eagles 1977 hotel california tour

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1976-1978 Hotel CaliforniaTour Tour Dates :: Line-up :: Set List For additional information on these shows, go to Deliverin's Randy Meisner page and Timothy B. Schmit page .

Tour Dates Location Venue Date Japan Unknown (Multiple) 01/??/76 Australia Unknown (Multiple) 01/??/76 New Zealand Unknown (Multiple) 01/??/76 Honolulu, HI Blaisdell Arena 02/12/76 Houston, TX Texas Opry House 04/21/76 Sacramento, CA Hughes Stadium 05/01/76 Largo, MD Capitol Centre 05/14/76 Greensboro, SC Winston-Salem Speedway 07/02/76 Atlanta, GA Omni 07/03/76 Tampa, FL Tampa Stadium 07/04/76 Hollywood, FL Sportatorium 07/05/76 Detroit, MI Olympic Stadium 07/20/76 Louisville, KY Center & Exhibition Hall 07/21/76 Cincinnati, OH Unknown 07/22/76 Pittsburgh, PA Three Rivers Stadium 07/24/76 Foxboro, MA Schaeffer Stadium 07/25/76 Philadelphia, PA Spectrum 07/27/76 Philadelphia, PA Spectrum 07/28/76 Jersey City, NJ Roosevelt Stadium 07/29/76 Oakland, CA Oakland Coliseum 08/03/76 Portland, OR Memorial Coliseum 08/05/76 Seattle, WA Coliseum 08/06/76 Denver, CO Mile High Stadium 08/08/76 San Diego, CA Sports Arena 10/14/76 Tucson, AZ McKale Center, UA 10/16/76 Los Angeles, CA Forum 10/19/76 Los Angeles, CA Forum 10/20/76 Los Angeles, CA Forum 10/21/76 Albuquerque, NM Unknown 10/29/76 El Paso, TX Unknown 10/20/76 Austin, TX Municipal Auditorium 11/01/76 San Antonio, TX Unknown 11/02/76 Ft. Worth, TX Tarrent Co. Convention Cen. 11/03/76 Shreveport, LA Unknown 11/07/76 Norman, OK Lloyd Noble Center 11/08/76 Des Moines, IA Unknown 11/10/76 Chicago, IL Chicago Stadium 11/11/76 Chicago, IL Chicago Stadium 11/12/76 Ann Arbor, MI Crisler Arena, Univ. of MI 11/12/76 Omaha, NE Unknown 11/14/76 Wichita, KS Kansas State University 11/15/76 Tulsa, OK Assembly Center 11/16/76 Minneapolis, MN Unknown 11/18/76 Madison, WI Dane Co. Coliseum 11/19/76 Lafayette, LA Unknown 11/20/76 Indianapolis, IN Unknown 11/22/76 St. Louis, MO Unknown 11/23/76 Kansas City, MO Kemper Arena 11/24/76 Santa Fe, NM Univ. of New Mexico Arena 12/10/76 El Paso, TX Civic Center 12/11/76 Cleveland, OH Unknown 01/14/77 Springfield, MA Civic Center 03/14/77 Uniondale, NY Nassau Coliseum 03/15/77 Uniondale, NY Nassau Coliseum 03/16/77 New York City, NY Madison Square Garden 03/18/77 Rochester, NY War Memorial Auditorium 03/19/77 Largo, MD Capitol Centre 03/21/77 Largo, MD Capitol Centre 03/22/77 Richmond, VA Coliseum 03/23/77 Norfolk, VA The Scope 03/25/77 New Haven, CT Veteran's Memorial Coliseum 03/26/77 Binghampton, NY Broome Co. Coliseum 03/27/77 Montreal, Canada Forum 03/29/77 Toronto, Canada Maple Leaf Garden 03/30/77 Cleveland, OH Richfield Coliseum 03/31/77 Cleveland, OH Richfield Coliseum 04/01/77 London, England Wembley 04/25/77 London, England Wembley 04/26/77 London, England Wembley 04/27/77 London, England Wembley 04/28/77 Glasgow, Scotland Apollo Centre 04/30/77 Glasgow, Scotland Apollo Centre 05/01/77 Stafford, England Bingley Hall 05/03/77 Stafford, England Bingley Hall 05/04/77 Munich, Germany Olympic Hall 05/07/77 Frankfort, Germany Fest Halle 05/08/77 Dusseldorf, Germany Phillips Halle 05/09/77 Rotterdam, Nether. Ahoy Complex 05/11/77 Rotterdam, Nether. Ahoy Complex 05/12/77 Rotterdam, Nether. Ahoy Complex 05/13/77 Hamburg, Germany Congress Centre 05/15/77 Stockholm, Sweden Trivoli Hall 05/17/77 Gothenburg, Sweden Stadium Nya Ullevi 05/18/77 Oakland, CA Oakland Coliseum 05/28/77 Oakland, CA Oakland Coliseum 05/30/77 Roanoke, VA Civic Center 06/18/77 Atlanta, GA Omni 06/19/77 Atlanta, GA Omni 06/20/77 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion 06/21/77 Nashville, TN Municipal Auditorium 06/23/77 Birmingham, AL Civic Center 06/24/77 Mobile, AL Municipal Auditorium 06/25/77 Greensboro, SC Coliseum 06/27/77 Knoxville, TN Coliseum 06/28/77 Memphis, TN Mid-South Coliseum 06/29/77 Savannah, GA Civic Center 07/01/77 Miami, FL Miami Stadium 07/02/77 Orlando, FL Tangerine Bowl 07/03/77 Oklahoma City, OK Myriad Convention Center 07/06/77 Ft. Worth, TX Tarrent Co. Conv. Center 07/07/77 Ft. Worth, TX Tarrent Co. Conv. Center 07/08/77 Houston, TX Jeppeson Stadium 07/09/77 East Troy, WI Alpine Valley Music Theatre 09/01/77 East Troy, WI Alpine Valley Music Theatre 09/02/77 East Troy, WI Alpine Valley Music Theatre 09/03/77 Edmunton, Canada Coliseum 07/23/78 Calgary, Canada McMahon Stadium 07/23/78 Winnipeg, Canada Assinaboya Downs 07/27/78 Boulder, CO Folsom Field 07/29/78 Kansas City, MO Arrowhead Stadium 07/30/78 Minneapolis, MN Metropolitan Stadium 08/01/78 Milwaukee, WI County Stadium 08/02/78 Buffalo, NY Memorial Auditorium 08/04/78 Ottawa, Canada Racetrack 08/05/78 Toronto, Canada CNE Stadium 08/06/78 Cincinnati, OH Riverfront Stadium 08/16/78 Chicago, IL Cominsky Park 08/19/78 Charlotte, NC Charlotte Speedway 08/25/78 Orlando, FL Tangerine Bowl 08/27/78 Miami, FL Miami Baseball Stadium 08/29/78 Itinerary Information Compiled by Deliverin'   Line up Glenn Frey: guitar, piano, vocals Don Henley: drums, vocals Joe Walsh: guitar, vocals Don Felder: guitar, vocals Randy Meisner: bass, vocals; replaced by Schmit in 1978 Timothy B. Schmit: bass, vocals; joined in 1978  

