This year’s super festivals of classic rock, Classic West and Classic East opened on Saturday with their West Coast show at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
The Doobie Brothers opened day one with a fifteen song set that concentrated on their pre-Michael McDonald days with the exception of Takin’ It to the Street, which was originally sung by McDonald on the album of the same name, and The Doctor from the post-McDonald album Cycles.
The set list:
Main Set
Jesus Is Just Alright (from Toulouse Street, 1972)
Rockin’ Down the Highway (from Toulouse Street, 1972)
Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While) (from Stampede, 1975)
Dark Eyed Cajun Woman (from The Captain and Me, 1973)
Spirit (from What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits, 1974)
Sweet Maxine (from Stampede, 1975)
Eyes of Silver (from What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits, 1974)
Clear as the Driven Snow (from The Captain and Me, 1973)
Takin’ It to the Street (from Takin’ It to the Street, 1976)
The Doctor (from Cycles, 1989)
Black Water (from What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits, 1974)
Long Train Runnin’ (from The Captain and Me, 1973)
China Grove (from The Captain and Me, 1973)
Encore
Without You (from The Captain and Me, 1973)
Listen to the Music (from Toulouse Street, 1972)
Steely Dan was next up with twelve songs from their 70’s and early-80’s catalog, skipping anything from their two new century albums, Two Against Nature and Everything Must Go. Fagan was on his own as Walter Becker was ill. Larry Carlton filled in.
Bodhisattva (from Countdown to Ecstasy, 1973)
Black Cow (from Aja, 1977)
Hey Nineteen (from Gaucho, 1980)
Aja (from Aja, 1977)
Time Out of Mind (from Gaucho, 1980)
Green Earrings (from The Royal Scam, 1976)
Dirty Work (from Can’t Buy a Thrill, 1972)
Babylon Sisters (from Gaucho, 1980)
Josie (from Aja, 1977)
My Old School (from Countdown to Ecstasy, 1973)
Reelin’ in the Years (from Can’t Buy a Thrill, 1972)
Kid Charlemagne (from The Royal Scam, 1976)
Finally, the Eagles closed out the day, opening with the acapella Seven Bridges Road, all members on the stage including the newly added Vince Gill and Duncan Frey, the son of the late Glenn Frey.
Those two were given the spotlight a number of times over the course of the night. Gill took lead on Take It to The Limit, Tequila Sunrise, Lyin’ Eyes and New Kid in Town while Duncan was in front for Peaceful Easy Feeling and Already Gone. The rest were sung by the familiar leads Don Henley, Timothy B. Schmit and Joe Walsh.
There was one big surprise guest for the evening when Bob Seger hit the stage to sing Heartache Tonight which he wrote with Frey, Henley and J.D. Souther.
Whether this and the Classic East festival are the end of the Eagles is unknown. Henley told the crowd “In case this is our last dance, we want to thank all the fans of Southern California”.
The set list:
Main Set
Seven Bridges Road (from Eagles Live, 1980)
Take It Easy (from Eagles, 1972)
One of These Nights (from One Of These Nights, 1975)
Take It to the Limit (from One Of These Nights, 1975)
Tequila Sunrise (from Desperado, 1973)
Witchy Woman (from Eagles, 1972)
I Can’t Tell You Why (from The Long Run, 1979)
Lyin’ Eyes (from One Of These Nights, 1975)
Those Shoes (from The Long Run, 1979)
Peaceful Easy Feeling (from Eagles, 1972)
Best of My Love (from On The Border, 1974)
Love Will Keep Us Alive (from Hell Freezes Over, 1994)
New Kid in Town (from Hotel California, 1976)
The Last Resort (from Hotel California, 1976)
Already Gone (from On The Border, 1974)
In the City (from The Long Run, 1979)
Heartache Tonight (With Bob Seger) (from The Long Run, 1979)
Life’s Been Good (from Joe Walsh’s But Seriously Folks, 1978)
Funk #49 (from the James Gangs’ James Gang Rides Again, 1970)
Life in the Fast Lane (from Hotel California, 1976)
Encore 1
Hotel California (from Hotel California, 1976)
Encore 2
Rocky Mountain Way (from Joe Walsh’s The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get, 1973)
Desperado (from Desperado, 1973)
