Champaign Thoughts (Set list talk)

[GypsySorcerer]

My friend, Eric, and his sister (Sara) and brother-in-law (Andy) and I were in the 6th row..... Near center, a little closer to Lindsey. We weren't really close enough for interaction, but we had a great view of the stage.

Some general observations:
-No big technical problems as far as I could tell. Eric said Stevie's mic was a little too loud.
-They allowed cameras in -- had I known that, I would have brought mine.
-The arena seemed pretty full. Not quite a sell-out, but almost
-Stevie was ON FIRE!!!! She totally rocked the entire concert. She was so energetic and playful. And she looked gorgeous!!!! That is the closest I've seen her, and man, I couldn't believe how beautiful she was.
-Lindsey was awesome!! Very high energy. Quite the showman. I think he really wants to break up his guitar on stage, but he restrains himself.

I'm not going to review each song. Here are some things that stick out:

IKINW: Really fun. I'm not sure how many people recognized it (besides us die-hards) in front. But it rocked!!

Rhiannon: She TORE IT UP! The woman is so captivating. I kept meaning to glance and Lindsey, but I just couldn't take my eyes off Stevie.

Destiny Rules: I really like this live!! She sounded great on it. At the end, she said, "Why thank you" in this cute voice.

Come: What can I say? Lindsey rocks.

Sara: Amazing. She sounded great....and I love the interaction with her and Linds at the end with the Tusk doc on the screen.

Say Goodbye: Beautiful, but some jerk a few rows behind us yelled out, "Play your old stuff!" during one of the real quiet moments.

GDW: She rocked. Totally rocked. (One of my personal faves)

ISA: Fantastic, as usual. In fact, I think he has changed it a little since last time I saw them. We totally loved it.

Silver Springs: Pretty intense. She sang, "still I am a fool."

Stand Back: So much energy from Stevie.


The only drawbacks: no 2nd encore and no DLMDA. But it was awesome. My friends said it was a great show (previously casual fans)...They were totally blown away by Stevie and Lindsey. (I have new converts! Yay! )

Can't wait for Nashville!

[shackin'up]

thanks for your review, glad you loved it! No DLMDA....That's a bummer....

[diamondsnake]

Originally Posted by GypsySorcerer

Say Goodbye: Beautiful, but some jerk a few rows behind us yelled out, "Play your old stuff!" during one of the real quiet moments.

That is one of the ruddest things I have ever heard of. Umm, they are touring for a new record, they need to play a few new songs! Hello!


NO DON'T LET ME DOWN AGAIN??? THIS MUST MEAN THEY ARE TAKING IT OFF THE SETLIST!!!! THAT IS SO SAD!!! IT HAS BEEN DECADES SINCE THEY PLAYED IT AND THEY ONLY DO IT AT ONE SHOW ALL TOUR???? AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

[EnchantedSLN]

Originally Posted by GypsySorcerer

no DLMDA.

Oh come ON! That's a bummer... I hope it's not permanently gone (or if it is, that they replace it with something exciting and not with one of the dropped songs from the last leg or nothing at all). I thought Mick initially said there would be 6 new songs. We only got 5, and now it looks like they've eliminated one more . Oh well... I'm doubly grateful to everyone who recorded boots in Madison.

Thanks for the review!

[ryan8472]

Originally Posted by GypsySorcerer

no DLMDA.

Sounds like Running Through The Garden all over again . I really wish they'd leave it in the set. I think it sounded good, from the Madison bootleg I've heard. Maybe a Stevie song will be added in its place??? One can only hope...

[EveryHour]

Originally Posted by GypsySorcerer

Silver Springs: Pretty intense. She sang, "still I am a fool."

..veddy inta-vesting. *raises eyebrow*

[EveryHour]

Originally Posted by diamondsnake

NO DON'T LET ME DOWN AGAIN??? THIS MUST MEAN THEY ARE TAKING IT OFF THE SETLIST!!!! THAT IS SO SAD!!! IT HAS BEEN DECADES SINCE THEY PLAYED IT AND THEY ONLY DO IT AT ONE SHOW ALL TOUR???? AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Oh, no...........................

[EveryHour]

Originally Posted by GypsySorcerer

Say Goodbye: Beautiful, but some jerk a few rows behind us yelled out, "Play your old stuff!" during one of the real quiet moments.

I'm so sick of this ****! Funny, too, that it came just after Sara. The jerk probably didn't recognize that either and so figured it was new, too. What he probably meant was, "Play Rumours in it's entirety and get the hell out of here so I can finish my beer."

