Las Vegas Mixtape v25: Eagles Ascend at Sphere, Trop Implosion Party, and More

Track #1: Eagles @Sphere

For me there’s nothing like the divine sound of high harmonies. And the Eagles delivered truckloads of them last month (October 19) at the Sphere on gems like “Hotel California,” “I Can’t Tell You Why”—which is Timothy B. Schmit’s moment to shine in the show—and “Take It To The Limit,” movingly summoning the spirit of its original member, the late Randy Meisner.

Walking into the Sphere, I couldn’t help but wonder if the Eagles would meet the challenge of performing in a venue that’s driven by startling visuals without sacrificing the intimacy of most of their songs. Glad to say the Southern California band triumphantly pulled it off, utilizing creative imagery as well as projections of themselves to enhance, not overwhelm, the songs.

At the show’s outset, band leader Don Henley kiddingly acknowledged the Sphere’s snow globe-like setting by saying, “There’s stuff going on around you. I hope you brought your Dramamine.” He also told the crowd not to miss the visuals displayed at the very top of the venue, where you could see, for example, guitarist Joe Walsh performing a reliably searing solo on his solo hit “In The City.” Especially on this song, you could feel the force of the venue’s 164,000 speakers.

Much as the eye candy was striking—like the co-ed couple seen swimming underwater in Henley’s solo hit “Boys of Summer” and scenes of the Strip at night during “Life In The Fast Lane”—it was the band’s exquisite musicianship and vocals that still resonate the most in my mind. The late Glenn Frey’s son Deacon Fry evoked the California desert with his warm tone that echoed his father’s on “Peaceful Easy Feeling”; Henley’s falsetto at the end of “One of These Nights” was electrifying; and country star Vince Gill’s voice on “Take It To The Limit” was as luxurious as velvet.

The Eagles began their Sphere residency, as part of their farewell tour, on September 20 and return tonight (November 1). They’re performing on select weekends through March 15, 2025, and by the time the run wraps, they will have played 28 shows (unless more are added). It’s truly a SoCal takeover.