Eagles pay tribute to Jimmy Buffett at final tour kickoff: 'Sailing on that cosmic ocean'

NEW YORK – The Eagles have never been known for ornate live shows.

Rather, precise musicianship behind a trove of classic rock staples earns them deserved plaudits.

At the opening concert of what they’ve said is their last tour – aptly dubbed The Long Goodbye and expected to run into 2025 – the band anchored by founding member Don Henley and the long-tenured Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit served two hours of hits that were polished and exact.

But even with their businesslike approach, an undercurrent of emotion thrummed throughout Thursday’s two-hour set at a sold-out Madison Square Garden.

A vibe of finality reverberated in the signage advertising this “final tour.” The sadness in Henley’s voice was palpable when he noted the “rough six weeks” the Eagles experienced after the death of the band’s original bassist, Randy Meisner, in July And a two-song tribute to Jimmy Buffett later in the show triggered heart-wilting melancholy.

Endings are inevitable, but the Eagles are wrapping their five-decade career with a lengthy spin around the country and a generous 23-song set list that lulled for the first hour and rocked through the second.

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The band’s hallmark harmonies rang through the opening minutes as Henley, Walsh and Schmit, joined by recent tour guests Vince Gill and Deacon Frey – son of the late Eagles legend Glenn Frey – and ace guitarist Steuart Smith lined the front of the stage for “Seven Bridges Road.”

The lead vocal roulette continued with Frey making the spirit of his dad proud on “Take it Easy,” Henley hitting stellar high notes during “One of These Nights” as he sang behind his drum kit, and Gill sweetly memorializing Meisner with “Take It To the Limit.”

The breezy SoCal adult contemporary fare that kept the Eagles bound to the charts in the early ‘70s – “Best of My Love,” “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” “Tequila Sunrise” – sounded rich with musical director Will Hollis (keyboards), Scott Crago (swapping the drum seat with Henley) and Michael Thompson (keyboards) augmenting the sound.

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Bassist Schmit, whom Henley reminded the crowd was a onetime member of Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band and coined the fandom term “Parrotheads,” sounded as limber as ever as his trademark high-tenor voice coated “I Can’t Tell You Why” with sleepy seductiveness.

But of course it was Walsh, with his nasal bray and elastic facial expressions as priceless as his searing solos, who pushed the show into more upbeat territory with the massive guitar chords of “In The City” and the delightfully off-kilter solo hit “Life’s Been Good.”

The Eagles pay tribute to ‘dear friend’ Jimmy Buffett

Those itching for air-guitar moments would soon receive their wish. But first, Henley shushed the crowd to say a few words about his “dear friend” Buffett.

“He’s now sailing on that cosmic ocean and having that cheeseburger with Glenn and Randy,” Henley said. “Jimmy made work look like play. He brought joy to everything he did, and one of his final wishes was we keep the party going.”

Schmit offered a dreamy take on the sublime “Come Monday” while Walsh donned a parrot hat to lead the audience through a singalong of “Fins.” The dedication was bittersweet as a glance around the venue of people making the overhead “fins” motion underscored the reality that we’ll never see Buffett lead that chorus again.

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The Eagles had plenty of choruses left to entice fans, including Henley’s wistful “Boys of Summer,” a suitable follow-up to the Buffett tribute; a rollicking “Heartache Tonight” spiked with Walsh’s slide guitar; and the adrenalized “Life in the Fast Lane.”

Throughout much of the concert, beleaguered ushers attempted to accommodate the band’s request – as on previous tours – to prevent fans from taking video. The assignment was like a game of Whac-A-Mole as arena staff tried in vain to deny people their obsession with recording during concerts by waving flashlights at the offending parties. Perhaps an announcement before the show would be helpful, because video messages didn’t seem to register.

But the rules were apparently loosened by the encore, a three-song capper of Walsh’s Talk Box-laden “Rocky Mountain Way,” Henley taking the center stage spotlight for a contemplative “Desperado” and, of course, singsong guitar licks being traded between Walsh and Smith in “Hotel California.”

Such a lovely place to say farewell to a rock ‘n’ roll behemoth.

Steely Dan makes a perfect musical match

Much like Aerosmith and The Black Crowes, the Eagles and Steely Dan – not saying goodbye, merely commemorating another lengthy career as a guest on the tour – are a dream team.

The ever-cool Donald Fagen strolled out in dark glasses and suit to the strains of “Josie” being unwrapped by the nine musicians – including a four-piece brass section and dazzling drummer Keith Carlock – who would help replicate Steely Dan’s intricate jazz-pop for an hourlong set.

Fagen’s voice was smooth and filled with character as he navigated “Hey Nineteen” and the head-nodding “Dirty Work.”

Always a band to listen to more than watch, Steely Dan wove through “Black Friday” – Fagen’s gnarled hands pushing the keys of his Fender Rhodes – and the insistent bass line of “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.”

A rousing double shot of “My Old School” and “Reelin’ in the Years” adeptly laid the foundation for a night full of nostalgia, contemplation and celebration.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Eagles kick off The Long Goodbye Tour in New York: Review