[lasindy]

This concert was FABULOUS, really one of the very best I have seen on this tour. They are so hot and so happy, what fun. No real obvious technical problems. I'm sure Ray had decided it would be a cold day in hell (oh wait Ray actually visited a cold day in hell last night) before he would hand Lindsey another out of tune guitar.

Okay now a few things about the venue. The Illini have decided to cleverly combine their basketball arena with a sauna. They do this because there is a scandalous shortage of women's restrooms so they want to keep everyone dehydrated. We were sweating. I don't know why I'm complaining, the rocking show combined with the heat, I won't need to exercise for a week. Threatening to disturb our perfect night, six very drunk girls come in and sit right behind us, aaaaarrrrgggggh. I will give the abridged version of their stupid antics and just say it cumulated with one having a very LOUD cell phone conversation with someone during Say Goodbye, when of course otherwise you could hear a pin drop. We shot her a look and she responded with a loud expletitive. So in the interest of not ending up in the middle of a Reno fiasco kind of story we just backed off. Oh someone behind them also yelled "you don't suck" during SG, didn't hear the "play the old stuff "yell.

Lindsey was on fire. I have to say Red Rover, awesome, gorgeous, exceptional live song. Stevie looked and sounded increduble. Stand Back was absolutely the best version I have ever heard. That gal rocked. Could I get someone to play Taps for Don’t Let Me Down Again? The poor song has one bad night and it’s out of here, how sad. Also, please add the slow song back at the end!!! It is so unfair to make us get up and leave after Don’t Stop. It's like running a 10K with no cool down.

[diamondsnake]

Originally Posted by lasindy

This concert was FABULOUS, really one of the very best I have seen on this tour. They are so hot and so happy, what fun. No real obvious technical problems. I'm sure Ray had decided it would be a cold day in hell (oh wait Ray actually visited a cold day in hell last night) before he would hand Lindsey another out of tune guitar.

Okay now a few things about the venue. The Illini have decided to cleverly combine their basketball arena with a sauna. They do this because there is a scandalous shortage of women's restrooms so they want to keep everyone dehydrated. We were sweating. I don't know why I'm complaining, the rocking show combined with the heat, I won't need to exercise for a week. Threatening to disturb our perfect night, six very drunk girls come in and sit right behind us, aaaaarrrrgggggh. I will give the abridged version of their stupid antics and just say it cumulated with one having a very LOUD cell phone conversation with someone during Say Goodbye, when of course otherwise you could hear a pin drop. We shot her a look and she responded with a loud expletitive. So in the interest of not ending up in the middle of a Reno fiasco kind of story we just backed off. Oh someone behind them also yelled "you don't suck" during SG, didn't hear the "play the old stuff "yell.

Lindsey was on fire. I have to say Red Rover, awesome, gorgeous, exceptional live song. Stevie looked and sounded increduble. Stand Back was absolutely the best version I have ever heard. That gal rocked. Could I get someone to play Taps for Don’t Let Me Down Again? The poor song has one bad night and it’s out of here, how sad. Also, please add the slow song back at the end!!! It is so unfair to make us get up and leave after Don’t Stop. It's like running a 10K with no cool down.

Or at least bring back Goodbye Baby!

[bookie29]

I really enjoyed the concert except for the heat & a few ignorant fans. This was my 4th show (5th if you count Lindsey's Soundstage) & I was a little suprised by the arena. I had 10th row seats but it had to be around 80 degrees in there. Sweat was rolling down my back before the first song.

The arena is also very small. I am from the Chicago area, so I guess I am use to larger/more modern arenas. On the plus side, since it was so small, I felt as if I was as close as I was at Soundstage. To be honest, I would stand in the middle of a garbage dump, in 100 degree heat, to see FM.

I went with a friend that has a passing interest in FM. Actually he is slightly brainwashed by me because I play their music all the time. Anyway, I was very excited (& HOT), while he was bored (& HOT), and complaining while we waited for the crickets to start chirping. In his boredom he observed & shared with me that I was the only black person in there. So, we passed the time searching the crowd for more of "my kind". I don't care who is there, I'm there to have a good time.

I will only comment on the songs where I noticed a change or something happened so...On to the concert.

IKINW- One of my favorite songs of Lindsey's from Tusk & it was well received by the crowd. There was a lot of energy on stage & in the crowd even though the casual fans didn't recognize the song.

Peacekeeper- I love this song on the CD but it is still too slow and plodding live. I did notice that Stevie was going for the higher notes on "don't tell why". By the way this is my friend's favorite song on SYW.

