It was after Vince Gill's first lead vocal performance of the night, a poignant “Lyin’ Eyes” that really tapped into the sadness of the lyrics, that Don Henley took a moment to address the crowd at a packed Footprint Center for the Eagles’ second concert in two days in downtown Phoenix.

“Tonight’s program has been brought to you by American pharmaceuticals,” he deadpanned Saturday, Jan. 20. The crowd responded with applause and laughter.

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year. I got it first, then Deacon got it, now Vince got it.”

One would assume the “it” in question was, at best, a winter cold.

“Only guy I know that can sing that well when he’s real sick,” the drummer said. “Most people can’t sing that good when they’re well.”

You could hear the impact of that illness on Gill’s vocal, but he soldiered on, visibly straining at times to hit the notes on “Take It to the Limit,” which Henley sent out “to the memory of our original bass player, Mr. Randy Meisner, who we lost this past summer.”

No reasonable person would expect an ailing Gill, at 66, to touch the soulful genius Meisner brought to that recording in his finest hour as a vocalist at 29.

And to be clear, he didn’t.

But it was a nice version regardless, a valiant effort with moments of greatness that spoke to what a talent Gill has always been.

Eagles farewell tour setlist: Every song they played in Phoenix on the Long Goodbye Tour

The Eagles Long Goodbye Tour is their farewell tour

This is the Eagles’ Long Goodbye Tour, which means this may have been the last we’ll ever see of them in Phoenix, a bittersweet occasion to be sure.

Henley, now 76, is the only founding member of the Eagles in the current lineup, joined by longtime members Joe Walsh on guitar and Timothy B. Schmit on bass.

When Henley’s co-lead vocalist and writing partner Glenn Frey died in 2016, even Henley said he didn’t think they’d tour again.

But the Eagles were back on the road in 2018 with two new members — Gill and Frey’s son Deacon. They’ve been through the Valley several times since then, most recently in 2023 on a tour that found them playing the entire “Hotel California” album and a second set of greatest hits.

Don Henley promised 'a 2-hour vacation from all the madness'

The Long Goodbye Tour puts the focus squarely on their greatest hits, as often happens when an artist stages a farewell tour.

“Anyhow, we’re gonna give you about a two-hour vacation from all the madness and the chaos that’s going on in the world,” Henley promised the fans early on.

“We’re gonna do that without any fireworks and no inflatables, no wind machines, no butt-waggin’ choreography, just a bunch of guys with guitars and drums. Go figure.”

It’s doubtful many Eagles fans left wishing the band had splurged on a confetti cannon or worked some aerial ballet into the mix.

They did, however, open their performance with a video montage of vintage clips and photographs to take you through the years, a welcome touch that played to the nostalgic value of a final tour, before strolling on stage to open with the a cappella harmonies of “Seven Bridges Road.”

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Who is playing in the Eagles farewell tour?

There's a reason that became their go-to opener. And it sounded great in Phoenix, with Gill and longtime touring member Steuart Smith trading licks on acoustic guitars.

The five core members of the group were joined by four auxiliary musicians – Smith, who handled the bulk of their signature licks and duplicated several entire solos on guitar; Scott F. Crago on drums and percussion allowing Henley the freedom to step out from behind the kit; Will Hollis on keys and synths; and Michael Thompson on piano, keyboards and accordion.

Smith, Hollis and Thompson also added to the vocal blend that’s been the Eagles calling card from the time they hit the scene with “Take It Easy.”

And now that Gill has joined the fold, they’re blessed with three extremely talented guitarists, often trading leads or harmonizing with each other.

Henley’s voice has aged a bit in the 53 years he’s been doing the Eagles, as has everyone’s.

But that falsetto on “One of These Nights” felt surprisingly ageless, one of several vocal highlights of the night for him, including “Witchy Woman,” “Hotel California” and a heartfelt “Desperado” that couldn’t have been more poignant or more beautiful.

Schmit sounded great on the high notes that continue to define his one song in the vocal spotlight, “I Can’t Tell You Why.”

Deacon Frey has always done a brilliant job of channeling his dad on vocals and that proved to be the case on “Take It Easy,” “Peaceful Easy Feeling” and “Already Gone,” which was further enhanced by Henley’s stellar harmonies.

