2012 tour reviews

[elle]

re audience characterization:


http://www.sflinsider.com/music/conc...music-coverage

The legendary guitarist rocks classics from his chart-topping solo work and from his famed band Fleetwood Mac.
-review of the show at the Guzman Theatre (Miami).

Playing to a mixed crowd of grandparents to young adults, Buckingham created one of the most laidback ambiences I’ve ever witnessed. It seemed like everybody in the crowd was caught in a dreamlike trance, because not even for a second to people’s attention turn away. Yet, after making a name for himself with his unique guitar picking style in the mid-70’s with Fleetwood Mac and his solo work, he’s still jamming out now in his early 60’s. His latest album Seeds We Sow is a testament that as it reached as high as #45 on Billboard’s album charts.

Recently Buckingham extended his U.S. tour with additional dates on the East coast, Midwest and a few stops in Canada after overwhelming demand. The new six-week trek begins July 26 in Birmingham, AL and lasts through September 8 in Rama, Ontario. As for the rest of the country, they need not worry, as even more tour dates are in the works and will be announced in the coming weeks.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by elle

i thought of you when i read that comment how LB and Christine should get together and tour.

The writer doesn't seem new to Lindsey at all, so I'm surprised that he found LB's intensity "an unexpected delight". How could you know anything about the man and not realize he's intense???

If you've even seen one live performance of Go Insane you should know that.

Michele

[michelej1]

Smashing Interviews
http://smashinginterviews.com/review...sow-tour-stop/

Concert Review: Lindsey Buckingham Mesmerizes Crowd on ‘Seeds We Sow’ Tour Stop

August 10, 2012, by Marc Parker

Time: Thursday, July, 26 2012 @ 8:00 PM,

Place: Birmingham, Alabama

Venue: UAB’s Alys Stephens Center

The Wrap-up: Fleetwood Mac’s legendary singer/guitarist/songwriter gave the crowd of just over 1,000 at Birmingham’s Alys Stephens Center a magnificent – albeit short, clocking in at just over an hour – set of power-pop. Buckingham mesmerized the audience from start to finish with his masterful finger-picking and blistering solos, even breaking a string at one point.

Set List:
Cast Away Dreams
Bleed to Love Her
(Fleetwood Mac song)
Not Too Late
Stephanie
(Buckingham Nicks song)
Come
(Fleetwood Mac song)
Shut Us Down
Go Insane
Never Going Back Again
(Fleetwood Mac song)
Big Love
(Fleetwood Mac song)
I’m So Afraid
(Fleetwood Mac song)
Go Your Own Way
(Fleetwood Mac song)

Encore:
Trouble
Seeds We Sow

Interesting Side Note: Buckingham mentioned Birmingham as “a place we think of as part of our story.” In 1973, Birmingham radio was instrumental in breaking Buckingham Nicks nationally, and although the record was considered a commercial failure for the duo, it was the catalyst that led Mick Fleetwood to ask them to join Fleetwood Mac. The rest, as they say, is rock history.

Verdict: 9 out of 10

[elle]

http://www2.relishnow.com/entertainm...le-ar-2503388/

KERNERSVILLE --
"Welcome to KERNERSVILLE --
"Welcome to Kernersville, baby!"

Lindsey Buckingham, about to launch into his first song, smiled at the rambunctious fan who had called out the greeting, clearly aware that this was not the Hollywood Bowl, Madison Square Garden or even the Hard Rock Café Myrtle Beach.

As part of his one-man tour through the Southeast, Buckingham, Fleetwood Mac's guitarist and creative force, found himself taking the stage last Friday at the Bucked Up Super Saloon, a dressed-up honky-tonk surrounded by warehouses and industrial parks on N.C. 66.

It seemed an unlikely place to see someone who is most associated with the smooth Southern California pop of the 1970s, but the contrast was part of the fun.

"This is a strange experiment I'm doing," Buckingham told the crowd after opening with "Castaway Dreams" from his solo album "Under the Skin" and "Bleed to Love Her" from Fleetwood Mac's "Say You Will."

"There's something about the South that just resonates."

Buckingham talked about how "Buckingham Nicks," the album he and Stevie Nicks made in 1973 before joining Fleetwood Mac, was a flop everywhere except pockets of the Southeast.

"The South picked up on what we were doing more than anyone else," he said, eliciting nods of approval.

Dressed in Levis, black boots and a black leather jacket, the tanned and trim Buckingham delivered a powerful 75-minute set to about 200 people, ranging in age from teenagers to late-day baby boomers.