Take It Easy Outlaw Man Doolin-Dalton / Desperado Reprise Turn to Stone Lyin' Eyes You Never Cry Like a Lover Take It to the Limit Desperado Midnight Flyer One of These Nights Already Gone Too Many Hands Good Day in Hell Witchy Woman Rocky Mountain Way James Dean Best of My Love Funk 49 Carol

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Watch The Full 1977 Performance Of The Eagles At Capital Centre

via Giovanni Campidoglio Fotografo/YouTube

Watch It In Its Entirety

On March 21, 1977, just three months after their fifth album “Hotel California” hit the shelves, The Eagles performed a 21-song set at Capital Centre in Washington, D.C. This is one of a pair of shows at the same venue for their legendary “Hotel California” tour.

It was their first LP with Joe Walsh and the last to feature bassist Randy Meisner since he left six months after this show. The first song they wrote is the title track which served as the theme of the album. Don Henley admitted that they “probably peaked on Hotel California.”

The Eagles were supposed to embark on a “Hotel California” tour this year but the pandemic forced them to reschedule the dates to 2021.

Capital Centre March 1977 Setlist

1. Hotel California 2. Victim of Love 3. Already Gone 4. New Kid in Town (Joe Walsh on keyboards) 5. Tequila Sunrise 6. Wasted Time 7. Turn to Stone (Joe Walsh song) 8. Witchy Woman 9. Best of My Love 10. Peaceful Easy Feeling 11. Try and Love Again 12. Lyin’ Eyes 13. One of These Nights 14. James Dean 15. Funk #49 (James Gang cover) 16. Life’s Been Good (Joe Walsh song) 17. Life in the Fast Lane 18. Desperado

19. Take It to the Limit 20. Rocky Mountain Way (Joe Walsh song) 21. Take It Easy

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The Eagles Fly High With Epic ‘Hotel California’ Show at Madison Square Garden

By Andy Greene

Andy Greene

Midway through the Eagles marathon show at Madison Square Garden on Friday night, Don Henley stepped up to the microphone and addressed the crowd for one of the few times that evening.

“The first thing I want to do is thank you for your support all these years,” he said. “We want to provide you with about a three-hour break from the hideous 24/7 news cycle. Something familiar in uncertain times because life is like a box of chocolates, except with some boxes of chocolates you get a little map that shows you exactly what you’re going to get with one of those squares inside. We’re that box of chocolates.”

The metaphor is nearly perfect. There’s no better way to think of an Eagles show circa 2020 than a box of chocolates (albeit a very pricey one) with a square insert noting exactly what’s inside. This time around, that square calls for a complete performance of the band’s 1977 masterpiece Hotel California along with a long set of classics from their other albums and a scattering of solo hits.

The predictability of an Eagles concert and their tendency to recreate their recordings onstage with note-perfect precision has lead to much criticism over the years. (A famous 1977 review in Rolling Stone said they “flaunt no athletic grace [onstage] – if anything, they loiter.” They later proved their athletic grace by beating the RS staff at a softball game. )

In many ways, the criticisms have always been unfair. Their hits are meticulously crafted works of art and they’ve burrowed their way into the public’s consciousness after decades of continuous airplay on classic rock radio. Playing wild variations of them onstage or breaking out obscure B sides, oddball covers or forgotten solo tunes would practically be a criminal offense to their enormous fan base. These are songs that demand precision.

They made that clear by beginning the show by having a man walk onto the stage and place a vinyl copy of Hotel California on a turnable. The second the needle hit, the curtain rose and the band launched into the title track. This was the record coming to life in as literal a way as possible, and it sent shockwaves of nostalgic ecstasy through the audience.

