The Eagles Rock the Night Away in Philly

"Welcome to the Hotel California, Such a lovely place, Such a lovely face, Plenty of room at the Hotel California, Any time of year, you can find it here." On July 14, 2008, Eagles fans were able to hear that tidbit from "Hotel California" and many more songs at the Wachovia Center for the band's "Long Road Out of Eden" Tour in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The atmosphere outside in the parking lot was a jovial one as Eagles fan bonded over their mutual love for the band during various tailgate parking lot parties. Many fans blasted music from The Eagles various albums hours before the concert. Some of the cars actually blasted the same Eagles song simultaneously. The lines at the concession and souvenir stands were expected and not too much of an issue. The audience in the Center was a diverse group of young and older fans that both grew up listening to the band.

As everyone waited for the show to start, excitement increased as the loud speaker announced for everyone to find their seats. The show itself started with some shock and awe. The shock was that there was no opening act before the show. Many audience members were surprised when the band came before they expected them to. The awe, of course, was the band getting right into their song selection starting with songs from their latest album "Long Road Out of Eden." It was not uncommon to see fans mouthing the words to "How Long" and "Busy Being Fabulous." After a few more songs, the band switched to some of their classic songs such as "Witchy Woman," "Hotel California," and "In the City." A nice twist was when Don Henley came up to sing his own song "Boys of Summer," which provided an additional moment of musical relaxation for the crowd.

The evening continued on the same momentum by singing current and classic songs. Don Henley even encouraged the audience to sing along during "The Long Run" and everyone pretty much obliged him loudly. Glenn Frey's occasional commentary provided a few laughs throughout the concert such as referring to the band's song "Take it to the Limit" as the "credit card song." The song selection was a wide enough mix of old and new tunes to showcase each band member's musical talents. During various times of the show, Don Henley could be seen behind a drum set providing musical support or singing along with the band. Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh also played keyboards to allow band member Timothy Schmit to take the stage for such songs as "Love Will Keep Us Alive" and "I Can't Tell You Why." Walsh also took center stage for a few songs including "In the City."

Overall, the concert was pure musical nirvana. The Eagles knew how to entertain the crowd from the moment the band began playing and until the very end. Walsh's impressive guitar playing caused cheers throughout the Center and helped carry each song that was played. Everyone sounded just as good as they did during the band's heyday. Frey and Henley each rocked the house when it was their turn to sing. Even though, both excelled more when it was a joint effort such as in "How Long." The live performance of the song was made by Frey and Henley's game of lyric cat and mouse with the audience. Schmit's vocal and guitar playing was a welcome surprise because usually Henley and Frey did most of the singing.

Unfortunately, there was one slight issue with the concert was the background television playing directly behind the band. The footage that played behind them changed with each song and occasionally distracted the audience from the actual band themselves. Once the show progressed, the television became less of an issue by simply fading into the background.

In the end, the concert was an overwhelming success. The Eagles appeared to be having as much fun as the audience was. Even though, the band hadn't created new material in many years. It seemed they never stopped. Hopefully, they never will.