Thread: FM in Columbus
View Single Post
  #1  
Old 11-08-2018, 12:43 AM
bwboy's Avatar
bwboy bwboy is offline
Addicted Ledgie
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 2,697
Default FM in Columbus

What can I say... the show was awesome! I loved it! I just wish they had kept Storms and I Got You in the set list.

Observations:

1) The crowd loved Gypsy, and people were singing right along with Stevie, so I guess it was smart to put it back in the set list. Not my favorite version, though.

2) The band members were all touchy feely, well with the exception of Mike and John, and even Mike kissed Christine at the end. He only fist bumped Mick, though LOL. Stevie and Christine, Neil and Christine, Mick and Christine, Stevie and Neil, all very affectionate.

3) I personally could go without ever hearing Gold Dust Woman or Rhiannon ever again; having said that, the crowd went wild for both, especially GDW. I mean full-on wild. There was a guy in the row ahead of me grinning from ear to ear during that song, and when the song was over, the guy next to me said to his girlfriend "how do they top that?"

4) I was surprised by the relatively subdued reaction to Second Hand News, and even more surprised by the almost opposite reaction to Monday Morning- people started dancing and moving from the second it started. I had no idea that song was so well-known to casual fans. Or maybe the band's excitement is what got the crowd on their feet, who knows.

5) Along the lines of #2, I loved seeing Mike interact with Christine, and later with the back up singers. He really seems like such a nice, down to earth kind of guy. I thought it was sweet how he jammed with the back up singers. He mostly stayed to himself, so seeing him jam with the others on those rare occasions made it more meaningful. I saw him speak to Christine and later Stevie during the performance and I was astounded- how in the world can they have a conversation when it's so loud?!?

6) I didn't watch any of the videos posted, with the exception of I Got You and Storms, so I was surprised how moving Free Falling was. I mean, it was beautiful. I don't care for the song that much, and I really hated Stevie's recorded version, but live, this song was incredible. Steve's vocals were spot on, and the crowd responded incredibly to it. Neil's vocals were subtle but impressive, as well. I really can't say enough about how good this song was.

7) Christine did fine- when she was good, she was good, but when she wasn't, well, she wasn't. She was almost screaming during Say You Love Me, but she found her footing for Everywhere and later Isn't It Midnight. My friend say she sounded rough, but then said he felt bad for criticizing her because of her age. We really do have to take their ages into account when we talk about their singing, I think. I'm thankful we get to see them live at all, so if they sound a little rough or haggard, who am I to judge? This was the most animated I've ever seen Christine, though. She was swaying to the music, making facial expressions while singing, and really jamming during most of the songs.

8) I thought it was genius to put the lyrics to All Over Again on the screen. That really helped make this unfamiliar song seem more, well, familiar LOL. Having Neil play keyboards while Christine joined Stevie in the middle was also genius, and gave the band a more spontaneous feeling. Even though they do this every tour date, it felt improvised, something FM shows are not known for.

9) Mike said Columbus made more noise than Cleveland, and he appreciated it. Yay Columbus! The crowd really did seem totally into this show, more than other FM show I'd been to. Honest, I'm not just saying that. I don't know why. The only thing I can think is maybe, with the two new members, most of the audience didn't know what to expect, so once they saw how good Neil and Mike were, they really embraced them.

10) Stevie's intro to Landslide seemed genuinely heartfelt and emotional. I think the loud applause really inspired each of the band members to bring 100%, because they all seemed a little emotional at times and truly appreciative of the audience.

11) For me, the main highlight, and there were many, but the main one was Neil singing Don't Dream It's Over. I have always deeply loved that song, hell I even loved the Sixpence None the Richer cover, and having the opportunity to hear it live was a beautiful moment for me, made even more beautiful by seeing Stevie come on stage midway and sing it with him. I had shivers. I wish the song ended in a more powerful manner, it just kind of comes to a conclusion rather suddenly live, but I wish they would do more of a fade out with it.

This is the first time I ever wanted to see FM again for the same tour. Every other time, I loved seeing them but was content to see them once. Now, after seeing them tonight, I want to see them again at their next stop! If they add more dates, I am so there. Although this concert was so incredible, I'd better not push my luck. Maybe seeing them a second time would be a bit of a disappointment.

Other tidbits, briefly- the set list remained the same; they started at 8:15pm; Mick's drum solo is too long IMO, but a lot of the crowd ate it up; I saw Neil singing along to Stevie and Christine during their songs even when he wasn't at the microphone, a testament to how much he loves their songs, I would guess; and the backgrounds on the screen are incredibly distracting. I wouldn't even say cheesey, I would say bad. Seeing a dolphin diving during the chorus of You Make Loving Fun is bizarre. The staircase and blowing curtain during Dreams was ok, but still a bit much. GDW had an interesting background, but the rest were pretty bad, like I said. The pictures during Free Falling were well done.

Last edited by bwboy; 11-08-2018 at 12:47 AM..
Reply With Quote
.