They’d never attempted a complete album prior to September, when they debuted this show in Las Vegas. And though this isn’t an anniversary of any significance ( Hotel California turns 43 next week), it was the obvious pick from their seven records. Not only was it their most successful non-compilation album, but it also captured them at the absolute peak of their songwriting powers.

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The nine songs represent a loose concept record about the unraveling of the American dream as the hope and idealism of the Sixties fell by the wayside. The characters are trapped in doomed relationships, battling the ravages of drug addiction and living on once-beautiful lands now destroyed by corporate greed and public indifference.

The album was a true collaboration by all five Eagles of that era: Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, Don Felder and Randy Meisner. Only two of them, Henley and Walsh, remain in the band today. Frey died unexpectedly in 2016, while Meisner has dealt with severe health and personal problems over the past few years that have largely removed him from public life. Felder played an integral role in writing the Hotel California title track and was their lead guitarist during their salad days in the Seventies and the initial reunion era in the Nineties, but he took them to court after his dismissal from the band in 2001 and later wrote a tell-all book. It would have been wonderful to see him back onstage for this tour, but, sadly, it was not to be.

Filling the large gaps in the lineup are Glenn’s 26-year-old son Deacon Frey, country singer Vince Gill, guitarist Steuart Smith and bassist Timothy B. Schmit, who has been an official Eagle since joining up with them during the Hotel California tour back in 1977.

The show presents the album in exact chronological order, meaning that “New Kid In Town” followed the title track. This was Glenn Frey’s sole lead vocal on the album and Gill tackled it in his place with great tenderness and care. (Walsh and Meisner were also given just a single song on the album. Henley, on the other hand, sang five of them.)

“Life in the Fast Lane” amped things up and gave Walsh a chance to rip into his famous guitar solo, but things got really interesting when they geared down for “Wasted Time.” This is a mournful ballad about Henley’s real-life heartache, and his old Shiloh bandmate Jim Ed Norman was brought into the studio to compose the music played by a string section. All these years later, Norman was back with the band to oversee another string section to recreate those parts. Henley started the show on drums where he sang “Hotel California” Levon Helm-style, but by this point he was in front where he delivered the song with amazing passion. As on the original, he trembled with vulnerability as he wondered whether the love affair was anything other than “wasted time.”

The record flips over at this point, and to do the honors the band brought a young blonde woman onto the stage dressed up as an old-timey cigarette girl to turn it over. (The schtick seemed anachronistic since cigarette girls were long out of fashion by 1977, but they did used to roam the aisles during intermission at Las Vegas shows in the Fifties and earlier.) Sticking tightly to the album’s script, the string section played the brief “Wasted Time” reprise as the group prepared to kick into “Victim of Love.”

Joe Walsh finally had the chance to lead the festivities with “Pretty Maids All in a Row,” while Vince Gill took over for the half-forgotten country rock of “Try and Love Again” by Meisner. Prior to this tour, they hadn’t played it even a single time since the bassist left in 1977. It may be the least memorable part of the album, but Gill sang it for all it was worth.

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Both songs gave Henley a chance to catch his breath before the epic album closer “The Last Resort.” The prophetic song is a journey across America and time documenting the mindless destruction of the environment that begins on the Eastern shores of Providence, Rhode Island and travels all the way west to Lahaina in Hawaii. “We satisfy our endless needs and justify our bloody deeds,” he sings. “In the name of destiny and in the name of God.”

The band was joined not just by the string section for this, but also a vocal choir. There were 77 people in total crammed onto the stage, but all eyes were on Henley. At age 72, he still somehow has nearly the entire vocal range he had four decades ago. He sounded absolutely magnificent, especially on the “they called it paradise, I don’t know why” apex of the song that also wraps up the album.

They probably could have ended right there and many in the crowd could have gone home happy, but after a brief break the Eagles came back and played another 22 songs. This was a familiar routine for anyone that has seen the Eagles in recent years, kicking off with everyone locking voices on “Seven Bridges Road.” They then went around the stage and gave everyone a chance to take lead on their signature tunes, including Schmit’s “I Can’t Tell You Why” and Walsh’s “In The City.”

Some of biggest applause always came whenever the spotlight hit Deacon Frey. He not only looks exactly like his father circa 1975, but he also inherited his singing voice. For whatever reason, Gill handled most of Glenn’s song (along with Meisner’s “Take It To The Limit”), though Deacon was a key part of the harmonies and he sang lead on “Take It Easy,” “Peaceful Easy Feeling” and “Already Gone” with incredible confidence and poise.

As the set wound down, solo hits like Walsh’s “Life’s Been Good” and Henley’s “Boys of Summer” worked their way into the show. They fit seamlessly into the repertoire as they have many times before, but the James Gang managed to deliver definitive renditions of “Walk Away” and “Funk #49” without a five-piece horn section. The songs work much better when delivered by a power trio. (Here’s hoping that Walsh finds time to reunite with his old buddies Dale Peters and Jim Fox for one more James Gang tour at some point down the line.)

The encores kicked off with a wild “Rocky Mountain Way” (sans Henley) before the drummer came back onto the stage to lead the entire arena in singing “Desperado.” The horns came back for “The Long Run” before the whole show wrapped up with a brief reprisal of “Hotel California,” complete with the dual guitar solos.

The Eagles are taking this show across America over the next two months and then over to London for a pair of gigs at Wembley Stadium in August. The next time they head out, fans would love to see them bring back original guitarist Bernie Leadon, Felder and, health permitting, Meisner for a grand summit of all living Eagles past and present. That remains an extreme remote possibility, but this sentimental return trip to the Hotel California is basically the next best thing they could possibly do.