Although the show felt a tad short, given the $40 tickets (and those were the cheap seats), Buckingham made up for its length with his trademark intensity, screaming lyrics as veins bulged from his neck and dazzling concert-goers with lightning-quick finger picking that created a wash of sound, particularly on such songs as "Trouble," "Looking Out for Love" and, of course, "Never Going Back Again," his acoustic classic from "Rumours."

Buckingham also let loose on electric guitar on "Go Your Own Way" and "I'm So Afraid," playing along with a click track and a pre-recorded loop.

Although those songs rightfully have been staples on Buckingham's set list for years, he delighted longtime fans with "Stephanie," a breezy instrumental from the "Buckingham Nicks" album.

The crowd was enthusiastic, giving standing ovations for the FM-radio classics while cheering politely for some of Buckingham's more oft-kilter material, such as "Come" from "Say You Will."

Contrary to rumors floating around the crowd, Stevie Nicks, did not make an appearance. Her concert with Rod Stewart in Greensboro on Aug. 1 was canceled, leading some to speculate that she would join Buckingham in Kernersville.

Let's not get too greedy, people.

l'odonnell@wsjournal.com (336) 727-7420, baby!"

Lindsey Buckingham, about to launch into his first song, smiled at the rambunctious fan who had called out the greeting, clearly aware that this was not the Hollywood Bowl, Madison Square Garden or even the Hard Rock Café Myrtle Beach.

As part of his one-man tour through the Southeast, Buckingham, Fleetwood Mac's guitarist and creative force, found himself taking the stage last Friday at the Bucked Up Super Saloon, a dressed-up honky-tonk surrounded by warehouses and industrial parks on N.C. 66.

It seemed an unlikely place to see someone who is most associated with the smooth Southern California pop of the 1970s, but the contrast was part of the fun.

"This is a strange experiment I'm doing," Buckingham told the crowd after opening with "Castaway Dreams" from his solo album "Under the Skin" and "Bleed to Love Her" from Fleetwood Mac's "Say You Will."

"There's something about the South that just resonates."

Buckingham talked about how "Buckingham Nicks," the album he and Stevie Nicks made in 1973 before joining Fleetwood Mac, was a flop everywhere except pockets of the Southeast.

"The South picked up on what we were doing more than anyone else," he said, eliciting nods of approval.

Dressed in Levis, black boots and a black leather jacket, the tanned and trim Buckingham delivered a powerful 75-minute set to about 200 people, ranging in age from teenagers to late-day baby boomers.

Although the show felt a tad short, given the $40 tickets (and those were the cheap seats), Buckingham made up for its length with his trademark intensity, screaming lyrics as veins bulged from his neck and dazzling concert-goers with lightning-quick finger picking that created a wash of sound, particularly on such songs as "Trouble," "Looking Out for Love" and, of course, "Never Going Back Again," his acoustic classic from "Rumours."

Buckingham also let loose on electric guitar on "Go Your Own Way" and "I'm So Afraid," playing along with a click track and a pre-recorded loop.

Although those songs rightfully have been staples on Buckingham's set list for years, he delighted longtime fans with "Stephanie," a breezy instrumental from the "Buckingham Nicks" album.

The crowd was enthusiastic, giving standing ovations for the FM-radio classics while cheering politely for some of Buckingham's more oft-kilter material, such as "Come" from "Say You Will."

Contrary to rumors floating around the crowd, Stevie Nicks, did not make an appearance. Her concert with Rod Stewart in Greensboro on Aug. 1 was canceled, leading some to speculate that she would join Buckingham in Kernersville.

Let's not get too greedy, people.

l'odonnell@wsjournal.com (336) 727-7420

Comment: Marsha Hierl · Artistic Director at Woodland Moth Visual & Performing Artists
There were more like 450 people at the show! But it was a great night of music.


and the other review by one of the 2 photographers in front of the stage was posted here -

http://ledge.fleetwoodmac.net/showpo...0&postcount=27
(originally http://www.yesweekly.com/triad/artic...essential.html - Buckingham Live, Alone, and Essential)

[michelej1]

The Advocate
http://theadvocate.com/utility/homep...s-big-sound-to
Buckingham brings big sound to solo concert

By John wirt, August 19, 2012


In the company of his Fleetwood Mac bandmates, Lindsey Buckingham typically performs for thousands of people in arenas. But he stood alone with his guitar Friday night on the stage of the 325-seat Manship Theatre.

Make that 11 guitars. In the course of a one-man show that lasted about an hour and 15 minutes, Buckingham played a different guitar for nearly every selection.

Not sharing the spotlight with such formidable singer-songwriters as Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie, Buckingham gave himself plenty of acoustic and electric guitar solos. His florid accompaniment style is a marvel. Buckingham’s brilliant thumb- and finger-picking velocity recalls such classical guitar masters as André s Segovia and the furiously intense strumming and arpeggios of flamenco guitarists.

Although the slim 62-year-old singer, guitarist, songwriter, arranger and producer had no accompanying musicians, he expanded his on-stage palette through the several guitar-affecting foot pedals in front of him and stack of amplifiers and speakers behind him.

Some selections were accompanied by a drum machine and pre-recorded tracks. Normally, many musicians and music aficionados would frown upon such devices, especially the drum machine, which did sound a bit cheap. Fortunately, Buckingham used it sparingly and, being the virtuoso guitarist he is, otherwise made so much music in real time.

Speaking of machines, Buckingham explained to the audience that he, in his solo artist guise, is a small machine. There’s also that big machine. It has sold more than 100 million albums. It’s been part of Buckingham’s life since 1974, the year drummer Mick Fleetwood invited him join what became a very big Mac indeed.

“Tonight it’s just me,” the singer-guitarist, who’d previously toured solo with backing musicians, said. “I guess you might say I’m a small machine getting smaller.”

Buckingham told his Baton Rouge audience that he always loves visiting the South, the region that embraced the otherwise struggling Buckingham Nicks, a ’70s duo that featured himself and his then-girlfriend, Stevie Nicks.

Buckingham opened with the folkie “Cast Away Dreams,” a song from his 2006 solo album, “Under the Skin.” He ended with the title track from his latest solo album, 2011’s “Seeds We Sow,” featuring his characteristically cascading guitar arpeggios.

Time between the latter songs included “Go Insane,” another title song from a solo album. Originally a slick pop production on that 1984 release, Buckingham’s in-concert take on the song featured an especially intricate finger-picked guitar intro and extreme soft-loud contrast in both vocals and guitar. Even with just the one performer on stage, it was a massive performance.

Stormy, flamenco-like guitar eruptions and one-man, one-guitar showmanship continued with “Big Love.” A Fleetwood Mac song from 1987’s “Tango in the Night” album, it was an audience favorite.

Breakup song “Go Your Own Way,” a Buckingham-written highlight from Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 blockbuster, “Rumors,” also arrived late in the show. Making the most of his faux band, Buckingham turned the song into a solo showcase climaxed by searing electric guitar.

Having earned the standing ovation he received for “Go Your Own Way,” Buckingham left the stage but quickly returned for two encore numbers, one of them his solo hit from 1981, “Trouble.”

It was another example of the combined music produced by his singing and multi-voiced guitar playing being a full, complete performance, all by themselves.

[michelej1]

Alison Fensterstock, The Times-Picayune August 19, 2012
http://www.nola.com/music/index.ssf/...ine_big_s.html

The stage at One Eyed Jacks Saturday night, in anticipation of Lindsey Buckingham, looked surprisingly bare. There was no forbidding security team, no extra sound personnel, no barriers at the stage’s edge, not even a chair by the microphone – just a spotlight and a couple of bottles of water. A rack of half a dozen very nice guitars in the wings stage right was the only hint that the night’s featured entertainment was a bona fide rock legend, veteran of inaugural balls, multi-platinum albums and one of the most complicated and dramatic band soap operas in musical history.

Looking casual and weathered in jeans and a black leather jacket, Buckingham took the stage with little fanfare. He played two songs – his own “Cast Away Dreams” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Bleed to Love Her” - before introducing himself, and his new, pared-down performance concept, to the crowd.

“Thanks for coming to this intimate setting, to be part of this little experiment I’m doing here,” he said.

Lately, he said, he’s been thinking in terms of the “big machine” versus the “small machine.”

“The big machine is Fleetwood Mac,” he explained. “The small machine is the solo stuff.” As a solo artist, he said, he’d once taken out a ten-piece band on the road. Then, for a while, it was “the same three guys.”

“And now,” he said, “I seem to be up here on my own.”

“You’re not alone!” came a voice from the crowd. “We’ve always been here with you.”

Indeed, lots of people were there with him, ready to go whichever way Mr. Buckingham’s evolving muse dictated.

