Forgive the pun, but when was the last time you went to a nightclub with your buddy to see The Eagles? Well, for some of us the answer is NEVER! The only way to see them now is at a Coliseum, Arena, Amphitheater, or Stadium…and for how much??? Not all fans of rock can afford the high priced tickets these days and are forced to cranking up the cans with that old “Best Of” Vinyl or CD spinning. However, did you know there was a group of guys who have been playing their music for nearly as long as chart-toppers themselves? They call themselves “TLR.”
The Long Run: Experience The Eagles is their formal name, but TLR rolls off the tongue easier, and it definitely is an Eagles experience! They formed in 1999 and have been recognized as one of the premier Eagles Tribute bands around, and definitely the best I’ve seen in San Diego. Gary (GIG), Kenny, Kevin, Chris (Switch), Berto and Jim all work synchronously on stage performing song after song, in the style of The Eagles, but with enough attitude you would think they were the younger versions of the originals…and I took a step back in time with them at The Music Box on a Sunday evening. These guys have mastered the craft of performing, using a stunning video introduction as GIG, and the rest of the guys, slid right into “Take It Easy”. Close your eyes and you would swear it was Glenn Frey up there on stage.
The crowd was loving it! These “fan boys” of the music of The Eagles were making other fans’ dreams come true…right in front of my eyes. The excitement grew after every song as we waited to hear the next classic track we all love. Joe Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way” cued up a few songs in and, to my delight, Switch cued up the VOX box was ready to go as well! Don Henley’s “Dirty Laundry,” handled beautifully by Kenny, was just a few songs later. These guys aren’t just weekend warriors; some of the guys have one helluva pedigree. Jim has performed with bands like Vanilla Fudge, Heart and Mr. Big, but tonight; he was up on stage as Timothy B. Schmidt, singing “I Can’t Tell You Why.” They even broke out some James Gang…”Funk #49” and, my favorite song ever sung by The Eagles, “Seven Bridges Road.”
Like I said, when was the last time you saw The Eagles in an intimate nightclub setting? For me, it was January 15th at The Music Box, and for you, it could be February 18th at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills.