Taking Care of Business (Literally and Figuratively)
On a sweltering August Sunday evening, Colton and I headed to Dickies Arena for the Guess Who concert. Apparently, this was their first concert in Fort Worth in forty years. When we arrived, venue staff informed us of the option to upgrade our seats. This moved us a few sections closer to the stage. That is the kind of small victory that makes any concert night feel charmed even before the first note hits. I was on a concert roll as when we saw Stray Cats in Tulsa a few weeks before, the ushers told us we could go up to the stage. Judging by the crowd, I was one of the few people who wasn’t around for these songs the first time around. I was four when The Guess Who originally broke up.
Until my mid twenties, “American Woman” was the only Guess Who song I could have named. So, most of what they played tonight came from the part of their history I didn’t discover until adulthood. Even then, a few of the deeper cuts were brand new to me.
I was probably more familiar with Bachman‑Turner Overdrive than The Guess Who, thanks to “Takin’ Care of Business”. “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet,” which seemed to live permanently in Office Depot commercials for decades. I sometimes wonder how much money Randy Bachman has made from that one riff alone.
Before the show even started, I had a small personal flashback. “Takin’ Care of Business” was part of the UCLA marching band repertoire when I was a student in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Hearing it live decades later — delivered by Randy Bachman himself — was one of those odd full‑circle moments.
Felder’s Gainesville Tales and Eagles History
Don Felder opened the night — former Eagles guitarist and the chief architect of the musical backbone of “Hotel California.” Between songs he told several stories from his Eagles days. He also told a few personal stories about growing up poor in Gainesville, Florida and how those early years shaped his relationship with music.
Felder has often talked about teaching a young Tom Petty guitar back in Gainesville. He mentioned those early days during his set. He’s also spoken over the years about learning slide guitar directly from Duane Allman — another Gainesville connection — and he nodded to those formative influences as he talked about the musicians who shaped him long before the Eagles ever existed.
He also described a fundraiser he does for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. The winner gets a trip to Nashville, a tour of the Gibson Garage and factory, and a guitar lesson from Felder himself. It’s a genuinely cool cause, and hearing him describe it added a surprising layer of warmth to his set.
The highlight, of course, was watching him play “Hotel California” on the iconic double‑neck guitar. One of those moments where you realize you’re seeing a piece of rock history performed by the guy who actually wrote it. The Eagles have been a favorite for most of my life. And “Hotel California” is still a top five song for me.
The Guess Who Take the Stage
Once Felder wrapped up, the reunited Guess Who took the stage with the kind of confidence that only comes from decades of playing these songs in every imaginable venue. The opening chords of “No Time” hit with a punch that immediately pulled the crowd in. One of those moments where you realize how many of these tracks have lived in the background of American life for half a century.
The band sounded tight, polished, and surprisingly energetic for a group with this much mileage. Burton’s voice has aged, of course, but in a way that adds character rather than strain. He leaned into the lower register when he needed to. Pushed the upper notes when the moment called for it, and carried the melodies with a kind of lived‑in authority that worked beautifully.
The band’s chemistry felt genuine. Burton and Randy traded smiles and nods throughout the night, and the rhythm section kept everything grounded without ever overpowering the vocals. It wasn’t flashy, and it didn’t need to be. This was a band playing to its strengths: melody, musicianship, and songs that have outlived the era that created them.
By the time they reached “American Woman,” the arena was fully locked in. The riff still hits, the groove is still funky, and Burton delivered the vocals with enough grit to make the song feel alive rather than nostalgic. It was the kind of performance that reminds you why certain tracks become permanent fixtures in rock history.
Cummings Masterclass in Stage Banter
One of the best parts of their show was Burton Cummings’ storytelling. Midway through the evening, he talked about meeting Randy Bachman as a teenager. Their earliest songwriting sessions happened at his parent’s house — two kids figuring out chords and melodies long before any of it became rock history. He shared memories of those early tours too. The long drives, the small venues, the sense of being young musicians suddenly swept into something bigger than themselves.
Later, before launching into “Clap for the Wolfman,” Burton told the story of how appearing on The Midnight Special tv show led to their friendship with legendary DJ Wolfman Jack. He walked the crowd through the clapping pattern during the chorus, coaching everyone like a conductor guiding a choir. It was funny, warm, and exactly the kind of moment that makes a reunion show feel personal rather than nostalgic.
Another Page in My Classic‑Rock Calendar
It wasn’t flashy, it wasn’t reinvented, and it didn’t need to be. It was a night built on legacy, musicianship, and the simple joy of hearing songs that have lived entire lifetimes. I’m seeing John Fogerty this fall, which feels like another chapter from the same era — a continuation of this unexpected run of classic‑rock legends showing up in my 2026 concert calendar. For a band I didn’t discover until adulthood, seeing them reunited on a Texas stage with my son beside me felt like a small but meaningful chapter in the ongoing project of documenting the music that’s shaped my life.
Dickies has been one of the primary venues for our concerts the last few years. We have seen Duran Duran, Billy Idol, Eagles, Paul McCartney, Kiss, and Eric Church there among others.
