Was this worth $112.50?

Of course not. In any objective sense, no concert is.

But don't tell that to the nearly sold-out Riverbend crowd that paid the highest ticket prices in Cincinnati history to see the Eagles Monday night. For them, it was worth every penny.

Music is about emotion and memories, and that is what this tour is really all about. And you can't put a price on that.

The Eagles took us on a pure nostalgia journey playing their '70s hits and solo work with a soulfulness that left the Riverbend audience spellbound.

The band played the fan favorites note for note, with hardly a stray jam. From "Hotel California", to "Take It Easy," this was a show that gave the folks what they wanted - no tricks, gimmicks. And the Riverbend crowd hung on every nostalgic note.

It was a show that will be remembered for some wonderful images. Here's a partial list of some of those magic Eagle moments at the Riverbend Monday night:

• It starts with the earthy strains of "Hotel California" from Don Felder on stage strumming his impressive double-necked Fender guitar.
  The audience immediately sings along with Don Henley, "On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair..."
  
  
• Backstage at intermission, Felder says, "I love that guitar. It's too bad it's the only song I can use it in."
  
  
• Glenn Frey quickly warms up the nippy night with some simple opening words," So, it's another hot, sultry night in Cincinnati. Canadian beach weather is what we call this."
  
  
• There is a woman weeping as Henley does a soulful, heartfelt rendition of "Heart of the Matter". She explains it was a song that meant a lot about her first husband.
  
  
• Backstage, the word is no booze. This is an all-business, clean and sober band. On stage it shows. This band is tight and focused. Frey takes a sip from a cup and says to the audience, "It's just hot tea. Trust me, those days are gone." The audience roars it's approval.
  
  
• Intermission. Then a majestic, lasting image: all five Eagles appear on stage, all with guitars in hand, lined up in a row for the acoustic set. It starts with "Tequila Sunrise". The harmonies are so exquisite, one wonders how these guys could not have worked together for 15 years.
  
  
• Joe Walsh steals the show. Is this the Eagles or the James Gang? Looking very professorial, with his short hair, and wire-rimmed glasses, Walsh brings the crowd to it's feet with "Ordinary Average Guy" while he wears a quirky balloon hat. He sings "Pretty Maids" and later "Funk 49", prompting one man to remember, "I saw him do that in Oxford, in '74. That band was great." Walsh adds more heavy-duty rock when he does "Rocky Mountain Way" for the encore. In the "cheap seats" out on the lawn, they go crazy.

There are no cynics in this crowd. Those who didn't want to pay the high ticket prices didn't come.

"This is just the greatest band ever. The harmonies are incredible," says Mat Kohmen, 42, of Middletown. He says he plans to buy another set of lawn seats for tonight's show.

"I had to come with my Dad. He's pretty cool. And this is all he's been talking about for months," says Heather Davis, 14, of Dayton. Her dad looks on and smiles.

The band is singing "Desperado". It's the encore. Again people remark about the harmonies.

"That's what I'll remember about tonite," said Todd Boesch of Cinncinati. "These guys can really sing. Their voices are incredible."

The Eagles played 27 songs. For those paying top price in the Riverbend pavillion, that works out to $4.16 per tune. A bargain, at any price.