My Madison show review...

[princessblair]

I'll warn you know, it's pretty long! But it pretty much speaks for itself...

Fleetwood Mac: Say You Will
Second U.S. leg of tour
Saturday, May 8, 2004


I think someone needs to pinch me, because I’ve been living a dream since Saturday. Not only did I get to meet Mick Fleetwood, get Lindsey Buckingham’s autograph and see Stevie Nicks in curlers, I also saw one of the best performances ever by Fleetwood Mac on their Say You Will Tour. This show reminded me why I'm a fan!

My best friend from high school and I decided to splurge for the platinum ticket package for the Madison show and I can say now that it was well worth it. We arrived for the backstage tour at 5 p.m. at the Kohl Center and waited for other tour members to show up. While we were waiting, I saw a black limo pull up in the parking lot and made a point to mention it to my friend, Lorie (it turns out that it was Stevie’s limo). Once the tour began, another limo pulled up, and this time it was Mick. Our tour guide, John, was explaining how many trucks and buses the Mac use on tour when Mick unexpectedly came down to greet the group. He was very nice and asked us where we were from as he shook hands with the crowd. I decided to wear my new shirt with the Buckingham Nicks cover on it for the show, and when Mick was shaking my hand, he noticed my shirt and said, “Oh, a Buckingham Nicks fan! You’re in for a real treat tonight!” I was thrilled, to say the least. Meeting Mick was an added bonus to the night.

From the loading dock, our tour progressed to the area right beneath the stage where the Mac crew has video cameras set up. John, our guide, explained that the Mac record and video tape every show. Footage might be used for something like the Live in Boston DVD, or just for the sake of posterity in the future. I would love to see more Mac concerts out on DVD, since they have back catalogs of footage.

After the cameras, we saw the catering area for the crew and such. What happened next was exciting, as we headed to the stage inside the center. Our group was able to stand on stage and see what the Mac see when they look out at us. The stage itself was covered in a material that was soft and almost sponge-like as I felt like I was bouncing slightly. I had no idea that we were going to be able to stand on stage! We even had our pictures taken in front of Mick’s drum set. Lorie and I had our picture taken together, as the Mac has kept us together as friends over the years. Mick had a new drum set that was encased in gold and John explained that Mick usually gets a new set with each tour. It was so cool just to be on stage, and as an added bonus, I got to touch Stevie’s microphone stand. To the average fan, it doesn’t sound like much, but to me, it was an added bonus. When Stevie’s on stage, her mic is like an extension of her body. We were careful not to mess the decorations up, as I know it takes quite a bit of time to set them up. Brett and Taku were warming up on stage while our group was there. I wanted to say hi, but they looked pretty busy so I just waved instead.

John thought that our group might get to hear some of the sound check, but unfortunately, we did not. The actual sound check was running late, so we were herded off to the end of the arena (by the mixing board) and learned that it takes about six hours to set up the board itself. As we were standing there, John McVie came on stage, smoking a cigarette. Lindsey and Mick followed. It was awesome to see them, and before long, Stevie came out. To my surprise, she was still in makeup had three large curlers in her hair! I could distinctly see them from across the arena! They reminded me of the curlers my grandma used to wear. It was kind of funny because it’s not everyday you see Stevie in curlers. The Mac does not allow outsiders to listen in during sound check, so that’s where our backstage tour ended. The tour alone was worth the money, as I got to meet Mick, stand on stage and of course, see Miss Stevie in all her curler-glory.

Lorie and I had an hour to kill before the Kohl Center opened for the show, so we thought we’d chat with some of the radio stations there. We talked to Tim and Mark from 93.1 The Lake, and discovered that they were going to play the concert set list again on Sunday night. Our tour group received set lists while backstage and I knew that “Don’t Let Me Down Again” was going to be played, so I asked if they had the Buckingham Nicks LP for that song. They did not, so I helped them out by giving them a copy of the album. We didn’t get to listen to the show on Sunday night, so I hoped that it worked out! We had the chance to be on air with Tim and told him about our backstage experience. After that, we went to a near by bar to have a drink before the show.

When we arrived to our seats (section 002, right in front of Lindsey), we learned that the first two rows would be allowed to stand up by the stage. That annoyed me because the platinum ticket purchasers all paid the same amount and because we were in the third row, and not second, we couldn’t go up to the stage. This was the closest I’d ever been at a concert and probably my only shot to get an autograph from Lindsey and Stevie. This little setback wasn’t helping. A gal in front of us in the second row was kind enough to say she’d take my Buckingham Nicks LP with her to sign if she went up front.

