Over 50 years into their journey as one of the best and most revered bands ever to write, record and perform, the Eagles’ dark desert highway has at last led them to Sphere, that beautiful tech bubble in the sand, the beating heart of Las Vegas. Following up on their extended “Long Goodbye” final tour, they have now said hello to a 20-show run through January 2025.
[Ed. note: Since this posted, the Eagles have added four new Sphere dates in February 2025, bringing the total to 24.]
The Eagles’ span in terms of time is one thing, but the breadth and depth of their catalog of enduring hits is even more remarkable—and more remarkable still when you also consider the solo careers of founders Glenn Frey and Don Henley. Coming out of the Southern California singer-songwriter movement of the 1970s alongside the likes of Jackson Browne, James Taylor and so many others, Frey and Henley formed a partnership that made the most of their exacting personalities and dedication to their art and craft. In just a few years, they went from playing for Linda Ronstadt to leading their own band to huge success.
It wasn’t easy, of course. As the band said in a statement announcing their final tour, they have kept the music alive “in the face of tragic losses, upheavals and setbacks of many kinds.” Lineup changes and a 14-year hiatus notwithstanding (see the outstanding History of the Eagles doc for details), lately that has meant coping with the untimely and unimaginable loss of Glenn Frey in 2016.
With Frey’s son Deacon and country legend Vince Gill playing and singing Glenn’s songs along with OGs Henley, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, the Eagles ultimately resumed playing for packed houses of grateful fans. Now, finally, they have nested at Sphere for several months of shows that could very well be their last.
Looking at the exosphere, it’s easy to gawk at how much the world has changed since those heady Laurel Canyon proto-Eagles days. Time marches on, it halts for no one. What would hearing Eagles music inside Sphere feel like? What would it look like? Good questions.
We have gushed previously about how Sphere plies its mind-bending technology in service of humanity. Its existence is a 21st-century wonder. But across the street, it’s 1970 all over again: Third Encore, the Eagles fan experience curated by Cindy Frey and Vibee inside The Venetian, is anchored by a period-specific replica of the Troubadour nightclub—then an important venue for singer-songwriters (still in operation today), and famously the place where Frey and Henley first met.
Third Encore is the namesake of the Eagles’ legendary after-show parties, bringing to mind the kind of full-tilt celebrations that stardom in rock’s earlier days could bring on. In the case of the Venetian/Vibee fan experience, the jubilation is in the viewing of exclusive memorabilia, including Henley’s first drum kit, tour guitars, wardrobe, gold records and photos—and, of course, 2,600 square feet of Eagles merch.
Such things whet the appetite for sure, but the feeling of entering Sphere for the first show of this historic run was its own goose-bumpy rush. Legendary band meets cutting-edge venue; what would this version reveal? We were about to find out.
From our first glimpse of the interior Sphere video wall, we were instantly mesmerized: Left, right, and all around was 180-plus degrees of fancifully collaged 1970s L.A.-centric Southern California landmarks and touchstones. Classic cars whizzed by a theoretical Sunset Boulevard. A blimp with a show countdown clock cruised overhead. Everything was beautifully rendered, but in a comically concentrated way that seemed to be a wink and nod to Sin City itself.
Amid a sweet assortment of old-school billboards promoting Eagles albums (anybody remember those?), the compressed diorama included, from left to right: The pacific ocean, Tower records, Randy’s Donuts, Guitar Center, El Coyote, Lucy’s El Adobe, Musso & Frank’s, Pink’s, Warner Brothers, Chateau Marmont, Capitol Records, Sunset Boulevard, Carney’s, the Cinerama Dome, the Hollywood Bowl, the Whisky, Route 66, Paramount Studios, the Tropicana, the Troubadour, the El Rey, the Sportsmen’s Lodge, Barney’s Beanery, the Forum, the Orpheum, the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Palace, Gil Turner’s, the Hollywood sign, Griffith Observatory, Canter’s, the Formosa Café, and the LAX theme building. And we probably missed a few.
So this is what it’s going to be like? If this was the test pattern, we couldn’t wait for the programming! We settled in, still trying to make out all the references and details laid out before us in high-res Sphere-o-vision.
