Allan's Review

The Festhalle in Frankfort is a true concert hall. 90% of the seats are on the floor with a balcony running around the building about 30 rows up. This lent itself to lots of energy in the audience. The sound was superb from the first note.

8:40 PM - The boys appear and belt out Seven Bridges Road pure luscious harmony. A statement of musical purity setting the stage for all that was to come. The Frankfort crowd is involved from the beginning clapping along to the beat. The crowd keeps the beat on many songs throughout the night. Nobody is sitting on thier hands! Don steps up for The Long Run and immediately I am struck by the strength of his voice. He was hitting on all cylinders from the beginning. Glen gets his first shot with New Kid in Town a note perfect effort with Glen sounding smooth as silk, right on the money. This is the first song with Don behind the drum kit and I noticed he was without his coat. Throughout the show when up front singing his black coat was on. While playing drums only the black t-shirt. Back up front for Don who hushed the crowd with an incredible Wasted Time. I was looking forward to this my favorite song. Don s heartbreaking vocal was beyond belief and touched my soul. A brief Wasted Time Reprise and the boys turn into the world s best honky-tonk band with Peaceful Easy Feeling. As the band is working out the center piece of the song together, Glen shouted out Who in Frankfort, Germany loves country music? The house roared with its approval. Joe s first turn in the spotlight with Pretty Maids all in a Row How ya doin, how ya doin. The crows finally responds witha "How ya' doin" of its own I love that! he told the others. The perfection continues the crowd shows Joe its full appreciation. Tim s turn on Love Will Keep Us Alive - If anyone has the voice of an angel its Mr. Schmidt. Great work from Steurt Smith on this one. Don s first solo foray of the night with Boys of Summer he was on fire this night. Glenn sat down at the piano for Take it to the Limit, he classily gave proper credit to Randy Meisner. Here s a song Don and I wrote for and in is honor of Randy Meisner. This sound had a much different feel with Meisner s soaring high notes at the top of it missing but the overall harmonies were very nice. Don pleasantly mellows us out with Best of My Love. A rockin Already Gone is next. You can tell which songs are favorites for the band they smoke on this one. In the City is next with Don over on percussion and Joe showing off again. They move on to One of These Nights. This is the first song of the night with Henley on drums and lead vocal. This song for me was the best of the night. Don was hitting notes up in the stratosphere and the harmony from everyone else was out of this world.

As the stage went dark and empty for the break I immediately thought to myself that I had already gotten my money s worth.





Part II:

Don kicks things off with Witchy Woman. Even more so than on the record I was taken with the Native American rhythm and beat of this song as Don tore into the toms with abandon. A wonderful transition into Lyin' Eyes was next before which Glen dedicated to all the Ladies which was lost on many as not exactly a compliment. This was Glen s highlight of the night. You can tell he loves the country-tinged stuff and delivers it the best. Tim comes back with I can't Tell you Why although you can hear the difference without Don Felder, Steuart Smith delivers some might tasty work of his own on this one. Just as beautiful as I expected it to be. What a pure voice Tim S. has. As I mentioned before the audience was with the band from the beginning. They were involved by spontaneously clapping to the beat on all the country stuff and the ovations after each song were as loud as I ve ever heard. But we weren t ROCKING yet. Joe Walsh ended all that strangely enough with a solo song. Walk Away had us all on our feet by the end of the first verse and a crowd of fans began rushing up the center aisle to enjoy the rest. Jamming Joe! Don picked up the guitar for Tequila Sunrise and again sang like a champ. The same held true for Sunset Grill on which the horn section really shined on the end section. Before You Belong to the City Glen laughingly reminded us all it was from Miami Vice sung at the piano at a higher pitch than on the record and more of a plaintive sound than as the aggressive younger man on the record. Joe was back for Life's Been Good. Every time the words He s cool come up they are displayed in large letters on the screen. No doubt Joe s as cool as they come. No pretension playing and singing his heart out in his own inimitable gloriously ragged style. The decibel level kicks up a notch on a searing Dirty Laundry from a vocally aggressive Don down front. Funk 49 is unleashed on us next just three words JAMMING JAMMING JAMMING! The boys work out in an open jam session bringing all their musical chops to bear and letting it all fly. They spin on a dime and turn to Heartache Tonight - plenty of dancing in the aisles. The rockin continues with Life in the Fast Lane absolutely cooking with Don again singing behind the drum kit letting it all hang out.

Encore 1

After the crowd stomps its feet in unison begging for more. A terrific horn section introduction turns into Hotel California - perfection continues.

Encore 2

Joe s guitar introduces Rocky Mountain Way absolute heat.

Some people without faith started heading for the door, but I knew better!

Encore 3

Glen tells us I have seven women on my mind and we get to Take it easy. Desperado tops off the night with Don s voice soaring as it did all night.

A couple of final observations: I would have like to have heard Victim of Love. The way this band was on fire tonight it would have fit perfectly between Heartache Tonight and Life in the Fastlane. I also wouldn t have minded it if they had dug into the album catalogue a bit deeper as they did in the Millennium Concert. Ol 55 or Saturday Night would have been a nice addition. These are only small quibbles. This was the concert experience of a lifetime. We left the hall to be met with a downpour of rain I don t think anyone cared how wet they got.