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• May 7 2022 May 7 2022 Site Factory admin This week in 1977, the Eagles went to number one on the US singles chart with their career-defining hit, 'Hotel California'.

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Flashback to the Eagles’ Stunning 'Hotel California' Live in 1977

The legendary tune, written by Don Felder, Don Henley and Glenn Frey, was a chart-topping smash, spending 19 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100, after peaking at No. 1. Since 1976, Hotel California has sold over 26 million copies, making it the third-biggest-selling album in American history, beating everything but Michael Jackson’s Thriller and  Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 – which is also by the Eagles! In 1978, it won the band a Grammy Award for Record of the Year, and, according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Hotel California is  one of the songs that "shaped rock and roll" ... pretty hard to argue with that! 

Enjoy the Eagles in fine form, performing the seminal smash hit, live at Washington's Capital Centre in 1977.

Eagles | 'Hotel California' [Live, 1977]

So, what exactly is this classic rock mainstay all about? The song’s cryptic lyrics have only added to its legendary status over the decades, inspiring endless debates hypothesising hidden meanings weaved into the words. The wilder interpretations assert a host of theories, covering everything from the whole song being a metaphor for a drug trip to a masked homage to the Church of Satan.

According to the song’s creators, the truth simply lies in a universal theme that almost everyone on the planet can relate to, described by singer-songwriter-drummer, Don Henley, as being “ about a journey from innocence to experience" and the “jaded, blasé, hedonistic lifestyle that characterizes California.”  

In 2018, the late Glenn Frey’s told  BBC , "We decided to create something strange, just to see if we could do it."

In the process, they created one of rock’s great unsolvable mysteries, sure to captivate listeners for decades to come! 

With their sublimely blended creamy harmonies and irresistible catchy hits, the Eagles are easily one of the best live bands on the planet. Check out their latest release,  Live At The Los Angeles Forum ‘76  which was recorded during the band’s three-night run at the Los Angeles Forum in October 1976. The show took place as the group was putting the finishing touches on the Hotel California LP, which was released that December. The concert recording captures some of the very first live performances of Hotel California and New Kid In Town . Get it, here. 

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The Eagles At The Capital Centre, March 1977: A Closer Look

Using screenshots from The History Of The Eagles documentary, as well as photos and videos from other sources, I’m going to tell the story of the Eagles’ two-night stint at the Capital Centre in Largo, MD on March 21st and 22nd, 1977. We’ll follow the band from their departure in Manhattan on the morning of the 21st to their arrival in D.C a few hours later. A soundcheck at the Capital Centre, both concerts, including a separate performance to an empty house, as well as a more in-depth look at the existing concert footage. This is my theory on how the events may have taken place.

New York City to Washington, D.C., March 21st, 1977

Prior to the Capital Centre, the Eagles had played three nights in New York , beginning in Uniondale on the 15th, Madison Square Garden on the 18th, and Rochester on the 19th. They had a day off on the 20th. On the morning of the 21st, the Eagles departed for Washington D.C. The photos below show the band leaving The Drake Hotel in Manhattan, traveling to the airport, then jetting to D.C.:

According to the tour itinerary, the band stayed at the Watergate Hotel in Washington.

The Capital Centre

Built in 1973, the Capital Centre was the home venue for the Washington Bullets basketball team and the Washington Capitals hockey team.

Below: Capital Centre seating chart. Note the blue and red seating areas, which match the images in the photos below.

Prior to the band’s arrival, the arena is setup for the show. The floor, which is usually a hockey court, is turned into floor seating.

This shot of the stage from the back shows the band’s equipment and Henley’s drum set. The curtain, with the image of the front cover of Hotel California , will be silhouetted behind the band when the title track is played for their opening number.

More soundcheck images from March 21st, 1977.

The images of Randy at the Capital Centre soundcheck show him playing a white Rickenbacker 3001. A different bass than his usual maple Rickenbacker 4001, which was his preferred bass for the Hotel California tour.

The band harmonized on a version of “Seven Bridges Road, left, and “Lyin’ Eyes”:

Below: Randy stretches backstage, then talks to Joe as they walk out of the room.

This tracking shot of the band walking to the stage on March 21st contains some outtakes not seen in History Of The Eagles , including a shot of Randy, with beer in hand, doubling back to talk to someone, probably a roadie.

The Capital Centre was the fifth stop on the Eagles’ 1977 Hotel California tour, which had kicked off a week earlier in Springfield, Massachusetts. The opening act both nights was Jimmy Buffett . This would be Randy’s final tour with the band. Read more about his departure here .

Randy performing “Take It To The Limit” at the Capital Centre, March 21, 1977. Photo by Deborah Becker

The Washington Star included a very detailed review, written by Charlie McCollum, of the first night’s show. The review included all 18 songs that were played in chronological order. The Capital Centre shows are unique because audiences were treated to a rare performance of “Try And Love Again,” written and sung by Randy for the Hotel California album. The song had also been performed two nights earlier in Rochester . These are the only documented performances of the song. Also performed was “Take It To The Limit,” which Randy “turned into something special with his chilling vocal work,” according to McCollum. Both songs were performed almost back-to-back during the first half of the show, with Glenn Frey singing “Lyin’ Eyes” in between.

