Being an opening act is one of the toughest challenges any band encounters. The support act has to make sure every song in their set is flawless because most people buy tickets to see the headliner. This way, they can attract new fans who will want to hear more of their music. Still, not every stellar tour lineup made sense. Glenn Frey remembered a difficult time he had on the road with Edgar Winter and Jethro Tull.
To be sure, The Eagles were never exactly famous for their captivating live shows. As a matter of fact, Don Henley’s assertion that they found it difficult to adapt to MTV partially stemmed from their notoriety for “loitering” onstage. Nobody cared to listen to someone singing while seated, and it would be difficult to top Jethro Tull’s legacy.
In addition to being one of the most well-known figures in progressive rock, Ian Anderson was renowned for adding a good deal of theatrical flair to each performance, frequently bringing the house down with his flute. As if that weren’t awful enough, have a peek at Edgar Winter and the numerous instruments he destroys each evening.
Looking back at clips from songs like “Frankenstein,” one can see Winter singing half of his material. He flies up and down almost any instrument he can get his hands on, including the saxophone, keyboards, and drums. Given all of that, how in the world were the fans to enjoy the silky, carefree sounds of songs like “Tequila Sunrise” and “Desperado“?
Frey told PBS, “We opened for Edgar Winter and Jethro Tull“. He had no idea why the band even bothered to get books for these tours. There were a lot of loud bands playing. And we were the opening act to half-empty houses with one hit record. Although the booking wasn’t exactly compatible, it did help us become a little more resilient.
But, as Frey noted in History of the Eagles, “I’m pretty sure someone told Stephen Stills what he thought of the Eagles and all he said was, ‘They just wanted to be us‘”. There’s a good chance that some of their heroes probably wouldn’t have allowed the band on the bill. When a person enters the major leagues, their rough exterior is a result of their difficult upbringing.
By the time the California rockers began to enjoy widespread success thanks to albums like Hotel California, they had elevated their meager folk-country rock act to a whole experience. This experience was complete with a threatening hotel in the background and hilarious guitar solos by Joe Walsh.
Apart from playing their instruments, they were still motionless, but as their repertory increased, it seemed less significant. Songs like “Life in the Fast Lane” had more than enough room on the radio. Even though the entire music industry had begun to gravitate towards the sounds of new wave and punk.
