Poco performed two shows at the Bottom Line in Nagoya on October 21st, 1990. One of the performances was filmed for Japanese television.
Japan Times, October 11, 1990
Setlist Rough Edges What Do People Know Nature Of Love Lovin’ You Every Minute Rose Of Cimarron Spellbound Crazy Love Follow Your Dreams One More Song Who Else You Better Think Twice Hearts On Fire Take It To The Limit Your Mama Don’t Dance Call It Love Midnight Flyer
Footage
Below are three of Randy’s lead-singing performances from the show. The band featured Jim Messina, Rusty Young, George Grantham and Jack Sundrud. Randy’s black bass was custom-made for him by Fender. It was more lightweight to help his back.
“Rough Edges”
“Nature Of Love”
“Take It To The Limit”
Watch other performances from the show: Click Here
On July 1st-3rd, 1983, Randy played a series of hometown concerts at the Oregon Trail Lounge in Gering, NE. Find out more about the show and see rare, never-before-seen photos.
The band that would become known as Poco gave its second performance at the Troubadour on October 24th, 1968 billed as “R.F.D.”
Richie Furay explained the meaning of R.F.D. in his autobiography, Pickin’ Up The Pieces (2006):
“For our first public appearance at the Troubadour, as one of several bands playing a Monday night hootenanny, we called ourselves Pogo. That changed for the next two shows, one at the Troubadour and the other a benefit concert at the University of Southern California….Those nights we performed as R.F.D. The name was probably inspired by Mayberry R.F.D., a television series that had aired its first episode in September; it was a spin-off from The Andy Griffith Show. In that context, R.F.D. meant ‘Rural Free Delivery.’ The letters were also [manager] Dickie’s initials””Richard Franklin Davis””but that didn’t stop some people from thinking it stood for ‘Richie Furay’s Dream.’ In some ways, this last theory was appropriate because the band was the fulfillment of the dream I’d had after the Buffalo Springfield ended.”
The Herald-Examiner review below mentioned three songs the band played, all of which would end up on their debut album, Pickin’ Up The Pieces, released in 1969: “What A Day,” “Just In Case It Happens, Yes, Indeed,” and “Short Changed.”
“The group goes in for the high, rich harmonies that the Springfield loved, except that in the Springfield Furay was usually the highest voice and in R.F.D. the bass player, Randy Meisner, sings above him.” –Michael Etchison, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, October 30, 1968
Clipping courtesy of Jennifer Meisner.
Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, October 30, 1968
Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, October 30, 1968
The last paragraph alluded to a “promised” future engagement by R.F.D. at the Troubadour. The band returned for the promised stint on November 19th, billed once again as Pogo. This two-week engagement became legendary and put the band on the map. Read more about it here.
Eagles Indiana University Assembly Hall/Bloomington September 1, 1974
The Eagles and Kansas opened for the Beach Boys at Indiana University’s Assembly Hall in Bloomington. The concert was originally supposed to take place outdoors at the 10th Street Stadium, but was moved to an indoor venue due to rain.
Original concert poster
Indiana Daily Student, September 4, 1974 (Photo: Jim Maire):
The Eagles played Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado on August 8th, 1976. Several members of his family were in attendance, including his wife, children, and parents.
Randy Meisner: A Retrospective is proud to debut this rare, hour-long film by Richard Randall, which features never-before-seen interview and concert footage from 1995.
The Eagles played the Seattle Center Coliseum in Seattle, WA on August 21st, 1975. Roger McGuinn opened. Listen to an audience recording of the Eagles’ set below.
Seattle Times, August 19, 1975
Concert photos by Bill Sharpsteen.
Audience Recording
Randy sang lead on “Midnight Flyer” and “Too Many Hands.”
The concert started an hour late because a sound truck was involved in an accident in Oregon.
The Eagles played the Seattle Kingdome on August 6th, 1976. Linda Ronstadt and J.D. Souther opened.
The concert was attended by more than 50,000 fans. It was only the second concert in the newly-built Kingdome. The first was Paul McCartney & Wings in June.