Since the Eagles rarely changed their main show for the Hotel California tour, I think it’s safe to assume that the setlists for both nights were similar. The only difference being the encores. The usual encore lineup for the 1977 tour was “Witchy Woman,” “Best Of My Love,” and “Take It Easy,” in that order. Sometimes a song was added or removed. For the Capital Centre, “Best Of My Love was removed the first night and “Tequila Sunrise” was added. For the second night, the band went with their usual encore lineup, as per the concert’s review in The Baltimore Sun (below).

Setlist for March 21st:

Hotel California Walk Away Doolin-Dalton Try And Love Again Lyin’ Eyes Take It To The Limit New Kid In Town Desperado One Of These Nights Turn To Stone Already Gone Life In The Fast Lane Victim Of Love Rocky Mountain Way Turn To Stone Witchy Woman (encore) Take It Easy (encore) Tequila Sunrise (encore)

Setlist for March 22nd

Hotel California Walk Away Doolin-Dalton Try And Love Again Lyin’ Eyes Take It To The Limit New Kid In Town Desperado One Of These Nights Turn To Stone Already Gone Life In The Fast Lane Victim Of Love Rocky Mountain Way Turn To Stone Witchy Woman (encore) Best Of My Love (encore) Take It Easy (encore)

Baltimore Sun r eview of the second night:

The Capital Centre was the first indoor arena have a large four-sided video screen called a “Telscreen,” that hung from the ceiling in the middle of the arena.

The Capital Centre’s Telscreen can be seen in these screenshots from History Of The Eagles :

The Telscreen crew was located in the upper decks of the arena and filmed the show with cameras on tripods.

The Capital Centre owned the rights to the Telscreen footage, however bands could purchase tapes of the concerts. The only stipulation was that they were not allowed to “rebroadcast the concerts in their entirety for commercial purposes, but excerpts could be used for promotional spots, such as commercials or record label demos.” ( Billboard , January 31, 1976)

Despite this, bootleg videos of shows made from Telscreen footage have been in circulation over the years, including the Eagles concerts at the Houston Summit and Seattle Kingdome , which also had Telscreens.

Although the Capital Centre concerts were shot in-house, the Eagles also brought along their own camera crew, who followed the band behind-the-scenes. They also filmed each of the concerts and can be seen in the footage with handheld cameras (the Telscreen crew did not use handhelds).

Below: Cameramen with handhelds can be seen filming the band during Randy’s performance of “Take It To The Limit” from the March 21st show (Photo: Deborah Becker)

It was also the band’s camera crew who set up scaffolding in the arena on the afternoon of the 22nd and filmed the the band performing to an empty house. Dave Mitchell, who worked at the Capital Centre at the time, recalled that there was also a mobile recording studio truck backstage:

“The day of the second show, scaffolding was set up in front of the stage for a film crew, and a mobile recording studio truck was backstage. They performed a number of songs to an empty house.” 

The Eagles performing “Lyin’ Eyes” to an empty house. Photo by Dave Mitchell (used with permission):

In this shot from the opening of “Rocky Mountain Way” in History Of The Eagles ,” you can see the same film crew right in front of the stage:

Altogether, there were three recordings made of the Eagles at the Capital Centre, with the band wearing the same clothing for each performance. Among these recordings are Randy’s performances of “Try And Love Again,” which have never been shown.

Each of the eight songs that were included in the bonus concert footage from the History Of The Eagles documentary were spliced together from these three filmed performances (the audio may have been spliced together as well). If you look closely at the performances, you can sometimes see subtle differences from shot to shot. For example, these screenshots from Randy’s performance of “Take It To The Limit” were taken only seconds apart. However, you can see that Randy’s hair is different in both. In the image on the left, his bangs are full on his forehead, on the right they are parted slightly. He also has a little curl or flip in his hair next to his bass strap.

I believe the image on the left is from March 21st and the right is from March 22nd.

The documentary also provided two separate takes of Randy’s big final note on “Take It To The Limit.”

Glenn’s hair also changes from shot to shot throughout the footage. Below are images from his performance of “Lyin’ Eyes.” If you watch closely, his hair goes from hanging down naturally in the front to being pulled back by sunglasses.

The band backstage between encores. Probably the March 21st show.

The band takes a bow after the encore performance of “Best Of My Love” on March 22nd (the only night the song was performed).

As the band walks out, we get a nice shot of Randy’s amp, with the “Nothing Runs Like A Deere” sticker, and his Rickenbacker bass on the stand.

The Eagles Have Left The Building

Below, the band is hustled away to their limos after the show. Notice Randy in the front in the middle photo:

Meanwhile, Irving Azoff (with back to the camera) and the roadies round up girls in the audience for the after-concert party called “The Third Encore.” The hand-picked attendees were given passes to the party in the form of a special button with “3E” printed on it.

Additional Footage

Most of the footage taken at the Capital Centre went unseen for the next 36 years. However, a video of “Hotel California,” along with some of the backstage footage, including the rehearsal of “Seven Bridges Road,” was shown on the USA Network’s Night Flight program in August 1985. This version of “Hotel California” is somewhat different than the one seen in History Of The Eagles . There are several nice shots of Randy. Like the HOTE concert, this video was also spliced together from different performances. This is most noticeable with Joe’s bandanna, especially during the dueling guitar sequence near the end. Sometimes it’s way up on his forehead, sometimes it’s down closer to his eyes.

“Take It To The Limit”

Lastly, a post about the Eagles’ Capital Centre shows wouldn’t be complete without Randy’s stunning performance of his signature song:

All footage and images from History Of The Eagles are ©Alison Ellwood, Jigsaw Productions, 2013.

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Share this post, 16 comments.

