EAGLEHEAD TOUR 2002



I’ve been an Eagles fan as long as I’ve listened to popular music. But until a couple of years ago, I was unable to see them in concert. When I was a kid in the 70’s, they were always too far away. Plus Enzo Moroni would have thought a concert was a waste of money. When they did their Hell Freezes Over tour, I was too busy being a divorce lawyer. However, I was able to get my head above water and travel to Vegas for the first Millennium show in December 1999. I was also able to get to Denver for the Mile High Stadium opening in August 2001. And since I don’t do divorces anymore, I thought I would follow the Eagles this summer. I saw shows in Reno, Little Rock, Tupelo and Biloxi. This is a summary of my experiences as an “Eaglehead” this summer.

Initially, I thought I’d catch the Vegas and Reno Shows. I’d fly to Vegas, rent a car, drive to Reno and see both shows. My wife put a damper on that idea. She said we could only see one show. So I decided to catch opening night in Reno. (Also the price of the Vegas show was a little steep). When the tickets came on pre-sale, I got on the net and got my nose bleed seats. We arrived the day of the concert about noon. The natural Beauty of Reno was tremendous. However, the excitement of Vegas was missing. It was kind of like Tunica in the Sierras. That same dullness permeated the show. It wasn’t like the earlier two shows I saw. The electricity was missing. It was like the locals went to the concert for something to do on a Friday night. When the show started with Seven Bridges Road, it wasn’t the same as the spot light being on Don Felder and his double necked guitar playing the intro to Hotel California. The next morning, while losing my obligatory hundred dollars at the tables, I discussed the concert with several people. They all loved it. They thought it was great. I don’t believe any of them had seen an earlier show. I flew back home a little disappointed.

Fortunately, I only partially listened to my wife and decided that we would see some more shows-- just not in Vegas. My daughter wanted to go the beach, which of course as any rational person would, I discouraged wholeheartedly. You can’t talk sense to an 8th grader, so I bought tickets to the show in Little Rock and made hotel reservations for the next day at the beach. My wife, daughter and one of her teeny-bopper friends went to the show with me. What a difference a month and a crowd of true fans makes. The band was awesome. The crowd was great. There was electricity – though the teenagers looked bored at times. They did not know every word to the songs like the adults. Joe Walsh put on a show. The concert was so good that I even halfway had a decent time at the beach.

After a week of presiding over insurance companies and hurt workers each saying the other was screwing them, the old lady and I headed to Tupelo. (The 8th grader was deposited at Grandma’s for the week.) My wife, ever the manipulator, only agreed to this excursion if I took her antiquing along the way. (As I write this I am coughing from exposure to dust and mold). After stopping every hour along the way, we got to Tupelo and promptly got lost. It is one of those towns that is too small to have a street map and too big to find your way around without one. Finally, we made it to the motel and went out for dinner before the show. The waiter said, “ I bet you’re going to the Eagles show so I’ll get your order out quickly.” There was that kind, friendly feeling, the whole night. Tupelo was an excellent place for a show. The auditorium was small and packed. The band performed like a machine. Joe Walsh put on another show. During Life’s Been Good, he wore Elvis glasses and sideburns in tribute to the hometown of the King. It was hilarious and took Glenn Frey completely by surprise. The only bad thing about the show was that they did not start with Seven Bridges. That song is their best country rock

The next day we headed to Memphis for more antiquing and then on to New Orleans the next day. Both cities were fun. I’ll probably go back to both, but I’ll wait ‘til fall and cooler temperatures. In one of the antique stores, I bought a copy of John Grisham’s, The Client. It has the best line I’ve ever seen as a lawyer. Reggie Love said, “I’ve got enough clients, Clint. What I need are client’s that can pay.” If you’re a lawyer you’ll appreciate that, if not, complain to your accountant. One word of caution regarding New Orleans, don’t take the haunted swamp cruise. There aren’t any ghosts, but there are plenty of mosquitoes.

After two days in the Big Easy, we headed to Biloxi for the final show. We wore the shirts that we bought in Tupelo, and again peo0ple were talking to us about the concert. We got to the show early, and watched the Coliseum fill up. We had seats on the floor, and it was an impressive sight to see the fans packed in above us. My wife freaked out at all the people and made us leave before Desperado was over to beat the crowd. I told her I didn’t know why she was worried because she didn’t drive anyway. That went over like a turd in a punchbowl. But when you’re married for 20 plus years little things like missed songs and turds quickly pass. The next day we headed home. I headed off on the circuit, and my wife headed back to the flower shop. Our life got back to normal.

Having had a couple of weeks to sit back and think about the tour some things stick in my mind about the band. They put on a tremendous show. I’ve seen some other older bands shows such as the Moody Blues and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and they don’t compare. The Eagles rank right with the Rolling Stones. I wish they would have changed the show during the tour, but assuming that most people only see one show, it makes sense from a production point to do the same play list. Joe Walsh is a true entertainer. Henley and Frey are artists, and Timothy Schmidt is a consummate team player. Which is exactly what the Eagles are, a team. A good team. Like all good teams they get better as the season progresses. There was really no comparison between the Reno and Biloxi shows. They were much better at the end of the tour than at the beginning. I would travel again to seem them. I look forward to their new album and look forward to seeing them play some new stuff.

Mike Moroni