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Eagles Set Peaceful, Easy Feeling

By SARA MINTON

sminton@tampatrib.com

Published: January 30, 2009

Updated: 01/30/2009 10:18 am

The St. Pete Times Forum went from pitch black darkness to a fully lit stage Thursday night, with Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Glenn Frey and Timothy B. Schmit standing in perfect horizontal formation. They performed new songs, old epic rock tracks, country-tinged ballads and everything in between.

It had been 28 years since The Eagles' last studio album, and even though 2007's "Long Road Out of Eden" was nominated for a Grammy, it lacks luster compared with, say, 1976's "Hotel California."

"How Long" kicked off the set, proving to the audience that "Eden" carries at least a little of the breezy, road-trip atmosphere of the Eagles classic "Take It Easy."

Frey greeted the audience and told them to check their ticket stubs, a nod to the concert's official title: the "Assisted Living Tour". This banter continued throughout the show as Frey poked fun at the band's age and at how fast he wrote "Lying Eyes," claiming he did everything fast back in the day.

Exceptional backing all evening came from a 13-member band that included three keyboardists, a horn section, an extra drummer and two piano players. A single red spotlight on the trumpet player introduced "Hotel California," and as the audience cheer grew into a singalong it became clear the fans came out to hear the classics. But nobody comes to an Eagles concert expecting anything different.

Henley got his moments to shine, picking up the pace a bit with "Boys of Summer" and "The Long Run." Just as things got kicking, the guys took an intermission that lasted about 20 minutes. The second half of the performance started off mellow, but the melancholy wasn't all bad. "Take It To The Limit" and "Love Will Keep Us Alive" were inspired and polished.

The standout song was also the longest of the night, title track "Long Road Out of Eden," capturing everything the band has produced over the years and wrapping into one song. Overall, the 28-song set list seemed to satisfy the nearly sold-out audience, proving the Eagles still have what it takes.

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