Review: Eagles’ Don Felder Thrills Crowd at Grand Falls

Most classic rock fans have seen the only official video of Hotel California. It was shot at a 1977 Eagles live concert. Don Henley, singing, playing drums, with his mop-fro of curly hair. Glenn Frey strumming a 12-string acoustic, wearing a now famous University of Colorado t-shirt. Joe Walsh, red bandana on his head, making quirky faces as he bends his guitar strings. Felder wrote the music for Hotel California. Henley and Frey wrote the lyrics.

But WHO was that guy in the flannel shirt, jamming with Walsh during the 2-minute, 12-
second Hotel Cali guitar solo? The guy playing a cumbersome double-neck guitar was Don Felder, who spent 27 years playing guitar for one of the world’s most popular bands, the Eagles. Felder had a legal / monetary falling-out with Henley and Frey, and was fired from the band in 2001. It’s all well-documented in Felder’s book, “Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles”.

The Eagles are one of my top 5 bands of all time. The very first 45 RPM single vinyl record I bought in my life, back in the mid 1970s, was Eagles “Lyin’ Eyes”. I happened to be driving through Sioux Falls the afternoon of Saturday, November 9th, and I saw a billboard about Don Felder from the EAGLES, playing a concert that same night at Grand Falls Casino. In thought, if there’s a former EAGLE performing just 3 miles from my house, I ain’t gonna miss it! So I bought an 8th row single ticket, and away I went. It was one of the best decisions I’ve made this year!

.38 Special Coming to Sioux Falls in November

Felder put on a TERRIFIC concert! He came out on stage with bleach blonde hair, wearing a leather jacket, over a Guns n' Roses t-shirt, black boots and a wallet chain hanging from his black jeans. He was sooo smooth, well-spoken, upbeat, polite and grateful in his conversation with the audience. He made sure we all were engaged and having a good time…which we MOST CERTAINLY DID. His vocals were crisp. His guitar playing, extraordinary! His band was TIGHT and ACCOMPLISHED…a guitar player who played with Keith Urban. A bass player who played with Chicago. And the drummer is the son of Rick Nielsen, from Cheap Trick!

Seeing a concert of this caliber in an “event room” didn’t provide the same ambiance as, say, the Washington Pavilion. But TOTAL RESPECT to Grand Falls Casino for taking a chance on this show! It was nearly sell-out. The venue had two HUGE SCREENS, displaying an elaborate video show during the concert, alternating between close-ups of Felder and his band, and professional “beautiful people” acting-out scenes that coincided with the songs the band played. It was like there was a current day music video of each Eagles song. Kudos to the Felder production team! The vids were HOT and SPICY!

Read: Must-Have Items in Your Vehicle For Winter in the Dakotas

One funny thing about the venue. Before the concert started, a gal sitting behind me said out loud, “This is like being at a school concert!” I turned around and said, “I CAN’T WAIT to see MY KID in the SWING CHOIR!”

About Don Felder. He grew-up in a humble home in Gainesville, Florida. I hope I look as good at 77 as he does! He got his first guitar when he was 10 years old. He traded a neighbor kid some cherry bomb fireworks for it. As he told us, the fireworks didn’t last long, but the guitar lasted a lifetime.

Felder has played with and been friends with a phone book of musicians, like Stephen Stills, Greg and Duane Allman and Linda Ronstadt. He taught Tom Petty to transition from bass guitar to guitar, and how to play piano. He’s not Henley or Frey. But Don Felder was SUCH IMPORTANT MORTAR in the construction of the Eagles.

Don Felder’s Set List
Already Gone
One of these nights
Pride and Joy (Felder loves blues. He dedicated this Stevie Ray Vaughn song to his girlfriend.)
American Rock-n-Roll (inspired by his experience at Woodstock)
Victim of Love (Cool story about V.O.L. hand-written on the Hotel California vinyl. Look it up!)
Peaceful Easy Feeling
Tequila Sunrise (dedicated to his ex-band mate, Glenn Frey)
Seven Bridges Road
Those Shoes
Heavy Metal (from the animated stoner film)
Witchy Woman
Long Run
Heartache Tonight
Life in the Fast Lane
Take It Easy
Hotel California (When the Tech brought his double-neck guitar out, we knew what was next!)

Note: This is a guest post from Scott Smith, Townsquare Media

Get our free mobile app