TIMOTHY B. SCHMIT Canyon Club 1/8/2017

“Former Eagles member plays it cool at the Canyon Club” Review: Luis Echeverria

Nearly one year to the day, Glenn Frey passed away and the Eagles became officially defunct. Despite everyone still processing the tragedy and grieving, every member has carried on individually honoring Frey and the music of the Eagles while pursuing their own artistic endeavors, and Timothy B. Schmit is no exception.

Last year, Schmit released his first solo album in 7 years called Leap of Faith. The album contains many influences from Schmit’s background of country soft rock with the Eagles and most of all, Poco. On Sunday night, Schmit showcased the new material live while also performing material from his previous solo album Expando. He also performed all the Eagles classics he sang on including “I Can’t Tell You Why” and “I Don’t Want To Hear Anymore”. He also played “Peaceful Easy Feeling” as a tribute to the late-Glenn Frey. Another notable highlight was when all the musicians and singers gathered around Timothy for a beautifully perfect rendition of the classic Poco song “Keep On Tryin’”.

Aside from his recent solo records and previous bands’ material, Timothy also performed early on in the show a song called “The Shadow”, which is the lead track of the underrated 2001 effort Feed The Fire.

The concert was well structured with Timothy offering little anecdotes about the inspirations behind his songs and telling small self-deprecating jokes in between songs. His band was rock solid and even included special guest John McFee of the Doobie Brothers. Some of the background singers’ choreography was a bit cheesy and over-the-top, but hey that’s show business.

It would have been nice for Schmit to play one or two more tracks from Feed The Fire and Leap of Faith as well as some more songs he sang in Poco, but nonetheless, the concert was fabulous and was bookended with a beautiful vocal/guitar performance of “Love Will Keep Us Alive”. As a solo performer, Timothy B. Schmit is continuing to carry on the legacy of The Eagles, Poco, and country rock.