HAMLET — Tunes of the ‘70s rang throughout the Cole Auditorium Tuesday night with the premier tribute band “Hotel California” rocking the venue as part of the Fidelity Bank Classic Rock ‘n’ Country Series.
The group Hotel California formed in 1986. The band members are huge fans of the Eagles which, in turn, motivated them to start the tribute band. The band has been going strong for more than three decades and their sound is amazingly identical to the Eagles’ music. The audience reminisced as the stage came alive.
The four band members who played are from the Toronto, Canada area which include vocalist and guitarist Rick Spyder; vocalist and drummer Kevin O’Donnell; vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist Chico Lapointe; and vocalist and guitarist Andy Lapointe. Chico Lapointe was filling in for Mike Dimoulas who could not make the show. Chico and Andy are brothers who have nine other siblings, most of whom are also musicians. The band plays more than 100 shows a year worldwide.
The Eagles were an American rock band that started in 1971 in Los Angeles, California, and were one of the most successful bands of the ‘70s. They have sold more than 150 million records and are one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001. They hit their peak in 1976 with the song “Hotel California” and went on to play until 1980. All original band members are still alive with the exception of Glenn Frey, who passed away in 2016.
Hotel California opened with the song “One of these Nights” and for two hours many more followed including “Hotel California,” the song from which the band derived their name. The audience was awed with the harmony of the group as “Lyin’ Eyes” played, and then they cheered loudly as Spyder belted it out in “Take it to the Limit.” Spyder also brought some humor to the show as he sat on the edge of the stage and serenaded everyone by his portable “campfire” while roasting marshmallows. He had a large collection of guitars lined up across the stage which he played during the show and the audience laughed as he said, “My only fear is that when I die, my wife will sell all my guitars for what I told her I paid for them.”
Another iconic moment for the night was when drummer O’Donnell mesmerized the audience as he played and sang “Desperado” with the amazing similarity in his voice to the original Eagles. Chico Lapointe then broke out a double-neck electric guitar for the song “Hotel California.” Shortly after, Spyder pulled an attendee from the front row to come up on stage and assist, playing one of his many electric guitars. After “Heartache Tonight,” the members left the stage as the crowd cheered for an encore. The band came back out and wrapped the night up with “Life in the Fast Lane.”
The members were very personable and had a table set up in the lobby afterwards to meet and greet as they gave away signed photos to anyone who desired one.
“The Cole is a fabulous venue, and we would definitely come back preferably when it is warmer so we can do some fishing,” said O’Donnell, the newest member of the group.
When asked about his most memorable moment, Andy Lapointe, one of the original members, said, “Sharing the stage with the Doobie Brothers was the most surreal moment for me. We played their songs when we first started.”
Chico Lapointe and Spyder commented on the “Southern style” of the crowd when Spyder’s sense of humor came out as he said “It was a good crowd with a southern clap.” Chico Lapointe said he “loved the southern accents.”
“We had a terrific energetic crowd and got great feedback from the audience,” said Joey Bennett, director of the Cole. “It was amazing how much they sound like the Eagles.”
Bennett also mentioned there were only a few tickets left for Scotty McCreery, who will be performing the next show in the series.
It was truly an amazing night as the band Hotel California captured the attention of the audience with the clarity of their sound as all eyes were on the stage. Richmond county welcomes the opportunity for these guys to come back and “rock the town.”
For more information on Hotel California, you can check them out on Facebook at “EaglesTributeHotelCalifornia.” To purchase tickets to the Cole, call 910-410-1691.
