The Eagles will play at American Airlines Center on October 11 as part of their "History of the Eagles" tour.
Photo by Sam Jones
The Eagles, a band with a reputation that has been burnished by their relative lack of output, are headed back to Dallas, adding a stop at American Airlines Center on Oct. 11 as part of the fall leg in the "History of the Eagles" tour.
The band had previously announced a 12-city reunion tour taking place in July. The Dallas date, one of 23 added in the fall, is the tour's only stop in Texas.
The Eagles burned hot and heavy in the 1970s, releasing six albums in seven years before an acrimonious break-up in 1980. Singers Glenn Frey and Don Henley both went on to successful solo careers in the '80s. The band has been back together in one form or another since 1994, even releasing a new album in 2007 called Long Road Out of Eden.
Fans can expect the band, which now consists of original members Frey and Henley, along with Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit, to play many of their iconic songs like "Hotel California," "New Kid in Town," "Take It to the Limit," "Lyin' Eyes," "Take It Easy" and more.
The band, which last came to Dallas in 2010, is touring in support of its latest project, a documentary also called History of the Eagles. The DVD features the documentary that first aired on Showtime, a concert from the band's Hotel California tour in 1977 and never-before-seen home movies, among other things.
Tickets go on sale to the general public starting June 15, although anyone with an American Express card can buy tickets starting June 9.
English pop star Robbie Williams has been massive in his native United Kingdom for over 30 years, first as a member of the boy band Take That, and then as a solo artist, with all but one of his 12 solo albums hitting No. 1 in the U.K. But somehow he’s never had a significant impact in the United States, which may mean that the new film about his life, Better Man, will be overlooked here as well.
But whether you know Williams or not, the film from writer/director Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman) is an audacious, highly entertaining treat that throws the standard music biopic on its head. The most daring part of it is that Williams is portrayed not by a series of actors, but in CGI ape form, not unlike the recent Planet of the Apes series. Williams, who does voiceover work for much of the film, says in the fourth-wall breaking movie that he asked for the look because he's felt like a dancing monkey for much of his public-facing life.
And so the film follows Williams from a young age as he grows up with his mother (Kate Mulvany) and grandmother (Alison Steadman) while still idolizing his deadbeat entertainer father (Steve Pemberton). Taking inspiration from his dad, he pursues a singing career with all his heart, joining Take That at the tender age of 16. But like has happened to so many others, the overwhelming fame and his brash personality lead him down some dark roads, especially drugs.
Gracey, with co-writers Simon Gleeson and Oliver Cole, hits a lot of the beats present in many music biopics: Early success, trouble adapting to fame, heavy drug use, pain stemming from childhood, and more. And while the story is familiar, the way it’s presented is not, as the usage of the ape visual allows the film to go in many wild directions. Instead of the movie occasionally tipping its hat to Williams’ music, it turns into a full-on musical on several occasions in sequences that are both thrilling and informative for those who are unfamiliar with his work.
Williams is heavily involved in the film, and yet unlike other artists who want to micromanage their reputations, he lets all of his warts show. It’s clear from the start that he is an in-your-face kind of person, and so even though the film often shows him at his worst, he owns up to every bit of his story. That’s not to say that movie isn’t on his side; he’s mostly portrayed as a cocky showman who’s still likable even when he shouldn’t be.
It’s funny how quickly the ape gimmick goes from “WTF?!” to normal, which is a testament to the motion capture technology team that brought it to life. Thanks to a great physical performance by stand-in Jonno Davies and digital trickery that puts Williams’ eyes on the ape’s face, his interactions with the other characters in the film never feel out of place. If anything, it adds an extra layer of joy onto a story that needs it at times.
Aside from his voiceovers, how much of Williams is “in” the film is unclear, but his irrepressible energy is felt throughout. Pemberton, Mulvany, and Steadman are all fantastic in demonstrating the Williams’ family dynamic. The large cast is full of people who are not familiar to American movie audiences, but they do a uniformly great job of supporting the story.
Williams may not be well-known in the United States, but movie lovers should not let that deter them from seeing this unique take on a music biopic. In fact, it probably helps if you have no distinct concept of the singer, as it allows his wild life story to be told without any preconceived expectations.
