Have you ever shown up to a concert without tickets? Yeah, it’s just about as stressful as it sounds.
My dad is a college professor. Back in May 2021, right after his most recent senior class had graduated, he came into my room and told me one of his student’s parents had given him a gift. I was confused as to why he was telling me this, until he mentioned that the gift was tickets to see The Eagles on their Hotel California tour, and he needed someone to go with.
I love The Eagles. I don’t think you can deny that they are some of the most talented songwriters, singers, and instrumentalists ever. They’ve inspired generations of musicians and have so many hits I can barely keep track. They were a band I never expected to see–their shows were never really on my radar for a number of different reasons. But when the opportunity presented itself, my dad and I jumped on it.
It turns out the parents who had given my dad these two tickets to The Eagles on August 27, 2021, somehow had an in with the band. We were going to be put on the band’s guest list and wouldn’t be getting our tickets until the night of the show at the venue’s box office.
So, we drove to TD Garden about two hours early to make sure we had enough time to get our tickets, find our seats, and get settled.
And it’s a good thing we did get there early, because of course, I can never have a normal, low-key concert experience. As my dad and I were walking toward the arena, we were stopped by a reporter and a cameraman. They asked us if they could get a quick interview, and we agreed. So that’s how my dad and I ended up on WHDH Channel 7 news that night talking about how we felt about being back at concerts after an isolated year-and-a-half amidst a pandemic and having to wear a mask inside. It was a completely unexpected event, but a hilarious one nonetheless. The next morning, I woke up to multiple Facebook posts from friends and family saying how they saw our cameo the night before.
After our 15 minutes of fame, my dad and I finally made it to TD Garden. We got inside after showing our vaccine cards, and then went on a mission to find the box office. I was expecting a smooth operation: we’d get the tickets, buy some merch upstairs, and find our seats. But of course, it’s never that simple!
My dad walked up to the box office counter and stood there for about 10 minutes talking to an employee. He eventually made his way back to me with a frown. “They don’t have the tickets.”
I felt my heart sink, but I’m pretty sure on the outside I just started laughing. “Of course they don’t!”
Fast forward to us sitting on a very uncomfortable wooden bench somewhere on the ground floor, while my dad was anxiously on the phone with the student’s parent who had supposedly gotten us these tickets.
I can’t even tell you how many times they played telephone tag for the next 45 minutes. It was just back and forth calls, back and forth to the box office, employees going back and forth upstairs and in different rooms looking for the magic envelope that held the key to us getting through the lines and inside the arena.
But finally…at 7:30 (the show started at 8:00), we got clarity. Apparently we had been told the wrong date. The Eagles were playing at the Garden for two nights, and our tickets were meant to be for the 28th, not the 27th.
I panicked. I had an outfit on I was obsessed with; my vocal cords had been warmed up and ready to scream on the car ride into the city listening to their greatest hits. I had literally just been on the NEWS explaining how excited I was for this show. There was no way I wasn’t going to get in.
But luckily, someone or something was looking out for us. A woman at the box office ended up giving us new tickets for the correct night, and she informed us that the seats were even better than the original.
My dad and I grabbed the envelope, made it through all the lines to get in, bought a couple t-shirts, and finally, made it inside.
Section 1, Row 18. I’ll never forget the amazing view I had of Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Deacon Frey, Vince Gill, and Timothy Schmitt. Although unfortunately they were not all the original members, the lineup was still unreal. Vince Gill is a well-known country singer who’s been playing with them for a while, and he was born for the stage. One of the most emotional moments though was seeing Deacon Frey, son of the late founding band member Glenn Frey, step up in his father’s footsteps. He absolutely belonged up there on that stage with everyone else.
Hearing songs like Hotel California, New Kid in Town, Take it Easy, and Life in the Fast Lane felt like a dream. The only reason I knew it wasn’t was because the harmonies and instruments sounded better in real life than they did on Spotify. I feel insanely honored I got to see all of those legends in person, even if there was a bit of drama a few hours prior to it. The talent that I witnessed on that stage that night is probably something that will never be topped.