On Tuesday night, The Eagles played at Arco Arena on their "Long Road Out of Eden Tour."

The Eagles formed in the early 70s in Los Angeles and have sold more than 120 million albums, had five No. 1 singles and six No. 1 albums. With an estimated 17,000-plus fans at the show, The Eagles didn’t need an opening act or flashy stage to excite the sold-out crowd.
The audience seemed to be well prepared, many carrying multiple beers to their seats before the concert started. They were ready for a long set of many drunken sing-alongs.

The concert opened with bright white lights on The Eagles as they opened up with an a capella of “Seven Bridges Road.” Their harmonious voices had the rowdy audience listening in wide-eyed silence. The Eagles didn’t bother playing their acoustic guitars, which were at their sides. They seemed almost angelic.

After the third song, vocalist Glenn Frey asked everyone to check their tickets. “We’re the Eagles, and this is the ‘assisted living’ tour.” It was amusing how they joked about their age and their ability to survive themselves through their Rock and Roll life. He greeted the Sacramento crowd, “Finally, we are back in the Sac.”

The band then played more songs from its new album “I Don’t Want to Hear Anymore,” sung by Sacramento-born Timothy B. Schmit, who sang the high-pitched lead vocals. Then Joe Walsh sang “Guilty of the Crime,” which seemed to suit his past.

Following that was a trumpet solo with one beaming red light on him, and he had the crowd guessing what song was next. Then the guitar riff began, and the image on the screen appeared of a white mission at sunset. Relatively quickly, we all recognized one of the most popular Eagles songs, “Hotel California.” Everyone stood up and sang along with Don Henley, who played the drums and sang lead vocals. This was where I saw Walsh shine on his electric guitar solo, which brought the energy and the momentum back for that acoustic riff, played by Frey.

For my generation, these songs are classics. I have listened to The Eagles through iTunes or the radio nearly 1,000 times, but it doesn’t compare to their sharp sound in concert. After “Hotel California,” the audience gave a standing applause. Let me remind you that this was only 30 minutes into the show.

The Eagles’ maintained their energy, never slowing down. All the members were introduced on stage, and Walsh was introduced as familiar to the law and hotel staff around the world. Throughout the concert, his energy as guitarist and singer kept the audience dancing and youthful.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen a concert at Arco Arena, and the sound was very sharp. The Eagles’ stage was traditional for the most part, but it had a giant oval video screen with images ranging from desert scenes, cornfields and even old footage from their early lives. After an hour or so, the first set ended with “The Long Run” as many grooved through the aisles to get more beer.

The show continued a half hour later, when the band members returned on barstools, each equipped with an acoustic guitar, and played three more new songs from their latest album: “No More Walks in the Woods,” “Waiting in the Weeds” and “No More Cloudy Days.”

After songs “Heartache Tonight” and “Life in the Fast Lane,” they had a good time, waved and left the set. Phones and lighters came out as the audience cheered for an encore. They came out shortly after and played “Take It Easy,” Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way,” Henley’s solo, “All She Wants to Do is Dance” and “Desperado,” which had the audience holding on to the lyrics, “Let someone love you before it’s too late.”

Frey, Henley, Walsh and Schmit effortlessly played a three-hour set. I was impressed with Henley’s versatility with lead vocals while on the drums in “Hotel California” as well as Walsh, one of the top guitarists in rock history, who also had a great singing voice when he wasn’t clowning around on stage.

The Eagles are in a musical time capsule. They have great chemistry on stage as well as musical talent. The show was emotional for most, as they relived their youth with every song played. Henley reflected on their summer days, and Frey said, “We did everything fast...almost everything.”

After the show ended, I felt as if I’d relived their past with each song and album they played. I grew wiser and more appreciative of each album. Everyone should get a chance to see The Eagles perform live in concert, since they still rock.

"Photo Credit: Ron Nabity of www.nabityphotos.com"

Editor's Note: While "Seven Bridges Road" begins and ends a cappella, the Eagles did play their acoustic guitars during the song.