Wow Jessica! What an Amazing article. I just can’t imagine all the hours of research that went into this, & all your wonderful stories. Thank You just isn’t enough. You do all the hard work, & all we have to do is read it, enjoy the pictures & listen to the fabulous videos that you find. Totally Awesome! Your hard work is appreciated very much!

Thanks, Gwen. Your support is very much appreciated also.

It’s too exquisite, respected author. I am a fan of the Eagle Band from China and am very interested in your article. Please allow me to ask a question: In many videos of this concert, Joe’s wrist strap always appears in the previous second and disappears in the next second. Is this related to different dates of performances? My friends and I have been studying the details of this concert for a long time, including many deleted songs and some strange coded images. It is an honor for us to see your article. Thank you again. Please forgive my poor English.

You’re correct. Joe’s wrist band will appear and disappear during the same guitar solos, most noticeably during “Hotel California” and “Rocky Mountain Way.” This is because footage from different performances were spliced together. I’m glad you enjoyed the post–and all the way from China! Your English is perfect! Thanks so much for commenting!

I had the great pleasure seeing the Eagles at the Cap Center in ’77, with my wife of (now) 58 years. Certainly one of the best, (if not the best), concerts we ever saw. As the article states, the Eagles ran two shows on successive nights. While I can’t recall which show we attended, (I think the second one), the opening act was Linda Ronstadt, and she of course hit it out of the park. Thank you for helping me relieve that memorable night.

Hi Bobby. Thanks for your comment. Linda didn’t open for the Eagles at this show. The opener both nights was Jimmy Buffett. However, Linda did open for them at the Capital Centre in 1975 and 1976. The latter was a Jerry Brown political benefit.

Congratulations to you and your wife on 58 years of marriage!

This finally confirms the ramblings of an old friend I had who collected Eagles concert recordings a couple years back. I knew the Capital Centre shows were recorded on both nights, but they had always claimed it was “fake” and that the songs selected for the HOTE release were shot in front of a false crowd.

I always thought he was making it up because he was a pessimistic type of person. I guess this proves me wrong (partly).

This is an amazing resource for a very niche and decreasing community. This could be very well the resting place of all things Randy and I hope this stays up for as long as possible.

That’s very kind of you to say. Thank you. I plan to keep this site up and running for as long as I can.

The footage from the two nights at the Capital Centre were not shot in front of a false crowd. The audience was real. The Capital Centre filmed the concert with their Telscreen system. But the Eagles also brought along their own camera crew who filmed a few songs to an empty venue. So there were at least three separate recordings (2 with a real audience, one without).

Hi, It’s me, Dave Mitchell, I was the Capital Centre, Sound and Lighting person for many shows, including the Eagles 77 Tour. I have many great memories of their 3 performances. In my mind, they stood at the front line playing hit after hit for 2 hours with little or no break. As mentioned, there was a film crew and mobile recording studio that were not ours. Regarding spliced shots from different nights, Telscreen broadcast quality TV cameras require white light to output a quality signal which suffers with, red, purple, etc… film is ok. Watch a concert intended for TV, all white spotlights. One of my many duties was the headset system between the lighting director and spotlight operators, including the stage. During a public concert I had different duties, but for a rare empty house call, I had my camera, their sole audience, off to the side, until Irving Azoff, walked across the arena and asked me to move away. Ok, not a problem, another cool experience. In my box of mementos ( somewhere) is the set list from the second night, we’ll find out if that makes pop-pop a cool guy. Thanks for the photo credit, I knew immediately it was my photo.

Hi Dave! It’s so nice of you to share your memories and provide these great details. You may not remember, but I contacted you via Instagram about the photo. It was about a year ago. You were kind enough to share some information about the filming. Those details, along with that great photo, helped answer a lot of questions some of us have had about that footage. You were lucky to get that setlist. I think it definitely makes pop-pop a cool guy! Great to hear from you.

Hey folks! Great site. Love the history surrounding this event. Fills in some critical backstory. One correction though: The camera operator that is identified as operating for Telescreen is actually shouldering a 35mm Arriflex film camera with a wide angle lens attached. The Cap Center didn’t have handheld video cameras for the Telescreen system in ’77, they had cameras on tripods like the one in the foreground of the next photo, from David, in the sequence. You can see it with the monitor on top, the box body, and the controls on the arms that are on either side of the tripod head. Handheld broadcast cameras in the 70s were large, unruly beasts. ( https://eyesofageneration.com/a-brief-history-of-portable-color-camerasyou-would-think-rca-lead-the-way-in-t/ ) In 1977 RCA introduced the first “compact” handheld broadcast video camera that made it much more useable. If the Cap Centre had one it would look like this (ttps://www.tvcameramuseum.org/rca/tk76/p1.htm) which is much different looking than the camera on the shoulder of that operator in the picture. Again, amazingly detailed site. I really appreciate all the effort you’ve put into it.

Hi Kenneth, A pleasure to hear from you. Thanks for this information and for the correction. I always assumed that those guys with handhelds were the Telscreen cameramen. They must have been with the band’s camera crew, who were also filming the concerts. I found some newspaper photos from 1974 that show the Telscreen cameramen at the Cap Centre. From the photos, it appears that they were situated in the upper deck of the arena and not right next to the stage. They are operating the cameras on tripods, like the ones you described (monitors on top and controls on either side).

Again, thanks so much for these additional details. I also appreciate your kind comments about my website.

Best regards,

I was at this show only 12yrs old….I dont remember Jimmy Buffett opening but I could have forgot…Did Bad Company ever open for the Eagles ???…For some reason I remember them? thx

I’m not aware of Bad Company ever opening for the Eagles, unless it was after Randy left.