I forgot about my annoyance once the show started. Since we received set lists prior to the show, I knew that there would be five new songs. I Know I’m Not Wrong, Destiny Rules, Sara, Red Rover and Don’t Let Me Down Again replaced Say You Will, Gypsy, Goodbye Baby, Eyes of the World and What’s the World Coming To. I wasn’t sad to see Gypsy and Goodbye Baby go because while they’re great songs on record, they don’t have the same energy as live performances. I was extremely disappointed to see the departure of Say You Will, Eyes of the World and What’s the World Coming To. Say You Will is a great song live and I love the dance that Stevie does while singing it. It wasn’t a big single, but it’s the album’s namesake and I thought it was dumb to take it out. I liked What’s the World Coming To because it was a new song and it’s nice to hear something other than songs from Rumours. Eyes of the World was one of my favorites from the 2003 leg of the tour. I’ve always liked that song because it has so much energy and layers. To me, it’s like hearing a goodie like Beautiful Child.

As far as the set list goes, I will highlight songs that stood out during the show (it’s not that standards like The Chain and Dreams didn’t rock, it’s that they were performed in their usual rockin’ manner). I Know I’m Not Wrong came off much better than I anticipated. The entire band seemed into the song, and during the instrumental break, Stevie and Lindsey sang along, like they do in Second Hand News, which also sounded crisp and alive. I love how Stevie and Lindsey harmonize on the “bow, bow” part. Destiny Rules found Stevie with all smiles. She really kicked ass on this performance as the music was much tighter than opening night in 2003 and her energy of performing new songs was apparent. At the beginning of Never Going Back Again, I yelled out “Brushes” (in reference to the demo version released on the remastered Rumours) just for the hell of it. Rhiannon was different this time around. When I heard it during both the St. Paul shows in 2003, Stevie seemed bored with the whole performance and not really into it. On Saturday, Stevie hit more high notes than I’ve heard before and really gave an overall effort. It was much appreciated.

One of the more annoying things I’ve experienced at a Mac concert is when people on the floor sit during songs they don’t know. If you don’t do your homework before the show, then you probably shouldn’t be sitting in the first ten rows. This was the case during Come. Now, I’ll admit, I don’t listen to the song every time I listen to the Say You Will album, but I still love it live. Lindsey tends to go crazy and gets members of the crowd (who actually know the song) into it. Watching the way Lindsey played Come in Madison made me think he was having a virtual orgasm. The song was so intense and at the end, Lindsey threw his guitar across the stage! It was an extremely powerful performance and really showed how Lindsey rocks. Sara was next, and was intense in a different way. Stevie had on a beautiful red shall (actually, I’m not sure what to call it!) and it made her appear very delicate in appearance and the way she sang. It seemed like she was singing to both Lindsey and Mick. In fact, Mick looked pretty emotional himself. Adding the Tusk tour footage of Lindsey and Stevie singing Sara absolutely rocked! It was better than Gypsy because it seemed that they were doing the exact same movements as in the video footage. Stevie also brought out new boots for the song. I was really glad I got to hear this.

Big Love had some excellent lighting that should be noted. I liked how the spotlight made him appear as if he were coming out of it. Stevie dedicated Landslide to her friend Steve, whom she’s known since she was 15. I couldn’t tell if Lindsey’s guitar string completely broke or was just way out of tune during the beginning of Say Goodbye. Ray Lindsey brought out another guitar and something was wrong on this one as well. Lindsey looked upset and went off stage for a moment. In the meantime, Stevie was left to direct the crowd and she filled in with some banter and did some cute little dances (which reminded me of the scene in the Tusk Tour Documentary where she dances while singing Angel). There were more guitar problems and Lindsey came back on stage. He then began to do sit-ups and push-ups to entertain the crowd while Stevie laughed (it was almost like a cackle!) at him. Although there was a delay, it was cool to see everyone chilling out. Lindsey’s guitar was again out of tune on Red Rover, so Stevie said Mick should tell a story. She also mentioned that Lindsey’s daughter, Stella, was born recently and that’s why they had time off.

