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    • The Eagles Sphere concert review Las Vegas
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    The Eagles Sphere concert review Las Vegas

    Vaseline Posted on

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    LAS VEGAS – “Welcome…to whatever this is!”

    That’s what Don Henley said a few songs after the Eagles opened the show at the Sphere in Las Vegas on Friday.

    The “whatever this is” up to that point included a video tour of the “Hotel California,” a place both beautiful and creepy with a Greek choir in the background, and “One of These Nights,” which gave fans packing the venue close-ups of familiar faces on stage.

    The front line of Henley (who alternately strapped on a guitar and sat behind his drum kit), Timothy B. Schmit, Deacon Frey (son of late Eagles founder Glenn), Vince Gill, Joe Walsh and stalwart live performer Steuart Smith projected pristine harmonies, whether it was the high notes of “One of These Nights” or the nonchalant summer breeze that touches “Lyin’ Eyes.”

    As the fourth veteran band to take over the Sphere – following U2, which opened the venue a year ago this month, Phish and Dead & Company – the Eagles both had high standards to live up to, but they had nothing to prove.

    The group has been touring the country since September of last year with The Long Goodbye tour – this Sphere residency plays on selected weekends through January 25 – packing out venues and unleashing a chart-topping roster of some of the most enduring anthems in rock history.

    Their Sphere show, which runs almost exactly two hours, draws heavily on the most cherished of their repertoire. But as with any act that has taken advantage of the dazzling visual possibilities of the flashy venue, the visual offerings are just as important as the music, and the Eagles took fans on a peaceful, easy ride.

    More: Sting Talks Upcoming Tour, Friendship With Billy Joel, and Love for Austin Butler in ‘Dune’

    Eagles offer a masterclass in harmony

    A galaxy of planets circled the ceiling during “Take it Easy” as Gill and his silky vocals were heard in a floating bubble, while a forest of moss-covered trees enveloped the seats for an ethereal reading of “Witchy Woman.”

    Walsh, also known as the “master of the Stratocaster,” as Schmit calls him, has always been the most engaging presence in the band. His rubbery faces and deft guitar playing are engaging and commanding.

    He skillfully blended the jagged riffs of “In the City” with an arresting black-and-white video of apartment buildings gradually stretching up to the ceiling, creating a sense of movement. Every band that has played the Sphere has used this technique in one way or another, but the video production always feels very specific to the song and the moment.

    At times the band leaned into simplicity, like the stark black-and-white shots of the lineup with acoustic guitars (bass for Schmit) during the harmony masterclass that is “Seven Bridges Road.” At other times they embraced the seemingly limitless creative choices the venue afforded, like the moving photos during “New Kid in Town,” which were as magnificent as they were all-encompassing.

    Polaroids of the band from a bygone era complemented the grimy opening riff of Walsh’s “Life’s Been Good,” with the song’s keyboard break paired with kaleidoscopic images of the Eagles. Walsh’s drawn-out guitar solo was just one example of the Sphere’s great sound, his notes bending and ringing brightly.

    More: Ringo Starr Leads a Submarine of Sing-Alongs with His All-Starr Band: Review

    Eagles honor JD Souther and Jimmy Buffett at Sphere

    As expected, Henley, dressed in his traditional stage attire: a professorial vest, took a moment to honor JD Souther, the songwriter known for his countless Eagles hits, who passed away earlier this week, and his good friend Jimmy Buffett, who died shortly before the band’s September 2023 tour kicked off.

    The brief eulogies provided a fitting lead-in to “The Boys of Summer,” Henley’s 1984 solo hit that’s lost none of its wistful beauty. The accompanying underwater sequence was a soothing antidote to the urgency of the music, which was set for a finale that included a zippy “Life in the Fast Lane” (get ready to take a ride down the Las Vegas Strip), an expectedly languid “Take it Easy” and Henley’s spotlight ballad, “Desperado.”

    Given the Eagles’ longevity – 52 years, as Henley pointed out during the show – and the undeniable success of their farewell tour thus far, the band didn’t need to invest the money, effort and brainpower required for a Sphere production.

    What they’ve created not only cements their legacy, but also offers fans a truly special experience as their touring career draws to a close.

    Vaseline
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