The clock on the blimp went to zero, and the entire crowd erupted in cheers. Clearly we weren’t the only ones more psyched about this experience than we thought we’d be. Then: A western thunderstorm overtook us, the dark clouds gathering, rain falling, and… a crack of lightning, followed immediately by thunder so loud and deep, our seats shook. Yes: Seat haptics activated! Before a note was played. We were already in, but have to say that this really set the tone.
The storm passed, and a cool blue full-moon desertscape revealed itself, and with it, we heard the opening notes of “Hotel California.” What? Yes. They opened with it. And the crowd went wild. The intro takes a minute, but by the drum fill into the vocal, we were in a head-on collision with the full capabilities of Sphere’s massive video world.
More on that in a minute, but may we say, it’s a rare thing for a band to be able to open with its most enduringly popular song, a zeitgeist capsule so powerful that audiences happily wait entire sets to hear it. On the last date of their “Long Goodbye” tour, “Hotel C” was an encore.
Have the Eagles played it first before, “just to get it out of the way”? Yes? That’s cool, but it shouldn’t diminish the fact that they can choose to do that only because they have so many other great songs to provide the climax to a well-crafted set. Other bands should be so lucky. Few are.
But this opener also felt special because of the aforementioned crash into video utopia. As a masterpiece of cinematic rock, “Hotel California” provided the perfect soundtrack for a moody, creepy, surreal set piece of visualization that would leave collective jaws agape. And it did. Talk about setting the tone!
Somehow we made it through the psychedelic red tunnel of the dual-lead guitar slow-mo deedlies into a gorgeous redwood forest drive, and then the musical and visual tour de force concluded, bringing us back in the Joshua tree desert where we started. What a ride! And the sound, the glorious sound. Don Henley would make mention of Sphere’s 164,000 speakers later in the show, but we’re here to tell you: The first notes of Joe Walsh’s solo came through as if we were standing right next to his amp, soaking up all of its tube-saturated glory.
But that was… just… the first song?!
Yes. And as impressive as the visualization was, to see and hear these five guys deploy their precision musicianship from the very first note was, well, emotional. They are the best at what they do. It’s an honor to witness it and be part of the collective response, which was both appreciative and elated.
Everyone in the band looked healthy and fit, and sounded like it. Henley especially exuded vitality, at 77 singing and playing the drums like it’s easy, though we know he puts in the work to make it seem that way (it’s not).
Then he launched into another: “One of These Nights,” a come-on of a song that gets everyone going, even after the wallop of “Hotel California.” Visually, it was about the desert stars (some of them shooting!), and our first look at the band projected onto the night sky horizon like ghost riders. Evocative and effective.
Next was “Lyin’ Eyes,” a Glenn Frey staple, beautifully handled by Vince Gill and the band, whose vocal production was somehow even more gorgeous than on the previous two songs. For visuals on this one, hand-written lyric lines dangled from the sky before descending to create a literal web of lies. On the choruses, the whole house sang. That’s another great thing about Sphere: When everyone in the building is singing, the mix still sounds balanced. It feels like church. A church of heartbreak, perhaps, but still blessed.
Next, Don Henley appeared alone with a guitar in the spotlight. He welcomed everyone to “whatever this is—21st -century entertainment,” before advising first-timers to take their Dramamine. “We’re just the house band,” he joked, but then took a more serious tone:
“We’re in our 52nd year, and we’ve been able to carry on with these songs because we have this man right here, Deacon Frey. His daddy started this band in 1971. And because we have one of America’s finest singer-songwriters, Vince Gill.” We could feel his appreciation for both.
And we should take a moment to appreciate Henley, who famously has not been a fan of fame, but as of his 70th birthday had decided to continue performing because of what he knows the songs he and others have written mean to the people who love them. “Not many people get this chance,” he said of making the most of his time as a musician.
Vince Gill then gave us a rousing “Take It to the Limit,” reaching the highest of highs as a great cosmic fantasia played behind him and the band, including live images of the band projected onto planet-like spheres floating around inside Sphere. Think about that.
Next came an updated four-on-the-floor drum intro to “Witchy Woman,” set to a moonlit forest scene. Joe Walsh seemed inspired, playing a fantastic solo, while Henley hit all the high notes with apparent ease.
