Henley provides worthwhile evening in Portland

Whether it’s his last evening in Portland remains to be seen, but judging from the reaction of the near-sellout crowd assembled at the palatial Merrill Auditorium, it was anything but worthless.

Despite ticket prices ranging from $76 to $91, most of the 1,800 fans in attendance appeared to be satisfied that they got their money’s worth.

Don Henley, a founding member of one of America’s most talented and successful bands, visited Portland Monday night and made it worth his trip, as he packed a break-free set lasting two hours and 20 minutes, with 20 songs taken from his four solo albums as well as some of the Eagles’ most memorable recordings.

Nattily clad in bluejeans, boots, a tan, collared shirt, and a brown, knee-length jacket and cradling a white guitar, Henley wasted little time getting things off to an uptempo start as he and his seven-member band launched into a spirited performance of his first solo hit: “Dirty Laundry,” a sarcastic tribute to TV-tabloid journalism which debuted on the charts 20 years ago.

From there, the outspoken musician performed a smorgasbord of hits, both from his solo and Eagles career. Henley did all the hits from his four albums and particularly delighted the enthusiastic crowd with flawless renditions of Eagles staples such as “Tequila Sunrise,” “Witchy Woman,” “Peaceful Easy Feeling” and “Life in the Fast Lane.”

Henley also reacquainted fans with the popular “New York Minute,” which he stopped playing live in light of Sept. 11. He opted to bring back the song now that it is more poignant than ever.

The setting was informal, as Henley recounted how he came up with the inspiration for some of the songs he wrote, where or when they were first performed, or what kind of story they tell.

At several points in the show, men and women alike yelled “I love you Don!” Henley answered one woman, saying “I love you too. And it’s made all the more simple by the fact that we don’t know each other.”

At one point between songs when fans were yelling compliments and requests, Henley said, “Isn’t it a shame when you’re trying to have a conversation and a rock and roll concert breaks out?”

Henley wound up his main set with “All She Wants to Do is Dance,” amid a light show featuring earth tones plus blue, green, and white lasers on a cloth backdrop, as the audience rose as one and clapped to the beat.

Following a brief respite, Henley and his band – Frank Simes (guitar/vocals), Steuart Smith (guitar/mandolin), Mike Thompson (keyboard/vocals), Danny Reyes (percussion), Lance Morrison (bass), Will Hollis (keyboards), Robb Ladd (drums) – came back out for a two-song encore featuring “I Will Not Go Quietly” and the soulful “The End of the Innocence.”

Still, the throng wasn’t satisfied and another two-minute round of non-stop clapping, whistles, howls and stomping of feet brought Henley and company back out for a four-song close that had fans rocking, hoarse and wowed as they listened to tight, clear and flawless versions of “We Were Kids Too,” “The Last Worthless Evening,” “Hotel California,” and “Desperado.”

Henley was preceded by opening act Juliana Raye, a New York native and Los Angeles product who performed a pleasing, six-song set with a jazz-soul-Americana flavor that showcased her smooth voice and solid backing by her two guitarists and drummer.

Worthless evening? Hardly.