Put Don Henley and some famous friends in the intimate Union Hall and give them two hours and 45 minutes to play around. The results: A solid afternoon of music that moved a boomer-heavy crowd to blissful proportions.
Opening with a sweet harmonic “Mr. Tambourine Man” by ex-Byrd Roger McGuinn and Bruce Hornsby, the afternoon show got off to a brisk start. The good vibes continued with Hornsby’s three-song set, marked by a heartfelt “Mandolin Rain.”
Hornsby stuck around to play “The End of the Innocence,” which was used to bring out Henley, all dry wit and dynamic vocals. A soulful take on Leonard Cohen’s pessimistic “Everybody Knows” fit in with Henley’s image as bemused cynic. With fellow Eagle Timothy B. Schmit on board, a few of that band’s tunes were trotted out. A vibrant Stevie Nicks joined Henley for “Leather and Lace.” A gentle “Landslide” highlighted her too-short time on stage.
For the finale of Sunday’s show, a fund-raiser for the Southwest Center for Biological Diversity, the principals offered “My Back Pages,” a nicely sentimental end to an afternoon heavy on nostalgia.
Arizona Republic / Monday, March 10, 1997