From Witchy to tranquil, we next got our first Deacon lead vocal on “Peaceful Easy Feeling.” It was sublime being able to hear his father in him, nature and nurture on display in his beautiful rendition of the song. His long hair and vintage Glenn mustache also helped make the moment.
The Glenn-song tag-team in effect, Vince Gill next sang a lovely “Tequila Sunrise” as the virtual sun actually rose over a rocky desert butte. At this point we were amazed by how easy it was to forget how astounding the visuals were because of how unbelievably great everything sounded. A touch of live accordion in the last verse added to that beautiful sensation.
Joe Walsh’s moving “In the City” brought the visuals back front and center, however, as a slumlord’s dream rose to the sky, only to have Walsh’s guitar solo appear directly overhead and pull us out and above the slum-tower, on to greener environs. We have liftoff!
Poco vet Timothy B. Schmit sang “I Can’t Tell You Why,” featuring a beautifully mellow guitar passage by longtime Eagles guitar slinger Steuart Smith, whose work throughout the night was just amazing—and that’s saying something when you’re standing next to Walsh and across the stage from Gill.
The film-strip visuals started with “I Can’t Tell You Why” developed into an incredible forced-perspective mirage in Gill’s take on “New Kid in Town.” Did we mention how great Vince Gill is? Probably not enough. He really is great.
Next thing we know, Gill, Schmit, Henley, Frey, Walsh and Smith are all down front with acoustic guitars, but all we hear are voices. Yes, the legendary a cappella opening of “Seven Bridges Road” was upon us, and the harmony was chillingly pristine. This does not happen without preparation, and lots of it. The Eagles’ work ethic stands as tall as their talent.
We should also mention that the dueling acoustic guitar solos from Gill and Smith were also jaw-dropping as we cruised down a Spanish moss-covered bayou.
Next, a surprise: “Those Shoes,” a devastating takedown of ’70s party scene culture from Hotel California, the groan of Walsh’s talk box providing the wagging finger of judgment. How fun then, that the next number would be Joe’s indictment of his own excess, “Life’s Been Good”? That’s a satisfying juxtaposition.
Speaking of, Deacon was up next for “Already Gone.” On the second verse, hearing Don Henley sing high harmony with his late partner’s son was genuinely moving. As was hearing Deacon play the solo in a duet with Steuart Smith. They’ve got each other.
At this point, Henley again took center stage to recognize some recent losses: Jimmy Buffett and (just days before this show) J.D. Souther, co-writer on several early Eagles hits. Speaking about his friends, Henley got a little choked up, but soldiered on and dedicated his “Boys of Summer” to Buffett, and “Heartache Tonight,” which closed the show, to co-writer Souther.
“Boys of Summer” saw Sphere become a human aquarium, with underwater ballet and bubbles building to a lovely pas de deux by song’s end. Dancing underwater looks hard.
The aquarium drained, the band next revved up “Life in the Fast Lane” to some spiffy red-lights-and-driving footage that developed into a blurred-out Corvette fantasy. They played the outro jam for all it was worth, Walsh and Smith trading hot licks that smoked like tire tracks on the Strip.
With that, the band left the stage. But they were back before too long to offer not one, not two, not three, but four encores: A gorgeous Deacon lead vocal on “Take It Easy,” featuring a killer Vince Gill solo and a killer Joe Walsh solo; Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way” with an outrageous ride through the Rockies set first to a slide-guitar masterclass and then a talk-box masterclass; a haunting “Desperado” that reminded us why that song and Don Henley’s voice were made for each other; and finally, an extra-thumping “Heartache Tonight,” which simply pulled out all the stops, visually and sonically. What a blast.
Here’s what they didn’t play: “The Long Run.” Who can go the distance? Could they handle some resistance? The Eagles have long since answered those questions and more. We can look at this Sphere residency as their victory lap’s victory lap, hard earned and well deserved. But they are still playing at the absolute height of their powers, and giving the people what they want: The highest quality songwriting arranged and performed near-flawlessly by musicians who care deeply about what they do. It’s tough to beat that, and we highly recommend not missing it.