Ryan von Hesseling, who owns One Eyed Jacks along with Rio Hackford, estimated that the $60 ticket price for Buckingham’s concert is nearly twice as much as One Eyed Jacks’ previously highest-priced gig.

But even on a rainy August night, fans were lined up patiently down the block outside the venue. According to Hackford and von Hesseling, the performance sold out well in advance; extra tickets released for sale on Saturday night went speedily as well. Most in attendance appeared to be close to the artist’s own age; many audience members passed the wait time reminiscing about Fleetwood Mac shows past, and the name of the fabled New Orleans venue the Warehouse was overheard more than once.

I was one of several attendees who risked impoliteness by asking Mr. Hackford just how he landed such a big fish. Actually, he said, it was pretty easy – the club saw the available dates, bid and won. The independently owned, 400-odd-capacity spot was apparently just what Mr. Buckingham was looking for.

“He wasn’t interested in the House of Blues,” Hackford said. “He didn’t want to do the big venues.”

It was a good choice; small machine, small room. One Eyed Jacks chose not to put out additional seating (and Buckingham’s extra staff appeared to consist of one guitar tech) so the vibe in the room was as casual and intimate as for any local band. Fans packed the showroom standing shoulder to shoulder, close enough to the stage’s edge to easily touch the artist as he ran through a sixty-minute set drawn from his fairly extensive solo catalog.

Buckingham isn’t a technical guitar hero on the level of Mac founder Peter Green, which was a topic of debate overheard in several corners of One Eyed Jacks Saturday night. (In Rolling Stone magazine’s most recent tallying of the hundred greatest guitar players of all time, Buckingham placed #100; Green was #58.)

(Listen here to a pre-Buckingham Fleetwood Mac concert, recorded in 1970 at the Warehouse in New Orleans.)

If there is anything he might lack in technical wizardry, though (and really, placing on that list at all probably makes any discussion about lack of skill moot) he makes up for it a thousandfold in emotion. Averaging one guitar per song, Buckingham’s pounding, finger-picking style – reminiscent of his contemporary Richard Thompson - cascaded over the crowd in a shower of notes, interweaving with his passionate baritone bellow. He seemed as carried away, at points, as the audience was, closing his eyes for most of the performance. After finishing the cathartic breakup tune “Come,” he hollered “Yeah!” and nodded his head, as if he’d just been the one listening, not playing.

This bare-bones version of Mr. Buckingham’s solo tour has been going on for a while, and a look at his recent reviews confirms the “big machine/ small machine” comments are a regular part of his repartee. As he spoke, though, it seemed less like a practiced line of patter than a sort of mantra, repeated as much for himself as for the audience. (According to One Eyed Jacks staffers, Buckingham meditated alone in the dressing room before the show.)

Toward the end of the set, he revisited the big machine/small machine concept.

“It’s the smaller scale thing that allows us to keep moving forward,” he posited. “To keep being an artist, and to keep taking risks.”

Interestingly, though he did perform his signature Fleetwood Mac hit “Go Your Own Way,” it was not the note he chose to go out on. The set closer, “Seeds We Sow” – the title track of his most recent album – referenced his present, not his grand past.

A half hour later, as fans still milled about in the front bar of One Eyed Jacks, Mr. Buckingham – a slight figure, once offstage – slipped through the crowd and out the front door, nearly unnoticed. Where was he off to, I asked von Hesseling, imagining a five-star hotel, a tricked-out tour bus or a sumptuous late dinner.

“He’s getting in his small van,” Hesseling answered. “He has to be in Orange, Texas tomorrow.”

[michelej1]

^This piece leaves you with a very nice image of LB.

Originally Posted by michelej1

Interestingly, though he did perform his signature Fleetwood Mac hit “Go Your Own Way,” it was not the note he chose to go out on. The set closer, “Seeds We Sow” – the title track of his most recent album – referenced his present, not his grand past.

They never close with GYOW. All of them take the Songbird route and bring the night to a quiet end. They don't end with GYOW, Don't Stop or E017. I'm very proud of the continuity among band members in all deciding to do this and carrying the concept to their solo shows. It makes me feel a connection between them.

Michele

[michelej1]

Beumont Enterprise

Classic rock fans welcome Fleetwood Mac rocker to Orange
By Sarah Moore

Published 10:12 p.m., Sunday, August 19, 2012

Read more: http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/ne...#ixzz2472pmdm4

After years of traveling with what he called "the big machine" of Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham has pared things down.

