Residents of the Energy City have a chance to be listen to some classic tunes in the rocking country style of The Eagles at the end of this month. Hotel California: A Tribute to the Eagles is set take place at Estevan Comprehensive School on Sept. 21. The performance will be put on by Hotel California, a rock band playing cover songs, in the style of the Eagles. The show is part of the Stars for Saskatchewan concert series, under the auspices of the Estevan Arts Council and the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils (OSAC).
Hotel California picks up where the Eagles left off. The tribute band started performing in honour of the rock legends, over 30 years ago, with the goal of continuing the classic rock band’s soaring legacy. Hotel California plays many of the old favourite songs originally performed by the Eagles, including Life in the Fast Lane, Take It Easy, Lying Eyes, and of course, Hotel California.
“We travel all over the world, and play everywhere, including India, Dubai, Japan, all over the place,” said founding member Michael Dimoulas, who plays guitar and keyboard. “We’ve shared stages with the likes of Styx, Lynyrd Skynyrd and REO Speedwagon. We’ve done a lot of big shows and some more mediocre shows, but loved doing them all.”
Dimoulas said he and his fellow bandmates have perfected the specific sound that blends rock and country that made the Eagles so popular in their heyday, jokingly adding, “I hope we did, anyway, after 30 years.”
Dimoulas and the rest of the band are looking forward to performing in Estevan. He noted that the Prairies is a place he enjoys, because of the good people who love and enjoy good music. He and the rest of Hotel California get satisfaction out of performing wherever they go, because of the many reactions from crowds, and the interesting mingling of older and younger generations of fans who all appreciate the sounds of the Eagles.
“We do a lot of festivals and outdoor shows, and at a lot of them you get children there, and they know the songs. They’re singing songs and you’re telling yourself ‘That’s pretty incredible,’“ said Dimoulas. “We had this one girl in our audience once, she was seven years old, rocking out. She was coming up and singing every song. We couldn’t believe it. It was heartwarming to see something like that.”
Dimoulas noted that he feels lucky to be able to channel the sounds of the Eagles for others, adding that it feels wonderful to be able to inspire fans, old and new alike.
He added, “It’s good to see people take some time in their hectic lives, to take a moment and enjoy some really good music.”
