The Eagles played Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve 1974. Among their guests were Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Dan Fogelberg, J.D. Souther and Joe Walsh.
Los Angles Times, December 29, 1974
For this show, Randy played a Hagstrom HII BN bass. This bass has a different headstock than the red Hagstrom he often played during the mid-70s.
Daily Trojan (USC), January 10, 1975
Randy (left) with J.D. Souther
“When midnight arrived, the Eagles treated everybody to a bluegrass treatment of ‘Auld Lang Syne,’ released a passelfull of balloons and let loose a gorilla who threw bananas to the audience.Then they invited a few of their friends, including Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne and opening act Dan Fogelberg–on stage to join them for ‘Take It Easy.'” (San Pedro News-Pilot, January 4, 1975)
L-R: Randy, Joe Walsh, Dan Fogelberg, Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne.
The Eagles played two nights at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, CO on August 18th and 19th, 1975. Dan Fogelberg and Tom Waits were the warmup acts.
Straight Creek Journal (Boulder), August 14, 1975
An early ad for the show listing only Tom Waits as the opener. It also included the original dates of the concerts: August 19th and 20th.
Image courtesy of Dana Meisner
The Eagles’ previous album, On The Border, featured a song, “Ol’ 55,” that was written by fellow Asylum artist, Tom Waits, who opened the show. According to an audience account, Waits was booed off the stage before he completed his set on the first night:
“Unfortunately Tom was booed off the stage before he could do a whole set, presumably because the Eagles fans were more accustomed to sweet than dour. The headliners were not pleased, and made a big point of emphasizing the identity of the composer of ‘Ol 55’ when the time came.” (Ken Langford, Tom Waits Library)
It’s interesting that Waits would perform at this show since he disliked the Eagles version of his song and said so publicly in early 1975:
“It’s one of the first songs I wrote so I felt like it was kind of flattering that somebody wanted to do your song but at the same time I thought their version was a little antiseptic.” (WAMU interview, Washington DC, 1975)
The next year his comments about the band were even more harsh when he told the British music magazine, New Musical Express, that their albums were only good for “keeping the dust off your turntable.” One can’t help but wonder if getting booed at this concert added to his contempt for the band.