Going from a 10 piece band to later working with three other musicians, he appeared as a solo act Sunday night at the Lutcher Theater in Orange.

"One could make the assumption that the small machine is getting smaller," he joked to the large (although not sold out) audience.

For fans like Ryan Carroll, one was enough.

When he heard Buckingham was coming to Orange, he knew he would be there to hear him. If it meant standing outside the theater playing for the concert goers with his guitar case open for spare change to get the money for a ticket, he was prepared.

The 29-year-old Vidor musician hadn't even been born when Fleetwood Mac was in its heyday in the '70s, but he feels their music has stood the test of time.

"I'm a huge Fleetwood Mac Fan," he said. "Lindsey Buckingham is one of my guitar heroes."

Carroll said he felt Fleetwood Mac owed its success largely to Buckingham, who he called "heavily underrated."

He was also happy to be able to see the iconic musician so close to home.

"The sound in here is just absolutely incredible," Carroll added.

Buckingham, lead guitarist and lead male singer for Fleetwood Mac, featured songs from his recent album, "Seeds We Sow," opening with the song "Castaway Dreams."

The crowd that showed up to welcome Buckingham to Texas was mostly 40 and above, such as Clyde McKee, who attended the concert with his wife.

"The best music ever was in the '60s and '70s," he said. "Today's music doesn't have the same soul."

Some, like Dick Dickerson, said he was more into musicians like Bob Dylan and the Moody Blues back in the day.

"I like Fleetwood Mac okay," he said. "They're a little after my time."

Dickerson, the Lutcher Theater archivist, said he wouldn't have minded seeing the full band play and hearing Stevie Nicks sing.

After his second song, Buckingham spoke briefly to the crowd.

"Thank you all for coming out tonight and for being part of this little experiment," he said. "It kind of makes you my guinea pigs."

[michelej1]

Houston Press
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/...ham.php?page=2

Last Night: Lindsey Buckingham at Fitzgerald's
By Christina LynnTue., Aug. 21 2012 at 9:00 AM

An Evening with Lindsey Buckingham
Fitzgerald's
August 20, 2012

It was a packed house Monday night at Fitzgerald's when Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham took the stage, albeit this time with a very "small machine:" Himself. No bells or whistles, just him and mostly his guitar.

Buckingham began the evening with the beautiful "Cast Away Dreams" before launching into the newer Fleetwood Mac classic "Bleed To Love Her." Though the song was rather harmonious as is, I couldn't help but hum along in my head Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie's parts as heard on the original recording.

Buckingham lamented about how his solo career is what he calls "the small machine" and Fleetwood Mac is "the big machine." Without the big machine, there would be no small machine.

But the true highlight of the evening was when he launched into "Big Love" from Fleetwood Mac's 1987 album Tango In the Night. He explained that the song is about getting rid of the unnecessary things in life -- hence the line "lookin' out for love" because, at the time of the song's recording, he wasn't wanting a lover in his life. Now, he's a married father of three.

One of the most interesting portions of the evening was when Buckingham launched into the instrumental "Stephanie," a track from the now out-of-print Buckingham Nicks album that he recorded with fellow Fleetwood Mac member (and then-girlfriend) Stevie Nicks shortly before joining the group. It sounded as good as the original recording, if not popped out more.

However, the greatest portion of the evening was devoted to Buckingham's equally great, but underrated, solo work, which definitely deserves more respect than it is given overall. Buckingham truly shines as a solo artist and is one heck of a guitar player.

Personal Bias: I have seen both Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks in concert many times, but never Fleetwood Mac. I would like to see Fleetwood Mac live at least once.

The Crowd: A nice mix of men and women in their early to mid-fifties.

Random Notebook Dump: Christine McVie, please come back to Fleetwood Mac. I would like to hear some of your stuff you penned live.

Something Lindsey Said: "Being somewhat of a control freak, I don't know how I'm gonna follow through with that." -- referring to requests for songs such as "Holliday Road."

[michelej1]

That's hilarious that Lindsey said he was a control freak and didn't know how he could oblige requests for Holiday Road!

Michele

[michelej1]

Rolling Stone
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/ne...ustin-20120823
Lindsey Buckingham Brings 'Small Machine' to Austin

Fleetwood Mac guitarist thrills Antone's crowd in solo show

By Chad Swiatecki August 23, 2012 12:15 PM ET

Roughly 40 minutes into a revealing, intimate show at Austin blues club Antone's on Wednesday, Lindsey Buckingham essentially dared his audience not to sing with him. Teasing the opening of the undeniable Fleetwood Mac hit "Never Going Back Again" on his eighth different guitar of the night, Buckingham sang the song's opening line in a voice so faint atop finger picking so precise that any crowd accompaniment would've crushed the moment.

