We review the Eagles in Knoxville using (almost) only lyrics. How many can you spot?
Thompson-Boling Arena is such a lovely place for live music – country, pop and bands that really scream.
But on Saturday night, fans stood in the doorways with great expectations.
The coming attraction? A room full of noise, courtesy of the Eagles, throwing an outrageous party in Knoxville, Tennessee.
It's been a busy weekend in the riverside town. People gathered for feasts and piled down in the crowded bars as the talk on the street was Big Ears Festival.
But dressed in lace and going out in style on the University of Tennessee campus were fans who, let’s just say, ain’t getting any younger. But their old friends – Don, Joe, Timothy and Vince – were ready to treat them like they’re something new. To make them feel the way they used to feel.
After running through the door, fans were met with a massive stage set up so well … so carefully. And with anticipation building, a concessions worker pours a strong one cold as ice. I believe we could chug all night.
By the time music begins to play, people are already standing, awaiting a victory song. Illuminated phones shoot in the sky like a billion stars all around to capture the opening moments of “Hotel California.” It sounds so familiar, as voices echo in the night.
By the time the album is played start to finish, that same old crowd is still eager for action. In between the dark and the light – the end and the beginning of a new set – I hear some people talking. Are they about to stop for the night?
Don Henley clears the air, as he introduces the Pellissippi State Variations Choir after coming up with his own name for the violinists and cellists: the ”Knoxville-Scruffy City Strings.”
“I don’t understand what’s scruffy about it,” he says. ”It looks mighty pretty around here to me. … We’re gonna change into our work clothes and we’re gonna come back and we’re gonna wear your asses out.”
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The lights are turning, people are smiling, music is rising up through the air. Now it’s time for the greatest hits set, a long run of songs from the decades.
Sometimes, the words come out too rough, but not often. The band, hanging on to those good times, still has something special. Heroes, though – they come and they go. Glenn Frey: already gone. But even in his absence you can still hear that signature sound as his son, Deacon Frey, helps fill the void.
The lights are turning red, the band is loose and the groove is right as fans dance right in time. The hours go by like minutes, as with anything fun, and the storybook is about to come to a close.
Reality sets in: We will never be here again. Fans just want to let them roll for one more song.
Well, I got some news for you (and you’ll soon find out it’s true): When you’re all alone at the end of the evening – when the bright lights have faded to blue – the timeless music will always be there to light a neon way.
Still, what a treat to see their lovely faces … after all these years … in a shimmering light.
Ryan Wilusz is a downtown growth and development reporter. Phone 865-317-5138. Email ryan.wilusz@knoxnews.com. Instagram @knoxscruff. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: We review the Eagles concert in Knoxville using their song lyrics