Buffett was the opening act for a number of the concerts on the Hotel California tour. He’s only mentioned in the Washington Post review of the March 21st Capital Centre show, which I chose not to include because it’s not very kind. https://randymeisnerretrospective.com/Washington-Post-March-22-1977.png

I always knew there was more to that concert than just the 8 songs they released with the documentary, like the bit between Hotel California and New Kid where you’ll briefly see Glenn holding his black Les Paul before they change to New Kid where Glenn’s playing the acoustic. What I didn’t know was that they did a set without the audience! With all that effort to record the concert, It’s like they were intending to release a concert film back then, kinda like Led Zep’s The Song Remains The Same, minus the extra bits. Grateful as I am that we got a recording of the band at their prime, I’m a little peeved they didn’t decide to release the whole concert.

There was certainly some motive behind filming those concerts, and not just the concerts themselves. They also filmed the band flying in from New York, riding in their limos, the soundcheck, hanging out backstage, etc. It was as if they were planning a concert film. It would be nice if they released everything, but with all the editing and splicing that was done to the songs we’ve seen, perhaps it’s too much of a task.

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This Could Be Heaven—Or This Could Be Hell

An evening with the Eagles, on their Hotel California tour.

Rock and roll’s relationship with time—as in Father Time, not, you know, tempo —is fascinating. Men and women barely into their 20s, dewy young people without a mark on them, somehow contrive to write songs of shattering, been-there maturity. Whiskery wisdom ballads, epics of regret, failure binge blues, and howling prophetic voyages. Wide-eyed they sing them, these songs of experience . And then they grow old, and it all comes true.

I could have done so many things , sang Don Henley at Boston’s TD Garden Saturday night, if I could only stop my mind . Henley is 74; he wrote those lines (from “Wasted Time”) 45 years ago. How does he feel about them now? Rather deeply, to judge from his delivery. (Hoarse, intense.) Up in the clanging concrete tiers, we commiserated with whoops and waved cellphones.

We had gathered, masked and flapping our vaccination cards , to watch the Eagles perform their 1976 album, Hotel California , beginning to end, with a greatest-hits set to follow. Eagles 2021 is sort of a patched-up postmodern proposition: Timothy Schmit, bassist since 1977, is still there, as is guitarist Joe Walsh, but Glenn Frey, Henley’s other half in the band, died in 2016 . His place is taken by his son Deacon, with the lineup further augmented by the country star Vince Gill and the fabulously discreet guitarist/sideman Steuart Smith. The musicians wear white shirts and black waistcoats, Western tailoring: Senior desperado is the look. And what about us, the asses in the seats? We too were sort of a patched-up postmodern proposition: haggard loyalists, jolly middle-of-the-roaders, multigenerational clumps.

By the time the Eagles released Hotel California , they were knee-deep in experience. Ankle-deep, at any rate. The Southern California sound, which they had helped invent, ruled the airwaves: an edgeless boogie on the low end, a keening country-folk white man on top. Mildly rocking, beautifully harmonizing, with songs that folded shivery Neil Young vibes into a seam of near-disco sleekness, the Eagles appeared to have found the elixir. Pained lyrics about runaround women, sung by long-haired alpha guys. Their previous album, Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) , was a behemoth; it would go on to be the biggest-selling U.S. album of the 20th century. And riches were cool in 1976: The Eagles embraced, as the phrase goes, the lifestyle.

But gorgeous Glenn Frey and sharp-eyed Don Henley, the drummer with the “sweetly frayed high tenor” (as the critic Barney Hoskyns called it), came out of L.A.’s self-regarding singer-songwriter scene. They weren’t going to just sit there and be pop stars. Jet-setters that they were, the eucalyptus whiff of Laurel Canyon was still upon them. So they had their cake and wrote a concept album about it too. An album about vanity and materialism and mortality and faded love and the hollowness of success: Hotel California . The songs were fantastic, alternately streaked with melancholy and slightly vicious. “New Kid in Town” was an industry satire and also kind of a mellow heartbreaker: They will never forget you ’til somebody new comes along . Then there was the taillights cocaine frazzle of “Life in the Fast Lane,” which was the sound of the Age of Aquarius curling up and dying.

“Well, that was it,” said Henley, as the strains of “The Last Resort”— Hotel California ’s final track—faded into the stony maw of the TD Garden. “Our monument to mirage.” What a great line. And what an interesting man he is, still a beaky, worldly, acerbic presence, still a consummate outsider-insider. But the folkloric figure, it turns out, the connector, is Joe Walsh: time-destroyed but still standing, long black coat and leather trousers, ghostly white hair, hurrahed by the crowd every time he steps forward. We love Joe for his slightly un-Eagles personal voltage and the rumor of his long-ago rampages. We love him for his frailty. He soloed heroically during “Life in the Fast Lane.” He sang a raddled, grimacing, broken-voiced, incredibly moving version of “Pretty Maids All in a Row.” Why do we give up our hearts to the past? And why must we grow up so fast?

I sat in my seat, mask-muffled, transported by the still-intact Eagles harmonies, baffled by the complexity of the moment. Hotel California is asshole music, in some ways: introspection from the window of a Learjet. But it’s also self-aware, and wonderfully crafted, and very lovely in places. It is of its time; it is dire with foreknowledge. Because what about the title track, the frozen sub-reggae lurch of it, the spooky symbolist horse-with-no-name lyrics? The weird breeze, the mirrors on the ceiling? We are all just prisoners here, of our own device . At the Garden, Henley delivers this line in an especially knowing, pining voice. Luxury gone rotten, an approaching storm. From his gold-plated heyday he somehow glimpsed it. He smelled it. And it’s still there. The Hotel California, shimmering American palace of God-knows-what, is still our future.

