LOCAL BOY MAKES GOOD!!

Joe Walsh proved once again he is the clown/prince of Rock & Roll as Wichita welcomed him back to a packed house along with The Eagles. Sorry I'm still a little bleary-eyed from lack of sleep so I hope this is not too incoherent.

The "Boys Of Summer" took the stage at about 8:15 local time and launched into "The Long Run". As before, the mix was a little rough at the very beginning, but smoothed to near perfection as the show progressed. There was no "Seven Bridges Road" at this venue either. The set-list was the same as previous concerts. However, they omitted "Best Of My Love" for some reason. Maybe because of the late start time.

They hit every high that could be hit here in Wichita tonight. All their songs were delivered with a fire and punch that few bands can achieve live. A lot of people were complaining about ticket prices before the show, but everyone seemed to leave with a smile on their face. These guys are not only rock legends who are now perfecting their craft, they genuinely seem to enjoy playing together. It seem obvious that whatever rifts existed in the past have been put aside for the sake of the music. I can only guess that Felder's exit has molded the guys into a more harmonious unit. They seemed to really enjoy playing the music that at one time was such a struggle to create. Music that for some of us was about the only escape from disco.

I think everyone got to hear their favorite songs. There were a lot of people I talked to who were unaware the band existed before "Hotel California" so they probably look at Joe as being a charter member. I find it ironic that a few years back I was able to see Randy Meisner perform "Take It To The Limit" on stage without The Eagles and now I have seen The Eagles perform the song without Randy Meisner.

It was a joy to see and hear Joe on the old "Talk Box" again during "Rocky Mountain Way". I hadn't seen anyone do that in years. Steuart Smith is a welcome addition and ample replacement for Felder. He really interacts well with the other guys and seems to know just when to interject his guitar into the songs.

The horn section was great. I was a little concerned about that and was afraid that they may be a little overpowering. But I was pleasantly surprised. The mix was great and they were used prudently in the songs they were in. The light show was awesome. The light crew are to be commended. They new just when and where to shine. The only question I had about the production was the placement of Don Henley's Drums. It just seems that he should have a more prominent spot on the stage as he's belting out a lot of vocals from behind his drum kit and is barely visible to some. His voice was, once again, superb. Whether he was singing lead or harmonizing with the others.

Glen Frye might want to think about pursuing a dancing career as he gave quite an exhibition during "All She Wants To Do Is Dance. Tim was also superb on bass and handled his vocal chores with ease. He really got the crowd into the action. The fans all seemed to enjoy the solo songs of The Eagles as much as The Eagle. Every band member unselfishly tore into each others songs as if they were there own compositions. Standouts for me were "Life's Been Good" and "Dirty Laundry". "Walk Away" was the only song that seemed to lag behind and didn't seem as tight as the other songs they performed, to me.

Joe must be thanked by Wichita fans because without him a lot of folks wouldn't have had the opportunity to see The Eagles live. I can't wait for the studio album they say is forthcoming. I think it might actually be fun recording for them this time and not as much work. I compare it to now being a grandfather. You can enjoy the kids and spoil them a little, because you become less self-indulged as you age. Maybe The Eagles are now at that stage in their lives, that they can spoil us with some new music.

Al Erichsen