Eagles at Sphere: Greatest Hits at the Greatest Venue

December 14, 2024 10:10am

Last night's Eagles concert at Sphere Las Vegas was fantastic. Of course, it's the Eagles, so every song was a hit. But the Sphere is such a unique place that it elevated the experience to something no other venue on Earth can come close to doing. It was just spectacular.

Only eight shows were originally scheduled for Eagles' residency at Sphere. But due to overwhelming demand by fans, dates have been added many times. The residency now runs through April 12, 2025.

The Eagles opened last night's show with their big hit "Hotel California." While the band jammed and harmonized on stage, the 160,000 square foot, 16K video screen enveloped our peripheral vision with stunning graphics that are only possible at Sphere.

This was my second time seeing Eagles in concert. I attended the Mobile, Alabama performance during their 1995 "Hell Freezes Over" Tour. That concert featured Don Henley, Glen Frey, Don Felder, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit. Glen Frey died in 2016. Last night's show featured Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, Vince Gill, Deacon Frey (Glen's son), and Steuart Smith. Deacon may have gotten the job because of his relationship to Glen. But his talent on the strings and his seamless harmony with the other band members proved it wasn't just nepotism. He deserved to be on that stage.

For most songs, the classic Eagles harmony was musical perfection. But Joe Walsh's voice strained through "Rocky Mountain Way.” Hey, he's 77 years old. I'm not holding anything against him. He and the entire band were fantastic. I'm just noting that he doesn't have the same voice he had at 30. But it was wonderful to see him bend those guitar strings and passionately belt out his classic hit while stunning images of the Rocky Mountains filled Sphere's giant video screen.

"Take It Easy," Eagles' first single was released in 1972. For more than half a century Eagles have been one of the world's most popular bands. Although they broke up for a while, radio never stopped playing their songs, and their fans never stopped buying their records. The Eagles' album "Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)" remains the best-selling album of all time in the United States. "Hotel California" still ranks 3rd. Worldwide those are still the 5th and 6th best-selling albums, respectively.

Eagles have sold more than 200 million records. They've released six number-one albums containing five number-one singles. They've won six Grammy Awards and five American Music Awards. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Rolling Stone Magazine ranked the band at #75 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time - a ranking I think is much too low. Eagles should easily have been top 20... or perhaps top 10.

I don't know how long Eagles will continue to perform live. But we know they're currently scheduled to play at Sphere through April 12th. So go see 'em. The concert tickets are outrageously expensive. They're worth every penny.