The Eagles Concert Review: Atlanta 2020
When the Eagles announced more dates for their new tour for 2020, our team was excited to get to attend one of the first shows on the schedule. We attended the February 8th show at State Farm Arena in Atlanta which was just voted the best new concert venue.
The show breaks down into two different sets for this tour - the Hotel California album set and Greatest Hits set. This review of the Eagles concert will look at each set separately as they are very different in songs played and length.
Review of the Eagles Hotel California Set
The show starts with some theatrics as a cloaked man pulls out a vinyl of the classic 1976 album 'Hotel California'. As he places the album on the record player the screen in front of the stage lifts as the band plays 'Hotel California' - the first song on the record. Don Henley sings along with the 20,000+ fans in attendance and it sounds fantastic.
The stage is basic with several large screens to help fans see. Touring band members Joe Walsh, Deacon Frey, Timothy B. Schmit, and Vince Gill line the front of the stage. Throughout this portion of the set and the entire show, each member has a turn at taking the lead on a song since front-man of the band, Glenn Frey, passed away in 2016.
Hit song 'Life in the Fast Lane' is the third song on the album and also in the set. With its heavy guitar riffs and faster pace was one of the most energetic of the night. Don Henley leads this one after coming out front from behind the drum set.
This tour was advertised with a live orchestra and they make their first appearance on the next song, 'Wasted Time'. The orchestra rises behind the band on a platform with near 40 members. This element of the show was very unique and well done. It was something we have never seen at a touring concert before.
The final four songs, 'Victim of Love', 'Pretty Maids All in a Row', 'Try and Love Again', and 'The Last Resort' finish out the set. From start to finish, the Hotel California portion of the show lasts about an hour. After its conclusion, the band announced a twenty minute intermission.
The Eagles Tour Review: Greatest Hits Set
After the short break, the band returned for a whopping twenty-three songs and another two hours plus of music. This portion features every touring member with some songs coming from members' individual discographies. It was a marathon of showing off the talent on stage and the impressive careers that the group has had.
It was clear how much of a "greatest hits" set this was by the fans reaction to every song played. Songs like 'Take It Easy', 'Take It to the Limit', and 'Life's Been Good' getting among the biggest ovations. The orchestra made several more appearances which tied the first and second sets in nicely.
Receiving one of the largest reactions of the night was the last song before the encore, 'Heartache Tonight'. Nearly every fan stood and sang, sensing the night was coming to a close. After the song was over, the band recognized the crowd before leaving the stage.
The exit was short lived as within a minute they were back on stage to wrap up with a four song encore. The songs were 'Rocky Mountain Way' led by Joe Walsh, 'Desperado' led by Don Henley, 'The Long Run', and finally 'Hotel California' once more.
Overall Eagles Tour Review
From start to finish the show was longer than three hours which is impressive for a band with most members in their seventies. With so many classic hits, the show would be enjoyable for even the casual listener. While our Eagles concert review is positive, we did not take price into consideration. Fans looking to attend one of their upcoming shows will need to weight the factors of price and interest in seeing the band before the stop playing. You can read about what to look for here.