The fans recognized this, and they stayed hushed as the song built to a winding, Graham Nash-ian guitar solo, reaching its high point with Buckingham belting out reworked lines – "been down three times!" – before settling into the familiar sing-along chorus.

Moments like that are the real selling point of Buckingham's current solo tour, which finds him completely alone onstage in clubs and very small theaters with nothing but an occasional backing track as he works through material spanning his solo career, hits with Fleetwood Mac and even moments from his Buckingham Nicks days.

His live career, he said, contrasts the "big machine" – the height of Fleetwood Mac's fame, with marching bands and more onstage – with the "small machine." Buckingham said he uses scaled-back moments like Wednesday to take chances and reveal more nuanced aspects of his career as a writer and performer.

That was evident in songs like "Bleed to Love Her," where his vocals – still strong at age 62 – went from raw and confessional on the verses to tender and yearning on the choruses, and in a stark, almost murder-ballad take on "Go Insane."

One of the biggest draws of getting Buckingham in a solo live setting is the opportunity for him to showcase his guitar work free of any other musical presence. Acknowledged as an all-time great – he's number 100 on Rolling Stone's most recent list of rock's best guitar players – Buckingham earned his place as more of a compositional player in the mode of George Harrison rather than being a titan of blues-based jamming.

And while there were a few Eric Clapton-worthy solos on Wednesday, on "I'm So Afraid" especially, most of his instrumental high points featured him expanding chordal patterns that served more as prolonged, almost lyrical segues between passages of his songs, often sounding like there were at least two guitars playing.

A big part of the allure throughout the 75-minute set came from dissecting the sounds produced as Buckingham alternated his playing styles between the fingerpicking he learned as a young fan of the Kingston Trio, traditional strumming and the flamenco-derived rasgueado technique, where fingers explode downward across the strings.

It wasn't all about showing off, though, as a run through the comparatively straightforward instrumental "Stephanie" saw Buckingham smiling at that flashback to the earliest days of his musical career with longtime partner Stevie Nicks.

Speaking openly and frankly to the crowd near the end of the set, Buckingham edged around how complicated and fractious his partnership with Nicks and the other members of Fleetwood Mac eventually became. He introduced "Big Love" as a document of that period by explaining how for many years he avoided affection and emotion at pretty much all cost.

Launching into the intense, soaring rocker, Buckingham stomped the stage as he settled into an intricate, driving solo that drew the cheering crowd in almost as a backing band accompaniment. At the song's sudden stop Buckingham jumped back from the microphone to catch his breath, taking several moments to compose himself on a song that still touches a nerve more than 25 years after it was written.

In dozens of moments like those, Buckingham showed that his "small machine" moments can be some of the most thrilling and satisfying of his career.


Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/ne...#ixzz24OY6Dulr

[elle]

http://popcultureblog.dallasnews.com...man-show.html/

Home > Pop Culture Blog
Lindsey Buckingham unleashes a torrent of potent solo and Fleetwood Mac songs during one-man show

By Mario Tarradell / Music Critic
mtarradell@dallasnews.com
12:16 am on August 24, 2012 | Permalink

Lindsey Buckingham immediately colored his one-man performance in intense shades of red and black. (Rex C. Curry/Special Contributor)

McKINNEY – It only took Lindsey Buckingham two songs to unleash a torrent of potency that would immediately color his one-man concert performance in dramatic shades of red and black.

He was singing “Bleed to Love Her,” a track from Fleetwood Mac’s 2003 album Say You Will, and his voice was an intense series of whispers and screams. His guitar work was at once menacing and delicate, an intricate pastiche that amazed at every turn.

Buckingham delivered 13 numbers during 75 minutes Thursday night at the McKinney Performing Arts Center, a courthouse converted into a venue with impressive acoustics. His intimate turn onstage touched on some of his Mac contributions as well as material from four of his solo albums.

The 62-year-old singer, songwriter and guitarist, who also has a gig Friday night at the Cendera Center in Fort Worth, spent a bit of time explaining his concept of the “big machine” (Fleetwood Mac) and the “small machine” (his solo work), specifically how at this stage in his career one informs the other. They work symbiotically, allowing him the freedom to always stretch artistically.