Eagles Tour 2024 Manchester Co-op Live: how to get tickets for Long Goodbye Tour and set list for last UK show

The Hotel California singers will be performing in Manchester for five nights as part of their their last ever shows in the UK.

Rock and roll legends The Eagles, will be performing in Manchester for five nights as part of their their last ever shows in the UK. The Hotel California singers will be taking part in the residency as part of their Long Goodbye Tour.

The band, who are famous for their hits including Hotel California, One of These Nights, Life in the Fast Lane and Desperado , formed in 1971 in Los Angeles. Made up of Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit, with Vince Gill and Deacon Frey, they will be bringing their music to the UK one final time, for five nights in Manchester.

Their final tour, named the Long Goodbye Tour began in September 2023, kicking off at Madison Square Garden in New York, before touring North America. Manchester is the only city they’ll be travelling to in the UK. Here’s everything you need to know about the Eagles performance at the Co-op Live, if you can still get get tickets and the set list.

When are the Eagles performing?

The Eagles will be performing for five nights in Manchester as part of their UK residency for their Long Goodbye Tour. Here are the dates they will be performing in Co-op Live:

• Friday, May 31, Manchester, UK, Co-op Live
• Saturday, June 1, Manchester, UK, Co-op Live
• Tuesday, June 4, Manchester, UK, Co-op Live
• Friday, June 7, Manchester, UK, Co-Op Live
• Saturday, June 8, Manchester, UK, Co-Op Live

What are the stage times for Eagles?

Doors for the Co-op Live will open at 6pm, however the exact time the Eagles will take to the stage has yet to be confirmed. Previous shows at the Co-op Live, which is only newly opened, saw support acts take to the stage between 7pm and 8pm, with the main act going on around 8.30pm or 9pm. The venue does have a curfew for 11pm, so it’s expected the show will end around that time.

What is the set list for Eagles?

The Eagles are best known for some of the most iconic rock and roll songs, with fans hoping to hear them perform them one last time. Their Long Goodbye Tour began in New York’s Madison Square Garden in September 2023, with fans treated to renditions of: Life in the Fast Lane, Tequila Sunrise, Witchy Woman, Take it Easy, and their classic Hotel California.

The set list for their Manchester residency has not been confirmed, but basing it off their show at the Spectrum Centre in America which took place earlier this year, it’s expected to include:

• Seven Bridges Road
• Take it Easy
• One of These Nights
• Take It to the Limit
• Witchy Woman
• Peaceful Easy Feeling
• Tequila Sunrise
• Life in the Fast Lane
• In the City
• I Can't Tell You Why
• New Kid in Town
• Life's Been Good
• Already Gone
• The Boys of Summer

Can you still get tickets for Eagles?

Yes, the event is not sold out yet, but there are a limited number of tickets left on Ticketmaster , with the best availability to get your hands on pair on June 7 and June 8. Ticket prices start from £75.95, with seats closer to the stage going up to £199.95 and Platinum tickets at £234.40.

Sarah McCann is a Trends Writer for NationalWorld who specialises in stories around TV, Film and Health. If you liked this article you can follow Sarah on X (Twitter) here . You can also sign up to her free weekly column in the NationalWorld newsletter bringing you the latest tv and film news every Thursday.

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• May 8, 1977 Setlist

Eagles Setlist at Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany

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• Hotel California Play Video
• Walk Away ( James Gang  cover) Play Video
• Victim of Love Play Video
• Doolin-Dalton Play Video
• Doolin'-Dalton / Desperado ( Reprise ) Play Video
• Lyin' Eyes Play Video
• Take It to the Limit Play Video
• New Kid in Town Play Video
• Desperado Play Video
• One of These Nights Play Video
• Turn to Stone ( Joe Walsh  song) Play Video
• Already Gone ( Robb Strandlund  cover) Play Video
• Rocky Mountain Way ( Joe Walsh  song) Play Video
• James Dean Play Video
• Best of My Love Play Video
• Take It Easy Play Video

Edits and Comments

8 activities (last edit by sternfeld , 16 Nov 2023, 21:13 Etc/UTC )

Songs on Albums

• Already Gone by Robb Strandlund
• Rocky Mountain Way by Joe Walsh
• Turn to Stone by Joe Walsh
• Walk Away by James Gang
• Doolin'-Dalton / Desperado
• Doolin-Dalton
• Hotel California
• New Kid in Town
• Victim of Love
• Lyin' Eyes
• One of These Nights
• Take It to the Limit
• Best of My Love
• Take It Easy

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Related News

Eagles Kick Off First Leg of Long Goodbye Tour in NYC

Setlist History: Eagles Play First Show Without Glenn Frey

The Eagles Announce 'The Long Goodbye' Final Tour

Eagles gig timeline.

• May 04 1977 Bingley Hall Stafford, England Add time Add time
• May 07 1977 Olympiahalle Munich, Germany Add time Add time
• May 08 1977 Festhalle This Setlist Frankfurt, Germany Add time Add time
• May 09 1977 Philipshalle Düsseldorf, Germany Add time Add time
• May 11 1977 Ahoy Rotterdam, Netherlands Add time Add time

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