Eagles, John Fogerty rock the Hill, Canada

Came back for Moncton's Magnetic Hill concert site with a big smile last night.Over 50,000 people enjoyed a grand day of music with the Eagles headlining, preceded by John Fogerty, KT Tunstall, and Sam Roberts.

For those who enjoy power pop with some rock, Sam Roberts got things jumping in no time. Well loved on the east coast, he put in a 90 minute set that head the early arrivals hoping. Singing crowd favourites like Brother Down, Where Have All The Good People Gone, Hard Road, Don't Way Away Eileen, Roberts found many there singing with him word for word (including my wife and I). Definitely one for the folks who wish that pop & Rock actually still existed among new bands
KT Tunstall ? Well, my wife knows a few of her songs, and so by the looks of it, does the crowd. But she still has some work to do for the "masses" to know compared to her record sales success.
Next, well, for over 40 years, John Fogerty has wrote, played and sang true blue denim Rock n Roll. Starting off with Travelin Band, then spending a few minutes thanking the crowd for a rowdy reception, he told us he had a new record out, and he'd play a few songs off it, but the next one wasn't - Bad Moon Rising. That more or less set the tone for the rest of his set. Green River, WIllie & the Poor Boys, Around the Bend, Who'll Stop the Rain (where he told us that he wrote it about Woodstock, and how we had the same muddy conditions as they had back then, but still managed to enjoy the music), and more. He finished off with Fortunate Son, shirt drenched, with many in the crowd in the same shape. His Aw-shucks personality, his short home spun segues, belied his status as a legend. I think he slipped in 2-3 new songs, but unlike many "classic" acts, you wouldn't have been able to tell based on the crowd reaction. I'm going out Tuesday to buy the new CD. Remember feeling like that after a concert !

Just after dark, the main attraction - the Eagles. I'd read about their drive for perfection when it comes to live presentations. And they did not disappoint. I'm not always a fan of note for note renditions of a band's songs, but sometimes ... well sometimes the songs, and in the Eagles's case, the harmonies these 4 guys sing, are more than enough to send shivers up a fan's spine.
Again, they sang songs your mother would know, and you likely do too. The fans certainly did as more than a few chorus were sung louder by the crowd than the band. And when you heard the trumpet playing a spanish melody that quickly became familiar, the crowd went nuts and quieted down only when those famous opening chords from Hotel California started on guitar. I wish Don Felder would have been there to bask in the adoration that this music of his still generates to this day.
Strangely for a band (or at least Glenn Frey & Don Henley) known for strong egos, the set seemed more based on the popularity of the band's song or one of it's solo member's output. Thus Don Henley' s got his best (and best known) hits in like Dirty Laundry, Boys of Summer and in the encore - All She Wants to do is Dance.
Joe Walsh pitched in Walk Away, In The City, Funk 49, and Again for the encore - Rocky Mountain Way. His second spotlight, humorously introduced by Glenn Frey as being a Legend in his own room, a rumour in his own time ... was followed by Joe offering " I would like to apologise for the next song. To all the kids and young ones who were forced by their parents to listen to it over & over ....................................." as the crowd knowingly laughed, he asked "Do you want to hear it again" followd by a massive roar, and then the intro to "Life's been Good". Big Roar!
I mentioned the ego thing, because Glenn Frey, the supposed leader of the band, settled for ring leader/frontman. Though he & Henley did share lead vocals on the many Eagles hits they sang - Lyin' Eyes, Peaceful Easy Feeling, Life in the Fast Lane, One of these Nights, Witchy Woman, The Long Run, Heartache Tonight, Desperado.
I'm sure they sang one new song early on, but that was it.

And the best thing about this show - the price - $109.50 plus taxes. Compared to arena gigs priced at $160 & up, with seats with good views going for much higher prices, this was bang for your buck hall of fame material.
For those who may not know it, this is becoming an annual event out here in New Brunswick. Our Concert site (situated at the same place where Pope John Paul II held his mass in 1984) is on a slope, creating a perfect natural amphitheather. And with the success of the Rolling Stones in 2005 (85,000 attendance, the largest draw on that massive tour), two subsequent country shows - Brooks & Dunn in 06, Faith Hill/ Tim McGraw Hill in 07 (45,000 & 50,000 respectively), and last night Eagles' show (we became the largest city in the province around eigth thirty at night) over fifty thousand with confirmation on Tuesday; the promoter is already promising a big show or two next year.
Not bad for a small canadian city, eh.
Who knows, maybe we'll find a way to start up our own prog festival and upstage FMPM as the Canadian
prog destination.

Oh, btw, no pics. memories are kept in the mind, where they get better with time.


Edited by debrewguy - August 03 2008 at 16:45