Eagle Mania!

Steve French (l) and Ken Darcy tearing it up during Eagle Mania's set at Monmouth Co. Library HDQ's in New Jersey

I have to say I truly enjoyed a pre-Valentine's Day treat catching Eagle Mania (an Eagles Tribute Band) in concert this afternoon. If you know the Eagles, you know their tight, complex harmonies are truly something to hear...and to replicate.  If you can remember me covering Hwy 61's concert, (they are a Bob Dylan tribute band) it really takes musicians with a heart and soul of respect for the original artists.  While I really appreciated their music, most of Bob's stuff is before my time even though I play some of his music on acoustic guitar.  Bob Dylan was not what I danced to when I was in high school.  It was the Eagles! The concert was only 90 minutes but flew by as they did: Take It To the Limit, New Kid in Town, Boys of Summer, Tequila Sunrise, The Best of Your Love, Lying Eyes, One of These Nights, Already Gone, Desperado, Hotel CA, Life in the Fast Lane and quite a few encores (by that time I was up dancing)!

Frank Marino, Steve French and Ken Darcy of Eagle Mania doing "The Long Run"

So I think I was a bit more critical of their performance because 1.) this was MY music and 2.) I actually remembered how the songs went.  When music is attached to some of your most joyful memories, you want to hear them done perfectly.  Eagle Mania did not disappoint!  The lead vocals were clear and tender and the music itself conjured up the essence of the Eagles' 70's style of rock.  Implementing a double necked guitar for the Eagles iconic Hotel California, guitarist John Gaechter hit every note and riff just like the original recording.  John Weiswasser's drum solo was fantastic as was his entire performance. The flavor of the Eagles is less rugged than let's say Credence Clearwater Revival but bears similar southwestern, Tex-Mex guitar strains that makes them identifiable as a LA formed group. 

Monmouth Co. Library Headquarters is an acoustically sound venue and while the capacity tops off at 500, it was estimated that there were over 700 people in attendance throughout the building listening in.  How people were able to sit there without getting up to dance was beyond me but I did see a few (myself included) who could not resist.  As a musician and vocalist, my greatest reward to see the audience fully getting into the concert and enjoying themselves.  I hope this first concert of the year is a harbinger of things to come in 2013.  That bands like Eagle Mania will be invited again to perform and bring back memories for yet another generation of music lovers. Check out Eagle Mania's schedule of upcoming concerts at their fan page on Facebook: EagleMania Band

Lead vocalist-guitarist Ken Darcy and Dr. M