As for Walsh, the man remains a wildly entertaining goofball who also happens to be an amazing guitarist. Walsh's moments in the vocal spotlight were a blast, from “Rocky Mountain Way” to “In the City,” “Life’s Been Good” and his riff-rocking hit from the James Gang days, “Funk #49.”

On more than one occasion, he was having so much fun investing his delivery with all the personality at his disposal, he had to rush the first few words of his increasingly elastic phrasing just to catch up to the song.

In introducing “Life’s Been Good,” he told the crowd, “I have some advice for you young people. Don’t get old. OK? Don’t get old. I’m 76. I’m not old. That’s why I’m up here. Don’t get old. You’ve gotta stay young.”

Then, upon further reflection, he added, “And out of jail. Stay young and out of jail.”

Staying out of jail is obviously easier (for most of us) than staying young. That’s why the Eagles are packing it in.

And if this does turn out to be their final trip to Phoenix? Even with one member struggling to get through his vocals, they still did their legend proud. And what more could you ask after 53 years?

Steely Dan did a brilliant job opening for the Eagles

Steely Dan’s performance was ridiculously good.

When Walter Becker died in 2017, his longtime partner Donald Fagen issued a statement saying, “I intend to keep the music we created together alive as long as I can with the Steely Dan band.”

To that end, he’s assembled a stellar ensemble of touring musicians to navigate the dizzyingly complex jazz-rock fusion that defined their finest work while in total command of the groove as they dusted off highlights as timeless as “Josie,” “Hey Nineteen,” “Kid Charlemagne” and “Bodhisattva.”

From the time they took the stage without Fagen to open the set with a jazz instrumental, it was clear that we were dealing with some very obviously talented musicians, from drummer Keith Carlock, who brought “Reelin’ in the Years” to a crowd-pleasing close with a stunning solo, to Jon Herington, an awe-inspiring lead guitarist who also serves as musical director, and bassist Freddie Washington.

The touring lineup also features a second guitarist (Adam Rogers), a second keyboardist (Jim Beard), a four-man horn squad and three female vocalists who effortlessly stole the spotlight out from under Fagen with the complex harmonies of “Josie” with Carolyn Leonhart powering through a deeply soulful “Pretzel Logic.”

Fagen’s singing is more conversational than soulful, but the man remains an enigmatic presence and an excellent musician, at times stepping out from behind his keyboards to take a melodica solo.

Musically speaking, these two bands are worlds apart. But if you grew up listening to the radio at all when songs like “Hotel California” and “Peg” were tearing up the charts, it all makes sense.

Best Eagles songs of all time: Their greatest hits, from 'Hotel California' to 'Desperado'

A friend asked if Fagen played “Everything You Did,” the Steely Dan song that includes the line, “Turn up the Eagles; the neighbors are listening.”

He did not.

Some didn't think Fagen has a right to tour as Steely Dan now that Becker is no longer with us.

A wise man once said, “Life goes on within you and without you.”

Eagles 2024 setlist: The Long Goodbye Tour in Phoenix

Here's every song the Eagles played Jan. 20, 2024, the second of two farewell concerts in Phoenix on their Long Goodbye Tour:

• “Seven Bridges Road”

• “Take It Easy”

• “One of These Nights”

• “Lyin' Eyes”

• “Take It to the Limit”

• “Witchy Woman”

• “Peaceful Easy Feeling”

• “Tequila Sunrise”

• “In the City”

• ”I Can't Tell You Why”

• “New Kid in Town”

• “Life's Been Good” (Joe Walsh song)

• “Already Gone”

• “The Boys of Summer” (Don Henley song)

• “Funk #49” (James Gang cover)

• “Life in the Fast Lane”

• “Hotel California”

Encore

• “Rocky Mountain Way” (Joe Walsh song)

• “Desperado”

• “Heartache Tonight”

Steely Dan 2024 tour setlist

Here's every song Steely Dan performed in Phoenix on Saturday, Jan. 20:

• “Phantom Raiders”

• “Josie”

• “Hey Nineteen”

• “Aja”

• “Kid Charlemagne”

• “Dirty Work”

• “Bodhisattva”

• “Pretzel Logic”

• “Peg”

• ”My Old School”

• ”Reelin’ in the Years”

• “A Man Ain’t Supposed to Cry”

Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: The Long Goodbye Tour: An epic concert from The Eagles in Phoenix