The Eagles have kicked off their North American tour — An Evening with the Eagles, their first lengthy set of performance dates since 2016 — with a heartfelt tribute to the legendary Glenn Frey. The late front man’s son, Deacon Frey, has stepped up to take over vocal duties on songs such as “Take it Easy,” “How Long,” and “Already Gone.” Deacon was also supported by frequent Eagles collaborator Vince Gill, who has taken over Glenn’s guitar duties. The lineup was completed with Eagles stalwarts Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit.

Following the death of the charismatic founder of the band on January 18, 2016, the band announced it would no longer tour, with Don Henley saying, “I don’t see how we could go out and play without the guy who started the band,” according to the Washington Post. This current lineup has not performed for fans since last year’s Classic West festival. Glenn Frey, of course, was not just the lead singer and frontman for the band but also one of the three founding members (alongside Henley and Randy Meisner), and his life with the band was the stuff of legends. An outspoken and avid fan of a game of cards, the magnetic front man even claimed to have invented a new method of poker based on Acey-Deucey rules. “Eagle Poker” came out of the band’s 1972 stint in London to record their debut album where legend has it they kept themselves amused by playing “for endless hours and perfected the game that would become Eagle Poker.”

Now, this new incarnation of arguably one of the world’s most successful American rock bands is headed up by a real living memory to Glenn Frey — his son, Deacon. Just like his father, Deacon is a talented singer-songwriter, but prior to stepping on stage with Henley, Walsh and Schmit at the Dodger Stadium, LA in 2017, he had limited experience playing public gigs. During songs like “How Long” Deacon effortlessly replicates that natural vocal phrasing that his father was known for, and this tour will give him plenty of time to grow into his style as a performer.

Vince Gill, on the other hand, needs little introduction to audiences. This icon of contemporary country and western music has recorded and released over 20 albums, including a greatest hits, and was once the front man of the country rock band Pure Prairie League. Prior to being asked to join the Eagles last summer, his solo career brought him 18 Country Music Awards and an induction into the Guitar Centre Rock Walk by none other than Joe Walsh in 2016. Together, Deacon and Vince will be sharing lead vocals and guitar on this 52-date tour that runs until October 20, 2018.

Audiences at the Scottrade in St. Louis and Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis have already been wowed by the two-hour-plus set that includes classic Eagles tracks “Heartache Tonight,” “Lyin’ Eyes,” “Life in the Fast Lane” and “Take it to the Limit” amongst covers of Steve Young’s “Seven Bridges Road” and Joe Walsh’s “Life’s Been Good.” The pièce de résistance, however, is the double encore of “Hotel California” and “Rocky Mountain Way” with “Desperado.” The Evening with the Eagles tour continues at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus on April 8^th, the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on April 21^st with special guests Jimmy Buffet and the Coral Reefer Band and the Rogers Arena in Vancouver on May 10^th. Visit the official Eagles website to see the full tour listing.

Photo by Rachel Kramer, License CC BY