ENTERTAINMENT

Oh, those enduring Eagles. Just how – and why – are they able to pull off the seemingly improbable, maybe even the impossible?

JASON JANIK./Special Contributor

Glenn Frey of the Eagles performs at the American Airlines Center in September.

The quartet of Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit returns to Dallas' American Airlines Center tonight for the group's third show at the venue in a mere two months. What's more, the demand is high. According to an American Airlines Center spokeswoman, the Sept. 13 and 14 gigs were both sold out. Tonight's performance is "selling strongly."

This isn't a club, folks. This is a 20,000-seat arena. And the Eagles aren't known for cheap concert tickets. Nosebleed seats cost $45 a pop, while the premium spots set you back $175 each.

So let's examine the possible reasons why these soaring classic rockers with plenty of country influences can keep coming back to adoring mobs of spectators.

A night in Eden: A large part of the excitement about this tour has been the successful release of 2007's Long Road Out of Eden, the Eagles' first studio CD in 28 years. Self-produced and released only at Wal-Mart, the two-disc set has sold more than 3.1 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It's a great batch of songs that sound like classic Eagles enhanced by modern-day technology. The harmonies, in particular, are peerless.

Country meets classic rock: With no rock or pop format to call home in 2008, the Eagles are now a country group. High profile country acts such as Kenny Chesney, Trace Adkins, Little Big Town and Toby Keith have sung their praises. This gives the veteran band fresh cachet with young listeners gobbling up contemporary country. Add the Eagles' long-standing classic rock audience and you've got a huge fan base.

Never discount nostalgia: These are the Eagles, for goodness' sake. They are the American band. Every baby boomer grew up on them. Every budding guitarist cranked out an impromptu take on "Peaceful Easy Feeling." If you lived through the '70s, you can burst into a chorus of "Take It Easy" or "One of These Nights" or "Lying Eyes." Even if you didn't, you might have a copy of 1993's lauded tribute album, Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles.

The must-see group: Like the Beatles, if they were still together, the Eagles is one of those bands deemed important enough to see at least once before you die or before they never tour again, whichever comes first. There's a coffee-table-book relevancy about them. They are like a coup. If you've seen them live in concert, you've somehow reached a certain echelon of worldliness.

A perilous nature: It's no secret that the Eagles have struggled for years with personality clashes, artistic explosions and personnel changes spurred on by constant fighting. That these four men were able to record 20 new songs and then tour behind them seems monumental.

Will it happen again? Maybe. Maybe not. The uncertainty helps fuel the desire to fork over the bucks to watch them perform. Plan your life

The Eagles perform tonight at 8 at American Airlines Center, 2500 Victory. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $45-$175, available through www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 214-373-8000 or metro 972-647-5700.