Destiny Rules- Stevie introduced this the same way as SYW, so at first I thought that's what she was about to sing. Again the people around me sat down because the did not recognize the song. Although the guy in front of me sat, he was tapping his foot and clapping along with the song.

Side note about the guy in front of me. Before the concert started he pre- apologized in case his standing up blocked my view. He told me that he would sit as long as the people in front sat & didn't block his view. I told him not to worry because I am tall enough to see over him & I planned to stand the whole time anyway.

NGBA- Great performance by Lindsey w/ beautiful harmonies by Stevie. Before the song started the woman in front of me got very upset. A girl a few rows ahead had been standing and dancing the whole time. She was not obnoxious, just having a good time. She had been doing a lot of STEVIE!! yelling. So, after DR, Stevie went to the side of the stage & we couldn't see her. Rude lady chose this time to yell at the other girl to "Sit Down!! Sit Down!! She is no longer on stage!!" I was glad that the girl ignored her. Why get floor seats if you want to sit? I really don't understand this phenomena.

Rhiannon & Come- They both tore up their respective songs. Stevie pulled the mike back & did a lot of wailing. Lindsey was all over the place. He was sweating, screaming, & pounding the guitar. Quite a sexy performance.

Sara- Stevie looked great with the red shawl/robe, with her hair pinned back. She sounded great and by no way is this song boring live. I don't know why she said that in the past. I nearly cried but I didn't want my friend to see me. He already calls me a stalker/psycho fan because I've seen them so many times.

There were also a few idiots seated behind me. I hope they weren't fellow Ledgies because I have to chastise them. They were Stevie fans. I am a Stevie fan. When I go to see FM I am there to see everyone not just Stevie. I relate to Stevie & always defend her when the negative comments start to fly, but I also like Lindsey & enjoy his contributions to the band and to Stevie's Songs. Until this point they were screaming "STEVIE!! STEVIE!!" each time there was a break between songs. This is fine but when Lindsey was giving one of his speaches or introducing a song they would keep screaming for Stevie & screaming "Play Landslide!!". This is so rude and irritating.

Landslide- Eat your heart out Dixie Chicks. This is how the song is performed. Alas, this temporarily satisifed the screaming idiots because from this point on they screamed "Play Go Your Own Way!!" until they did.

SG- Beautiful. Ruined, because someone screamed "you don't suck" during a lull in the song. This may have sounded like you suck if you weren't close by. I wondered how it sounded to S&L.

RR- This song has grown on me. A great performance. This really transfers well to the stage.

GDW- Great, intense performance. Especially the GO HOME!! AHH!! AHH!! AHHHHH!!!

ISA- We all know how Lindsey performs this but the idiots reared their ugly heads again. They screamed "Angus! Angus Young! Is this a FM concert or a AC/DC concert." Lindsey's solo at the end was so impassioned & electric everyone was on their feet but those fools had to throw out their 2 cents.

GYOW- During this song something wierd happened. Lindsey was going wild. He was running all over the place & in the process his guitar cord got wrapped up in the blowers or something at the front of the stage. When he ran towards Mick's drum stand to jump up on it, the cord pulled short and he almost crashed into the drums. He got up there and yanked on the cord for more slack but it didn't work. Stevie marches over while playing the tamb, notices the cord & tries to untangle it. Then she goes to the drums like she does and strikes her pose( one foot on the riser, hands banging the tamb over her head). Lindsey yanks the cord again, it ends up on Stevie's shoulder, and each time he pulls it you can see it moving her hair and brushing her face. At first she tried to play it off. Finally she moved & threw the cord to the stage. The look on her face was priceless. She looked pissed. I could see her face from the side because her back was to the audience. My friend even commented on it. He said that Lindsey better watch out back stage.

The rest of the concert went as usual, including Mick's 2hr solo.

I think a lot of these people were unaware of the new album and were casual fans. I heard someone say " I haven't seen FM since the early 80's". I also heard a guy comment that this show was just one guitar solo after another. His friend said no it was gutiar solo, guitar solo, drum solo, guitar solo. Were these people at the same concert as me?

This was a great show with powerful performances by both S&L. Mick & John were their usual solid selves. If you have a chance to see them, go.

Sorry about the long post.

Sean

[Livia]

Sean - are you the tall guy, with dark hair and glasses who was with a girl wearing a tie-dye shirt? Whoever those 2 were, they were having a BLAST!

[bookie29]

Livia, I do have dark hair & glasses but that wasn't me. I did see those two and they were having a good time. That's what I like to see in front of the stage. I'm sure the band also likes to see their fans having a good time.

Sean