sing the lead vocals for several songs as it showcased how incredibly talented the members, either founding or non, were musically. For instance, the next three songs were ‘In the City,’ ‘I Can’t Tell You Why‘ and ‘New Kid in Town‘, being sung by Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit and then Vince Gill whose style of singing was completely different. Joe Walsh had more strained and harsh sounding vocals that suit ‘In the City‘ and Timothy B. Schmit has softer and more breathy vocals that worked well with ‘I Can’t Tell You Why‘ and Vince Gill‘s vocals were clear and crisp for ‘New Kid In Town.’
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Deacon Frey was back on lead vocals for the next song ‘Peaceful Easy Feeling‘ which Timothy admitted was a tribute to fellow founding member Glenn Frey. The acoustic song was heartwarming and heartfelt and touched every single person in the crowd. Following the heartfelt acoustic vibe was ‘Love Will Keep Us Alive‘ sung by Timothy B. Schmit, a song that would be very much at home on the smooth.fm radio station.
The next few songs definitely went by as a blur until a song I definitely recognised started playing, ‘The Boys of Summer‘ by Don Henley. Obviously Don was singing the lead vocals and I was super excited to be able to sing more that one line in the chorus that I knew! Realising I knew more songs than I thought I did was definitely a running theme of the night and the next song, ‘Heartache Tonight‘, also fit this theme. It was fun, upbeat and people were standing up and dancing along to the beat. It was so entertaining!
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“Finishing” off the set was ‘Funk #41‘ and then the classic ‘Life in the Fast Lane‘ which was accompanied by the brass band, with great harmonies and a solid rock beat that paralleled the messages of living life recklessly and by each day as it comes. As the song came to a close, the entire crowd stood up and cheered loudly, whistles and shouts filled the arena as the band walked off stage…only to return moments later to perform another song and then another and another and another and another.
The first song of the encores was the absolute classic and most iconic song the Eagles have ever produced which of course is: ‘Hotel California‘. Such a lovely beat (such a lovely beat), such a lovely song. I don’t know where the Hotel California is, but this song makes me want to go there every time I hear it. If I thought people were excited about the rest of the songs in the set, this was a whole new level. People cheered before during and after this song. It was fulfilling to see such an iconic song performed live right in front of me!
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The next encore brought on ‘Rocky Mountain Way‘ and ‘Desperado.’ The two songs were like night and day, showcasing the two sides of the Eagles music: hard, rustic, country rock, and mellow, soothing, guitar and piano. During ‘Desperado‘ people in the arena held up their phone torch lights like they once did with lighters. It was a wholesome moment to be immersed in.
The third and final encore was one last song, a love song. Don Henley thanked the crowd for their support not only on the night but throughout their time as the Eagles, especially since this might be their last time down under. And so, they ended the show with their first #1 record they had in 1974, ‘Best of My Love.’ The crowd sang along until the end and the lights dimmed, almost a metaphor for how they would support the Eagles until their end.
It was a wonderful night and if you ever have the chance to see the Eagles perform in concert, do it. Live life in the fast lane!
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Check out Amy Halpin‘s gallery of the show here
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