The Eagles' “Long Goodbye” farewell tour is expected to end in 2025
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band The Eagles announced the start of their farewell tour titled “The Long Goodbye.” It starts in September.
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LOS ANGELES – “Good evening and welcome, whatever that is,” Don Henley, founding member, drummer and singer of the Eagles, said Friday at the start of their first concert of The Long Goodbye Tour of 2024.
The groundbreaking rock band, which formed in Los Angeles in 1971, checked into the Hotel California again for the first of four sold-out concerts at the Kia Forum billed as the Eagles' final tour. Henley was proud that the four nights, which end on January 13, will be held 26 times at the iconic 17,500-seat venue.
“We've been playing at this place for 49 years,” Henley said, adding that this was the band's strong preference over the gleaming 70,000-seat SoFi Stadium across the street.
“We could have just spent a night in the spaceship next door and been done with it. But it sounds a lot better in here,” Henley said, sending the Kia Forum crowd into a frenzy. “We’d rather work a little harder and give you a better listening experience.”
The Eagles lived up to the great listening experience when Henley (76) joined long-time guitarist Joe Walsh (76), bassist Timothy B. Schmit (76) and guitarist Vince Gill (66), who stepped in after founding member and guitarist Glenn Frey died in 2016 at the age of 67. Frey's guitarist son Deacon, 31, has also rejoined the band.
With an a capella version of “Seven Bridges Road” to start the show, the Eagles proved they can still harmonize with startling beauty and followed with hit after hit, including “One of These Nights,” “Lyin' Eyes,” “Best of My Love” and “New Kid in Town.”
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Songwriter JD Souther, who, according to Henley, played a “crucial role” in writing the last two mega-Eagles hits, made frequent stage appearances, including lead vocals on “New Kid in Town”, duties, which the late Frey once took over.
Deacon Frey, his long black hair held back with sunglasses, took over lead vocal duties from his father on “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” an utterly nostalgic rendition that ended with a black-and-white photo of the smiling late Eagles founder appearing on the stage screens.
Henley continued to pay tribute to Jimmy Buffet in concert, dedicating his solo song “Boys of Summer” to “our dear friend,” who died in September at age 76.
Walsh asserted his place as the Clown Prince of Rock, appearing on stage as “the irreplaceable, the undeniable, the master of the Stratocaster” after a retro introduction from Schmidt. Walsh proved himself worthy of the praise by delivering powerful guitar solos on songs like his hit “Life's Been Good.”
But Walsh has adapted a little to the times, changing the line in his ode to spoiled rock stars from “They write me letters, tell me I'm great” to “They write me emails, tell me I'm great.” ” changed.
As the band belted out the classic street anthem “Already Gone,” it was clear that the Eagles are in fighting form after their tour kicked off on September 7th at New York's Madison Square Garden.
“How are we?” Henley asked after the song ended. “We practiced.”
As promised in the title, “The Long Goodbye” will continue until 2025.
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How is Donald Fagan from Steely Dan?
Fagan, 75, returned to The Long Goodbye, opening Friday's show with Steely Dan, after being hospitalized in October for an unspecified illness. Fagan thanked the audience for the enthusiastic response to Steely Dan's classic “My Old School.”
“It’s my first show of the year and you’re doing great,” Fagan said.
After playing “Reelin' In the Years,” Fagan paid tribute to his bandmate Walter Becker, who died in 2017 at the age of 67.
“I would like to thank Walter Becker for helping me write all of these pieces,” Fagan said.