Feature: VETSAID at Nationwide Arena

For the last three days, Haiden (no last name given) and his mother have kept a lonely vigil at Used Kids records (2500 Summit St. in Columbus), waiting to meet guitar hero Joe Walsh.

On Tuesday, Nov. 8, Haiden's wait was rewarded with an autographed album from Walsh.

"My mom came over, checked it out, and saved a spot for me because she knew I wouldn't have gotten here until yesterday," said Haiden, who traveled from Fort Myers, Fla. to be a part of a James Gang record signing featuring the band's original trio of Walsh, drummer Jim Fox, and guitarist Dale Peters. "I was coming to Columbus (for the VetsAid concert) but I had to adjust my trip for this."

Walsh was in his former hometown for a rare one-off concert with Ohio natives Dave Grohl (the Foo Fighters), the Breeders, the Black Keys, and Nine Inch Nails Sunday, Nov. 13 at Nationwide Arena (200 W. Nationwide Blvd in the Arena District) in a concert to support VetsAid.

Haiden may have been first in line, but he was not alone. Over 150 fans waiting in line for hours for a brief Q&A session (three questions) and autograph session with the James Gang members.

Walsh was an infant when he lost his father, Lt. Robert Newton Fidler, in a plane crash in Okinawa on July 22, 1949. Since 2017, Walsh has hosted an annual VetsAid concert to "to raise funds and awareness for the still urgent and significant needs of our returning soldiers."

"War is hell for everyone involved. I lost my father when I was a baby, before I could even make a memory of him," Walsh wrote on the VetsAid website. "I stopped counting the number of friends I lost in the Vietnam War or that came home forever scarred mentally or physically or both. We've only just begun to appreciate the long-term impacts on our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I had to do something and seeing as though rock-and-roll seems to be what I do best, it's also the least I could do for those who have served and continue to serve our country."

The Nov. 13 concert is labeled as "the last ride of the James Gang." However, at the record signing, Walsh hinted that may have been a misprint.

"It's the last ride ... for 2022," Walsh said to thunderous applause. "We're just done for the year."

The James Gang trio came directly to the signing from a rehearsal that apparently went very well. Asked what he was looking forward to the most about the Columbus concert, Walsh broke into a huge grin.

"I am in this vocal group where I have to play really quietly ... otherwise I get hit by drumsticks," Walsh teased, referring to the Eagles and drummer Don Henley.
"(With the James Gang,) I look forward to playing loud ... like we used to. We're going to crank it up to 11."

"It's a big deal for all three of us to come back here at this point in our lives," Peters added. "Thank you so much for sharing this with us."

Walsh's son Christian, who introduced the members of the James Gang at the Used Kids signing, said the stay in Columbus has been a moving experience for his father.

"It means a lot for Joe to return to an independent record store, like he used to in the old day," Christian said. "I get a little choked up because I can't believe so many people came to see Dad with his old band. They haven't performed together in a while and to see them come together after so many years kind of chokes me up."

Greg Hall, the owner of Used Kids, was not surprised by the turnout. The store has hosted many record signings including Nancy Wilson (Heart), Tommy Stinson (the Replacements) and Steve Forbert to name a few. The Black Keys played a low-key set on a miniature stage at Hall's previous location, Schoolkids Records.

"The biggest turn out we've ever had was for Caamp," said Hall, whose son played hockey with one of the members of Caamp on a team that Hall coached. "We had hundreds of people for that one and they signed everything.

"I love doing events like this. We have a growing list of people who have stopped by here. We are always looking for new opportunities."

Once they were in the store, the James Gang were all business. For a person who has a reputation for trashing hotels and lawlessness, Walsh had a set of stern standards of behavior. Fans had to wear Covid masks, buy a $30 t-shirt or hat (with the proceeds going to VetsAid), no videos could be taken, and only have one item to sign and it couldn't be Eagles memorabilia.

The James Gang trio took their positions behind a plexiglass shield and signed everything in an assembly line fashion. One fan brought in a guitar to be signed; another brought in a "Friend of Bill W" t-shirt given to members of Alcoholics Anonymous. Walsh has been in recovery since the Eagles first reformed 25 years ago.

Perhaps the adventure of standing in line for the autograph was more exciting than the actual interaction with Walsh. For five hours, the line grew from 40 people at 1:30 p.m. to a line that wrapped around Jack's Corner Pub, a street away. One pair of fans had to battle an inflatable cigar advertising Layla's Smoke Shop that kept bashing them in the head.

The line attracted the attention of passersby. "What's this for?" one asked.

"It's a New Kids on the Block reunion," a woman answered with a wry smile.

Dylan Novak, a youth pastor from Rogersville, Tenn. traveled six hours to Columbus after seeing the news of the record store signing on Facebook and returned shortly after getting a record signed.

"A friend of mine said we have to do this," Novak said. "I said, 'Well, it's not Paul McCartney or Mick Jagger.' He said, 'Dude, he's one of the Eagles.' Fair enough. So we drove up here."

From his perch at the front line, Haiden said he wasn't surprised to see so many people waiting hours for a brief encounter.

"The originality and the creativity of his music speaks to people, not only his solo stuff but his work with the James Gang," Haiden said. "It is just a trio and to hear all the stuff they did with three people is incredible. It was definitely worth it."

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