Portland Expo, December 2nd, 1973
This is an update of a previous post about the Eagles’ 1973 concert in Portland, Maine. I have added several new photos of Randy backstage and onstage.
EAGLES
Akron University Gym, Akron, OH
May 13, 1973
The Eagles opened for Spooky Tooth
“Ex-Poco member, Randy Meisner, made his subtle and important mark on the evening by doing his “Certain Kind Of Fool” and “Tryin'”–both numbers of high energy and Poco-like vocals. Meisner’s bass playing is simple, but steady.” -Jim Gerard, Cleveland Scene, May 17, 1973
EAGLES
Coliseum, Evansville, Indiana
December 17, 1973
Also on the bill were Bachman Turner Overdrive and Dan Fogelberg.
The review below includes a very brief interview with Glenn Frey, who said he was at a “low emotional ebb” after performing five nights in a row. It also has a couple of misprints, including the ages of the band members (“23 and 24”). At the time of the concert, Randy was the oldest at 27, Don Henley and Bernie Leadon were 26, and Glenn Frey was 25. Randy’s “Tryin'” is listed as “Keep On Moving” and “Sun’s Come Up” is “Ol’ 55.” The latter would appear on their not-yet-released album, On The Border in April 1974. Another song intended for the album, “Don’t Be Mean To Your Bad Man,” written by J.D. Souther and Glenn Frey, was also performed, but did not end up on the album. It later appeared as just “Bad Man” on Randy’s self-titled debut in 1978.
EAGLES
Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, MO
December 13, 1973
Dan Fogelberg opened.
The review below also includes an interview with Don Henley and Glenn Frey backstage. Randy and Bernie did not contribute much, but “stuck their heads in to add dry wit from time to time.”
At the show, the Eagles played a couple of numbers that would eventually end up on On The Border, including “Good Day In Hell” and “Ol’ 55” (sung by Glenn, but the author incorrectly states it was sung by Bernie). They also played “Be Good To Your Badman” (aka “Bad Man”), co-written by J.D. Souther and Glenn Frey, which did not end up on On The Border, but did become the first track on Randy’s first solo album in 1978.
EAGLES
Atlantic Christian College, Wilson, NC
December 11, 1973
Randy wore the yellow Morehead jersey he purchased in the bookstore at Morehead State University when the band played a concert there the week before. He’ll wear it again in early 1974 during the taping of Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert.
Photos from the Pine Knot yearbook, 1974
Photo Archive: Eagles, November 13th, 1973
Photographer: Peter Mazel
Location: Photos were taken prior to the Eagles’ concert at the De Doelen in Rotterdam either backstage or at Mazel’s studio in The Hague.
Randy’s shirt is a nod to his hometown of Scottsbluff, Nebraska. The Frank Implement Company was owned by the father of one of his friends. Randy worked there for several months in 1970 between stints touring with Rick Nelson’s Stone Canyon Band.
Photos
Photo Archive: Eagles, November 12th, 1973
Photographer: Gijsbert Hanekroot
Location: Hilton Hotel, Amsterdam
Eagles were presented with an Edison award for Desperado (the Edison is a Dutch version of the Grammy). Read more here.
Eagles in Tampa, June 1973
Read the reviews and listen to a rare audience recording of this concert from the DESPERADO tour.
Ohio University Music Festival, April 28th, 1973
The Eagles were the headliners at the third annual Ohio University Music Festival in Athens, Ohio, less than two weeks after the release of their second album, DESPERADO.
AlbumsBANDSCertain Kind Of FoolConcert HistoryDesperado TourEaglesOn The BorderSongsTryin'Wait & See
“Wait & See”: Randy’s Lost Song & The College Of The Holy Cross
In front of a small audience at the College Of The Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, the Eagles performed a 10-minute epic, written and sung by Randy, called “Wait & See,” which was originally intended for ON THE BORDER.
Amsterdam & Rotterdam, November 1973
The Eagles played the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam on November 12th and De Doelen in Rotterdam on the 13th. The group also received an award and took a set of famous photos.
Morehead State University, Morehead, KY, December 4th, 1973
The Eagles, with opening act, McKendree Spring, played Wetherby Gymnasium on the campus of Morehead State University. It was during this visit to MSU that Randy purchased the yellow Morehead jersey he wore during the filming of Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert.