An Enchanted Evening...
Anticipating the Spectacle
The drive from Mesa, Arizona to Albuquerque, New Mexico was FUN, fast, furious, and SAFE!
Thanks to the Classic Rock 'big-sticks' along the way for keeping the background sound track spirited, including plenty of 'Eagles Tuneage' to fuel the fire!
Phoenix 100.7 KSLX 'Pure Classic Rock'
Flagstaff 93.9 'The Mountain'
Gallup 93.7 '93X'
Albuquerque 96.3 'The Buzzard'
I mention the radio stations because it was the aforementioned 'Buzzard' that almost put us in the FRONT ROW! (more on that later)
Upon arrival at our hotel we found that house keeping was not quite ready with our room, so we decided to kill some time and drive down University Ave to THE PIT......University Arena. What we found were 4 tour busses, and semi tractor-trailers stacked up, unloading and staging the lighting equipment for the show. Forklift after forklift of equipment was being shuttled down the steep cargo ramp, while stage hands milled about trying to look busy. Keep in mind that The Pit was constructed with it's playing surface (the floor) 37 feet deep into the ground. In essence, the PIT is exactly that......a big hole in the ground.
As we approached the chain-link fence, a roadie by the name of Chris introduced himself. He noticed that I was snapping a few photo's, and asked if we wanted him to snap a few photo's of the stage as it was being assembled. I readily gave him camera operating instructions, and off he went down the long cargo ramp.
He returned, having snapped 8 or 9 shots from inside. We vigorously thanked him for his deed. We then walked around the mass of equipment for a better glimpse down the ramp, and another perspective. That is when the chief equipment handler (I'm guessing) said we would have to leave the area, in which we obliged. Nevertheless, some unique photo's to add to our roadtrip scrapbook. This time when we arrived back at or hotel, our room was ready, and we settled in, hoping to catch a fews ZZZZZZ's after the already furiously-paced day. (it would not happen)
A possible DREAM-SHOT !
As I had previously mentioned, the Albuquerque 'Classic-Rocker', 96.3 'The Buzzard'
was certainly caught up in the Eagles hoopla, and rightly so. All day long, every hour, up until the 5pm hour, they would be qualifying listeners for a Grand Prize FRONT ROW experience. Certainly, this would be a nice UPGRADE, no matter where one was seated! I decided to give it a try in the 2pm hour, despite the fact that I was working thru a hotel switchboard (dial 9 first), and on a phone that had no re-dial features. When I heard the 'cue-to-call' for random caller 19, I jumped on the opportunity. I couldn't believe it when I actually got thru as 'caller #6'. As I continued to pluck-away at the numbers, on the fourth or fifth try, THE LINE WAS RINGING. I whispered to 'angel'.......I'm in!
It was then when the raspy-voiced Diana B. Wilde answered the phone and announced to me (and all of Albuquerque) that I was THE 19TH CALLER, and had just qualified for the grand prize drawing which would be awarded sometime in the 5pm hour. Needless to say, I was almost beyond words at first, but then shared my excitement the best I could. I told her of our trip from Mesa, AZ, and our photo-session at University Arena. Diana put me on hold, and then aired my crazed 'phoner' with her.
After she went back into music, we chatted for a bit. She told me the details on how to claim my consulation prize if I did not win the GRAND PRIZE, which by the way, was 2 free tickets to to see the Doobie Brothers the following evening at a local casino. We also exchanged some chit-chat about the 'biz', and discovered we both knew a particular radio personality from previous gigs.
The Grand Prize Announcement would be made at aproximately 5:20pm. Any thought of logging more ZZZZZ's was completely out-the-window, for now 'angel' & I were way too excited to sleep. We would have to suck-it-up, down some more coffee, and get ready for the spectacle. The odds were 8 to 1....but I liked those odds!
Pre-Spectacle-Hoopla
Arriving early to The Pit afforded us the opportunity of a great parking spot. 'angel' & I were suprised to see that a residual parking fee was not being collected. Apparently, venue officials felt the ticket price was enough.
Never before at any previous concert had I seen so many radio stations set-up with their promotional crews. Obviously, they all wanted a piece of this one. I heard one 'jock' elaborate and say that "argueably, this is the biggest act to ever roll thru Albuquerque". I can't confirm that, but I can say that the media presence helped create a real 'carnival atmosphere' outside The Pit.
At aproximately 5:20pm, we learned that we would NOT be selected as the winners of the FRONT ROW TICKETS, nor would we win one of three sets of other UPGRADES that 'The Buzzard' had up for grabs. It didn't matter now, for anticipation was now at a feverish crescendo as we got in line to enter The Pit.
Security efforts were not as intense as I expected. NON-DIGITAL camera's were allowed in as well, which to me, was a real surprise. As we arrived at our seats, it was obvious that every seat would soon be filled, for the stage set occupied almost a full third of the east end of the arena. The steep grade of the arena seating and benches was like nothing I have ever seen before. For what ever reason, the show was delayed about 20 minutes, as the house lights went down at 8:20pm, and our Enchanted RoadTrip was at the pinacle peak!
