Bernie Leadon joked that he used to have hair in '70s. That prompted Don Henley to suggest the concert was turning into "Hee-Haw." Star Tribune photo by Carlos Gonzalez
The Eagles were to the 1970s what the Beach Boys were to the 1960s – the soundtrack to America's white middle-class, a band that delivered memorable melodies, wonderful harmonies and visions of California dreams.
The material of both these storied bands is dated but there was no question that Beach Boy leader Brian Wilson's concert at the Minnesota Zoo this summer was more fun than the Eagles' show Wednesday at Target Center.
As a lead vocalist, Wilson isn't even the same league with Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Timothy B. Schmit and Joe Walsh (whom were praised in my review). But Wilson was sure having a terrific time at the zoo but at Target Center, Walsh was the only Eagle who seemed to enjoy performing.
As one Walsh fan put it: Frey and Henley seem to be driving Ol' 55 while Walsh is traveling in the fast lane. Indeed.
Frey, who was introduced as the master of ceremonies, likes to tell jokes – and chide the fans about how they respond to his quips and cracks. At one point, he said: "I'm from Detroit where mother is half a word." There was modest laughter. "Now that's god damn funny," Frey insisted.
Bernie Leadon, the Minneapolis-born guitarist/banjoist, played the first set but, after intermission, only the second encore.
Like Wilson, the Eagles played a generous set, offering more than two dozen tunes. There was nothing from 2007's comeback album, "Long Road Out of Eden"; at the Eagles' last Twin Cities show in 2008, they played nine "Eden" tunes.
