REVIEW: The Eagles legacy lives on

Two and a half years have passed since the Eagles last played Wells Fargo Arena. Last time, the band was celebrating their astounding career with their “The History of the Eagles” tour in conjunction with the documentary of the same name. It was a career-spanning tour de force that some thought would be the swan song for the band in Des Moines.

In a way, it was.

On January 18, 2016, Eagles singer and guitarist, Glenn Frey died in New York City. On that day, the original Eagles also ceased to exist. Many fans came to accept that the band was now finished with one of its most iconic voices silenced. That made the 2017 announcement of a new Eagles tour all the more surprising. Stepping in for Frey would be country music legend Vince Gill and on guitar, Deacon Frey, one of Glenn’s two sons.

Don Henley has said that the only way the Eagles could continue is with “Frey blood” in the band. Deacon stepped in for the band’s latest tour and made his Iowa debut on Monday night, in front of a crowd of 12,124. Frey sang lead very well on songs that once belonged to his dad like “Take It Easy” and “How Long.”

Deacon Frey stood on the stage and must have seemed like a time warp for long-time Eagles fans. The younger Frey, who is all of 25, looks like a spitting image of his father in the 1970s, only with a thinner mustache. Frey is a solid guitar player who is clearly welcomed as a full-fledged member of the band as he stood all night in what would have been his father’s position on stage. His casual sunglasses on his head throughout the night reminded those in attendance that while this was the younger generation of Freys, the spirit of Glenn was still very much on the stage.

You don’t need to convince anyone that the Eagles are great musicians. They also like to fill the stage with musicians as well. During “Witchy Woman,” there were no less than 14 musicians playing, including a 5-piece horn section and two keyboard/piano players.

The other “new Eagle” on stage was Gill, who admirably added his share of formerly Frey-led tunes like “Take It To the Limit” and “Tequila Sunrise.” Gill performed well and was a nice addition to the multitude of voices on stage.

One of the night’s more touching moments was when the younger Frey took to the microphone to address the crowd for the first time. He was barely able to get out “thank you very much” before the crowd drowned him out with applause. Frey was visibly moved. “You have no idea what that means to me. This is a blessing of a lifetime,” he said before singing another of his father’s lead vocals on “Peaceful Easy Feeling.” At the conclusion of the song, a black and white photo of the elder Frey was put on the video screens to another roar of applause from the crowd.

The evening continued with each of the band members, new and old, trading vocal duties and once again taking their fans on a journey through one of greatest careers in music. It would be easy to say the band was finished after the death of Glenn Frey. It’s obvious that one of the great rock bands of our time still has something to say, people to entertain, and new fans to gain. This tour could also be the springboard to a career for the younger Frey who is winning over fans in the thousands night after night. Not a bad way to kickstart a music career.

Nobody knows for sure if this is the last go-round for the Eagles. There’s a part that says they should have hung up their guitars after Glenn Frey’s death, others that are thankful the band is still out singing the soundtrack to their lives. If this is, in fact, the last time we see the Eagles in Central Iowa, they went out on a high note. They still packed in the fans, they still sound great singing songs that are more than 40 years old, and they can still put on a fun and engaging show. Glenn would be proud of the job done by his band, his friend Vince, and of course, his son.

SETLIST

Seven Bridges Road
Take It Easy
One of These Nights
Take It to the Limit
Tequila Sunrise
Witchy Woman
In the City
I Can’t Tell You Why
How Long
Ol’ ’55 (Tom Waits cover)
Peaceful Easy Feeling
Best of My Love
Lyin’ Eyes
Love Will Keep Us Alive
New Kid in Town
Next Big Thing (Vince Gill cover)
Those Shoes
Already Gone
Victim of Love
Walk Away (James Gang cover)
Heartache Tonight
Life’s Been Good
Funk #49
Life in the Fast Lane