The Spectacle
From our vantage point, the mix was not perfect for 'Seven Bridges Road', mainly because of the crowd noise, and the acoustic values of this hositile-environment basketball arena . Harmonies during 'The Long Run' and 'New Kid In Town' a bit washed out by crowd noise as well. As Don stepped forward for 'Wasted Time', the crowd seemed to settle-in, or should I say, seemed content to remain seated. Plain and simply, the mix sounded much better from this point on.
The Players
Don Henley
With his always business-like approach, and personal insistance on perfection, Don's overall vocal perfomance was nothing short of that self-imposed benchmark. I personally enjoyed seeing Don with the Telecaster strapped-on, although, he was not quite as animated with it as he was for the last date of the Inside Job Tour in Tucson.
I have always found it amazing how Henley performs vocally while on the kit. He is nothing short of jaw-drop amazing, and in my view, the BEST singing drummer on the planet!
Despite the fact he did not utter a word to the crowd, or his bandmates during the performance, he looked very much 'in-charge'. A problem with his monitor during 'Desperado' didn't seem to affect his delivery at all. Yet another world-class performance, like only Henley can muster.
Glenn Frey
Both 'angel' and & I agreed, nobody on stage worked harder on this night than Glenn Frey. A solid performance, which in my view, will only get better as the Summer Tour 2002 rolls on.
Timothy B. Schmitt
Cool, calm, and very much sporting that definetive rock~n~roll 'look', what he brings to the table vocally defies conventional vocal cord wear & tear. We enjoyed the interaction , as he and Joe squared-off several times during the evening. 'Love Will Keep Us Alive' and 'I Can't Tell You Why' absolute vocal gems!
Joe Walsh
All I can say is "thank God for Joe"! His energy and enthusiasm filled the venue. Joe may be the 'class-clown' (so to speak), but he is no clown when it comes to legendary fretwork, and compelling slide guitar. Seeing the facial contortions, and the give-it-all-you-got, rock ~ n ~roll attitude of this man is something to be cherished. Out of all the solo work perfomed on this evening, Joe was the undisputed winner in overall fan appreciation. I hope he can keep up this pace, for if he does, those of you who are catching shows down the road are in for a real treat. By far, the best Joe Walsh performance I have ever witnessed.
Steuart Smith
I'm planning on taking some 'heat' for this statement, but whoever it was that was boooo'ing Steuart at a previous show has the "integrity of a sun-baked turd", and is still suffering drug-induced delusions from their past. WAKE UP!
(there....I said it........fire away!)
Obviously, Don hand-picked Steuart to fill some pretty big shoes, not to mention getting the nod of approval from the exsisting bandmates. Stueart filled an incredibly HUGE VOID, and did so with dignity, technical expertise, skill, and passion. If the Inside Job Tour was his 'proving-grounds', then all I have to say is "get used to Stueart Smith" with the Eagles, because he is going to part of this line-up for a long, long time!
It wouldn't surprise me if the spotlight swings his way more often. Both Steuart & Joe were 'in the zone' on this night!
The Supporting Cast
Percussion: Scott Crago delivered his usual level of perfection.
Horn Section: The sound..........'tight'! The sax solo in 'You Belong To The City' especially compelling!
Lighting FX: Not over-done, just clean and simple. Pehaps the guys operating the 'spots' should have hit the crowd more. Maybe that would have got people off their butts!
(still shaking my head........geesh!)
Video/Camera's: "Sweet'! The boom operator did a fabulous job, especially getting shots of Don singing while at the drums.
Sound/Mixing: Perhaps the most daunting task of all. The Pit was NOT built for Concerts with such subtle, and intricate vocal tones and harmonies as the Eagles. It was built to SCARE opposing teams with a sonic, bombastic (((((ROAR))))). Despite a few lost harmonies because of the overall acoustic flaws of the building....great job!
The Shortcomings
(only one)
Maybe I shouldn't be so tough on my own generation. Maybe I am in the minority sector now. Trust me, I am thankful I can still walk, stand, dance, sing, and even muster enough energy to embark on a whirlwind road trip as this. I am thankful I have the financial resources to attend an event of this magnitude, and even more thankful I have a companion like 'angel' to share it with. However, it really saddened me to see so many remain seated until 'Hotel California'. It was like some were so worried that they would not get their money's worth out of the $5.00 rented seat cushion, that they forgot why they were there. At times when the spots hit sections of the crowd, it looked like there were cardboard cut-outs in those sections. I'm sure the band noticed it, too! We certainly did!
Granted, it was a very vocal crowd, and the applause was deafening at times........but c'mon people.......get off your asses! These guys are not going to be around forever!
I'm 45 years young....and I ain't gonna be told to sit down no-mo! Deal with it!
Final Thoughts..........
As the boys embarked down 'Seven Bridges Road', I was immediately floored with the fact that this was a dream come true. The band that brought us together, and saved us both , was now before us. An exclaimation point to the journey we started together several years ago. Dreamland truely is, Forever!
Despite the only shortcomings mentioned, this one Enchanted Evening in the Land of Enchantment is one that will never be equaled for us.
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We hope that you have enjoyed the journey thus far, but |  |
Procceed to Winslow, Arizona, and 'Take It Easy Park'. |  |
