Don Henley, like ex-Beatle Ringo Starr, has managed to survive the demise of his old band and taken on a new career as a bandleader. He's now a singer who formerly played drums.
He did pound away on bongos during the encore Friday night at Robinson Center Performance Hall, but that was it for his percussion showcase.
But he definitely showed he's more than up to his latest challenge, charming a nearly full house (2,214 seats) in the newly configured hall, with its fine, improved acoustics.
Henley's now a solo artist, but this was no solo show. When the five-man horn section stepped up, he was fronting a band of 15.
He introduced most of the 19 songs in his show with stories or wry observations. Early on, he promised the crowd a lot of music -- more than two hours, in fact, and that was what he delivered, playing past 11 p.m. without a break.
And just as at recent Eagles shows, Henley opened with a nice version of Steve Young's "Seven Bridges Road" -- no doubt a tribute to Young, who died a year ago, almost two months after the death of Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey. He tore directly into the raucous "Dirty Laundry," then slowed the pace with a sweet duet on "That Old Flame" with the talented Lily Elise, one of his three backing female vocalists.
The show covered a wide swath: Henley originals, including some of the country songs on his latest album, Cass County; Eagles material, along with a version of the beautiful "It Don't Matter to the Sun" that Garth Brooks recorded (during his Chris Gaines period); and a surprising cover, Tears for Fears' powerful "Everybody Wants to Rule the World."
Other highlights: "The End of the Innocence," "The Heart of the Matter" and what Henley introduced as a seven-minute song about manifest destiny, "The Last Resort."
The encore featured "Life in the Fast Lane" and "Hotel California" (on which the band members excelled) and a pair of songs that Henley had written with Frey: "Wasted Time" and "Desperado."
Guitarists Steuart Smith and Chris Holt were consistently amazing; Little Rock's own Milo Deering, concealed under a giant hat, played pedal steel, various guitars and a number of other instruments. It all somehow led to calling the Hogs, bemusing Linden, Texas, native Henley and some of his band members.
A 45-minute set by New York City country rock band JD & the Straight Shot opened the show. Leader JD (Jim Dolan) can certainly claim to be in it for love, not money, since his main gig is owner of the New York Knicks, along with other properties.
Dolan did a decent job fronting a four-man, one-woman band, with Erin Slaver almost stealing the show with her fiddling and singing. The band did original songs, with the exception of a fine cover version of Spirit's "Nature's Way."
Metro on 01/22/2017