Original concert poster
Cooper Point Journal, August 12, 1976
The sound was terrible in the giant venue unless you were seated directly in front of the stage. Fans who came to hear the Eagles’ perfect harmonies couldn’t hear them unless they were near the front. Patrick McDonald of the Seattle Times, noted that due to the size of the Kingdome and the number of people in attendance, the show resembled an “indoor Woodstock” with people milling around and friends sitting together passing pipes and joints. However, unlike Woodstock, the Kingdome was equipped with a giant video screen that hung near the stage:
“One major difference was the big screen, which did give everybody a good view of what was going on on stage. They were doing different things with than at the Wings show – split screen, dissolves, extreme close-ups, etc. It was like watching In Concert on a giant TV screen except the sound is better on TV.”
Patrick McDonald, Seattle Times, August 8, 1976
Footage
This video screen footage of the Seattle concert exists as a bootleg. Below I have included the footage of Randy’s two lead-singing performances, “Take It To The Limit” and “Midnight Flyer.” I have also included “One Of These Nights” and rare footage of “Seven Bridges Road.” The entire concert is also available at the bottom.
“Take It To The Limit”
Listen to the end to hear Glenn Frey say “That was Randy Meisner, our bass player, hitting the high notes there. We love it every night.” Then Joe Walsh pipes in: “He can sing higher than that if he needs to.” (@2:36) Unfortunately, the footage starts in the middle of the song.
“Midnight Flyer”
“One Of These Nights”
“Seven Bridges Road”
Full Concert
Reviews
“It should be mentioned that the Eagles’ singing was almost flawless throughout. Bassist Randy Meisner’s incredibly breathtaking vocal on ‘Take It To The Limit’ prompted Glenn Frey to remark, ‘The highest voice in the business…and he can sing higher,too.’ Their superb vocal harmonies were featured in a beautiful acoustic version of ‘Seven Bridges Road’ with drummer Don Henley stepping down to sing with the other four. It was reminiscent of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.” (Nathaniel Koch, Cooper Point Journal, Evergreen State College, August 12, 1976)
Cooper Point Journal, Evergreen State College, August 12, 1976
Seattle Times, August 8, 1976
The Kingdome show was the Eagles’ second to last concert on their 1976 summer tour. Their last stop was Mile High Stadium in Denver on August 8th, 1976. Several members of Randy’s family traveled from Scottsbluff, Nebraska to see the show. Read more about it below.
This was the Eagles’ third visit to the “Queen City” (and Randy’s fourth).
Cincinnati Enquirer, May 4, 1975
Eagles at UC Fieldhouse. Photo by Tom Kistner.
UC News Record May 13, 1975
Before the show, the Eagles were presented with the key to the city by Vice-Mayor William Chenault. Eight years later, Randy, along with his mom, Emilie, was presented the key to the city during a concert in Omaha, NE at Pogo’s Electric Cowboy.
The Eagles played Olympia Stadium in Detroit on July 20th, 1976. J.D. Souther opened.
Both Glenn Frey and the concert’s opening act, J.D. Souther, were born in Detroit. In 1964, Glenn’s aunt Virginia took him to see the Beatles at Olympia Stadium, when he was 15-years-old.
Detroit Press, June 27, 1976
The Eagles perform “Seven Bridges Road” at Olympia Stadium.
Randy sang lead on “Midnight Flyer” and “Take It To The Limit.”
Elton John, the Eagles, and Elvis all performed at Freedom Hall within the same week.
Courier-Journal, August 29, 1976. Photo: Bill Strode
“Randy Meisner’s astonishing falsettos were consistently greeted with wild applause.”
PAGE 1 Louisville Times, July 24, 1976
PAGE 2 Louisville Times, July 24, 1976
“…everybody had either a beard or mustache except bass guitarist Randy Meisner, who looked downright clean in his Prince Valiant haircut. Meisner proved he was in the right place when he sang lead on ‘Take It To The Limit,” one of the Eagles’ smash hits.
