Two weeks ago I drove to Coachella, to the Spotlight casino to hear country rocker Dwight Yoakam. I’ve liked him since 1986 when I saw him in New York City. It was then my first foray into country music and I started listening to Yoakam, Randy Travis, the Judds, K T Oslin, Restless Heart and a whole slew of great entertainers. The New York concert was particularly good with Lyle Lovett opening for Yoakam.
Two weeks ago was a different story. It was an 8pm show that didn’t start till 8:15, when Rob Leines took the stage. He fronted a three-piece band on lead guitar, with a bassist and a drummer. They were excellent musicians and I quite enjoyed the first 15 minutes of loud straight-on rock and roll. But of course, I wasn’t there to see him. Probably no one was. And the fact that the sound system ate up all the words he kept telling us he had written was not a plus.
Worse, after those first 15 minutes he hollered, “Y’all ready for Dwight Yoakam? Hell, yeah you are, but first I’m gonna play another 30 minutes.” He seemed to enjoy taunting the audience and making us wait.
And he kept to his word. He played a 45 minute set and then the lights came on for intermission, while the stage crew set up for Dwight Yoakam. 15 minutes later the stage was ready. Five more minutes and we’re still looking at a fully-set, but musician-less stage.
So I left. I had hesitated all day, worrying whether I should attend or not and now was pretty uncomfortable being near a sea of unmasked music fans. And I was really irritated that at 9:25, an hour and twenty-five minutes after the advertised start time, Dwight Yoakam was nowhere to be seen.
Last night the story was the exact opposite. Different town, different casino, different act. Don Felder, once of the Eagles, was to give an 8pm concert; at 8:05 he took the stage, and played for ninety minutes. He was brilliant; his back-up band were great musicians and also did high justice to the Eagles harmonies; Felder killed it on guitar. He played virtually every Eagles song I might want to hear -- except Desperado (sorry, Tom) -- ending with a fantastic Hotel California -- a song I love and of which I have19 different versions.
It was an excellent concert and I was so impressed by Felder’s work ethic and the respect he showed his fans. No back-up band none of us had heard of, no interminable waits, just great rock and roll played well. He respected his band mates too, telling us a bit about each one, including who they had played or recorded with over the years. As you may know Felder’s time with the Eagles ended badly, but he had nothing but kind words for them, dedicating one song to the late Glenn Frey. It was a perfect concert.
Alas, it means next time I will again show up at the scheduled start time. Maybe I’ll be lucky again, maybe not. You never know whether you’re gonna get the Yoakam scenario or the Felder phenomenon.
