The Best Farewell Tour You’ll See This Year

Eagles’ Long Goodbye tour may be the least quintessentially rock ‘n’ roll farewell trek available on the market proper now. It may additionally be one of the best.

It’s not typically you see a message on the display earlier than an enviornment rock present asking viewers members to keep seated to not impede the view of these behind them. Then once more, what else would you count on from a band whom Don Henley joked was as soon as accused of “loitering” onstage?

Eagles did little to dispute that allegation on Saturday throughout their second consecutive efficiency at Austin’s Moody Center. “There’s not gonna be much talking,” Henley promised. “No fireworks. No wind machines. No butt-wagging choreography. Just a bunch of guys with guitars.”

He wasn’t kidding about that final half. At any second, as much as six musicians — Henley, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, Vince Gill, Deacon Frey and touring guitarist Steuart Smith — flanked the entrance of the stage, plucking guitars and delivering elegant vocal harmonies. What Eagles lack in stage presence, they make up for with a bottomless treasure trove of hits, a few of which (like “Best of My Love” and “The Long Run”) did not even match into their two-hour efficiency.

Why Eagles’ Long Goodbye Tour Stands Alone Among Farewell Treks

While many legacy acts have more and more relied on spectacle to distract from their failing vocals (or probably outright fakery), Eagles proceed to do what they’ve completed finest for greater than 50 years: ship their songs with near-flawless precision, offering “a two-hour vacation from the madness,” as Henley put it. Sure, they’ve lowered the keys of some tunes — typically markedly so — however we must always all be so fortunate to nonetheless possess such supple timbre and regular pitch in our seventies.

The different main distinction between the Long Goodbye tour and related ventures is Eagles’ present touring lineup. Some purists might balk on the notion of an Eagles tour with out late co-founder Glenn Frey, however it is tough to think about higher replacements than Gill and Deacon Frey. The former is a fleet-fingered guitarist and sensible vocalist, tackling the hovering excessive notes of “Take It to the Limit” with ease. And it is tough to overstate the grace with which Frey has stepped into his father’s sneakers, emulating his voice with haunting accuracy whereas placing some much-needed pep in these boomers’ steps. Replacing a key band member is rarely straightforward, however by delegating these roles to household and pals, Eagles proceed to do justice to their catalog whereas honoring their legacy in a method that no nameless employed gun might.

READ MORE: All 84 Eagles Songs Ranked Worst to Best

But sufficient of that woo-woo stuff. If it is rock you need, Walsh is your man. “I had some wonderful times in Austin — according to the police report,” he joked on Saturday earlier than one in every of a number of howling electrical guitar showcases. He shredded by way of James Gang’s “Funk #49,” despatched talkbox shockwaves by way of the world on “Rocky Mountain Way” and ripped the epochal “Hotel California” solo alongside Smith with the poise and finesse of a classical musician. For many years, Walsh was the epitome of a hard-living rock star, however he nonetheless sings capably and performs with gorgeous readability.

Steely Dan Is the Perfect Opening Act

It’s no small feat warming up an viewers for a present of this caliber, however Eagles have picked the proper tour mates in Steely Dan. Donald Fagen has dutifully stored the band alive since Walter Becker’s loss of life, and on Saturday he led his cohort of world-class musicians by way of a hit-filled energy hour that dazzled on a technical degree, from the drum and saxophone solos on “Aja” to the blistering dueling guitars of “Reelin’ in the Years.” Both of those bands have at all times prioritized top-notch songwriting and musicianship, and the Long Goodbye tour is a celebration of each technical excellence and generation-defining songbooks. This highway journey may not have any frills, however it additionally has no pretense — simply three hours of stone-cold classics performed with peerless precision. One day this sort of tour can be a distant reminiscence, so get it whilst you can.