Lindsey Buckingham brought out a different guitar for just about every song. (Rex C. Curry/Special Contributor )

I’ll tell you, those long digits are plenty limber. Buckingham’s liquid finger-picking style creates a watery, cascading sonic effect that is instantly recognizable. It is his signature, and he used it on “Not Too Late” from 2006′s Under the Skin as well as on a chilling, slower rendition of his hit “Go Insane” from the 1984 disc of the same name.

Yet it wasn’t until a pair of vocal and guitar monsters that Buckingham would literally need to catch his breath. “Big Love,” a showstopper from Mac’s 1987 masterpiece Tango In the Night, and “So Afraid” from the 1975 self-titled FM album left him panting, almost on his knees. His muscular, extended guitar solos were simply amazing and his vigorous vocals (especially the breathy grunts on “Big Love”) deserved those standing ovations.

Buckingham turned just about every song he played inside out, giving them new arrangements and renewed energy. About the only one he did faithful to the recorded version was “Go Your Own Way” from 1977′s iconic Rumours.

The crowd was completely entranced by then. Buckingham has that kind of charisma. He makes hefty feel revitalizing. He expertly balances his penchant for crafting esoteric art with his knack for writing songs that are essential pieces of the American soundtrack.

Encoring with “Trouble” from 1981′s Law and Order and “Seeds We Sow,” the stunning title track from his 2011 solo disc, was genius. Buckingham left us with his own individualistic voice ringing in our ears.

[wondergirl9847]

By Robert Philpot
DFW.com
Posted 11:53pm on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012
McKINNEY -- All too often, when an artist familiar from a band context puts on a one-man (or -woman) show, it's a pleasant but ordinary experience: The songs done more quietly, probably acoustically, but not changed all that much from their original incarnation.

Lindsey Buckingham is too much of a risk-taker for that, and in a relatively brief but exhilarating concert Thursday at the McKinney Performing Arts Center, Buckingham -- accompanied solely by his raft of guitars and a few effects -- turned the whole idea of "quiet one-man show" on its head.

During the 80-minute or so set, which featured a mix of solo work and Fleetwood Mac songs, Buckingham performed with such intensity that you sometimes had to wonder why he didn't pass out. The closing guitar solo on the latter-day Fleetwood Mac song Come was brain-frying in the best way, and when he hit the solo at the end of I'm So Afraid, the oldest song in the concert, it was like he was having an out of body experience as he closed his eyes and went for gushers of feedback, climaxing by striking the fretboard several times as if he couldn't control himself anymore.

Both songs received whooping standing ovations from the crowd in the McKinney Performing Arts Center -- an old courthouse that's been transformed into an intimate concert venue. And as good as later songs like the reflective Not Too Late and Seeds We Sow are, what was really striking was how much emotion Buckingham could bring to So Afraid or Never Going Back Again, both written more than 35 years ago.

Other older songs stood out: Go Insane, performed in a slower version than the poppy 1984 original, was almost malevolent, while Go Your Own Way was raw enough to border on punk, except that most punk songs don't have lengthy and elaborate finger-picked solos.

Buckingham's guitar playing -- the finger-picking that he's known for, but also the strumming like a possessed flamenco musician and the explosive solos -- was the show's highlight, but his singing didn't take a back seat; he tore into the vocals of his songs with such verve, it was often surprising that he had the strength left to do the next number. When he told anecdotes about some of the songs and about the synergy between "The Big Machine and The Small Machine" -- Fleetwood Mac and his solo work, with this being as solo as he's ever gotten -- he often seemed to be catching his breath, and then he'd launch into the next number as if it were the first one of the night.

More than five years ago, Buckingham played Fort Worth's Bass Hall with a band, and it was one of the best shows I'd ever seen there; I had my doubts that the one-man show could top it, but they were erased pretty quickly on Thursday, and within a few songs, they were obliterated. Buckingham has been on a Texas swing that includes a stop Friday night at Fort Worth's Cendera Center; the McKinney concert indicates that there are great things in store for people who go to the Fort Worth show.

http://www.dfw.com/2012/08/23/669637...-mckinney.html

[michelej1]

Pegasus News
http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2012...gham-mckinney/

by Angie Bado of Town Square Buzz
Friday, August 24, 2012

Review: Lindsey Buckingham proves his worth as one of world’s greatest guitarists

MCKINNEY — "Awesome, amazing, and fantastic" were some of the adjectives that I heard from fans as they left the McKinney Performing Arts Center following Lindsey Buckingham's performance there Thursday night.

