Eagles take fans on a long run at MGM

Spencer Patterson

Monday, Aug. 11, 2003 | 8:15 a.m.

The Eagles sing about taking it to the limit, but on Saturday night they pushed their show a bit beyond theirs.

Southern California's veteran rock ensemble ran itself, and its sold-out MGM Grand Garden Arena crowd of 13,500, ragged with a concert that spilled over the three-hour mark.

The marathon performance included two sets, three encores and a 25-minute intermission, the sum of which -- combined with warm temperatures inside the venue -- left rows of green seats empty before the house lights came on at 11:40 p.m.

Those who remained to the end heard such classics as "Hotel California" and "Take It Easy" during the encores, but by that point the Eagles lacked the energy to give either song any real punch.

The solution: Trim the fat from a ridiculously long 29-song playlist, eliminate that silly set break and hack off an encore or two. That would leave a tight show with momentum to carry the audience -- not to mention Eagles principals Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Timothy B. Schmit and Joe Walsh -- to the finish.

As for what to eliminate, one female fan on her way out had the right idea when she questioned why she heard Henley's solo hit "Dirty Laundry" at an Eagles concert.

Frey, Henley and Walsh combined to play 10 solo numbers, a select few of which -- Walsh's "Life's Been Good" and Henley's "Boys of Summer," for example -- are as quintessential as anything recorded by the band.

Many of the others only bogged down a meandering second set. In particular, Henley's synthesized "Sunset Grill" and Frey's saxed-up "You Belong to the City" sounded more dated than Eagles tunes recorded 10 and 15 years earlier.

The four men, all ages 54 and 55, were at their best when they stuck to the 1970s, the years before the band officially split up for the first time in 1982.

Early country-rock favorites "Peaceful, Easy Feeling" and "Already Gone" had fans up and dancing, while Walsh's electrified "Walk Away" and "Funk #49" brought out more than a few air guitars.

Frey was the master of ceremonies, introducing the quartet's eight backing musicians -- among them fiery lead guitarist Steuart Smith and a four-piece horn section --- and addressing the audience between songs.

"Normally, I dedicate this to my first wife, Plaintiff," he joked before "Lyin' Eyes."

"Frey also had some fun with the tour's official moniker, "Farewell I."

"(It's) designed to set up ... I don't know ... 'Farewell Four,' he said early. Later he added, "We might as well move to the big money, 'Farewell Six.' "

While the folksy Frey did the talking, the cool, laid-back Henley moved between the front of the stage and his drum set near the back. Henley's timeless vocals sounded strong all night, most noticeably on ballads "Wasted Time" and "Desperado," the night's finale.

Schmit, hair still flowing past his shoulders, contributed a faithful rendering of his Bee Gees-flavored Eagles hit "I Can't Tell You Why."

It was Walsh, however, who commanded the audience's attention more frequently as the night wore on. From his green leather pants to his odd, half-mumbled backing vocals during new single "Hole in the World," Walsh was a point of intrigue even when he wasn't tearing up guitar solos.

Fun stuff on a night filled with nostalgia, a little less of which would go a long way.