I was at Dodger Stadium on Sunday night and from what I saw the crowd totally enjoyed the set and the performances. The people around me were not regular FM concertgoers, so they appreciated hearing hits they were familiar with. I've seen the Mac numerous times in L.A. venues, but knew going in that this gig would not veer from what people wanted to hear.
I was thrilled that Sara and Bleed to Love her were performed. I also got really excited when they started into Think About Me, but it was then that their short rehearsal time showed. From the start of that song the timing seemed off and halfway through, the drums came up really loudly in the mix. It was so noticeable that when it ended, the lady next to me said "well that was really random...".
My overall impression is that the band and crew felt really rushed through set-up and performance. FM was scheduled to come on at 8:55pm, but the crew was not yet finished by that time. The band came onstage at 9:04 and had to be off by the 11pm curfew. It was clear that the usual lead-ins and comments were not going to happen, but I actually think the crowd enjoyed the faster pace. For me it seemed less personal, but I totally understood why the speaking parts and certain songs were not included.
The only thing I agree with from the very unreasonable LA Times review is that there could have been an acknowledgement of the role that Dodger Stadium played in the recording of the Tusk single. While they did play the USC band video in the background, I'm sure there were many people there that did not know the important stadium connection. I realize there was not enough rehearsal time available to include a live Trojan band performance, but I think it was a missed opportunity that Lindsey or Mick did not at least mention the Dodger Stadium role before or after the Tusk performance.
I did see the the repeated ads for the August 2nd BuckVie show in L.A. and am looking forward to being there!! I also went to two of Stevie's 24K Gold tour shows which were terrific as well. My attitude about the whole thing is that I'm amazed and thankful that these five people (that I first saw live in 1979) are still performing while veering back and forth from getting along and driving each other crazy. I look forward to whatever is ahead from them!!
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