He performs Friday night at the Cendera Center in Fort Worth.

Buckingham, who graced the stage before a packed house, has still got it. The critically acclaimed singer-songwriter has won numerous accolades and awards over the course of his lengthy career. He's best known as guitarist and male lead singer for Fleetwood Mac and as a solo performer. And on Thursday, he held the audience captive from the first note, as he opened with "Cast Away Dreams."

At 62, Buckingham mesmerized and delighted the audience, performing 13 songs in 75 minutes. His often jaw-dropping performance featured songs from his solo career, which he referred to as the "small machine," as well as some material, such as "Go Your Own Way," from his Mac years.

Explaining that he toured last year with the "big machine" (Fleetwood Mac), Buckingham said that this solo tour is "experimental." He elaborated that while "to some degree, one wouldn't exist without the other" his solo performances allow him to further grow as a musician.

Buckingham displayed a wide range of strong vocals, but it was his ability to transition from a lover who gently caressed the guitar strings with his signature finger-picking on "Go Insane" to the unharnessed, unadulterated, ultimate rocker who massaged his guitar into screams during "I'm So Afraid" that brought the appreciative crowd to its feet.

Telling the crowd that a lyric written in 1987 "described the person I was then," Buckingham introduced "Big Love." Alluding to his complicated relationship with Stevie Nicks and other Mac band members, he said that he was "looking out for love" and avoiding love.

"That's how we (Fleetwood Mac) got through that period," Buckingham said. "This song has become a meditation on power and the importance of change."

The popular "Go Your Own Way," with the crowd singing along, rounded out the set.

Yes, Buckingham is still all that and a bag of chips. He took us on an emotion-filled musical ride that was worth every cent of admission. His finger dexterity, as he picked his way through each rendition he shared with us, was simply amazing. No wonder he is number 100 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists list.

[elle]

http://www.examiner.com/review/linds...n-on-august-22

Lindsey Buckingham performed at Antone's in Austin on August 22

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAMAUGUST 25, 2012
BY: REBECCA CHULEW

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Lindsey BuckinghamFleetwood MacLindsey Buckingham solo tour

Lindsey Buckingham performed at Antone's in Austin on August 22 to a thrilled audience. He played a dense, 75 minute acoustic solo set of original material and Fleetwood Mac songs. In our exclusive Examiner video, Lindsey discusses the "big machine" of Fleetwood Mac versus the "small machine" of Lindsey performing and creating music by himself. Rolling Stone described Lindsey's conversation onstage in their review of the performance at Antone's.

The set list included a diverse selection of Lindsey Buckingham and Fleetwood Mac tunes. Lindsey started with "Cast Away Dreams" followed by "Bleed to Love Her" from Fleetwood Mac's 2003 album 'Say You Will' album. His guitar work hastened in a moment from delicate to frantic, keeping the listeners engaged at every second. Lindsey calls his guitar picking style his 'touchstone' and he is relentless in his pursuit of acoustic harmony. Lindsey next played "Not Too Late," then the instrumental "Stephanie" from his early Buckingham Nicks record. "Come" beckoned the audience to listen closer.

View slideshow: Lindsey Buckingham performed at Antone's in Austin on August 22

Lindsey Buckingham performed at Antone's in Austin, Texas on August 22, 2012.
Photo credit: by Rebecca Chulew

Video: Lindsey Buckingham at Antone's in Austin, Texas on August 22

"Shut Us Down" was next and Lindsey continued with "Go Insane," his 1985 solo hit, drawing shouts of delight from the crowd. "Never Going Back Again" was followed by "Big Love" from Fleetwood Mac's 'Tango In The Night' album from 1987. "I'm So Afraid" from the 1975 album 'Fleetwood Mac' continued the flow of the concert. "Go Your Own Way" from Fleetwood Mac's 'Rumours' album from 1977, Lindsey's 1981 solo hit "Trouble" and his latest release "Seeds We Sow" rounded out the encore.

Don't miss Lindsey when he comes to your state later this month. Upcoming tour dates include August 26 and 27 in Chicago, IL at City Winery; August 28 in Green Bay, WI at Meyer Theatre; August 29 in Washburn, WI and August 31 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. September tour dates start on the first in Des Moines, IA at Hoyt Sherman Place; September 2 in Iowa City, IA at the Englert Theatre and September 4 in St. Charles, IL at the Arcada Theatre. Lindsey plays three dates in Ontario, Canada the following week. Lindsey Buckingham's website has the latest news on the artist.