Billing itself as America's number-one Eagles tribute band, the Long Run is a group of South Florida musicians whose obvious love of all things Eagles is dedicated to the sole purpose of replicating the sound of music's most successful chart-topping rock outfit of all time. Having made that their mission, they insist that they will, in fact, "please the toughest of Eagles fans" and that "You won't hear an Eagles tribute band this great 'til 'Hell Freezes Over.'"
Ahem.
Clearly the members of the band are experienced in this area, having tallied time with a number of original classic combos, among them the Platters, the Flamingos, and the Shirelles, as well more current (relatively speaking) artists like Trisha Yearwood, Gary U.S. Bonds, Roger McGuinn of the Byrds, and Julio Iglesias Jr.
With that pedigree in mind, New Times reached out to Reggie Fecteaua, the leader of this particular flock of Eagles, to get his thoughts on what makes these tributes compare to the real deal.
See also: Billy Joel Tribute Band the Turnstiles "Strike a Nerve" with Audiences
How did you come up with this idea to begin with?
Well, we all played in different tribute bands before -- Led Zeppelin, Frankie Valli, Beach Boys -- and we all had pretty nice careers. But we wanted to do something that would appeal to a wider generation. And since we all love rock, country, and, yes, mellow music, we decided to pay tribute to the Eagles. It meant great melodies, great harmonies, and, most importantly, great songs.
What tribute band had you performed with before?
I was fortunate to be part of a world touring Beatles tribute show in the '90s that averaged 200 shows a year for five years.
How did you guys first join forces?
Some of us had played together before in tribute bands. It was just like magic... Everybody joined without hesitating. We were all kinda fed up with the bar scene. After all, we're not kids anymore.
Do you do the songs lick for lick? Is there any room for improvisation? Any opportunity to add an individual touch?
We play the songs lick per lick, no tracks, all live. Guitarists Del Mize and John Tillman get their chance to shine on some songs, and let me tell you, when I say shine, they still give us the shivers when they play.
Is this strictly an Eagles cover band per se?
Yes, strictly Eagles, but we do play solo performances from Joe Walsh, Don Henley, and Glenn Frey.
Where have you performed this show previously?
In theaters, fairs, casinos, festivals, corporate functions; you name it, we've done it! We are talking right now about performing in Guatemala in April and in Canada next summer. We're producing our own shows across the country, some of which include a double tribute show with Turnstiles, the Billy Joel tribute band.
Why would one come to see your show as opposed to catching a concert by the actual Eagles?
Well, you don't have to mortgage your house to enjoy the music. One of the comments that we consistently receive from people is that: if you closed your eyes, you would think you were listening to the Eagles. But that comment is typically followed by, "but you guys have so much energy on the stage and look like you are having so much fun, and it gets passed on to the audience." They seem to feel like the band really cares about the audience and gives it their all, and the audience has a great time because of it.
