I had a plan.

When the Eagles’ massive 2018 tour first got announced, I was brand new to my job. I hadn’t had a full pay yet, and wasn’t sure if I had calculated my taxes right. I didn’t know if it would even be enough to cover the bills, let alone allow for a tour. So I had to sit it out.

When I got paid and realized I have a little bit left over, I decided to plan to be in Toronto for the July dates, and wait to see what pops up day-of-show. Artists are given a few tickets, as are media, and if they don’t all get used then they are thrown back into the Ticketmaster ring a few hours before showtime. I’ve been lucky enough to take advantage of this a few times (most recently Detroit and Toronto last year, as well as Fleetwood Mac shows in 2014 and 2015 and the Eagles back in 2005), but it’s risky. The tickets can be anywhere from 3rd to 15th row, and as I try real hard to stick to the first 10 (where, legend has it, the artist can always see you), it makes me nervous to think of being outside that cutoff point.

Yes. I know. I’m a total ticket snob.

I told myself this was fine. I love Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit. Their backing band is awesome too. But I hate that they’ve added Vince Gill to the mix–nothing against him, I’m sure he’s great, I just miss Glenn Frey and nobody can take his place. The only reason, I thought, that I wanted to see this tour was to see Glenn’s son, Deacon, play.

Deacon looks so much like young Glenn it’s eerie, and I would just love to see him with his dad’s band, even though I’m sure I’d cry through the entire show.

But I don’t have to be close, I thought. I just want to be there if possible, I thought. I’ve been wildly lucky; I don’t need to break the bank.

Then the set list started to trickle out.

“Ol’ 55???”

The song “Ol’ 55” has a special place in my heart. After I met Glenn in 2006, my friend’s iPod chose that song to play us out of Soaring Eagle Casino, and a nickname was born.

“As I pulled away slowly, feeling so holy, God knows I was feeling alive… And now the sun’s coming up, I’m riding with Lady Luck…” 

I was Lady Luck long before I became a Kooky Coyote.

Since then, it’s been my “something wonderful is ending and it’s time to go back to reality” song, and I even had it as my last dance song at my wedding for that reason. I love that song.

After the initial “I need money and a weekend show NOW” blitz, I calmed down a little and looked up who the lead singer on the current version is, hoping it was Glenn’s son. It isn’t; it’s Vince Gill.

I’ll be okay, I thought. Even if they drop it by Toronto, I don’t have to see it, I thought.

But just in case, let’s look up the rest of the set list, see if any other rarities made their way in.

And there it was.

VICTIM. OF. LOVE. 

I recently found my Hotel California CD, which had gone missing for ages and which I had been searching for to pop in after I left my job last year. “New Kid In Town” is my official leaving a job song. (“They will never forget you til somebody new comes along…”) I also adore “Victim of Love.” It’s a really sexy, snarky song (“I could be wrong…but I’m not”), and I was thinking about what a fun song that would be live.

I listened to it on my commute on repeat for a couple days last week, even mentioning to my husband that that was one of my few songs that I’ve never seen live but always wanted to. I said it would be such a fun one to get right into, and try and get sung to on (because that’s the life goal of a coyote, obviously!).

“Tell me your secrets, I’ll tell you mine…”

I mean come on.

I said I wished someday that would get thrown into a tour, and that would be one that I’d have to go all out and be close for.

I should have also wished for the money to go on said tour, because little did I know that this would be the one it would get thrown into.

So I looked at the tour dates, found one I could go to–Columbus, Ohio, April 8th, which is cool as I saw Glenn with the Eagles for the very last time in Columbus in 2014–and looked at the remaining seats. I found second row. I found a flight.

But I couldn’t do it. I’m still trying to refrain.

I love travelling to shows alone, because it’s a mini-escape where I just do whatever I want and completely forget reality for awhile. But in recent years I’ve also loved going with Sister Coyote and Mr Coyote, and I know Sister Coyote and I could have a LOT of fun with that one from second row.

But the price is completely prohibitive. There’s no way we could afford for 2 of us to go. I can barely afford to go alone; it would use all my savings and put future shows, like Toronto, in jeopardy.

Unless I do something crazy.

So now I’m thinking about this: wait for Saturday, April 7th. See if ticket prices drop, if those platinum seats default to regular price seats. If the weather is good, head out, through Michigan if alone and via Toronto if it’s going to be a Coyote Sisters mission. Without tickets, if need be. And if I wake up to great seats on April 8th, continue to Columbus. If not, turn around.

I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who doesn’t think this is absolutely insane. To be honest, it’s one of the least risky tour-related things I’ve done. (My plan when I went to Atlantic City, for example, was “stay up for 3 days straight and hope the city buses go to the Borgata ’cause I only have $40 to my name.”)

I need a break. I need that escape. And sure, I could wait for Toronto and hope they don’t drop “Victim” from the set list.

But I’ve never been good at seeing just one show on a tour, and I’ve never been good at completely saying no to a show I can make work, and a song I can’t not see.

So. That brings us to this point. I have the time off, and I know the drive is doable, if long. I’ve priced it all out.

My groupie heart is saying “buy the ticket, buy the plane ticket, make sure to go, then do Toronto later!” But my brain knows what I make and what I’ve saved, and knows that I can’t really do that. They compromised on the ridiculous in-between.

It’s not ridiculous to me. But we shall see what happens. I’ve never regretted a single show I’ve gone to, even if it obliterated my life savings and then some (ahem, Don Henley Runaway Tours 2016), but I’m trying to be a Responsible Coyote these days.

All I’m saying, is don’t be surprised if you get some blogs from the road sometime in early April!