Eagles hatch summer farewell tour
NEW YORK (Variety) -- The Eagles will spread their wings at least one more time this summer for their "Farewell I" concert tour, as Monday turned into a rather popular day to announce summer concert gigs.
Other tours announced were those of Peter Gabriel, Annie Lennox and a double bill of Matchbox Twenty and Sugar Ray.
The Eagles tour is set to kick off at the Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia, on May 9 and continue at least through mid-July.
The outing reunites the "The Long Run" version of the band with Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit sans Don Felder to reprise the group's cadre of mega-hits such as "Hotel California" and "Take It Easy." (Felder is suing the band after being ousted in 2001.)
The Eagles have scheduled 19 dates so far, including stops in Philadelphia, Boston, Dallas, Atlanta and Nashville, among others, with another 20 or so engagements yet to be announced. Fans who sign up at the group's online fan club site (http://eagles.yahoo.com) will get a shot at advance-sales windows for many of the shows.
Eagles reunions have proved a potent draw for concertgoers in recent years. The band's most recent live outing, hitting mainly smaller and midsized cities in North America last year, grossed $35 million from 31 sold-out shows.
Gabriel, who toured the U.S. late last year, will play amphitheaters in 16 U.S. cities beginning June 7 in San Francisco.
Lennox, whose album "Bare" will be released June 10 by BMG's J Records, will play 18 cities between March 26 and April 30, including intimate gigs at New York's Apollo on April 14 and UCLA's Royce Hall on April 29. More dates will be announced for shows after the release of "Bare."
Matchbox Twenty and Sugar Ray are teaming for a 49-concert run in arenas that starts in Little Rock, Arkansas, on April 26. (Matchbox Twenty will play a solo show the day before in New Orleans). The double bill, which will feature Maroon 5 as the opening act through May 31, is booked through early July with a stop June 14 at L.A.'s Staples Center.
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