By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
Staff Writer
To former Eagles guitarist Don Felder, playing music isn’t work.
“I don’t have to do this,” said Felder, who’s on a successful solo tour that comes to the Chandler Center for the Arts on Sunday, Oct. 14.
“I just love playing. I fell madly in love with it when I was 10. I love performing. I love writing. I love recording and producing in the studio. Music never betrayed me, never cheated on me, never let me down. It’s always been there.”
The four-time Grammy winner was a member of the Eagles for 27 years, co-writing the Eagles’ biggest hit, “Hotel California,” along with fan favorites like “Victim of Love” and “Those Shoes.” He is celebrated for his lyrical, signature guitar work on legendary songs like “Hotel California,” “One of These Nights” and “New Kid in Town.”
On stage, Felder is joined by the likes of keyboardist Timothy Drury (The Eagles, Whitesnake); guitarist David Myhre (Kid Rock, Kenny Chesney); and bassist Bruce Atkinson (Kenny Loggins).
“It’s a very fun, uplifting show,” Felder said. “I play a lot of the songs that were in the Eagles’ catalog that I cowrote or played with them for the 27 years I was in the band. Those include: ‘Hotel California,’ ‘Life in the Fastlane,’ ‘Heartache Tonight’ and ‘Witchy Woman.’ The set is a lot of Eagles hits that everyone knows.”
There are “softer moments” during his gig, when he played “Tequila Sunrise” and “Easy Feeling.” Other times, he’s paying homage to Stevie Ray Vaughan.
“It’s really a fun night that’s filled with energy,” Felder said. “By the end of the night, everyone is dancing and having a great time. My job is to make sure everybody has a good time.”
When he’s not touring, Felder is revving up to promote his forthcoming solo album. The tour will take him around the world.
“For right now, I have a ball on stage,” he said. “People tell me, ‘You look so happy on stage.’ Well, that’s because I’m doing what I love. It’s a labor of love. It’s fun for everybody.”
