Pop : Final Flight for the Eagles?

Was there a power failure in Pasadena Saturday night?

There sure seemed to be part of the time on stage at the Rose Bowl, where the Eagles gave what may have been their final concert ever in Southern California.

Despite opening with five songs from the group’s landmark 1976 album, “Hotel California,” the band seemed so listless that the performance all but confirmed speculation that there won’t be life for the band beyond the “Hell Freezes Over” tour--despite pre-tour hopes by Don Henley and Glenn Frey to resume writing together.

All of which was a surprise because, when the tour started last May, the band appeared intent on demonstrating that it was indeed back in business after its sometimes bitter 14-year break. Then, the playing was spirited and the aura optimistic.

On Saturday, however, the band--following an opening set by Sheryl Crow, who was reviewed recently--appeared a bit weary with the old tunes. Things didn’t catch fire until the second half when the quintet focused in key moments on post-Eagles material, notably Henley’s.

No doubt the evening revived for the estimated 60,000 fans satisfying memories of the days when the Eagles gave us some of the most absorbing music of the modern pop era. Yet there was also no escaping the feeling that the group’s long run may be in its final lap. Rather than a rebirth, the concert had the definite feel of a farewell.