By Jason M. Rubin

The Guess Who and Don Felder brought skill and spirit to Boston, though the evening’s nostalgia came packaged with more than a few modern annoyances.

The Guess Who’s Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings at the Leader Bank Pavilion. Photo: Todd Batson

This is part review and part rant. First, the review. I had moderate expectations going into this concert, as one generally does in the 2020s, when our favorite classic rock musicians are in their 70s and 80s, their voices shot, stamina tested, and the bands have only one or two original members. Worst case scenario: the show resembles those PBS specials that exhume artists long thought dead for a hackneyed TV concert hosted by the likes of Peter Noone. Best case scenario: you walk away thinking this may not have been the real thing, but it was close enough.

Canadian rockers The Guess Who (touring the U.S. for the first time since 2003) and ex-Eagles guitarist Don Felder brought the best case to an enthusiastic crowd at Boston’s Leader Bank Pavilion on July 17. Both artists played their butts off, stringing together impressive runs of big hits and showing that, for the most part, their skills and faculties remain at a high level (the lone exception was that Guess Who singer and pianist Burton Cummings has lost the expressive top part of his vocal range, though his voice was strong overall).

Felder took the stage first and made it clear that his set was going to be the most affordable way to hear the Eagles live. Personally, I would never pay the prices that the Eagles have commanded over their past tours (and don’t bother counting the remaining original members), but to hear note-perfect renditions of L.A. classics like “Already Gone,” “One of These Nights,” “Seven Bridges Road,” and “Life in the Fast Lane” at Felder-level prices was a worthwhile bargain. His guitar playing was clean and energetic, his solos precise and impressive. Perhaps it was a little too note-perfect (minus the missing voices of Don Henley and Glen Frey, you could close your eyes and imagine you were listening to Eagles albums at high volume) but if this was going to be my only chance to hear the Eagles songs I actually like in concert, then I can more than live with that.

The highlight of Felder’s set (and perhaps the entire evening) was the closer, “Hotel California.” Overplayed as it is, the song is undeniably iconic. The long solo at the end was a sweet flight, not only for the senses but because of its dose of airborne nostalgia — it transported mature audience members back to their middle and high school days. I will readily admit to feeling chills all across my body by the song’s end.

Don Felder on the “Takin’ It Back Tour.” Photo: courtesy of the artist

Not to be outdone, the Guess Who (Cummings and guitarist Randy Bachman being the only original members) blazed their own path down memory lane. It took their third song, “Hand Me Down World,” for the band to get into high gear, but once they reached it they didn’t let up. They followed that with the quaint “These Eyes” and the quirky “Albert Flasher” before launching into a so-called surprise number – though everyone expected to hear hits from Bachman’s later group – Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s “Let It Ride,” which resulted in the first standing ovation of their set. From the mellow (“Laughing” and “Undun”)” to the boisterous (“American Woman” and “No Time”), the Guess Who had the audience eating out of their hands. Interestingly, though, it was the three BTO songs the band played that got the biggest ovations (the other two were “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” and the show closer “Takin’ Care of Business”, and all three featured Bachman on lead vocals). The seven-piece band (three guitarists) gave the songs a full sound, with the hired guns enveloping the original members with their potent playing.

All in all, top to bottom and side to side, this was a great concert from ’70s artists who clearly have plenty still left in the tank.

Now for the rant. First, the venue. The Pavilion is nice and comfortable once you get in, but getting in is a major hassle. For one, the seaport location is notoriously difficult to get to, especially by car (and especially on a Friday night in summer), street parking is a crapshoot, and garage parking is ridiculously expensive. I took public transportation, which required me to ride the Orange Line to the Red Line to the Silver Line, and then walk. Also, all the restaurants in the area are pricey.

Once you get to the venue, you have to go through a security checkpoint. This is common, but the Pavilion goes farther than just bag checks. I had to take off my belt to pass through the metal detector. This isn’t Logan Airport, people! The over-aggressive security requirements made getting into the venue a long, slow process. And at the end of the night, getting out of that congested area takes a long time as well. My hope is never to have to go there again.

The other thing I want to rant about is the way artists, especially of the classic rock era, are presenting themselves these days. Increasingly, they have these hype videos they play before taking the stage, as if to remind the crowd who they are. I find them very obnoxious and unnecessarily self-promoting. I know who they are, that’s why I’m there. Just get on stage and get to work. The other thing I hate is the overly scripted stage patter. Both Felder and Cummings just could not shut up between songs. I like some banter, especially when it supplies informative context or a very brief story about a song’s inception. But this was way too much. In fact, Cummings told the exact same story before “No Time” that he did earlier in the show with “These Eyes.” Again, please shut up and just play the tunes. Rant over.

Jason M. Rubin has been a professional writer for 40 years. He has written for The Arts Fuse since 2012. His books include SHORTS: A Sizable Collection of Short Fiction (2025); Villainy Ever After (2022), a collection of classic fairy tales told from the villains’ point of view; and Ancient Tales Newly Told (2019), a pairing of two historical romances, one set in 17th-century England and the other in Biblical Jerusalem and Sheba. Jason also teaches journaling workshops. He holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Learn more at https://jasonmarkrubin.wixsite.com/jasonmrubin.com.