There’s a new kid in town, who’s a chip off the old block. Actually, there are two. Oh, and that country guy…
I wouldn’t say Deacon Frey is the spitting image of his father, Glen Frey, but rather has inherited some of his iconic DNA. He can sing (don’t expect the same delivery) and play, and hey, he sure had the ladies charmed in the 18-80 audience on Thursday night at Roger’s Arena. Big shoes to fill but I expect he will grow into them.
He also had some kind words for Vancouver and did a fair bit of the ‘between song’ banter.
“You have a beautiful city here. Trees! And it smells nice…” he quipped. He also said how much he appreciated the Canadian audience. “You guys are not stressed, at all. Down in the US though…we’re a little stressed.”
The rest of the band is comprised of lone founding member Don Henley, Timothy B. Schmit, Joe Walsh, Steuart Smith, country legend Vince Gill (who ironically covered “I Can’t Tell You Why” on the country tribute album Common Threads), session drummer Scott Crago and another offspring, Will Henley, playing rhythm guitar in the shadows stage right. Starting off in dramatic fashion with “Seven Bridges Road”, the night, as expected, was stacked with hit after hit. Don Henley didn’t spend a lot of time behind the drum kit, yet didn’t feature any of his solo work.
Joe Walsh however did. From ‘Life’s Been Good’ to ‘Funk #49’, his songs were the energetic highlights of the night.
But this is where the Eagles have always shone, being able to transition from acapella country ballads to slide-guitar filled rockers. The audience knew every song, word for word.
The Eagles may be a little thin in the feathers, but the fresh blood will have them entertaining concert goers for a few more years.
The opening band is the quirky creation of Madison Square Garden Company CEO James Dolan. “JD and the Straight Shot” tout themselves as “Americana”, otherwise known as a blend of bluegrass, country, folk and blues.
Surrounding yourself with impeccable musicians is apparently his mantra and for the most part it works. Lead single “Run for Me” from their latest studio album, “Good Night and Good Luck”, worked as a Celtic infused ditty that had the audience tapping their feet as they filtered in. For me their Christmas tune, “The Ballad of Jacob Marley”, was their best track of the night.
I don’t feel the stage setup worked in their favour; Dolan grouped himself with violinist Erin Slaver and bassist Byron House on one side while guitarist Marc Copely, Carolyn Dawn Johnson and drummer Shawn Pelton were on the other. It made for a disparate dynamic. They received a warm welcome from the early crowd however.
All in all it was a solid, satisfying night of hits, rock-solid musicianship and vocal harmonies from some of the best in the business.
written by Scotty Evil
photos by Red Lenses Photography
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Nice writing Scotty!