Charlotte, North Carolina June 24, 2013
 

Creative Loafing

http://clclt.com/charlotte/fleetwood...nt?oid=3073572

FLEETWOOD MAC Fleetwood Mac released a new EP to coincide with its current tour, but the anorexic Extended Play consists of just three Lindsey Buckingham cast-offs and Stevie Nick’s sun-dappled “Without You,” which dates back to the couple’s pre-Mac duo Buckingham Nicks. More telling, the tour supports the 35th anniversary reissue of the iconic 1977 LP Rumours. All early Mac iterations, including Peter Green’s hard blues incarnation and Bob Welch’s alchemical pop-psych machine, are ignored. Indeed, all that remains in the current repertoire of key songwriter (and hold-over from the Welch era) Christine McVie is the Bill Clinton ’92 campaign anthem “Don’t Stop.” To be fair, though songs from the 1975 self-titled LP and Buckingham’s fussy, coke-fueled masterwork Tusk make the cut, the Mac’s set list revolves around Rumours. How can it not? Produced when the group was a snake pit of jealousy and betrayal, Rumours is unparalleled pop that makes private pain both universal and anthemic. Reviews of the current tour are split between “recaptured magic” and “ghastly wax museum.” Yet, such a bipolar schism is fitting, coming from a band that crafted an enduring and gleaming pop surface over the hot mess wreckage of their lives.
— Pat Moran

Kind of regretting that I opted out of this one, but I know logically it wasn't entirely plausible anyway. Oh well.

Hope everyone who goes has a great time! Can't wait to hear how it goes.

Will be attending to tonight, havent seen them since 2004 and its the introduction of their catalog for my girlfriend who virtually knows nothing of thr band. Have fun everybody thats going!

In Charlotte now. Last show was Philadelphia, which was wonderful. Can't wait for tonight! :)

Holy crap, I just spent the night at Lindsey's feet. LITERALLY.

Unbelievable. I am exhausted but wanted to say that I have traveled over the Lindsey side. I strummed his guitar. I touched his foot, twice. He gave me smoldering looks until I had to look away. I died several times tonight.

More later.

:blob2: :blob2: :thumbsup:

So, Dragon Boy holds up his part of the show. huh? Good to know.

Michele

The show was fantastic, the band seemed 20x happier than when I saw them in 2004 and played like there was no tomorrow and like they were 20 years younger, the crowd and the energy was on fire, the birthday boy got sung to and my girlfriend is now a Mac fan and officially in awe of Lindsey's abilities and Stevie's stage presence. My work here is done.

I've had a little sleep and some time to process. This is the first FM show where I have not been totally fixated on Stevie. I couldn't always see her very well because of Lindsey's amp. And what you gain in a front row experience, you definitely lose in sound. But holy crap I was standing at Lindsey's feet all freaking night.

The audience did sing Happy Birthday to Mick, which was cute.

When they were doing GYOW, during "packing up...shacking up..." Stevie looked at Lindsey and raised one eyebrow at him. During Mick's drum solo, Lindsey sat down on the stage and watched. I was so close that I could watch him try to get something (a hair?) out of his mouth. LOL His interaction with the crowd is amazing. There were definitely people in the audience that he recognized and acknowledged. I'm serious about the smoldering looks though. I literally had to stop looking at him when he would do it! And it's not like he was only doing it to me! Loved singing "STAND BACK STAND BACK" with him.

We had 9th row and were not meant to be up front but just before the show, I recognized a Ledgie (hi M! :wavey: ) and we were chatting close to the stage. When the show started, we just ran up front and never moved. The whole thing was surreal. Two young girls next to me were at the show with their mothers (lol) and security plucked them from their seats and brought them to the front. They were definitely Stevie fans but weren't complaining. My Stevie pictures are awful, but I have some great Lindsey shots.

I switched spots with my friend for Silver Springs and Say Goodbye, so I had a really clear view of Stevie. Also, during GYOW, she came over and stood over us for a few moments, but I didn't take any pictures. I got super emotional during Say Goodbye. Like, crying emotional. At one point I was afraid I might break out into the Ugly Cry, but I held it together. Stevie sings her part so beautifully, and she looks very intensely at Lindsey when singing it.

My neck is aching from looking up at Lindsey all night.

Let's see if we can spot Jannie
 

Go Your Own Way by Pattym902




Gold Dust Woman by Pattym902




I'm So Afraid by Pattym902

This is the show I had planned to attend originally, but I ended up going to Philadelphia first since it was during Spring Break, and I couldn't wait. Tonight, as some have already said, the band AND the crowd were on fire. Philadelphia was fun, but Charlotte has some of the sweetest people on earth, and the crowd seemed a little more lively to me. Everyone there is SO polite! From the moment Stevie came out and said, "Chaaahlotte" in a playful and lovely affected southern accent, the audience was under the band's spell. Stevie seemed a little more spontaneous during "GDW," and I was happy to see the crowd respond so positively during Lindsey's remarks about Tusk. The crowd responded well to "Sad Angel," too. Also, fewer people seemed to annoyingly/inappropriately scream out, "I love you, Stevie," during the very tender moments of "Say Goodbye," thank heavens.

I always buy my tickets at the show, and I was unable to get on the floor this time; however, I got killer seats just to the left of Lindsey,(eye-level with the stage, really), and it was so much fun to see the stage from that perspective. I'm very short, so this was the most I've been able to actually SEE on the stage ever. It was fun to watch the guitar techs switching out guitars and doing things. I think the best part of the show for me has become the moments when Lindsey starts WAILING on "So Afraid" or "NTF" or "EotW," etc., and just about the entire audience is pulled from their seats, by some seemingly invisible force--with their eyes fixated and their necks extended--trying to comprehend the otherworldly magic that this guitar god is eliciting from his instrument. My. God. If he's ever within 200 miles of me, I'm going to see him. No. Matter. What.
Like my sister said when we found ourselves captivated by him in Philadelphia, "That boy ain't nothing but the truth."

Everyone around us was pretty cool and standing almost the whole time, which was good. One guy behind us said, "Man, he is MOIST." Ha! That was very funny because Lindsey was literally glistening from putting in work. Mick seemed to be having a lot of fun. Drum solo was extra cool this time because the crowd was so into it. John was amazing as usual. And in conclusion~Lindsey is God.

PS It seems like they were switching guitars after almost every song. I don't know if maybe I've never noticed this before, or is it because it was humid? I think someone said that in another thread. Just curious. Beautiful, beautiful show from beginning to end. :)

Oh! Another thing I noticed was that instead of just showing shots of the band members on the monitors, the shots almost seemed like a Marty Callner FINISHED film. It looked really good.

Don't Stop by deadhead92582




The Chain by deadhead92582




Silver Springs by deadhead92582

Gypsy by deadhead92582




Big Love by deadhead92582




Stand Back by deadhead92582