This past Sunday night the entertainment for Special Events was an Eagles Tribute Band called ‘Take It Easy’. They did everything BUT take it easy. If you closed your eyes, you would think the original Eagles were on stage! This group of musicians had played in other Eagles Tribute bands for years, but none of them had played together until last night. Their playlist took you down memory lane with ‘Takin It Easy’, ‘Witchy Woman’, ‘Peaceful Easy Feelin’, ‘Already Gone’, ‘Tequila Sunrise’, ‘Desperado’, ‘One of these Nights’, ‘Lyin’ Eyes’, ‘Take it to the Limit’, and then finished their first set with ‘The Best of My Love’.

During the fifteen minute intermission, the food line quickly stretched all the way back to the divider curtains. It was literally standing room only. The attendance topped that of the previous week’s New Year’s Eve Dance which held over 500 guests. The volunteers who helped set up the room beforehand did a fantastic job and when more seating was needed, they jumped in and quickly made it happen. Anyone who attended the concert last night saw first hand how great a crew Chairman Donna Scorse really has when the unexpected happens. 

Outside Tanglewood guests were included in the nearly 600 attendants who stayed for the second set and were mesmerized by the quality of sound which came from OUR sound system as the tech group worked their magic on the big screens by combining a mix of the tribute band visually playing with the original Eagles Band from prior live concerts. Our portable ‘scooter’ videographer, ‘Frank’, was nearly invisible to the audience but provided the tech booth with some awesome onstage shots that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.

A combination of spot lights, four stationary cameras and two mobile cams were ‘taken to their limit’ but allowed a total of six different camera options for Jerry, our lighting guru, Steve, the video producer, and Gary our super soundman to assist the band in providing one of the best performances shown here in years!

It takes a ‘Tanglewood Village’ of multitalented volunteers to produce a show as great as this one and it was only intermission!

As the second playlist began with ‘Life in the Fast Lane’, ‘New Kid in Town’, ‘Pretty Maids all in a Row’, etc. the audience interacted with the band by dancing in the aisles, some were even jumping up and down, others clapping their hands. You’d never know it was past their normal bedtime med-time. As one of the band members stated, ‘You’re all retired and haven’t got anything else to do tomorrow, so have some fun tonight!’

So, as any professional band would do, they saved the best for last… When Hotel California was finally sung, our Tanglewooders gave the band a standing ovation throughout the whole song. As the lights came up, the band witnessed the appreciation for their final song.

As you know, when it’s normally the last song, the ‘stampede’ begins to exit the doors, but not this night. When the band quickly returned to the stage, EVERYONE STOPPED WALKING and talking as they turned their attention back to the stage, one last time…until the very end.  OMG! This was definitely a night to remember, so much so that you could still here the Eagles music echoing the Clubhouse this morning at Monday Coffee!