Eagles keep city humming

The Eagles (front from left) Vince Gill, Timothy B. Schmit, Don Henley, Deacon Frey and Joe Walsh...
The Eagles (front from left) Vince Gill, Timothy B. Schmit, Don Henley, Deacon Frey and Joe Walsh, and long-time band member Steuart Smith, perform to 33,000 fans at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on Saturday night. PHOTO: CRAIG BAXTER
Dunedin was buzzing after the Eagles delivered the latest massive concert in the city on Saturday night.

About 33,000 fans packed Forsyth Barr Stadium to hear the legendary band perform a catalogue of hits, from Take It Easy, One of These Nights, Take it to the Limit and Tequila Sunrise to Hotel California.

Many also hit the city's bars, restaurants, shops and other attractions as well as the concert, as did thousands of cruise ship passengers visiting over the weekend - creating a double whammy of activity for city businesses.

Many Eagles fans also took to social media afterwards to praise the band, the event and the venue, including one woman who said sound quality at the stadium had "come a long way" since the early days of the venue.

"Awesome concert, great crowd, great music," another fan said.

Dunedin Venues chief executive Terry Davies said the Eagles had delivered another "phenomenal night under the roof".

"[There was] an incredible atmosphere for these seasoned performers who had the fans hanging on their every song lyric. The crowd was so well behaved and everything ran like clockwork."

Asked about the stadium's sound quality, Mr Davies said work to "fine-tune" the venue's performance was ongoing after every event.

"We are also getting outstanding technical production from the visiting artists," he said.

A police spokeswoman reported "no major issues" at the Eagles concert, as just two people were taken into custody for disorderly behaviour.

Otago Chamber of Commerce chief executive Dougal McGowan said the influx of Eagles fans - coupled with cruise ship passengers and students back in Dunedin - had made for a busy city.

He was in the central city on Saturday, and at St Clair, and the number of people out and about enjoying the vibe, and soaking up some sun, was "amazing to see".

"Lots of people eating and having something to drink outside, and that started a bit earlier seeing the concert started a bit earlier. But also, what a great day to showcase our city. Unbelievable."

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