Don Henley Solo Tour 2004/2005

Costa Mesa, CA

Don Henley will be appearing at the Orange County Fair on July 29th. If you will be going to the show or have questions about the show, hit the comments button below and add a message.

Boom Goes OC

Boom goes Orange County
Review: Don Henley becomes the latest singer to ignite controversy with onstage comments.

By BEN WENER
The Orange County Register

Less than two weeks later, it has happened again. Perhaps not resulting in the same level of outrage that Linda Ronstadt's recent in-concert remarks drew. But close.

Virtually overnight, it seems Ronstadt has become as much a pariah in some quarters as Michael Moore; it's to the point where old friends can't even utter her name without inadvertently provoking a heated reaction.

Note how Don Henley tried - and failed - Thursday night during his performance at Pacific Amphitheatre.

Early on he attempted to make light of Ronstadt's much-publicized incident at the Aladdin in Las Vegas. After declaring his love of all-American hamburgers during his introduction to "Sunset Grill," Henley apologized to any vegetarians in the audience, dryly joking that those upset by his comments "can throw your drinks in the air and storm out, and I'll be escorted off the premises."

There were appreciative laughs and cheers, but you also could sense a bit of tension in the air - as though some attendees were wondering if Henley would spout off further, while others (who arguably know the artist's activist history better) simply wondered when it would happen.

That inevitability arrived nine songs into his nearly two-hour show, when Henley announced he next would perform a number by "one of the most underrated and misunderstood songwriters," Randy Newman. "Given what my good friend Linda Ronstadt "

That's as far as he could get with that thought. What few cheers went up were quickly drowned out in waves of boos that grew larger and louder.

Unflappable Henley initially backed off: "Whoops Orange County." Once the ensuing hometown hooray waned, however, he made his point. "We used to be able to agree to disagree. We used to be able to have civil debate in this country.

"Not anymore," he concluded.

Then came the song: "Political Science," a wickedly satirical yet increasingly relevant statement on American imperialism that dates back to the Vietnam era. Henley: "I've imagined it as a duet between Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney."

And so it begins: "No one likes us / I don't know why / We may not be perfect / But heaven knows we try / But all around / even our old friends put us down / Let's drop the big one and see what happens."

And later, as Henley and his band indulged in some comical step-kick-step-kick dancing: "Boom goes London, and boom Paree / More room for you and more room for me."

There were scattered boos. Streams of people walked out - though considering the multitudes still on hand by the time he offered strong versions of "Hotel California" and "Life in the Fast Lane," I think most merely went for beer. Henley's final response: "To quote another Eagles song, get over it."

Better yet, get re-accustomed to it, as our divided times and persistent crackdown on dissent is bound to produce more artists speaking their minds on stage - especially those who once did so regularly in the '60s and '70s.

In my initial review of Ronstadt's show, I opted not to choose sides. The old-hat argument that "I paid to be entertained, not to listen to political speeches" holds little weight with me, but I concede that an evening of Ronstadt singing standards is an unusual forum for social commentary.

But Don Henley? People, you've got to be kidding. If you were there, were you really paying attention to his other songs? "Dirty Laundry," about sleazy TV news coverage. "The End of the Innocence," about disillusionment amid the Reagan era ("this tired old man that we elected king"). Even "All She Wants to Do Is Dance," a deceptively playful tune about willful ignorance in the face of political wrongdoing.

Thus, applying the just-entertain-me complaint to Henley is misguided; his longstanding criticism of American policy has always been intrinsic to his form of entertainment. To expect him to shy away from making comments about the current administration is as far-fetched as, say, the '72 Dylan playing a pro-Nixon rally.

But Henley himself realized he had lost some of the crowd. Just before concluding his show with a gorgeous reading of "Desperado" - one of more than a dozen valiant performances that provided plenty of entertainment alongside his outspoken remarks - the Hall of Famer thanked his fans for sticking by him for 32 years, "even when we disagree."

Then he fittingly broke into the chorus of "If You Don't Know Me by Now."

"I gotta work that one up," he noted.

"Do it right after that 'Political Science' thing."