Beautiful Child was one of my favorite performances, not only because it’s one of my favorite songs, but also because Stevie always sings her heart out for it. Every time I hear it live, I’m thankful that I’m able to be at the show. I also yelled out, “You’re beautiful, Stevie!” at the beginning of the song. I hope that makes it on to a recording J Lindsey again threw his guitar, this time during I’m So Afraid. I think he was taking some of his frustration out on his other guitar not working earlier. Or he was just demonstrating the durability of his guitar. Either way, it was pretty cool. On Tusk, Lindsey played on a white Fender Stratocaster that looked really nice. I’m so used to his Turner, that seeing him play another guitar is such an event. Lindsey and Stevie proceeded to have their “mock fight” and once again, Lindsey threw his guitar across the stage! Tusk is definitely a crowd motivator. The only thing I don’t like is when scenes of the USC Marching Band are played in the background. Its one thing to have the actual USC Band there playing, but if they’re not, it’s creepy and kind of turns me off to the performance.
I was so excited to hear Don’t Let Me Down Again that I probably made too much of an expectation. The performance wasn’t exactly what I pictured, so I was a bit disappointed. I think it lacked some of the energy on previous performances (like on the Live LP and other various shows from the ‘70s), but don’t get me wrong, it was still great to hear the material.

The best performance of the night was, by far, Stand Back. During the intro, Lindsey was literally stroking himself with his guitar off to the side. At the time, I was very glad that my seat was right in front of him J His energy gave way to Stevie’s, which I thought was fantastic. She was so into the song and got the crowd on its feet! I love toward the end of the song where Stevie gives a little “umph” and sings the “ows” like she’s on fire (Well, you could be standin’ in/Stand Back/ow, well, you could be standin’ in/Stand Back)! John smiled some more during the song when Stevie came over to dance for him. The energy of Stand Back is why it’s always going to be my favorite.

As if Stand Back and Beautiful Child weren’t enough for me, I also had the extreme pleasure of Lindsey signing my Buckingham Nicks LP. Remember the gal in the second row who said she’d try to get it for me? Well, she did! (Thank you so much, Becky! You made my year!) I think Lindsey spotted Becky holding the LP during Go Your Own Way and signed it at the end of Don’t Stop. I thought it was pretty funny that he signed it right on Stevie’s chest. I’m going to frame it, along with the autographed tour book from the band and a fabulous picture that I managed to take of Lindsey. I finally got what I wanted!

I shouldn’t gripe with all of the excitement I’ve had, but I really wanted to hear Thrown Down, Monday Morning, and Angel. I was extremely happy that Beautiful Child wasn’t cut, as it’s one of the best performances. I hope to someday hear them. Just a few more things:

Stevie had new wardrobe! The old drab black dress was replaced by a better-fitting black dress and accompanied by nice new red and gold shawls. Stevie also had on some black gloves through out the show and I thought they added a nice touch. As a bonus, she wore tan suede boots during some of the songs (of which I can’t remember anymore!). Stevie also changed her hairstyle again. Gone is the parted-down-the-middle look. The bangs are back! I’m not a big fan of bangs, but they seem to look better on her. Overall, Stevie looked just fantastic! She had more energy in this show than in all of the four performances I saw in 2003. I guess the three months of rest did her well, as she seemed to look ten years younger.

Lindsey looked delicious in his usual attire of blue jeans and a button-shirt. Mick and John also wore their same attire. One of the highlights for me was seeing John smile so much! Stevie would come over during songs and do a little dance and make him laugh. It was great! Stevie did a lot of little gestures like that throughout the show. It makes her all the more lovable J
I thought everyone gave a great effort on Saturday, but Lindsey definitely ruled the show. I don’t know if it’s because he signed my Buckingham Nicks LP or looked absolutely delicious, but he made Madison a show I’ll never forget. I can’t wait until Green Bay!

[GypsySorcerer]

Thanks for the great review!

[MacMan]

Excellent review!!! And I loved hearing about the back stage tour stuff... Thanks for that!!

[AliP]

Great review! Thanks for taking the time to type it up!

[lasindy]

Thanks fpr posting a great review! It was a fantastic show wasn't it? I'm just over the moon about the whole weekend.

[golden braid]

Great review. I loved reading about your backstage experiences. I'm glad it was worth the money.

[golddustwoman77]

Wow!!!!!!!!!!! Great review. I'm glad that you had such a wonderful time, and congrats on all the Mac interaction.