Restless Penticton audience tough to please at Don Henley show

PENTICTON – Concert nights must be tough on aging musicians like Don Henley who has hits spanning decades.

The 68-year-old musician brought four decades of music to the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton, including some numbers from his most recent recording, but many in the audience made it quite plain they weren’t there to listen to Henley's current music — they wanted to go back in time to his classics.

Henley has moved on from his days as a member of the Eagles in the 70s, and has moved towards a more country-oriented genre since his days as a solo act in the 80s and 90s. He was at the events centre last night to showcase his new material, which seemed to be a problem for many in the audience who wanted nothing but the oldies.

Henley craftily walked the line with last night’s playlist, sliding in as many of his latest recordings as he could, while tapping into the best of his past.

It still wasn’t enough for some as Henley endured with grace the shouted comments and catcalls between songs.

“We have an interactive concert here. Everybody has their say,” he said.

Henley certainly didn’t go cheap on air fare: At times, up to 16 musicians appeared on stage, including three female vocalists and a horn section.

The result was a compilation of songs that sounded much like they did when they first hit the airwaves. Henley stayed true to his music in the concert setting, without compromising the quality of his recorded work for a lesser live version.

It was evident in the first song, “Seven Bridges Road,” an Eagles hit that Henley recreated with eight backup singers, during last night’s performance. He followed that up with “Dirty Laundry,” before introducing a handful of songs from his September, 2015 release, “Cass County. “

Those were interspersed between Eagles tunes and solo career hits.

The numbers were played unhurried and in their entirety. Although Henley took the stage late, at around 8:30 p.m. he went through a more than ample repertoire by the time he returned for his final encore around 10:30 p.m.

He gave his detractors the song they wanted after describing how he would handle his first encore.

“We’re going to play that song, after we do one more from Cass County,” he said, allowing use of cell phones during the rendition of "Hotel California," for the first time in the evening.

He thanked the audience for keeping cell phones in their pockets up to that point.

“It makes a better concert experience for everyone,” he said.


To contact a reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community? Create a free account to comment on stories, ask questions, and join meaningful discussions on our new site.

Leave a Reply

Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

Steve Arstad's Stories

More Articles