Miami River Music Festival at Edgewater Raceway Park in Cleves, OH – Sept. 21, 1975

The Miami River Music Festival at Edgewater Raceway Park in Cleves, OH (near Cincinnati) had the Eagles as the headliner on September 21, 1975. Other groups on the bill for the 9-hour festival were:

• Marshall Tucker Band
• Charlie Daniels
• Earl Scruggs Review
• Fleetwood Mac
• New Riders of the Purple Sage
• Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
• REO Speedwagon
• Kenny Rankin

This festival was on the One Of These Nights tour, and all this music was only $10 for the day. Reports on attendance differ, but 28,000 to 31,000 fans showed up to listen to the bands. Just a few days later they were performing at Balboa Stadium in San Diego and then at the Sunshine Festival in Anaheim.

Randy Meisner on stage at Raceway Park

Don Henley backstage at Miami River Music Festival

Miami River Music Festival ticket
All-day ticket for $10

Cincinnati Post (Cincinnati, OH) – Sept. 3, 1975

“The Miami River Music Festival featuring the Eagles”

Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH) – Sept. 5, 1975

Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH) – Sept. 5, 1975

“Most of the bands booked for the festival are known for a fairly quiet brand of country rock rather than the heavily amplified, wildly electronic rock and roll which usually marks such festivals.”

Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, OH) – Sept. 6, 1975

“Rock’s most prestigious magazine, Rolling Stone–which is featured in The Press Showtime every Friday–says the Eagles are a band that was put together as carefully as a major league team.“

“We’re the Oakland A’s of rock, says one eagle. And Rolling Stone agrees by calling the band ‘fighters, perfectionists–and champs’.”

Cleveland Press (Cleveland, OH) – Sept. 12, 1975

“Concert promoter Ross Todd of Cincinnati, said the festival would probably begin about 10 a.m. and go on until about 9 p.m. Todd said the concert site was near the Edgewater Park Dragstrip and was surrounded by 200 acres of land bordered by the Miami River.”

Lexington Leader (Lexington, KY) – Sept. 13, 1975

South Bend Tribune (South Bend, IN) – Sept. 14, 1975

Morning Journal (Lorain, OH) – Sept. 14, 1975

“A giant top for the stage is being imported from the Rolling Stones tour to use in case of rain; the concessions policy to be followed will disallow bottles and cans, but picnic lunches and coolers are welcome.”

The Purdue Exponent (W. Lafayette, IN) – Sept. 18, 1975

Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, OH) – Sept. 20, 1975

“The crowd’s feral behavor increased during the set by the festival’s headliner, the Eagles. Performing over an hour songs featuring three themes, the Old West, fast cars, and loneliness, the group proved that the Rock Awards — the Eagles won in the Best Group category — are as meaningless as a judge of talent as the Oscar.”

Cliff Radel, writer for the Enquirer, has never been a fan of the Eagles, and his reviews of the band consistently reflect that.

Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, OH) – Sept. 23, 1975

“The Eagles, of course, were the main draw for the show. The Eagles’ style is crisp and harmonic, always tight and familiar. Yet they have the taste to put a little more into their music, to make it as slick as possible.”

Cincinnati Post (Cincinnati, OH) – Sept. 23, 1975

“If you thought the performers loved to mingle at these festivals, you’re wrong. For the most part, they want to play and cut out. Some groups were brought in by helicopter to play and then hustled out. The Eagles arrived about 2:30–guitarist Bernie Leadon said they were set to play at 3:00 p.m. (they came on about 3:45 p.m. and played a fine set which included all their big songs). Asked what they planned to do after their set, Leadon replied, ‘Go home’.”

Lexington Herald (Lexingron, KY) – Sept. 25, 1975

Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, OH) – Oct. 2, 1975

Billboard magazine – Oct. 11, 1975