Eagles, Fleetwood Mac Classic Concerts Add to Lineup: Report
by Best Classic Bands Staff
The rumored lineups for Friday night (top) and Saturday night
(Update: Mar.12): The first acknowledgment by any potential participant was made by Journey via a tweet that read: “This it’s [sic] going to be the beginning of some very cool shows and festivals….”
Last week (March 2), we reported on rumors (or is that Rumours?) that Billboard broke indicating that the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac would be teaming for a pair of music festivals called Classic East and Classic West. The two bands would headline the shows, which would take place in July at Citi Field in New York and Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles. Speculation was that the dates would be augmented with other quintessential American classic rock giants.
Today (March 10) comes word, again from the industry bible, with even more specifics. The magazine says that Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers will join the Eagles on Saturday, July 15 in Los Angeles and Saturday, July 29 in New York. On Sunday, July 16 and Sunday, July 30, Journey and Earth, Wind & Fire will open for Fleetwood Mac.
Perhaps the biggest question is who will take Glenn Frey’s place in the Eagles if they do indeed regroup. There was some talk about Deacon Frey, Glenn’s son and a singer-songwriter in his own right, replacing his late dad. The junior Frey had worked with his father and is familiar with the Eagles’ catalog. Rumors were also floated at the time that Jackson Browne might agree to become a stand-in Eagle but again, those rumors were quashed.
As for Fleetwood Mac, the band last toured with the full five-piece classic lineup—Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie—but it is not known whether all would participate.
Related: Buckingham and McVie are recording an album for spring release
The six bands have a broad range of existing 2017 tour commitments from not at all (Fleetwood Mac) to super busy (Journey, Doobie Brothers). Eagles members Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit are all on solo tours. Journey’s June and July U.S. tour with Asia has them performing in El Paso, TX on Saturday, July 15–not the ideal location to perform one day before the rumored Los Angeles gig.
The Doobie Brothers–on tour this summer with Chicago–have a concert already scheduled for July 15 in Cincinnati, OH as well as dates on their calendar on the 14th (Noblesville, IN) and 16th (Clarkston, MI). They have similar conflict for July 29, though they’ll already be on the east coast.
Steely Dan has revealed their 2017 tour plans beyond April. EW&F are on tour now but the last date listed on their schedule is in June.
If even any of the above is true, the Classic East and Classic West festivals would be a huge domestic rival to last October’s two-weekend Desert Trip in Indio CA, which featured Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, The Who, Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Roger Waters.
Best Classic Bands will continue to follow this evolving story.
6 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationOh My God East and West in Concert together that’s what you call EXPLOTION of ROCK and ROLL wish I could even be at one of them ☹️
Hell yeah, I grew up with all of the GREAT BANDS EVER!!!! I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THEM ALL AGAIN! !!
That’s awesome adding Steely dan and the doobie brothers. Definitely interested in going to the citifield show. It’s not great for concerts being most seats are far from the stage but ya make the best of it and hopefully have a good time. I’m already seeing Dead and company there in June and saw them twice there last summer. Stadium wise I think Giants stadium is better for shows but either way it should be a blast.
Booked a room near Citi Field just in case…if ticket sales go anything like they did for Desert Trip…I’m out. What a cluster $@ck that was…we’ll see!
Same here. No way would I pay anything close to the crazy prices for desert rip.. I mean..yea there were alot of great classic bands but for a weekend to desert trip/rip I could have gone overseas or spent two weeks in Nola and had a way better time. I don’t think it’ll be anything close to the prices they were charging. I mean..I’d gladly go see any one of the bands on their own..but even more fun seeing them on the same day at hopefully..fingers crossed..a not too outrageous cost.
Please kindly keep us updated on ticket sales best classic bands..I’m pretty much relying on your site nowadays to keep me updated on all the bands I grew up loving.