Well these pictures have been a long time coming. They are from a Chicago concert I saw back in February, more than four months ago, at the Fred Kavli Theater in Thousand Oaks, CA. I had not planned to see the band live again after their 50th Anniversary show at the Whisky a Go Go last year, and then on February 18 I found myself at this show in an excellent seat due to a gift from a friend…
28 May 2018, Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA
It was a cold night at the Hollywood Bowl as it usually is in LA in May, but my heart was full of warmth as I watched and listened in wonder at Paul Simon. My mouth must have been wide open in amazement too often through the nearly three-hour show, as I woke the next morning with a sore throat and chesty cough that I am still trying to shake. But how could I not be breathing in the brilliance? How could I not smile widely and sing along with everyone else?
22 May 2018, Moda Center, Portland, OR
It was a wild crowd at the Moda Center in Portland last Tuesday night. Boisterous, talking, singing, hollering, on their feet, snapping every moment of the show on their mobile phones, videoing away despite omnipresent burly security men. Rarely did they take the cue to quieten down. At one point Don Henley looked as though all he could do was surrender to it. So he smirked and said, “Must be the coffee.”
27 October 2017, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
Going all the way to Detroit for 48 hours to see Glenn Frey’s son play with the band his late father had founded 45 years before was an emotional experience. Coming just one month after seeing – and reporting on – the Eagles at the Classic Northwest in Seattle, I elected to hold off posting a report and photos on the Detroit show. But seven months later, as I was writing about the band’s Portland show, I found myself referring back to this night.
30 September 2017, Safeco Field, Seattle, WA
I was a conscientious objector and then was most contrite. I made a huge deal about not wanting to see the Eagles continue without Glenn Frey, especially in such a colossal and overly expensive way, so I decided to boycott the Classic West Festival that played right in my vicinity in Los Angeles in July. And then on the day I was hopelessly depressed about not being there, on missing what was going to be a historic event…
22 July 2017, American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Don Henley decided to invite us all to his birthday bash and so off to Texas in the midsummer sweltering humidity of Dallas I went. My name is Debbie, after all, so any excuse to do Dallas…
26 June 2017, Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CAFor a combination of visual spectacle and musical grandeur with non-stop hits, there is pretty much nothing like a Queen concert. Having accepted this version of Queen, a Queen minus original, enigmatic bassist John Deacon, plus the fabulously flamboyant and vocally victorious Adam Lambert up front, it seems now I’m loathe to miss them if they play where I am. And who wouldn’t want to see Queen at the Hollywood Bowl?
7 June 2017, Grammy Museum and 8 June 2017, Greek Theater, Los Angeles, CA
It’s been a few months since I last wrote here (my Liv On review had a huge response), and now that my summer concert season has begun, it’s great to return with another strong woman artist, Sheryl Crow, who has intrigued me for more than two decades and always drawn me into her musical ventures.
5 June 2017, Whisky a Go Go, Los Angeles, CA
This year Chicago is marking 50 years since it formed. I was hoping for a seriously celebratory tour, or a handful of extra spectacular concerts with special guests, perhaps even – foolish fantasiser am I – a one-off reunion with former members. But no, they just decided to go on the road with the Doobie Brothers again, because it’s become standard now for Chicago to tour in a double bill each year, be it with the Doobies, Earth Wind & Fire, REO Speedwagon or some other classic rock band…
11 February 2017, Saban Theatre, Beverly Hills, CA
This was a sweet, tender, and just slightly odd night. Sweet and tender because of three women whose voices individually and separately are delightful, whose signature songs are weighty and whose humility is endearing.
DEBBIE DOES MUSIC 