Eagles Keep the Faithful Satisfied at Las Vegas’ Sphere: Review
by Brad Auerbach
Eagles screen graphic from Sphere, Las Vegas, Nov. 2, 2024 (Photo by Joy Auerbach, used with permission)
Whether you moved west after being convinced of the imagery presented by Eagles or merely daydreamed about it, the California myth remains. To their credit, Eagles helped propagate the myth, and then helped deconstruct it.
In their long-running residency at Sphere, the band kept the spirit alive and the faithful satisfied.
With only one member onstage who appeared on the band’s first album (Don Henley), the current iteration of Eagles is a well-oiled machine. Anyone expecting deep album cuts or innovative sonic explorations would be disappointed. Everyone came for and duly received a solid two-hour set filled with their seemingly endless array of hits.
On Nov. 2, 2024, the band leveraged the amazing technology of Sphere, with near-perfect sonics and visuals that fell just short of the innovations U2 and Dead & Co. presented.
One thing none of the prior bands used was the jiggling of the seats (that is otherwise reserved for the films presented in the same space). But for the first and last songs of their intermission-less sets, Eagles added some well-timed haptics.
The first drum punch in “Hotel California” was accompanied by a jolt to our seats, reassuring us that we were in for quite a ride. Guitarists Joe Walsh and Steuart Smith handled most of the evening’s intricate string work, with Vince Gill and Deacon Frey adding solid rhythm guitar. The latter duo split vocal duties once handled by Deacon’s father Glenn. Whereas the son’s voice was more familiar, Gill’s vocals were better overall.
[Eagles are among the handful of acts that remove material from YouTube faster than a newly married couple’s clothes on their wedding night. When this story was originally published, many more videos were featured for viewing.]
Henley moved back and forth from the drum kit to the front-of-stage guitar lineup. His vocals were less robust than what we hear on record, but he has certainly had a long run. His timekeeping on percussion remains solid. Two keyboardists added to the lush sound mix.
Bassist Timothy B. Schmit subtly yet confidently offered the most authentic presence all evening, anchoring the songs and providing crystalline high-register vocals.
Don Henley at Sphere, Las Vegas, November 2024 (Photo by Joy Auerbach, used with permission)
Henley semi-apologized for the overwhelming visuals: “The videos are nice, but for us it is still about the songs.” He acknowledged that the venue’s 164,000 speakers delivered the music wonderfully.
“Witchy Woman” was the one song that veered slightly (and enjoyably) from the recorded version, and their cover of “Seven Bridges Road” moved slightly (and enjoyably) into bluegrass territory after the still-amazing a cappella opening.
The most innovative musician in the band remains Walsh, even if the look on his face while soloing seems like he is being probed by a bad foot doctor.
Nothing could make “Those Shoes” better; it was a sharp left turn when recorded in 1979 and it still doesn’t work today, despite a yeoman-like effort with a Walsh solo.
For many songs, the visuals were a perfect accompaniment. “Peaceful Easy Feeling” reflected the lyric Jackson Browne always liked best:
I want to sleep with you in the desert night
With a billion stars all around
“Life in the Fast Lane” anywhere but here would have featured Sunset Blvd., but for local effect we were all zipping up and down Vegas Blvd.
Eagles at Sphere during an earlier 2024 show (Photo: Chloe Weir; used with permission)
Invariably, much of the eye candy featured historical shots of the band. Sharp eyes noticed not as much Don Felder in the vintage band clips, but there was enough of Randy Meisner and band founder Bernie Leadon.
Walsh was given slots for three of his solo songs. He leveraged his goofy demeanor as counterpoint to the generally deeper weight of the rest of the band’s setlist. “Life’s Been Good to Me” is a genuinely clever song, and Walsh hams it up well. “In the City” and “Rocky Mountain Way” are undeniably hook-laden.
From Henley’s solo career we heard an excellent “Boys of Summer.” This reviewer would have happily traded out the last song of the evening (“Heartache Tonight” with its cheesy Vegas casino visuals) for another Henley solo track like “Sunset Grill.”
Overall, it was a bit of a diamonds and denim crowd. The band left just about everyone satiated and more nights keep getting added, so everyone is happy.
Tickets to see Eagles at Sphere are available here.
Related: When Eagles and Linda Ronstadt shared a stage
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