Randy, sick with a cold, performed at the Agora Ballroom in Columbus on March 8th, 1981. It was also his 35th birthday,
Randy’s backing band, The Silverados, marked his birthday by presenting him with a cake and leading the crowd in “Happy Birthday.” They also gave him a t-shirt, which he changed into during the show.
Randy’s cold and sore throat seriously hampered his singing voice, something he apologized for throughout the show. However, the enthusiastic audience didn’t seem to mind.
Below: Randy dons a cowboy hat that was thrown onstage by an audience member.
Randy and his six-piece band. L-R: Sterling Smith, Bryan Garofalo, Randy, Terese Heston, Craig Krampf, Craig Hull, Don Francisco. Note Randy’s shirt change from the photos above. You can see his sweater on top of Smith’s keyboard. Photo ©Dale Briggs
The reviews do not mention all of the twelve songs that were played, however based on other reviews and live recordings from this tour, Randy usually played the same selection of numbers in his hour-long set. Opening with “Bad Man” and closing with “Hearts On Fire.” Then, coming back with “Deep Inside My Heart” and “One More Song” as encores. His shows also included three of his Eagles songs: “Take It To The Limit,” “Try & Love Again” and “Too Many Hands.”
Setlist:
Bad Man
Gotta Get Away
Take It To The Limit
Try And Love Again
Come On Back To Me
Too Many Hands
I Need You Bad
Trouble Ahead
Lonesome Cowgirl
Hearts On Fire
Deep Inside My Heart
One More Song
The evening also marked the return of Columbus native, keyboardist Sterling Smith, to his hometown. In this interview with the Columbus Dispatch, Smith recalls that he met Randy in November 1979, and worked with him on a project that never came to pass. Nevertheless,he kept in touch and was eventually contacted to work on Randy’s 1980 album, One More Song. Sadly, Smith passed away the same week as Randy in July 2023.
Randy’s bassist Bryan Garofalo (in shorts) was part of Joe Walsh’s backing band in the 1970s before he was a member of the Eagles. In 1975, when the Eagles and Walsh played Elton John’s Midsummer Music at Wembley Stadium. You can see Garofalo in the Randy’s home movie footage of the occasion. He also played bass on Walsh’s 1974 album, So What, on which Randy, and other members of the Eagles, sang backup on several songs.
The next night, Randy appeared at the Agora Ballroom in Cleveland, with Rosanne Cash as the opening act.
I attended the concert in Columbus. Very sad that Randy passed away and Sterling a day later. May they Rest in Peace.
I attended this concert at the Agora Columbus. Always a big fan after he left the Eagles. It was special because of Sterling Smith being a very well known Columbus musician. It was very sad to see they both passed a day apart. RIP
I was trying to read what the T-shirt said, but could not. What did it say? Also, I was wondering if you knew the significance of the necklace Randy wore a lot of the time. I would love to know. I had no idea that he and Sterling Smith died only one day apart from each other. So sad. I wish I could have met Randy, but I was only 15 when he was in the Eagles and didn’t have a driver’s license. By the time I COULD drive in 1977, he had already left the band. I always loved their music, though. I knew there was something very special about Randy Meisner, and I followed his solo career after he left the Eagles. I had no real idea until much later what a sweet, shy, humble, and unassuming guy he truly was; but that must have come across to me while he was singing and playing on stage. I saw him on TV performing with Kim Carnes and other solo performances. Plus, of course, all the videos he was in performing with the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, and Jackson Brown.
I can only make out part of the writing on the shirt. It appears to say “I SURVIVED THE SILVERTRAIN…” not sure what it says below that. I don’t have any info on the significance of the necklace.